As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 30, 2024.
Registration Nos. 333-209996
811-22736
811-22736
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
Form N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
☒
Pre-Effective Amendment No.
☐
Post-Effective Amendment No. 37
☒
and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
☒
Amendment No. 38
☒
(Check Appropriate Box or Boxes)
COLUMBIA ETF TRUST I
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
290 Congress Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (800) 345-6611
| Daniel J. Beckman c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC 290 Congress Street Boston, Massachusetts 02210 |
Ryan C. Larrenaga, Esq. c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC 290 Congress Street Boston, Massachusetts 02210 |
(Name and Address of Agents for Service)
Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering:
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box)
☐ Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
☒ On June 1, 2024 pursuant to paragraph (b)
☐ 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
☐ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
☐ 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
☐ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of rule 485.
If appropriate, check the following box:
☐ This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.
This Post-Effective Amendment relates solely to the Registrant’s Columbia International Equity Income ETF and Columbia U.S. Equity Income ETF series. Information contained in the Registrant’s Registration Statement relating to any other series of the Registrant is neither amended nor superseded hereby.
Prospectus
March 1, 2024
(As amended June 1, 2024)
Beta Advantage® ETFs
Columbia International Equity Income ETF
(formerly known as Columbia International ESG Equity Income ETF)
| Ticker Symbol |
| INEQ |
Columbia U.S. Equity Income ETF
(formerly known as Columbia U.S. ESG Equity Income ETF)
| Ticker Symbol |
| EQIN |
This prospectus provides important information about Columbia International Equity Income ETF and Columbia U.S. Equity Income ETF (each a “Fund” or together the “Funds”), actively managed exchange-traded funds (each an “ETF” or together the “ETFs”) that are series of Columbia ETF Trust I (the Trust) that you should know before investing. Please read it carefully and keep it for future reference.
These securities have not been approved or disapproved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), nor has the SEC passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Shares of the Funds are listed and traded on NYSE Arca, Inc. (the Exchange).
No person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this prospectus and the Funds’ Statement of Additional Information (SAI) dated June 1, 2024 (which is incorporated by reference into this prospectus and is legally a part of this prospectus) and, if given or made, such information or representations may not be relied upon as having been authorized by us.
Beta Advantage® ETFs
Table of Contents
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2
Prospectus 2024
Beta Advantage® ETFs
Summary of Columbia International Equity Income ETF
Investment Objective
Columbia International Equity Income ETF (the Fund) seeks total return, consisting of current income and capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions, to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and example below. If such expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
| Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| Management fees(a) |
0.45 % |
| Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees |
0.00 % |
| Other expenses |
0.00 % |
| Total annual Fund operating expenses |
0.45 % |
(a)
Pursuant to the Investment Management Services Agreement with Columbia ETF Trust I on behalf of the Fund, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC pays the operating costs and expenses of the Fund, but not taxes, interest, brokerage expenses, portfolio transaction expenses, and infrequent and/or unusual expenses.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated (whether or not shares are redeemed), and assumes that:
◾
you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the periods indicated,
◾
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
◾
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
| |
1 year |
3 years |
5 years |
10 years |
| |
$46 |
$144 |
$252 |
$567 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 156% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in income-producing (dividend-paying) equity securities.
The Fund principally invests in common stocks and depository receipts. While the Fund may invest in securities of any size, the Fund typically emphasizes investments in foreign (developed markets) large- and mid-cap companies (companies with market capitalization greater than $2 billion) that Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) believes offer total return opportunity. The Fund typically invests in foreign companies in at least three countries, other than the U.S.
Prospectus 2024
3
Beta Advantage® ETFs
Summary of Columbia International Equity Income ETF (continued)
The Fund does not seek to track the performance of an index, but applies investing rules on at least a quarterly basis (Investing Rule Resets) to invest, at the time of purchase, in companies with a forward annualized dividend yield of greater than or equal to 1% and an ESGM Rating of a 1 or 2 (as further described below) that, after being scored on a sector and region relative basis focused on forward dividend yield, dividend growth, and cash-based dividend coverage ratio factors, results in the top 100 highest-scoring securities being included in the Fund’s portfolio on a market capitalization weighted basis.
As noted above, the Fund invests in companies in part based on Columbia Management’s proprietary Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Materiality Ratings (the ESGM Ratings). The ESGM Ratings provide subjective (based on Columbia Management’s opinion) indicators into how effectively a company appears to be managing its material ESG risks and opportunities, expressed as a numerical ESGM Rating of a company from 1 to 5. A company determined to have an ESGM Rating of 1 reflects Columbia Management’s then-current assessment that the company is managing its material ESG risks and opportunities with low-risk exposure. Conversely, a company determined to have an ESGM Rating of 5 reflects Columbia Management’s then-current assessment that the company is managing its material ESG risks and opportunities with high-risk exposure. Companies that do not report or publish the necessary data to calculate an ESGM Rating will not receive an ESGM Rating by Columbia Management and, being unrated, are not eligible for investment by the Fund. Companies held in the Fund that cease to report or publish the necessary data to calculate an ESGM Rating will no longer receive an ESGM Rating by Columbia Management and, being unrated, the Fund may eliminate any such non-ESGM-rated companies at the Fund’s next Investing Rule Reset or sooner in connection with efficient portfolio management opportunities. A company’s ESGM Rating may change, including being downgraded, after purchase by the Fund. If a company is subsequently rated a 3 or 4, it will not be removed from the Fund until the Fund’s next Investing Rule Reset. In addition to Investing Rule Resets, Fund holdings are evaluated for sale out of the Fund’s portfolio in the event of the issuer’s ESGM Rating being downgraded to a 5, issuer bankruptcy, the security’s forward dividend yield falling below 1%, or other events or conditions. Whether a removed security will be replaced, and what the replacement will be is in the discretion of Columbia Management until the next Investing Rule Reset.
From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including Europe and Japan.
The Fund may at times emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services and industrials sectors.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Market Risk, Active Management Risk, Environmental, Social and Governance Investment Research Tools Risk, Foreign Securities Risk, and Geographic Focus Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The significance of any specific risk to an investment in the Fund will vary over time depending on the composition of the Fund's portfolio, market conditions, and other factors. You should read all of the risk information below carefully, because any one or more of these risks may result in losses to the Fund.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies. Active trading of portfolio securities may result in added expenses, a lower return and increased tax liability, including relative to other ETFs.
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. Only an Authorized Participant (as defined below) may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants, none of which are or will be obligated to engage in creation or redemption transactions. To the extent that these institutions exit the business or are unable or unwilling to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able or willing to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units, Fund shares may trade at a greater premium or discount between the market price
4
Prospectus 2024
Beta Advantage® ETFs
Summary of Columbia International Equity Income ETF (continued)
and the NAV of the Fund’s shares and/or wider bid/ask spreads than those experienced by other ETFs. Additionally, the Fund could possibly face trading halts and/or delisting from the Exchange. This risk is heightened in times of market stress, including at both the Fund share level and at the Fund holdings level.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with an issuer’s (and any of its related companies’) country of organization and places of business operations, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations and actions, war, other conflicts, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics) occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Early/Late Close/Trading Halt Risk. An exchange or market may close early, close late or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities may be restricted, which may result in the Fund being unable to buy or sell these securities.
Environmental, Social and Governance Investment Research Tools Risk. The Investment Manager’s proprietary ESGM Ratings system and screens are subjective (based on the Investment Manager’s opinion) research tools incorporated into the investment selection process. These research tools may not operate as intended and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies. Fund performance will depend on the quality and accuracy of the assumptions and framework (which may be amended over time) on which these research tools are based. Fund performance will also depend on the accuracy and availability of data that the research tools employ and such data may be based on proprietary research, based on third-party research, or by the issuers themselves (which also may be based upon data obtained from third parties). Any errors in the data could adversely affect these research tools and Fund performance.
These research tools depend, in part, upon subjective selection and application of factors and data inputs. The Investment Manager has discretion to determine the data collected and incorporated into these research tools, as well as in interpreting and applying the data used in these research tools. It is not practicable for these research tools to factor in all available data, and no assurance can be given that such data will be helpful or be free from errors. Information the Investment Manager deems sufficient to calculate a company’s ESGM Rating may not be available for certain companies.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to securities of foreign companies may involve heightened risks relative to investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. Investing in securities of foreign companies subjects the Fund to the risks associated with an issuer’s (and any of its related companies’) country of organization and places of business operations, including risks related to political, regulatory, economic, social, diplomatic and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations and actions, war, other conflicts, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics) occurring in the country or region, as well as risks associated with less developed custody and settlement practices. Foreign securities may be more volatile and less liquid than securities of U.S. companies, and are subject to the risks associated with potential imposition of economic and other sanctions
Prospectus 2024
5
Beta Advantage® ETFs
Summary of Columbia International Equity Income ETF (continued)
against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Additionally, the Fund’s foreign investments may trade in markets that may not be open on the same day or at the same time as the Fund, or foreign markets may close after the Fund has calculated its NAV for a given business day, which may cause a difference in the market price of such foreign securities and the value attributed to such securities by the Fund which in turn may result in a greater premium or discount between the market price and the NAV of the Fund's shares and/or wider bid/ask spreads than those experienced by other ETFs.
Fund Shares Liquidity Risk. Although the Fund’s shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active, liquid or otherwise orderly trading market for shares will be established or maintained by market makers or Authorized Participants, particularly in times of stressed market conditions. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be able to attract market makers and Authorized Participants. There is no obligation for market makers to make a market in the Fund’s shares or for Authorized Participants to submit purchase or redemption orders for creation units. Accordingly, if such parties determine not to perform their respective functions, this could, such as during times of market stress, in turn, lead to variances between the market price of the Fund’s shares and the underlying value of those shares and bid/ask spreads could widen. Trading in Fund shares on the Exchange also may be disrupted or even halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Fund shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Fund shares on the Exchange may be subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the Exchange “circuit breaker” rules. There also can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund’s shares will continue to be met or will remain unchanged.
Geographic Focus Risk. The Fund may be particularly susceptible to risks related to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within the specific geographic regions in which the Fund invests. The Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund.
◾
Europe. The Fund is particularly susceptible to risks related to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions, including acts of war or other conflicts in the region, affecting issuers and countries in Europe. Countries in Europe are often closely connected and interdependent, and events in one European country can have an adverse impact on, and potentially spread to, other European countries. In addition, significant private or public debt problems in a single European Union (EU) country can pose economic risks to the EU as a whole. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund. If securities of issuers in Europe fall out of favor, it may cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not focus their investments in this region of the world. Any uncertainty caused by the departure of the United Kingdom (UK) from the EU, which occurred in January 2020, could have negative impacts on the UK and the EU, as well as other European economies and the broader global economy. These could include negative impacts on currencies and financial markets as well as increased volatility and illiquidity, and potentially lower economic growth in markets in Europe, which could adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
◾
Japan. The Fund is particularly susceptible to the social, political, economic, regulatory and other conditions or events that may affect Japan’s economy. The Japanese economy is heavily dependent upon international trade, including, among other things, the export of finished goods and the import of oil and other commodities and raw materials. Because of its trade dependence, the Japanese economy is particularly exposed to the risks of currency fluctuation, foreign trade policy and regional and global economic disruption, including the risk of increased tariffs, embargoes, and other trade limitations or factors. Strained relationships between Japan and its neighboring countries, including China, South Korea and North Korea, based on historical grievances, territorial disputes, and defense concerns, may also cause uncertainty in Japanese markets. As a result, additional tariffs, other trade barriers, or boycotts may have an adverse impact on the Japanese economy. Japanese government policy has been characterized by economic regulation, intervention, protectionism and large government deficits. The Japanese economy is also challenged by an unstable financial services sector, highly leveraged corporate balance
6
Prospectus 2024
Beta Advantage® ETFs
Summary of Columbia International Equity Income ETF (continued)
sheets and extensive cross-ownership among major corporations. Structural social and labor market changes, including an aging workforce, population decline and traditional aversion to labor mobility may adversely affect Japan’s economic competitiveness and growth potential. The potential for natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons and tsunamis, could also have significant negative effects on Japan’s economy. As a result of the Fund’s investment in Japanese securities, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund. If securities of issuers in Japan fall out of favor, it may cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not focus their investments in Japan.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations and actions, war, other conflicts, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of your investment in the Fund and could result in a greater premium or discount between the market price and the NAV of the Fund's shares and wider bid/ask spreads than those experienced by other ETFs.
◾
Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in mid-capitalization companies (mid-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because mid-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies, and may be less liquid than the securities of larger companies.
◾
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions of creation units, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets. In addition, in stressed market conditions, the market for Fund shares may become less liquid. Deterioration in the liquidity of Fund shares may adversely impact the liquidity of the Fund's underlying portfolio securities. These adverse impacts on the liquidity of Fund shares and on the liquidity of the Fund's underlying portfolio securities could in turn lead to a greater premium or discount between the market price and the NAV of the Fund's shares and/or wider bid/ask spreads than those experienced by other ETFs.
Prospectus 2024
7
Beta Advantage® ETFs
Summary of Columbia International Equity Income ETF (continued)
Market Price Relative to NAV Risk. Shares of the Fund may trade at prices that vary from Fund NAV. Shares of the Fund are listed for trading on the Exchange and are bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices that may differ, in some cases significantly, from their NAV. The NAV of the Fund will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The market prices of shares, however, will generally fluctuate in response to changes in NAV, as well as the relative supply of, and demand for, Fund shares on the Exchange. Fund shares may trade at a greater premium or discount between the market price and the NAV of the Fund's shares and/or wider bid/ask spreads than those experienced by other ETFs. The Investment Manager cannot predict whether Fund shares will trade below, at or above their NAV. Price differences may result because of, among other factors, supply and demand forces in the secondary trading market for Fund shares. It is expected that these forces generally will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the Fund’s holdings. In this regard, if a shareholder purchases Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV or sells shares at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, the shareholder may sustain losses. Different investment strategies or techniques, including those intended to be defensive in nature, including, as examples, stop loss orders to sell an ETF’s shares in the secondary market during negative market events or conditions, such as a “flash crash” or other market disruptions, may not work as intended and may produce significant losses to investors. Investors should consult their financial intermediary prior to using any such investment strategies or techniques, or before investing in the Fund.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to price or value hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets and could cause significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, other conflicts, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions and could result in a greater premium or discount between the market price and the NAV of the Fund's shares and wider bid/ask spreads than those experienced by other ETFs.
Secondary Market Trading Risk. Investors buying or selling Fund shares will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Fund shares.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business in a related group of industries within one or more economic sectors, including the financial services and industrials sectors. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that group of industries or economic sector.
◾
Financial Services Sector. The Fund is vulnerable to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
8
Prospectus 2024
Beta Advantage® ETFs
Summary of Columbia International Equity Income ETF (continued)
◾
Industrials Sector. The Fund is vulnerable to the particular risks that may affect companies in the industrials sector. Companies in the industrials sector are subject to certain risks, including changes in supply and demand for their specific product or service and for industrial sector products in general, including decline in demand for such products due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including government regulation, world events, economic conditions and risks for environmental damage and product liability claims.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance, as well as the previously tracked indices for one-year transition period.
Effective June 1, 2024 (Index Change Date), in light of the changes made to the Fund’s Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies, the Fund no longer compares its performance to the Beta Advantage® International ESG Equity Income Index (Net). The returns of the Beta Advantage® International ESG Equity Income Index (Net) and the returns of the Combined Index (defined below the Average Annual Total Returns table) will be shown for a one-year transition period.
The Fund’s performance prior to June 1, 2024, reflects returns achieved according to different principal investment strategies. If the Fund’s strategies effective June 1, 2024 had been in place for the prior periods, results shown may have been different.
The after-tax returns shown in the Average Annual Total Returns table below are calculated using the highest historical individual U.S. federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the period indicated in the table and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-advantaged accounts such as 401(k) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs).
The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.426.3750 or visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com/etfs.
*
Year to Date return as of March 31, 2024: 6.97%
Prospectus 2024
9
Beta Advantage® ETFs
Summary of Columbia International Equity Income ETF (continued)
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2023)
| |
Inception Date |
1 Year |
5 Years |
Life of Fund |
| At NAV |
06/13/2016 |
|
|
|
| returns before taxes |
|
21.09% |
7.57% |
6.67% |
| returns after taxes on distributions |
|
20.50% |
6.93% |
5.65% |
| returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares |
|
13.48% |
6.04% |
5.18% |
| MSCI EAFE Value Index (Net) (reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes but reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or other taxes) |
|
18.95% |
7.08% |
6.34% |
| Beta Advantage® International ESG Equity Income Index (Net) (reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes but reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or other taxes) |
|
21.85% |
|
35.70%* |
| Combined Former Index and Current Index** (reflects reinvested dividends net of withholding taxes but reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or other taxes) |
|
21.85% |
8.23% |
7.32% |
*
The Life of Fund Index performance is for the period from October 14, 2022 through December 31, 2023.
**
The Combined Former Index and Current Index (the Combined Index) 5 Years and Life of Fund performance represents the Fund’s Former Index (Beta Advantage® Sustainable International Equity Income 100 Index (Net)) performance for the period from June 13, 2016 to October 14, 2022 and the Fund’s Current Index (Beta Advantage® International ESG Equity Income Index (Net)) performance for the period from October 14, 2022 through December 31, 2023. The Combined Index 1 Year performance represents the Fund’s Current Index performance.
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
| Portfolio Management |
Title |
Role with Fund |
Managed Fund Since |
| Christopher Lo, CFA |
Senior Portfolio Manager |
Lead Portfolio Manager |
2016 |
| Henry Hom, CFA |
Senior Portfolio Manager |
Portfolio Manager |
July 2023 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund issues and redeems shares only through Authorized Participants (intermediaries, typically broker-dealers who have executed an agreement with the Fund's distributor that governs transactions in Fund creation units) in large blocks of shares, typically 50,000 shares, called Creation Units. Creation Units are issued and redeemed typically for an in-kind basket of securities. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Fund shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.
Individual shares may only be purchased and sold on secondary markets through a financial intermediary, such as a broker-dealer or a bank. Because the Fund’s shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). You may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the ETF (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the ETF (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the bid/ask spread). Recent information, including information regarding the Fund’s NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid/ask spread, is available at columbiathreadneedleus.com/etfs.
Tax Information
Distributions you receive from the Fund are taxed as ordinary income for federal income tax purposes, except to the extent designated as net capital gain, qualified dividend or return of capital and may also be subject to state or local taxes, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged retirement plan account or are a tax-exempt investor.
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Prospectus 2024
Beta Advantage® ETFs
Summary of Columbia International Equity Income ETF (continued)
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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11
Beta Advantage® ETFs
Summary of Columbia U.S. Equity Income ETF
Investment Objective
Columbia U.S. Equity Income ETF (the Fund) seeks total return, consisting of current income and capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions, to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and example below. If such expenses were reflected, the expenses set forth below would be higher.
| Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) | |
| Management fees(a) |
0.35 % |
| Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees |
0.00 % |
| Other expenses |
0.00 % |
| Total annual Fund operating expenses |
0.35 % |
(a)
Pursuant to the Investment Management Services Agreement with Columbia ETF Trust I on behalf of the Fund, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC pays the operating costs and expenses of the Fund, but not taxes, interest, brokerage expenses, portfolio transaction expenses, and infrequent and/or unusual expenses.
Example
The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The example illustrates the hypothetical expenses that you would incur over the time periods indicated (whether or not shares are redeemed), and assumes that:
◾
you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the periods indicated,
◾
your investment has a 5% return each year, and
◾
the Fund’s total annual operating expenses remain the same as shown in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table above.
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on the assumptions listed above, your costs would be:
| |
1 year |
3 years |
5 years |
10 years |
| |
$36 |
$113 |
$197 |
$443 |
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 90% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in income-producing (dividend-paying) equity securities of U.S. companies.
The Fund principally invests in common stocks. While the Fund may invest in securities of any size, the Fund typically emphasizes investments in U.S. large- and mid-cap companies (companies with market capitalization greater than $2 billion) that Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) believes offer total return opportunity.
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Beta Advantage® ETFs
Summary of Columbia U.S. Equity Income ETF (continued)
The Fund does not seek to track the performance of an index, but applies investing rules on at least a quarterly basis (Investing Rule Resets) to invest, at the time of purchase, in companies with a forward annualized dividend yield of greater than or equal to 1% and an ESGM Rating of a 1 or 2 (as further described below) that, after being scored on a sector relative basis focused on forward dividend yield, dividend growth, and cash-based dividend coverage ratio factors, results in the top 100 highest-scoring securities being included in the Fund’s portfolio on a market capitalization weighted basis.
As noted above, the Fund invests in companies in part based on Columbia Management’s proprietary Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Materiality Ratings (the ESGM Ratings). The ESGM Ratings provide subjective (based on Columbia Management’s opinion) indicators into how effectively a company appears to be managing its material ESG risks and opportunities, expressed as a numerical ESGM Rating of a company from 1 to 5. A company determined to have an ESGM Rating of 1 reflects Columbia Management’s then-current assessment that the company is managing its material ESG risks and opportunities with low-risk exposure. Conversely, a company determined to have an ESGM Rating of 5 reflects Columbia Management’s then-current assessment that the company is managing its material ESG risks and opportunities with high-risk exposure. Companies that do not report or publish the necessary data to calculate an ESGM Rating will not receive an ESGM Rating by Columbia Management and, being unrated, are not eligible for investment by the Fund. Companies held in the Fund that cease to report or publish the necessary data to calculate an ESGM Rating will no longer receive an ESGM Rating by Columbia Management and, being unrated, the Fund may eliminate any such non-ESGM-rated companies at the Fund’s next Investing Rule Reset or sooner in connection with efficient portfolio management opportunities. A company’s ESGM Rating may change, including being downgraded, after purchase by the Fund. If a company is subsequently rated a 3 or 4, it will not be removed from the Fund until the Fund’s next Investing Rule Reset. In addition to Investing Rule Resets, Fund holdings are evaluated for sale out of the Fund’s portfolio in the event of the issuer’s ESGM Rating being downgraded to a 5, issuer bankruptcy, the security’s forward dividend yield falling below 1%, or other events or conditions. Whether a removed security will be replaced, and what the replacement will be is in the discretion of Columbia Management until the next Investing Rule Reset.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Market Risk, Active Management Risk, and Environmental, Social and Governance Investment Research Tools Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The significance of any specific risk to an investment in the Fund will vary over time depending on the composition of the Fund's portfolio, market conditions, and other factors. You should read all of the risk information below carefully, because any one or more of these risks may result in losses to the Fund.
Active Management Risk. Due to its active management, the Fund could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies. Active trading of portfolio securities may result in added expenses, a lower return and increased tax liability, including relative to other ETFs.
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. Only an Authorized Participant (as defined below) may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants, none of which are or will be obligated to engage in creation or redemption transactions. To the extent that these institutions exit the business or are unable or unwilling to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able or willing to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units, Fund shares may trade at a greater premium or discount between the market price and the NAV of the Fund’s shares and/or wider bid/ask spreads than those experienced by other ETFs. Additionally, the Fund could possibly face trading halts and/or delisting from the Exchange. This risk is heightened in times of market stress, including at both the Fund share level and at the Fund holdings level.
Prospectus 2024
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Beta Advantage® ETFs
Summary of Columbia U.S. Equity Income ETF (continued)
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Early/Late Close/Trading Halt Risk. An exchange or market may close early, close late or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities may be restricted, which may result in the Fund being unable to buy or sell these securities.
Environmental, Social and Governance Investment Research Tools Risk. The Investment Manager’s proprietary ESGM Ratings system and screens are subjective (based on the Investment Manager’s opinion) research tools incorporated into the investment selection process. These research tools may not operate as intended and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies. Fund performance will depend on the quality and accuracy of the assumptions and framework (which may be amended over time) on which these research tools are based. Fund performance will also depend on the accuracy and availability of data that the research tools employ and such data may be based on proprietary research, based on third-party research, or by the issuers themselves (which also may be based upon data obtained from third parties). Any errors in the data could adversely affect these research tools and Fund performance.
These research tools depend, in part, upon subjective selection and application of factors and data inputs. The Investment Manager has discretion to determine the data collected and incorporated into these research tools, as well as in interpreting and applying the data used in these research tools. It is not practicable for these research tools to factor in all available data, and no assurance can be given that such data will be helpful or be free from errors. Information the Investment Manager deems sufficient to calculate a company’s ESGM Rating may not be available for certain companies.
Fund Shares Liquidity Risk. Although the Fund’s shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active, liquid or otherwise orderly trading market for shares will be established or maintained by market makers or Authorized Participants, particularly in times of stressed market conditions. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be able to attract market makers and Authorized Participants. There is no obligation for market makers to make a market in the Fund’s shares or for Authorized Participants to submit purchase or redemption orders for creation units. Accordingly, if such parties determine not to perform their respective functions, this could, such as during times of market stress, in turn, lead to variances between the market price of the Fund’s shares and the underlying value of those shares and bid/ask spreads could widen. Trading in Fund shares on the Exchange also may be disrupted or even halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Fund shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Fund shares on the Exchange may be subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the Exchange “circuit breaker” rules. There also can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund’s shares will continue to be met or will remain unchanged.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations and actions, war, other conflicts, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of your investment in the Fund and could result in a greater premium or discount between the market price and the NAV of the Fund's shares and wider bid/ask spreads than those experienced by other ETFs.
◾
Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in mid-capitalization companies (mid-cap companies) often involve greater risks than investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) because mid-cap companies tend to have less predictable earnings and may lack the management experience, financial resources, product diversification and competitive strengths of larger companies, and may be less liquid than the securities of larger companies.
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Prospectus 2024
Beta Advantage® ETFs
Summary of Columbia U.S. Equity Income ETF (continued)
◾
Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Price Relative to NAV Risk. Shares of the Fund may trade at prices that vary from Fund NAV. Shares of the Fund are listed for trading on the Exchange and are bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices that may differ, in some cases significantly, from their NAV. The NAV of the Fund will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The market prices of shares, however, will generally fluctuate in response to changes in NAV, as well as the relative supply of, and demand for, Fund shares on the Exchange. Fund shares may trade at a greater premium or discount between the market price and the NAV of the Fund's shares and/or wider bid/ask spreads than those experienced by other ETFs. The Investment Manager cannot predict whether Fund shares will trade below, at or above their NAV. Price differences may result because of, among other factors, supply and demand forces in the secondary trading market for Fund shares. It is expected that these forces generally will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the Fund’s holdings. In this regard, if a shareholder purchases Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV or sells shares at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, the shareholder may sustain losses. Different investment strategies or techniques, including those intended to be defensive in nature, including, as examples, stop loss orders to sell an ETF’s shares in the secondary market during negative market events or conditions, such as a “flash crash” or other market disruptions, may not work as intended and may produce significant losses to investors. Investors should consult their financial intermediary prior to using any such investment strategies or techniques, or before investing in the Fund.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to price or value hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets and could cause significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, other conflicts, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions and could result in a greater premium or discount between the market price and the NAV of the Fund's shares and wider bid/ask spreads than those experienced by other ETFs.
Secondary Market Trading Risk. Investors buying or selling Fund shares will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Fund shares.
Performance Information
The following bar chart and table show you how the Fund has performed in the past, and can help you understand the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows how the Fund’s performance has varied for each full calendar year shown. The table below the bar chart compares the Fund’s returns for the periods shown with a broad measure of market performance, as well as the previously tracked indices for one-year transition period.
Effective June 1, 2024 (Index Change Date), in light of the changes made to the Fund’s Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies, the Fund no longer compares its performance to the Beta Advantage® U.S. ESG Equity Income Index. The returns of the Beta Advantage® U.S. ESG Equity Income Index and the returns of the Combined Index (defined below the Average Annual Total Returns table) will be shown for a one-year transition period.
Prospectus 2024
15
Beta Advantage® ETFs
Summary of Columbia U.S. Equity Income ETF (continued)
The Fund’s performance prior to June 1, 2024, reflects returns achieved according to different principal investment strategies. If the Fund’s strategies effective June 1, 2024 had been in place for the prior periods, results shown may have been different.
The after-tax returns shown in the Average Annual Total Returns table below are calculated using the highest historical individual U.S. federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the period indicated in the table and do not reflect the impact of state, local or foreign taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your personal tax situation and may differ from those shown in the table. In addition, the after-tax returns shown in the table do not apply to shares held in tax-advantaged accounts such as 401(k) plans or Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs).
The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is no guarantee of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information can be obtained by calling toll-free 800.426.3750 or visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com/etfs.
| Year by Year Total Return (%) as of December 31 Each Year* |
Best and Worst Quarterly Returns During the Period Shown in the Bar Chart | ||
 |
Best |
4th Quarter 2020 |
19.27% |
| Worst |
1st Quarter 2020 |
-31.73% | |
*
Year to Date return as of March 31, 2024: 9.85%
Average Annual Total Returns (for periods ended December 31, 2023)
| |
Inception Date |
1 Year |
5 Years |
Life of Fund |
| At NAV |
06/13/2016 |
|
|
|
| returns before taxes |
|
11.86% |
14.12% |
11.90% |
| returns after taxes on distributions |
|
11.17% |
13.30% |
10.35% |
| returns after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares |
|
7.44% |
11.14% |
9.02% |
| MSCI USA Value Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
9.24% |
10.58% |
9.33% |
| Beta Advantage® U.S. ESG Equity Income Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
12.30% |
|
19.68%* |
| Combined Former Index and Current Index** (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes) |
|
12.30% |
14.60% |
12.34% |
*
The Life of Fund Index performance is for the period from October 14, 2022 through December 31, 2023.
**
The Combined Former Index and Current Index (the Combined Index) 5 Years and Life of Fund performance represents the Fund’s Former Index (Beta Advantage® Sustainable U.S. Equity Income 100 Index) performance for the period from June 13, 2016 to October 14, 2022 and the Fund’s Current Index (Beta Advantage® U.S. ESG Equity Income Index) performance for the period from October 14, 2022 through December 31, 2023. The Combined Index 1 Year performance represents the Fund’s Current Index performance.
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Prospectus 2024
Beta Advantage® ETFs
Summary of Columbia U.S. Equity Income ETF (continued)
Fund Management
Investment Manager: Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC
| Portfolio Management |
Title |
Role with Fund |
Managed Fund Since |
| Christopher Lo, CFA |
Senior Portfolio Manager |
Lead Portfolio Manager |
2016 |
| Henry Hom, CFA |
Senior Portfolio Manager |
Portfolio Manager |
July 2023 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund issues and redeems shares only through Authorized Participants (intermediaries, typically broker-dealers who have executed an agreement with the Fund's distributor that governs transactions in Fund creation units) in large blocks of shares, typically 50,000 shares, called Creation Units. Creation Units are issued and redeemed typically for an in-kind basket of securities. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Fund shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.
Individual shares may only be purchased and sold on secondary markets through a financial intermediary, such as a broker-dealer or a bank. Because the Fund’s shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). You may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the ETF (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the ETF (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the bid/ask spread). Recent information, including information regarding the Fund’s NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid/ask spread, is available at columbiathreadneedleus.com/etfs.
Tax Information
Distributions you receive from the Fund are taxed as ordinary income for federal income tax purposes, except to the extent designated as net capital gain, qualified dividend or return of capital and may also be subject to state or local taxes, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged retirement plan account or are a tax-exempt investor.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your financial advisor to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
Prospectus 2024
17
Beta Advantage® ETFs
More Information About Columbia International Equity Income ETF
Investment Objective
Columbia International Equity Income ETF (the Fund) seeks total return, consisting of current income and capital appreciation. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in income-producing (dividend-paying) equity securities.
The Fund principally invests in common stocks and depository receipts. While the Fund may invest in securities of any size, the Fund typically emphasizes investments in foreign (developed markets) large- and mid-cap companies (companies with market capitalization greater than $2 billion) that Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) believes offer total return opportunity. The Fund typically invests in foreign companies in at least three countries, other than the U.S.
The Fund does not seek to track the performance of an index, but applies investing rules on at least a quarterly basis (Investing Rule Resets) to invest, at the time of purchase, in companies with a forward annualized dividend yield of greater than or equal to 1% and an ESGM Rating of a 1 or 2 (as further described below) that, after being scored on a sector and region relative basis focused on forward dividend yield, dividend growth, and cash-based dividend coverage ratio factors, results in the top 100 highest-scoring securities being included in the Fund’s portfolio on a market capitalization weighted basis.
As noted above, the Fund invests in companies in part based on Columbia Management’s proprietary Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Materiality Ratings (the ESGM Ratings). The ESGM Ratings provide subjective (based on Columbia Management’s opinion) indicators into how effectively a company appears to be managing its material ESG risks and opportunities, expressed as a numerical ESGM Rating of a company from 1 to 5. A company determined to have an ESGM Rating of 1 reflects Columbia Management’s then-current assessment that the company is managing its material ESG risks and opportunities with low-risk exposure. Conversely, a company determined to have an ESGM Rating of 5 reflects Columbia Management’s then-current assessment that the company is managing its material ESG risks and opportunities with high-risk exposure. Companies that do not report or publish the necessary data to calculate an ESGM Rating will not receive an ESGM Rating by Columbia Management and, being unrated, are not eligible for investment by the Fund. Companies held in the Fund that cease to report or publish the necessary data to calculate an ESGM Rating will no longer receive an ESGM Rating by Columbia Management and, being unrated, the Fund may eliminate any such non-ESGM-rated companies at the Fund’s next Investing Rule Reset or sooner in connection with efficient portfolio management opportunities. A company’s ESGM Rating may change, including being downgraded, after purchase by the Fund. If a company is subsequently rated a 3 or 4, it will not be removed from the Fund until the Fund’s next Investing Rule Reset. In addition to Investing Rule Resets, Fund holdings are evaluated for sale out of the Fund’s portfolio in the event of the issuer’s ESGM Rating being downgraded to a 5, issuer bankruptcy, the security’s forward dividend yield falling below 1%, or other events or conditions. Whether a removed security will be replaced, and what the replacement will be is in the discretion of Columbia Management until the next Investing Rule Reset.
From time to time, the Fund may focus its investments in certain countries or geographic areas, including Europe and Japan.
The Fund may at times emphasize one or more sectors in selecting its investments, including the financial services and industrials sectors.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change. Additionally, shareholders will be given 60 days’ advance written notice of a change to the Fund’s investment objective if such a change is made in connection with the SEC rule governing fund names.
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Prospectus 2024
Beta Advantage® ETFs
More Information About Columbia International Equity Income ETF (continued)
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Market Risk, Active Management Risk, Environmental, Social and Governance Investment Research Tools Risk, Foreign Securities Risk, and Geographic Focus Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value (NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The significance of any specific risk to an investment in the Fund will vary over time depending on the composition of the Fund's portfolio, market conditions, and other factors. You should read all of the risk information below carefully, because any one or more of these risks may result in losses to the Fund.
Active Management Risk. The Funds is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve each Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Funds could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies. Active trading of portfolio securities may result in added expenses, a lower return and increased tax liability, including relative to other ETFs.
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. Only an Authorized Participant (as defined below) may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants, none of which are or will be obligated to engage in creation or redemption transactions. To the extent that these institutions exit the business or are unable or unwilling to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able or willing to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units, Fund shares may trade at a greater premium or discount between the market price and the NAV of the Fund’s shares and/or wider bid/ask spreads than those experienced by other ETFs. Additionally, the Fund could possibly face trading halts and/or delisting from the Exchange. This risk is heightened in times of market stress, including at both the Fund share level and at the Fund holdings level.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with an issuer’s (and any of its related companies’) country of organization and places of business operations, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations and actions, war, other conflicts, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics) occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Early/Late Close/Trading Halt Risk. An exchange or market may close early, close late or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities may be restricted, which may result in the Fund being unable to buy or sell these securities.
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Beta Advantage® ETFs
More Information About Columbia International Equity Income ETF (continued)
Environmental, Social and Governance Investment Research Tools Risk. The Investment Manager’s proprietary ESGM Ratings system and screens are subjective (based on the Investment Manager’s opinion) research tools incorporated into the investment selection process. These research tools may not operate as intended and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies. Fund performance will depend on the quality and accuracy of the assumptions and framework (which may be amended over time) on which these research tools are based. Fund performance will also depend on the accuracy and availability of data that the research tools employ and such data may be based on proprietary research, based on third-party research, or by the issuers themselves (which also may be based upon data obtained from third parties). Any errors in the data could adversely affect these research tools and Fund performance.
These research tools depend, in part, upon subjective selection and application of factors and data inputs. The Investment Manager has discretion to determine the data collected and incorporated into these research tools, as well as in interpreting and applying the data used in these research tools. It is not practicable for these research tools to factor in all available data, and no assurance can be given that such data will be helpful or be free from errors. Information the Investment Manager deems sufficient to calculate a company’s ESGM Rating may not be available for certain companies.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to securities of foreign companies may involve heightened risks relative to investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations and actions, war, other conflicts, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. Economic sanctions may be, and have been, imposed against certain countries, organizations, companies, entities and/or individuals. Economic sanctions and other similar governmental actions could, among other things, effectively restrict or eliminate the Fund’s ability to purchase or sell securities, and thus may make the Fund’s investments in such securities less liquid or more difficult to value. In addition, as a result of economic sanctions, the Fund may be forced to sell or otherwise dispose of investments at inopportune times or prices, which could result in losses to the Fund and increased transaction costs. These conditions may be in place for a substantial period of time and enacted with limited advance notice to the Fund. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign
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securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa. Additionally, the Fund’s foreign investments may trade in markets that may not be open on the same day or at the same time as the Fund, or foreign markets may close after the Fund has calculated its NAV for a given business day, which may cause a difference in the market price of such foreign securities and the value attributed to such securities by the Fund which in turn may result in a greater premium or discount between the market price and the NAV of the Fund's shares and/or wider bid/ask spreads than those experienced by other ETFs.
Fund Shares Liquidity Risk. Although the Fund’s shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active, liquid or otherwise orderly trading market for shares will be established or maintained by market makers or Authorized Participants, particularly in times of stressed market conditions. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be able to attract market makers and Authorized Participants. There is no obligation for market makers to make a market in the Fund’s shares or for Authorized Participants to submit purchase or redemption orders for creation units. Accordingly, if such parties determine not to perform their respective functions, this could, such as during times of market stress, in turn, lead to variances between the market price of the Fund’s shares and the underlying value of those shares and bid/ask spreads could widen. Trading in Fund shares on the Exchange also may be disrupted or even halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Fund shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Fund shares on the Exchange may be subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the Exchange “circuit breaker” rules. There also can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund’s shares will continue to be met or will remain unchanged.
Geographic Focus Risk. The Fund may be particularly susceptible to risks related to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within the specific geographic regions in which the Fund invests. Currency devaluations could occur in countries that have not yet experienced currency devaluation to date, or could continue to occur in countries that have already experienced such devaluations. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund.
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Europe. The Fund is particularly susceptible to risks related to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions, including acts of war or other conflicts in the region, affecting issuers and countries in Europe. Countries in Europe are often closely connected and interdependent, and events in one European country can have an adverse impact on, and potentially spread to, other European countries. Most developed countries in Western Europe are members of the EU, and many are also members of the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). European countries can be significantly affected by the tight fiscal and monetary controls that the EMU imposes on its members and with which candidates for EMU membership are required to comply. In addition, significant private or public debt problems in a single EU country can pose economic risks to the EU as a whole. Unemployment in Europe has historically been higher than in the United States and public deficits are an ongoing concern in many European countries. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund. If securities of issuers in Europe fall out of favor, it may cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not focus their investments in this region of the world. Any uncertainty caused by the departure of the UK from the EU, which occurred in January 2020, could have negative impacts on the UK and EU, as well as other European economies and the broader global economy. These could include negative impacts on currencies and financial markets as well as increased volatility and illiquidity, and potentially lower economic growth in markets in the UK, Europe and globally, which could adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Any attempt by the Fund to hedge against or otherwise protect its portfolio or to profit from such circumstances may fail and, accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods.
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Japan. The Fund is particularly susceptible to the social, political, economic, regulatory and other conditions or events that may affect Japan’s economy. The Japanese economy is heavily dependent upon international trade, including, among other things, the export of finished goods and the import of oil and other commodities and raw materials. Because of its trade dependence, the Japanese economy is particularly exposed to the risks of currency fluctuation, foreign trade policy and regional and global economic disruption, including the risk of increased tariffs,
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embargoes, and other trade limitations or factors. Strained relationships between Japan and its neighboring countries, including China, South Korea and North Korea, based on historical grievances, territorial disputes, and defense concerns, may also cause uncertainty in Japanese markets. As a result, additional tariffs, other trade barriers, or boycotts may have an adverse impact on the Japanese economy. Japanese government policy has been characterized by economic regulation, intervention, protectionism and large government deficits. The Japanese economy is also challenged by an unstable financial services sector, highly leveraged corporate balance sheets and extensive cross-ownership among major corporations. Structural social and labor market changes, including an aging workforce, population decline and traditional aversion to labor mobility may adversely affect Japan’s economic competitiveness and growth potential. The potential for natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons and tsunamis, could also have significant negative effects on Japan’s economy. A significant portion of Japan's trade is conducted with developing nations in East and Southeast Asia and its economy can be affected by conditions and currency fluctuations in these and other countries. For a number of years, Japan’s economic growth rate has remained relatively low, and it may remain low in the future. Securities in Japan are denominated and quoted in yen. As a result, the value of the Fund's Japanese securities as measured in U.S. dollars may be affected by fluctuations in the value of the Japanese yen relative to the U.S. dollar. Securities traded on Japanese stock exchanges have exhibited significant volatility in recent years. As a result of the Fund’s investment in Japanese securities, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund. If securities of issuers in Japan fall out of favor, it may cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not focus their investments in Japan.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations and actions, war, other conflicts, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of your investment in the Fund and could result in a greater premium or discount between the market price and the NAV of the Fund's shares and wider bid/ask spreads than those experienced by other ETFs.
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Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Securities of mid-cap companies can, in certain circumstances, have more risk than securities of larger companies. For example, mid-cap companies may be more vulnerable to market downturns and adverse business or economic events than larger companies because they may have more limited financial resources and business operations. Mid-cap companies are also more likely than larger companies to have more limited product lines and operating histories and to depend on smaller and generally less experienced management teams. Securities of mid-cap companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes and may fluctuate more sharply in value than securities of larger companies. When the Fund takes significant positions in mid-cap companies with limited trading volumes, the liquidation of those positions, particularly in a distressed market, could be difficult and result in Fund investment losses that would affect the value of your investment in the Fund. In addition, some mid-cap companies may not be widely followed by the investment community, which can lower the demand for their stocks.
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Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment, which means that when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, the Fund could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other liquid or more liquid investments that it might otherwise
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prefer to hold (thereby increasing the proportion of the Fund’s investments in less liquid or illiquid securities), or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in redemptions of creation units, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. Foreign securities can present enhanced liquidity risks, including as a result of less developed custody, settlement or other practices of foreign markets. In addition, in stressed market conditions, the market for Fund shares may become less liquid. Deterioration in the liquidity of Fund shares may adversely impact the liquidity of the Fund's underlying portfolio securities. These adverse impacts on the liquidity of Fund shares and on the liquidity of the Fund's underlying portfolio securities could in turn lead to a greater premium or discount between the market price and the NAV of the Fund's shares and/or wider bid/ask spreads than those experienced by other ETFs.
Market Price Relative to NAV Risk. Shares of the Fund may trade at prices that vary from Fund NAV. Shares of the Fund are listed for trading on the Exchange and are bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices that may differ, in some cases significantly, from their NAV. The NAV of the Fund will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The market prices of shares, however, will generally fluctuate in response to changes in NAV, as well as the relative supply of, and demand for, Fund shares on the Exchange. Fund shares may trade at a greater premium or discount between the market price and the NAV of the Fund's shares and/or wider bid/ask spreads than those experienced by other ETFs. The Investment Manager cannot predict whether Fund shares will trade below, at or above their NAV. Price differences may result because of, among other factors, supply and demand forces in the secondary trading market for Fund shares. It is expected that these forces generally will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the Fund’s holdings. In this regard, if a shareholder purchases Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV or sells shares at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, the shareholder may sustain losses. Different investment strategies or techniques, including those intended to be defensive in nature, including, as examples, stop loss orders to sell an ETF’s shares in the secondary market during negative market events or conditions, such as a “flash crash” or other market disruptions, may not work as intended and may produce significant losses to investors. Investors should consult their financial intermediary prior to using any such investment strategies or techniques, or before investing in the Fund.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to price or value hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets and could cause significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, other conflicts, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions and could result in a greater premium or discount between the market price and the NAV of the Fund's shares and wider bid/ask spreads than those experienced by other ETFs.
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The large-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022 has resulted in sanctions and market disruptions, including declines in regional and global stock markets, unusual volatility in global commodity markets and significant devaluations of Russian currency. The extent and duration of the military action are impossible to predict but could continue to be significant. Market disruption caused by the Russian military action, and any countermeasures or responses thereto (including international sanctions, a downgrade in a country’s credit rating, purchasing and financing restrictions, boycotts, tariffs, changes in consumer or purchaser preferences, cyberattacks and espionage) could continue to have severe adverse impacts on regional and/or global securities and commodities markets, including markets for oil and natural gas. These impacts may include reduced market liquidity, distress in credit markets, further disruption of global supply chains, increased risk of inflation, and limited access to investments in certain international markets and/or issuers. These developments and other related events could negatively impact Fund performance.
Secondary Market Trading Risk. Investors buying or selling Fund shares will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price that an investor is willing to pay for Fund shares (the bid price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Fund shares (the ask price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the “spread” or “bid/ask spread.” The bid/ask spread varies over time for Fund shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if the Fund’s shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if the Fund’s shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, increased market volatility may cause widening of bid/ask spreads.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business in a related group of industries within one or more economic sectors, including the financial services and industrials sectors. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that group of industries or economic sector.
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Financial Services Sector. The Fund is vulnerable to the particular risks that may affect companies in the financial services sector. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
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Industrials Sector. The Fund is vulnerable to the particular risks that may affect companies in the industrials sector. Companies in the industrials sector are subject to certain risks, including changes in supply and demand for their specific product or service and for industrial sector products in general, including decline in demand for such products due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including government regulation, world events, economic conditions and risks for environmental damage and product liability claims.
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More Information About Columbia U.S. Equity Income ETF
Investment Objective
Columbia U.S. Equity Income ETF (the Fund) seeks total return, consisting of current income and capital appreciation. The Fund’s investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval. Because any investment involves risk, there is no assurance the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in income-producing (dividend-paying) equity securities of U.S. companies.
The Fund principally invests in common stocks. While the Fund may invest in securities of any size, the Fund typically emphasizes investments in U.S. large- and mid-cap companies (companies with market capitalization greater than $2 billion) that Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management or the Investment Manager) believes offer total return opportunity.
The Fund does not seek to track the performance of an index, but applies investing rules on at least a quarterly basis (Investing Rule Resets) to invest, at the time of purchase, in companies with a forward annualized dividend yield of greater than or equal to 1% and an ESGM Rating of a 1 or 2 (as further described below) that, after being scored on a sector relative basis focused on forward dividend yield, dividend growth, and cash-based dividend coverage ratio factors, results in the top 100 highest-scoring securities being included in the Fund’s portfolio on a market capitalization weighted basis.
As noted above, the Fund invests in companies in part based on Columbia Management’s proprietary Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Materiality Ratings (the ESGM Ratings). The ESGM Ratings provide subjective (based on Columbia Management’s opinion) indicators into how effectively a company appears to be managing its material ESG risks and opportunities, expressed as a numerical ESGM Rating of a company from 1 to 5. A company determined to have an ESGM Rating of 1 reflects Columbia Management’s then-current assessment that the company is managing its material ESG risks and opportunities with low-risk exposure. Conversely, a company determined to have an ESGM Rating of 5 reflects Columbia Management’s then-current assessment that the company is managing its material ESG risks and opportunities with high-risk exposure. Companies that do not report or publish the necessary data to calculate an ESGM Rating will not receive an ESGM Rating by Columbia Management and, being unrated, are not eligible for investment by the Fund. Companies held in the Fund that cease to report or publish the necessary data to calculate an ESGM Rating will no longer receive an ESGM Rating by Columbia Management and, being unrated, the Fund may eliminate any such non-ESGM-rated companies at the Fund’s next Investing Rule Reset or sooner in connection with efficient portfolio management opportunities. A company’s ESGM Rating may change, including being downgraded, after purchase by the Fund. If a company is subsequently rated a 3 or 4, it will not be removed from the Fund until the Fund’s next Investing Rule Reset. In addition to Investing Rule Resets, Fund holdings are evaluated for sale out of the Fund’s portfolio in the event of the issuer’s ESGM Rating being downgraded to a 5, issuer bankruptcy, the security’s forward dividend yield falling below 1%, or other events or conditions. Whether a removed security will be replaced, and what the replacement will be is in the discretion of Columbia Management until the next Investing Rule Reset.
The Fund’s investment policy with respect to 80% of its assets may be changed by the Fund’s Board of Trustees without shareholder approval as long as shareholders are given 60 days’ advance written notice of the change. Additionally, shareholders will be given 60 days' advance written notice of a change to the Fund’s investment objective if such a change is made in connection with the SEC rule governing fund names.
Principal Risks
An investment in the Fund involves risks, including Market Risk, Active Management Risk, and Environmental, Social and Governance Investment Research Tools Risk, among others. Descriptions of these and other principal risks of investing in the Fund are provided below. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective and you may lose money. The value of the Fund’s holdings may decline, and the Fund’s net asset value
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(NAV) and share price may go down. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The significance of any specific risk to an investment in the Fund will vary over time depending on the composition of the Fund's portfolio, market conditions, and other factors. You should read all of the risk information below carefully, because any one or more of these risks may result in losses to the Fund.
Active Management Risk. The Funds is actively managed and its performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve each Fund’s investment objective. Due to its active management, the Funds could underperform its benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies. Active trading of portfolio securities may result in added expenses, a lower return and increased tax liability, including relative to other ETFs.
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. Only an Authorized Participant (as defined below) may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants, none of which are or will be obligated to engage in creation or redemption transactions. To the extent that these institutions exit the business or are unable or unwilling to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able or willing to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units, Fund shares may trade at a greater premium or discount between the market price and the NAV of the Fund’s shares and/or wider bid/ask spreads than those experienced by other ETFs. Additionally, the Fund could possibly face trading halts and/or delisting from the Exchange. This risk is heightened in times of market stress, including at both the Fund share level and at the Fund holdings level.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Early/Late Close/Trading Halt Risk. An exchange or market may close early, close late or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities may be restricted, which may result in the Fund being unable to buy or sell these securities.
Environmental, Social and Governance Investment Research Tools Risk. The Investment Manager’s proprietary ESGM Ratings system and screens are subjective (based on the Investment Manager’s opinion) research tools incorporated into the investment selection process. These research tools may not operate as intended and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies. Fund performance will depend on the quality and accuracy of the assumptions and framework (which may be amended over time) on which these research tools are based. Fund performance will also depend on the accuracy and availability of data that the research tools employ and such data may be based on proprietary research, based on third-party research, or by the issuers themselves (which also may be based upon data obtained from third parties). Any errors in the data could adversely affect these research tools and Fund performance.
These research tools depend, in part, upon subjective selection and application of factors and data inputs. The Investment Manager has discretion to determine the data collected and incorporated into these research tools, as well as in interpreting and applying the data used in these research tools. It is not practicable for these research tools to factor in all available data, and no assurance can be given that such data will be helpful or be free from errors. Information the Investment Manager deems sufficient to calculate a company’s ESGM Rating may not be available for certain companies.
Fund Shares Liquidity Risk. Although the Fund’s shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active, liquid or otherwise orderly trading market for shares will be established or maintained by market makers or Authorized Participants, particularly in times of stressed market conditions. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be able to attract market makers and Authorized Participants. There is no obligation for market makers to make a market in the Fund’s shares or for Authorized Participants to submit purchase or redemption orders for creation units. Accordingly, if such parties determine not to perform their respective functions, this could, such as during times of market stress, in turn, lead to variances between the market price of the Fund’s shares and the underlying
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value of those shares and bid/ask spreads could widen. Trading in Fund shares on the Exchange also may be disrupted or even halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Fund shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Fund shares on the Exchange may be subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the Exchange “circuit breaker” rules. There also can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund’s shares will continue to be met or will remain unchanged.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations and actions, war, other conflicts, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of your investment in the Fund and could result in a greater premium or discount between the market price and the NAV of the Fund's shares and wider bid/ask spreads than those experienced by other ETFs.
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Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Securities of mid-cap companies can, in certain circumstances, have more risk than securities of larger companies. For example, mid-cap companies may be more vulnerable to market downturns and adverse business or economic events than larger companies because they may have more limited financial resources and business operations. Mid-cap companies are also more likely than larger companies to have more limited product lines and operating histories and to depend on smaller and generally less experienced management teams. Securities of mid-cap companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes and may fluctuate more sharply in value than securities of larger companies. When the Fund takes significant positions in mid-cap companies with limited trading volumes, the liquidation of those positions, particularly in a distressed market, could be difficult and result in Fund investment losses that would affect the value of your investment in the Fund. In addition, some mid-cap companies may not be widely followed by the investment community, which can lower the demand for their stocks.
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Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger companies may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
Market Price Relative to NAV Risk. Shares of the Fund may trade at prices that vary from Fund NAV. Shares of the Fund are listed for trading on the Exchange and are bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices that may differ, in some cases significantly, from their NAV. The NAV of the Fund will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The market prices of shares, however, will generally fluctuate in response to changes in NAV, as well as the relative supply of, and demand for, Fund shares on the Exchange. Fund shares may trade at a greater premium or discount between the market price and the NAV of the Fund's shares and/or wider bid/ask spreads than those experienced by other ETFs. The Investment Manager cannot predict whether Fund shares will trade below, at or above their NAV. Price differences may result because of, among other factors, supply and demand forces in the secondary trading market for Fund shares. It is expected that these forces generally will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the Fund’s holdings. In this regard, if a shareholder purchases Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV or sells shares at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, the shareholder may sustain losses. Different investment strategies or techniques, including those intended to be defensive in nature, including, as examples, stop loss orders to sell an ETF’s shares in the secondary market during negative market events or conditions, such as a “flash crash” or other market disruptions, may not work as intended and may produce significant losses to investors. Investors should consult their financial intermediary prior to using any such investment strategies or techniques, or before investing in the Fund.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition,
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More Information About Columbia U.S. Equity Income ETF (continued)
turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to price or value hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets and could cause significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, other conflicts, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions and could result in a greater premium or discount between the market price and the NAV of the Fund's shares and wider bid/ask spreads than those experienced by other ETFs.
The large-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022 has resulted in sanctions and market disruptions, including declines in regional and global stock markets, unusual volatility in global commodity markets and significant devaluations of Russian currency. The extent and duration of the military action are impossible to predict but could continue to be significant. Market disruption caused by the Russian military action, and any countermeasures or responses thereto (including international sanctions, a downgrade in a country’s credit rating, purchasing and financing restrictions, boycotts, tariffs, changes in consumer or purchaser preferences, cyberattacks and espionage) could continue to have severe adverse impacts on regional and/or global securities and commodities markets, including markets for oil and natural gas. These impacts may include reduced market liquidity, distress in credit markets, further disruption of global supply chains, increased risk of inflation, and limited access to investments in certain international markets and/or issuers. These developments and other related events could negatively impact Fund performance.
Secondary Market Trading Risk. Investors buying or selling Fund shares will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price that an investor is willing to pay for Fund shares (the bid price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Fund shares (the ask price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the “spread” or “bid/ask spread.” The bid/ask spread varies over time for Fund shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if the Fund’s shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if the Fund’s shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, increased market volatility may cause widening of bid/ask spreads.
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More Information About the Funds
References to “the Fund” throughout the remainder of the prospectus refer to the Funds singularly or collectively as the context requires.
How the Fund Differs from Traditional Mutual Funds
Redeemability. Traditional mutual fund shares may be bought from, and redeemed with, the issuing fund for cash at NAV typically calculated once at the end of each business day. Shares of an ETF, by contrast, cannot be purchased from or redeemed with the ETF except by or through Authorized Participants, and then typically for an in-kind basket of securities. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Fund shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund. In addition, ETFs issue and redeem shares on a continuous basis only in large blocks of shares, typically 50,000 shares (which is the case for the Fund), called Creation Units.
With respect to foreign securities, the Fund may pay redemption proceeds more than seven (but no more than fifteen) calendar days after the Fund's shares are tendered for redemption as a result of local market holidays. This risk applies to those who purchase and sell Creation Units directly from and to the Fund and does not apply to investors who will buy and sell shares of the Fund in secondary market transactions on the Exchange through brokers.
Exchange Listing. Unlike traditional mutual fund shares, the Fund’s shares are listed for trading on the Exchange. Investors can purchase and sell shares on the secondary market through a broker or other financial intermediary (collectively, financial intermediary(ies)). There can be no assurance that the Fund's shares will continue to trade on the Exchange or that the Fund's shares will continue to meet the requirements for listing or trading on the Exchange. Investors purchasing shares in the secondary market through a brokerage account or with the assistance of a financial intermediary may be subject to brokerage commissions and charges. Secondary-market transactions do not occur at NAV, but at market prices that change throughout the day, based on the supply of, and demand for, shares and on changes in the prices of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. The market price of shares may differ from the NAV of the Fund. The difference between market price of shares and the NAV of the Fund is called a premium when the market price is above the reported NAV and called a discount when the market price is below the reported NAV. The market price of the Fund's shares may deviate significantly from the NAV of the shares, for example, in times of extreme market volatility or other conditions.
Tax Treatment. The Fund’s structure may provide for enhanced tax efficiency relative to a traditional mutual fund’s structure. Specifically, to the extent the Fund redeems its shares in kind, the distribution of portfolio securities to meet such redemption requests may mitigate certain adverse tax consequences associated with traditional mutual fund shares to continuing Fund shareholders. This is because traditional mutual funds typically sell portfolio securities to obtain cash to meet redemptions and, as necessary, may recognize taxable gains in connection with such sales. By contrast, to the extent the Fund redeems its shares in kind, as opposed to in cash, the Fund’s in-kind redemption mechanism will potentially reduce, relative to a traditional mutual fund, taxable gains resulting from redemptions. However, the Fund cannot predict to what extent, if any, it will redeem its shares in kind rather than in cash, particularly during the Fund’s growth stages when portfolio changes are more likely to be implemented within the Fund rather than through the in-kind redemption mechanism. Nor can the Fund predict the extent to which any such in-kind redemptions will reduce the taxable gain recognized in connection therewith.
ETFs generally are able to make in-kind redemptions and avoid being taxed on gain on the distributed portfolio securities at the Fund level. Because the Fund may effect redemptions partly or entirely in cash, rather than in-kind distributions, it may be required to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. If the Fund recognizes gain on these sales, this generally will cause the Fund to recognize gain it might not otherwise have recognized, or to recognize such gain sooner than would otherwise be required if it were to distribute portfolio securities in-kind. The Fund generally intends to distribute these gains to shareholders to avoid being taxed on this gain at the Fund level and otherwise comply with the special tax rules that apply to it. This strategy may cause shareholders to be subject to tax on gains they would not otherwise be subject to, or at an earlier date than, if they had made an investment in a different ETF. Moreover, cash transactions may have to be carried out over several days if the securities market is relatively illiquid and may involve considerable brokerage fees and taxes. These brokerage fees and taxes, which will be higher than if the Fund sold and redeemed its shares principally in-kind, will be passed on to purchasers and redeemers of Creation Units in the form of creation and redemption transaction fees.
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Additional Investment Strategies and Policies
This section describes certain investment strategies and policies that the Fund may utilize in pursuit of its investment objective and some additional factors and risks involved with investing in the Fund.
20% Asset Policy
In addition to any instruments mentioned in the Fund’s principal investment strategies, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in derivatives, including forward contracts (including forward foreign currency contracts), futures (including equity futures and index futures), options (including options on futures) and swaps (including portfolio and total return swaps), as well as cash, cash equivalents and money market instruments, such as repurchase agreements and money market funds (including affiliated money market funds).
Investment Guidelines
As a general matter, and except as specifically described in the discussion of the Fund's principal investment strategies in this prospectus or as otherwise required by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a percentage of the Fund's assets that may be invested in any security or other asset or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with that percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund's investment in the security or asset.
Holding Other Kinds of Investments
The Fund may hold other investments that are not part of its principal investment strategies. These investments and their risks are described below and/or in the SAI. The Fund may choose not to invest in certain securities described in this prospectus and in the SAI, although it has the ability to do so. Information on the Fund’s holdings can be found in the Fund’s shareholder reports or by visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com/etfs.
Transactions in Derivatives
The Fund may enter into derivative transactions. Derivatives are financial contracts whose values are, for example, based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or bond), assets (such as a commodity like gold or a foreign currency), reference rates (such as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (commonly known as SOFR)) or market indices (such as the Standard & Poor’s 500® Index). The use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses or may limit the Fund’s potential gain from favorable market movements. Derivative strategies often involve leverage, which may exaggerate a loss, potentially causing the Fund to lose more money than it would have lost had it invested in the underlying security or other asset directly. The values of derivatives may move in unexpected ways, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility in the value of the derivative and/or the Fund’s shares, among other consequences. The use of derivatives may also increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders holding shares in a taxable account. Other risks arise from the Fund’s potential inability to terminate or to sell derivative positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s derivative positions at times when the Fund might wish to terminate or to sell such positions. Over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) may be illiquid, and transactions in derivatives traded in the over-the-counter market are subject to the risk that the other party will not meet its obligations. The use of derivatives also involves the risks of mispricing or improper valuation and that changes in the value of the derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying security, asset, reference rate or index. The Fund also may not be able to find a suitable derivative transaction counterparty, and thus may be unable to engage in derivative transactions when it is deemed favorable to do so, or at all. U.S. federal legislation has been enacted that provides for new clearing, margin, reporting and registration requirements for participants in the derivatives market. These changes could restrict and/or impose significant costs or other burdens upon the Fund’s participation in derivatives transactions. The U.S. government and the European Union (and some other jurisdictions) have enacted regulations and similar requirements that prescribe clearing, margin, reporting and registration requirements for participants in the derivatives market. These requirements are evolving and their ultimate impact on the Fund remains unclear, but such impact could include restricting and/or imposing significant
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costs or other burdens upon the Fund’s participation in derivatives transactions. Additionally, regulations governing the use of derivatives by registered investment companies, such as the Fund, require, among other things, that a fund that invests in derivative instruments beyond a specified limited amount to apply a value-at-risk-based limit to its portfolio and establish a comprehensive derivatives risk management program. As of the date of this prospectus, the Fund is not required to maintain a comprehensive derivatives risk management program given its more limited use of derivatives. For more information on the risks of derivative investments and strategies, see the SAI.
Affiliated Funds Investing in the Fund
The Investment Manager or an affiliate serves as investment adviser to funds using the Columbia brand (Columbia Funds), including those that are structured as “fund-of-funds”, and provides asset-allocation services to (i) shareholders by investing in shares of other Columbia Funds, which may include the Fund (collectively referred to in this section as Underlying Funds), and (ii) discretionary managed accounts (collectively referred to as affiliated products) that invest exclusively in Underlying Funds. These affiliated products, individually or collectively, may own a significant percentage of the outstanding shares of one or more Underlying Funds, and the Investment Manager seeks to balance potential conflicts of interest between the affiliated products and the Underlying Funds in which they invest. The affiliated products’ investment in the Underlying Funds may have the effect of creating economies of scale, possibly resulting in lower expense ratios for the Underlying Funds, because the affiliated products may own substantial portions of the shares of Underlying Funds. However, redemption of Underlying Fund shares by one or more affiliated products could cause the expense ratio of an Underlying Fund to increase, as its fixed costs would be spread over a smaller asset base. Because of large positions of certain affiliated products, the Underlying Funds may experience relatively large inflows and outflows of cash due to affiliated products’ purchases and sales of Underlying Fund shares. Although the Investment Manager or its affiliate may seek to minimize the impact of these transactions where possible, for example, by structuring them over a reasonable period of time or through other measures, Underlying Funds may experience increased expenses as they buy and sell portfolio securities to manage the cash flow effect related to these transactions. Further, when the Investment Manager or its affiliate structures transactions over a reasonable period of time in order to manage the potential impact of the buy and sell decisions for the affiliated products, those affiliated products, including funds-of-funds, may pay more or less (for purchase activity), or receive more or less (for redemption activity), for shares of the Underlying Funds than if the transactions were executed in one transaction. In addition, substantial redemptions by affiliated products within a short period of time could require the Underlying Fund to liquidate positions more rapidly than would otherwise be desirable, which may have the effect of reducing or eliminating potential gain or causing it to realize a loss. In order to meet such redemptions, an Underlying Fund may be forced to sell its liquid (or more liquid) positions, leaving the Underlying Fund holding, post-redemption, a relatively larger position in illiquid investments (i.e., any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment) or less liquid securities. Substantial redemptions may also adversely affect the ability of the Underlying Fund to implement its investment strategy. The Investment Manager or its affiliate also has a conflict of interest in determining the allocation of affiliated products’ assets among the Underlying Funds, as it earns different fees from the various Underlying Funds.
Investing in Money Market Funds
The Fund may invest cash in, or hold as collateral for certain investments, shares of registered or unregistered money market funds, including funds advised by the Investment Manager or its affiliates. These funds are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency. The Fund and its shareholders indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any money market fund or other fund in which the Fund may invest.
Fund Website and Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings
Information about the Fund may be found at columbiathreadneedleus.com/etfs. Among other things, this website includes the Summary Prospectus, this prospectus and the SAI, the Fund’s annual and semiannual reports and information on the Fund’s net asset value, market price, premiums/discounts, and bid-ask spreads, among other information.
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Each day the Fund is open for business, it publicly disseminates the Fund’s full portfolio holdings as of the close of the previous business day through its website at columbiathreadneedleus.com/etfs. In addition, the In-Kind Creation Basket and In-Kind Redemption Basket, which identify the securities and share quantities which may be delivered in exchange for purchases and redemptions of Creation Units as discussed below and in the SAI, are publicly disseminated each business day prior to the opening of trading on the Exchange via the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC).
Additional Information on Portfolio Turnover
A fund that replaces, or turns over, more than 100% of its investments in a year may be considered to have a high portfolio turnover rate. A high portfolio turnover rate can generate larger distributions of short-term capital gains to shareholders, which for individuals are generally taxable at higher rates than long-term capital gains for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Also, a high portfolio turnover rate can mean higher brokerage commissions and other transaction costs, which could reduce a fund’s returns. In general, the greater the volume of buying and selling by a fund, the greater the impact that brokerage commissions and other transaction costs will have on its returns. The Fund may sell securities regardless of how long they’ve been held. A higher portfolio turnover rate may reduce the relative potential tax efficiency of the Fund compared with traditional mutual funds except potentially in cases where accomplished through redemptions in kind. You'll find the Fund's portfolio turnover rate for its most recent fiscal period in the Fees and Expenses of the Fund — Portfolio Turnover section of this prospectus and portfolio turnover rates for the past five years or since inception, if the Fund has been in operation for less than five years, in the Financial Highlights section of this prospectus.
Understanding Annual Fund Operating Expenses
The Fund’s annual operating expenses, as presented in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table in the Fees and Expenses of the Fund section of this prospectus, generally are based on expenses incurred during the Fund’s most recently completed fiscal year and are expressed as a percentage (expense ratio) of the Fund’s average net assets during that fiscal year. The expense ratio reflects the Fund’s fee arrangements as of the date of this prospectus and, unless indicated otherwise, is based on expenses incurred during the Fund’s most recent fiscal year. The Fund’s assets will fluctuate, but unless indicated otherwise in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses table, no adjustments have been or will be made to the expense ratio to reflect any differences in the Fund’s average net assets between the most recently completed fiscal year and the date of this prospectus or a later date. Any commitment by the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates to waive fees and/or cap (reimburse) expenses is expected, in part, to limit the impact of any increase in the Fund’s expense ratio that would otherwise result because of a decrease in the Fund’s assets in the current fiscal year. The Fund’s annual operating expenses are comprised of (i) investment management fees, (ii) distribution and/or service fees, and (iii) other expenses. No distribution or service fees are currently paid by the Funds, and there are no current plans to impose these fees.
Primary Service Provider Contracts
The Fund enters into contractual arrangements (Service Provider Contracts) with various service providers, including, among others, the Investment Manager, the administrator, the distributor, the transfer agent and the Fund’s custodian. The Fund’s Service Provider Contracts are solely among the parties thereto. Shareholders are not parties to, or intended to be third-party beneficiaries of, any Service Provider Contracts. Further, this prospectus, the SAI and any Service Provider Contracts are not intended to give rise to any agreement, duty, special relationship or other obligation between the Fund and any investor, or give rise to any contractual, tort or other rights in any individual shareholder, group of shareholders or other person, including any right to assert a fiduciary or other duty, enforce the Service Provider Contracts against the parties or to seek any remedy thereunder, either directly or on behalf of the Fund. Nothing in the previous sentence should be read to suggest any waiver of any rights under federal or state securities laws.
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The Investment Manager
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC is located at 290 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210 and serves as investment adviser to the Columbia Funds, including the Fund. The Investment Manager is a registered investment adviser and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (Ameriprise Financial). The Investment Manager’s management experience covers all major asset classes, including equity securities, debt instruments and money market instruments. In addition to serving as an investment adviser to traditional mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and closed-end funds, the Investment Manager acts as an investment adviser for itself, its affiliates, individuals, corporations, retirement plans, private investment companies and financial intermediaries.
Subject to oversight by the Board, the Investment Manager manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund.
The SEC has issued an order that permits the Investment Manager, subject to the approval of the Board, to appoint unaffiliated subadvisers by entering into subadvisory agreements with them, and to change in material respects the terms of those subadvisory agreements, including the fees paid thereunder, for the Fund without first obtaining shareholder approval, thereby avoiding the expense and delays typically associated with obtaining shareholder approval. The Fund furnishes shareholders with information about new subadvisers retained in reliance on the order within 90 days after hiring the subadviser. The Investment Manager and its affiliates may have other relationships, including significant financial relationships, with current or potential subadvisers or their affiliates, which may create certain conflicts of interest. When making recommendations to the Board to appoint or to change a subadviser, or to change the terms of a subadvisory agreement, the Investment Manager discloses to the Board the nature of any such material relationships. The SEC has issued a separate order that permits the Board to approve new subadvisory agreements or material changes to existing subadvisory agreements at a meeting that is not in person, provided that the Trustees are able to participate in the meeting using a means of communication that allows them to hear each other simultaneously during the meeting and other conditions of the order are satisfied. At present, the Investment Manager has not engaged any investment subadviser for the Fund.
The Fund pays the Investment Manager a fee for its investment advisory services. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the daily net assets of the Fund and is paid monthly. In return for this fee (which is sometimes referred to as a unitary or unified fee), the Investment Manager has agreed to pay the operating costs and expenses of the Fund other than the following expenses, which will be paid by the Fund: taxes, interest incurred on borrowing by the Fund, if any, brokerage fees and commissions, interest and fee expense related to the Fund’s participation in inverse floater structures and any other portfolio transaction expenses, infrequent and/or unusual expenses, including without limitation litigation expenses, distribution and/or service fees, expenses incurred in connection with lending securities, and any other expenses approved by the Board. For the Fund’s most recent fiscal year, investment advisory services fees paid to the Investment Manager by the Fund amounted to the amount shown in the table below, as a percent of average daily net assets of the Fund, before any applicable reimbursements.
| |
Investment advisory services fee rate for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2023 |
| Columbia International Equity Income ETF |
0.45% |
| Columbia U.S. Equity Income ETF |
0.35% |
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the renewal of the investment management services agreement with the Investment Manager is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2023.
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Portfolio Managers
Information about the portfolio managers primarily responsible for overseeing the Fund’s investments is shown below. The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers, including information relating to compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and ownership by the portfolio managers of Fund shares.
| Portfolio Management |
Title |
Role with Fund |
Managed Fund Since |
| Christopher Lo, CFA |
Senior Portfolio Manager |
Lead Portfolio Manager |
2016 |
| Henry Hom, CFA |
Senior Portfolio Manager |
Portfolio Manager |
July 2023 |
Dr. Lo joined one of the Columbia Management legacy firms or acquired business lines in 1998. Dr. Lo began his investment career in 1998 and earned a B.S. and M.E. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, an M.B.A. from the Stern School of Business at New York University and a doctoral degree in professional studies (DPS) from Pace University, with a concentration in finance and international economics.
Mr. Hom joined the Investment Manager in 2007. Mr. Hom began his investment career in 2007 and earned a B.A. in economics from Boston University.
Other Service Providers
ALPS Distributors, Inc. (the Distributor), 1290 Broadway, Suite 1000, Denver, CO 80203, serves as the distributor of Creation Units for the Fund on an agency basis. The Distributor does not maintain a secondary market in shares.
BNY Mellon Corporation (BNY Mellon), 240 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10286, is the administrator, fund accountant, transfer agent and custodian for the Fund.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 45 South Seventh Street, Suite 3400, Minneapolis, MN 55402, serves as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm. The independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for auditing the annual financial statements of the Fund.
Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest
The Investment Manager provides various services to the Fund and other Columbia Funds for which it is compensated. Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates may also provide other services to these funds and be compensated for them.
The Investment Manager and its affiliates may provide investment advisory and other services to other clients and customers substantially similar to those provided to the Columbia Funds. These activities, and other financial services activities of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, may present actual and potential conflicts of interest and introduce certain investment constraints.
Ameriprise Financial is a major financial services company, engaged in a broad range of financial activities beyond the fund-related activities of the Investment Manager, including, among others, insurance, broker-dealer (sales and trading), asset management, banking and other financial activities. These additional activities may involve multiple advisory, financial, insurance and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies that issue securities and other instruments, that may be bought, sold or held by the Columbia Funds.
Conflicts of interest and limitations that could affect a Columbia Fund may arise from, for example, the following:
◾
compensation and other benefits received by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates related to the management/administration of a Columbia Fund and the sale of its shares;
◾
the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Fund, other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates, or Ameriprise Financial itself and its affiliates;
◾
separate and potentially divergent management of a Columbia Fund and other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates;
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◾
regulatory and other investment restrictions on investment activities of the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates and accounts advised/managed by them;
◾
insurance and other relationships of Ameriprise Financial affiliates with companies and other entities in which a Columbia Fund invests; and
◾
regulatory and other restrictions relating to the sharing of information between Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including the Investment Manager, and a Columbia Fund.
The Investment Manager and Ameriprise Financial have adopted various policies and procedures that are intended to identify, monitor and address conflicts of interest. However, there is no assurance that these policies, procedures and disclosures will be effective.
Additional information about Ameriprise Financial and the types of conflicts of interest and other matters referenced above is set forth in the Investment Management and Other Services — Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates — Certain Conflicts of Interest section of the SAI. Investors in the Columbia Funds should carefully review these disclosures and consult with their financial advisor if they have any questions.
Certain Legal Matters
Ameriprise Financial and certain of its affiliates are involved in the normal course of business in legal proceedings which include regulatory inquiries, arbitration and litigation, including class actions concerning matters arising in connection with the conduct of their activities as part of a diversified financial services firm. Ameriprise Financial believes that the Fund is not currently the subject of, and that neither Ameriprise Financial nor any of its affiliates are the subject of, any pending legal, arbitration or regulatory proceedings that are likely to have a material adverse effect on the Fund or the ability of Ameriprise Financial or its affiliates to perform under their contracts with the Fund. Information regarding certain pending and settled legal proceedings may be found in the Fund’s shareholder reports and in the SAI. Additionally, Ameriprise Financial is required to make quarterly (10-Q), annual (10-K) and, as necessary, 8-K filings with the SEC on legal and regulatory matters that relate to Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates. Copies of these filings may be obtained by accessing the SEC website at sec.gov.
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Buying and Selling Fund Shares
Shares are issued or redeemed by the Fund at NAV per share only in Creation Units of 50,000 shares. As of December 31, 2023, the values of one Creation Unit were the following:
| |
Creation Unit Value |
| |
|
| Columbia International Equity Income ETF |
$1,433,215.37 |
| Columbia U.S. Equity Income ETF |
$2,032,801.54 |
Shares trade on the secondary market, which is where most retail investors will buy and sell shares. It is expected that only a limited number of institutional investors will purchase and redeem shares directly from the Fund. Thus, certain information in this prospectus is not relevant to most retail investors. For example, information about buying and redeeming Creation Units directly from the Fund and about transaction fees imposed on such purchases and redemptions is not relevant to most retail investors.
Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Fund’s shares are not redeemable with the Fund. Additional information about the procedures regarding creation and redemption of Creation Units (including the cut-off times for receipt of creation and redemption orders) is included in the SAI.
Buying and Selling Fund Shares on the Secondary Market
The Fund issues or redeems its shares at NAV per share only in Creation Units and only to Authorized Participants (or APs). Most investors will buy and sell shares in secondary market transactions through brokers or other financial intermediaries, and therefore must have an account with them to buy and sell shares. Shares can be bought or sold through your financial intermediary throughout the trading day like shares of any publicly traded issuer. When buying or selling shares through a financial intermediary, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered prices in the secondary market for shares. The price at which you buy or sell shares (i.e., the market price) may be more (a premium to) or less than (a discount to) the NAV of the shares. Unless imposed by your financial intermediary, there is no minimum dollar amount you must invest in the Fund and no minimum number of shares you must buy. The Fund accommodates frequent purchases and redemptions of Creation Units by Authorized Participants and does not place a limit on purchases or redemptions of Creation Units by these investors. The Fund reserves the right, but does not have the obligation, to reject any purchase or redemption transaction at any time. With respect to foreign common stocks, the Fund may pay redemption proceeds more than seven (but no more than fifteen) calendar days after the Fund’s shares are tendered for redemption as a result of local market holidays.
Shares of the Funds are listed on the Exchange under the following symbols:
| |
|
| Columbia International Equity Income ETF |
INEQ |
| Columbia U.S. Equity Income ETF |
EQIN |
The Exchange is generally open Monday through Friday and is closed for weekends and the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
For information about buying and selling shares on the Exchange or in the secondary markets, please contact your financial intermediary.
Book Entry. Shares are held in book entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (DTC), or its nominee, is the registered owner of all outstanding shares of the Fund and is recognized as the owner of all shares. Participants in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of Fund Shares certificates or to have shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of shares, you must rely on the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the
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same as those that apply to any stocks that you hold in book entry or “street name” through your brokerage account. Your account information will be maintained by your financial intermediary, which will provide you with account statements, confirmations of your purchases and sales of shares, and tax information. Your financial intermediary also will be responsible for distributing income dividends and capital gain distributions and for ensuring that you receive shareholder reports and other communications from the Fund.
Share Trading Prices. The trading prices of the Fund’s shares may differ from the Fund’s daily NAV and can be affected by market forces of supply and demand for the Fund’s shares, the prices of the Fund’s investments, economic conditions and other factors. The Exchange or another market information provider intends to disseminate the approximate value of the Fund’s portfolio every fifteen seconds. This approximate value should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the NAV of the Fund because the approximate value may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is computed once a day. The quotations for certain investments may not be updated during U.S. trading hours if such holdings do not trade in the U.S., except such quotations may be updated to reflect currency fluctuations. The Fund is not involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the approximate values and makes no warranty as to the accuracy of these values.
Additional Information About Buying and Selling Fund Shares
Continuous Offering. Authorized Participants should be aware of certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from the Fund. Because shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a “distribution” of shares could be occurring at any time. Certain activities that Authorized Participants perform with respect to the sale of shares could, depending on the circumstances, result in Authorized Participants being deemed to be a participant in the distribution, in a manner that could render Authorized Participants a statutory underwriter and subject Authorized Participants to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act. For example, Authorized Participants could be deemed a statutory underwriter if Authorized Participants purchase Creation Units from the issuing Fund, break them down into the constituent shares, and sell those shares directly to customers, or if Authorized Participants choose to couple the creation of a supply of new shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for shares. Whether a person is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person’s activities, and the examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could cause Authorized Participants to be deemed an underwriter.
Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are effecting transactions in shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of shares, are generally required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. As a result, broker-dealer firms should note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to engaging in ordinary secondary market transactions), and thus dealing with shares as part of an unsold allotment within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the Securities Act. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery mechanism of Rule 153 under the Securities Act is only available with respect to transactions on a national exchange.
Active Investors and Market Timing
The Board has determined not to adopt policies and procedures designed to prevent or monitor for frequent purchases and redemptions of the Fund’s shares because investors primarily transact in Fund shares on the secondary market. Frequent trading of shares on the secondary market does not disrupt portfolio management, increase the Fund’s trading costs, lead to realization of capital gains or otherwise harm Fund shareholders because these trades do not involve the issuance or redemption of Fund shares.
The Fund sells and redeems its shares at NAV only in Creation Units pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement between an Authorized Participant and the Distributor, and accepted by the Transfer Agent, principally in exchange for a basket of securities. With respect to such trades directly with the Fund to the extent effected in-kind (i.e., for securities), they generally would not cause the harmful effects that may result from frequent cash trades.
Prospectus 2024
37
Beta Advantage® ETFs
Buying and Selling Fund Shares (continued)
The Board recognizes that to the extent that the Fund allows or requires trades to be effected in whole or in part in cash, those trades could result in dilution to a Fund and increased transaction costs, which could negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. The Board also recognizes, however, that direct trading by Authorized Participants is critical to ensuring that the Fund’s shares trade at or close to NAV. Further, the Fund may employ fair valuation pricing to minimize the potential for dilution. Moreover, the Fund imposes transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units reflecting the fact that the Fund’s costs increase in those circumstances. The Fund reserves the right to impose additional restrictions on disruptive, excessive or short-term purchases.
Distribution and Service Fees
The Board has approved, and the Fund has adopted, a distribution and service plan (the Plan) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. Under the Plan, the Fund is authorized to pay distribution fees to the Distributor and other firms that provide distribution and shareholder services (Service Providers). If a Service Provider provides such services, the Fund may pay fees at an annual rate not to exceed 0.25% of average daily net assets, pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.
No distribution or service fees are currently paid by the Fund, and there are no current plans to impose these fees. Future payments may be made under the Plan without any further shareholder approval. In the event Rule 12b-1 fees are charged, over time they would increase the cost of an investment in the Fund.
Determination of Net Asset Value
FUNDamentals
NAV Calculation
The Fund calculates its NAV as follows:
NAV = (Value of assets) – (Liabilities)
Number of outstanding shares
Number of outstanding shares
FUNDamentals
Business Days
A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. A business day typically ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE is scheduled to close early, the business day will be considered to end as of the time of the NYSE’s scheduled close. For purposes of this section only, the Fund will not treat an intraday unscheduled disruption in NYSE trading or an intraday unscheduled closing as a close of regular trading on the NYSE for these purposes and will price its shares as of the regularly scheduled closing time for that day (typically, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). Nonetheless, the NAV of Fund shares may be determined at such other time or times (in addition to or in lieu of the time set forth above) as the Fund’s Board may approve or ratify. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund’s NAV is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund’s assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open.
Equity securities listed on an exchange are typically valued at the closing price or last trade on their primary exchange at the close of business of the NYSE. Equity securities without a readily available closing price or that are not listed on any exchange are typically valued at the mean between the closing bid and asked prices. Other equity securities, debt securities and other assets are valued differently. For instance, bank loans trading in the secondary market are fair valued unless market quotations are readily available, fixed income investments maturing in 60 days or less are valued primarily using the amortized cost method, unless this methodology results in a valuation that does not approximate the market value of these securities, and those maturing in excess of 60 days are valued based on
38
Prospectus 2024
Beta Advantage® ETFs
Buying and Selling Fund Shares (continued)
prices obtained from a pricing service, if available (which may represent market values or fair values). Investments in other open-end funds are valued at their published NAVs. The value of the Fund’s portfolio securities is determined in accordance with the valuation policy approved by the Board (the Valuation Policy). Pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act, the Board has designated the Investment Manager as the Fund’s valuation designee. The Investment Manager, in turn, has authorized its valuation committee to make fair value determinations and to carry out supervisory and certain other functions relating to the valuation of Fund portfolio securities, pursuant to the Valuation Policy.
If a market price is not readily available or is deemed not to reflect market value for a portfolio security, the Investment Manager will determine the price based on a determination of the security's fair value pursuant to the Valuation Policy. In addition, the Investment Manager may use fair valuation techniques to price securities that trade on a foreign exchange when a significant event has occurred after the foreign exchange closes but before the time at which the Fund's share price is calculated. Foreign exchanges typically close before the time at which Fund share prices are calculated, and may be closed altogether on some days when the Fund is open. Such significant events affecting a foreign security may include, but are not limited to: (1) corporate actions, earnings announcements, litigation or other events impacting a single issuer; (2) governmental action that affects securities in one sector or country; (3) natural disasters or armed conflicts affecting a country or region; or (4) significant domestic or foreign market fluctuations. The Fund uses various criteria in determining whether a foreign security's market price is readily available and reflective of market value and, if not, the fair value of the security.
Fair valuation may have the effect of reducing stale pricing arbitrage opportunities presented by the pricing of Fund shares. However, when the Investment Manager uses fair valuation to price equity securities, it may value those securities higher or lower than another fund or manager would. Also, fair valuation of Fund holdings may cause the Fund's performance to diverge to a greater degree from the performance of various benchmark indices used to compare the Fund's performance because indices generally do not use fair valuation techniques. Because of the judgment involved in fair valuation decisions, there can be no assurance that the value ascribed to a particular security is accurate.
Prospectus 2024
39
Beta Advantage® ETFs
Distributions and Taxes
Distributions to Shareholders
A fund can make money two ways:
◾
It can earn income on its investments. Examples of fund income are interest paid on money market instruments and dividends paid on common stocks.
◾
A fund can also have capital gains if the value of its investments increases. While a fund continues to hold an investment, any gain is generally unrealized. If the fund sells an investment, it generally will realize a capital gain if it sells that investment for a higher price than its adjusted cost basis, and will generally realize a capital loss if it sells that investment for a lower price than its adjusted cost basis. Capital gains and losses are either short-term or long-term, depending on whether the fund holds the securities for one year or less (short-term) or more than one year (long-term).
Funds make payments of fund earnings to shareholders, distributing them among all shareholders of the fund. As a shareholder, you are entitled to your portion of a fund's distributed income, including capital gains. Reinvesting your distributions buys you more shares of a fund — which lets you take advantage of the potential for compound growth. Putting the money you earn back into your investment means it, in turn, may earn even more money (or be exposed to additional losses, if the fund earns a negative return). Over time, the power of compounding has the potential to significantly increase the value of your investment. There is no assurance, however, that you'll earn more money if you reinvest your distributions rather than receive them in cash.
Brokers may make available to their customers who own shares the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service. To determine whether the dividend reinvestment service is available and whether there is a commission or other charge for using this service, consult your broker. Brokers may require Fund shareholders to adhere to specific procedures and timetables. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and net realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole shares of the distributing Fund purchased in the secondary market. Without this service, investors would receive their distributions in cash.
The Fund intends to pay out, in the form of distributions to shareholders, a sufficient amount of its income and gains so that the Fund will qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and generally will not have to pay any federal income or excise tax. The Fund generally intends to distribute any net realized capital gain (whether long-term or short-term gain) at least once a year. Normally, the Fund will declare and pay distributions of net investment income according to the following schedule:
| |
Declarations |
Distributions |
| Columbia International Equity Income ETF |
Quarterly |
Quarterly |
| Columbia U.S. Equity Income ETF |
Quarterly |
Quarterly |
The Fund may declare or pay distributions of net investment income more frequently.
Each time a distribution is made, the NAV per share is reduced by the amount of the distribution.
The Fund generally pays cash distributions within five business days after the distribution was declared. If you sell all of your shares after the record date, but before the payment date, for a distribution, you'll normally receive that distribution in cash within five business days after the sale was made.
Unless you are a tax-exempt investor or holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account (such as a 401(k) plan or IRA), you should consider avoiding buying Fund shares shortly before the Fund makes a distribution (other than distributions of net investment income that are declared daily) of net investment income or net realized capital gain, because doing so can cost you money in taxes to the extent the distribution consists of taxable income or gains. This is because you will, in effect, receive part of your purchase price back in the distribution. This is known as “buying a dividend.” To avoid “buying a dividend,” before you invest in a Fund, check the Fund's distribution schedule, which is available at the Columbia Funds' website, columbiathreadneedleus.com, and/or by calling 800.426.3750.
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Prospectus 2024
Beta Advantage® ETFs
Distributions and Taxes (continued)
Taxes
You should be aware of the following considerations applicable to the Funds:
◾
The Fund intends to qualify and to be eligible for treatment each year as a regulated investment company. A regulated investment company generally is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund's failure to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company would result in Fund-level taxation, and consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to you and in the NAV of your shares. Even if the Fund qualifies for treatment as a regulated investment company, the Fund may be subject to federal excise tax on certain undistributed income or gains.
◾
Otherwise taxable distributions generally are taxable to you when paid, whether they are paid in cash or automatically reinvested in additional Fund shares. Dividends paid in January are deemed paid on December 31 of the prior year if the dividend was declared and payable to shareholders of record in October, November, or December of such prior year.
◾
Distributions of the Fund's ordinary income and net short-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of the Fund's net long-term capital gain, if any, generally are taxable to you as long-term capital gain. Whether capital gains are long-term or short-term is determined by how long the Fund has owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long you have owned your shares. Certain events may require the Fund to sell significant amounts of appreciated securities and make large dividends relative to the Fund’s NAV. Such events may include portfolio rebalancing or fund mergers. The Fund generally provides estimates of expected capital gain dividends (if any) prior to the distribution on columbiathreadneedleus.com/etfs.
◾
From time to time, a distribution from the Fund could constitute a return of capital. A return of capital is a return of an amount of your original investment and is not a distribution of income or capital gain from the Fund. Therefore, a return of capital is not taxable to you so long as the amount of the distribution does not exceed your tax basis in your Fund shares. A return of capital reduces your tax basis in your Fund shares, with any amounts exceeding such basis generally taxable as capital gain.
◾
If you are an individual and you meet certain holding period and other requirements for your Fund shares, a portion of your distributions may be treated as “qualified dividend income” taxable at the lower net long-term capital gain rates instead of the higher ordinary income rates. Qualified dividend income is income attributable to the Fund's dividends received from certain U.S. and foreign corporations, as long as the Fund meets certain holding period and other requirements for the stock producing such dividends.
◾
Certain high-income individuals (as well as estates and trusts) are subject to a 3.8% tax on net investment income. For individuals, the 3.8% tax applies to the lesser of (1) the amount (if any) by which the taxpayer's modified adjusted gross income exceeds certain threshold amounts or (2) the taxpayer's “net investment income.” Net investment income generally includes for this purpose dividends, including any capital gain dividends, paid by the Fund, and net gains recognized on the sale, redemption or exchange of shares of the Fund.
◾
Certain derivative instruments when held in the Fund's portfolio subject the Fund to special tax rules, the effect of which may be to, among other things, accelerate income to the Fund, defer Fund losses, cause adjustments in the holding periods of Fund portfolio securities, or convert capital gains into ordinary income, short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses or long-term capital gains into short-term capital gains. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and/or character of distributions to shareholders.
◾
Generally, a Fund realizes a capital gain or loss on an option when the option expires, or when it is exercised, sold or otherwise terminated. However, if an option is a “section 1256 contract,” which includes most traded options on a broad-based index, and the Fund holds such option at the end of its taxable year, the Fund is deemed to sell such option at fair market value at such time and recognize any gain or loss thereon, which is generally deemed to be 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss, as described further in the SAI.
◾
Income and proceeds received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to foreign taxes. If at the end of the taxable year more than 50% of the value of the Fund's assets consists of securities of foreign corporations, and the Fund makes a special election, you will generally be required to include in your income for
Prospectus 2024
41
Beta Advantage® ETFs
Distributions and Taxes (continued)
U.S. federal income tax purposes your share of the qualifying foreign income taxes paid by the Fund in respect of its foreign portfolio securities. You may be able to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of this amount, subject to certain limitations. There is no assurance that the Fund will make this election for a taxable year, even if it is eligible to do so.
◾
A sale, redemption or exchange of Fund shares is a taxable event. This includes redemptions where you are paid in securities. Your sales, redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares, including those paid in securities or other instruments, usually will result in a taxable capital gain or loss to you, equal to the difference between the amount you receive for your shares (or are deemed to have received in the case of exchanges) and your adjusted tax basis in the shares, which is generally the amount you paid (or are deemed to have paid in the case of exchanges) for them. Any such capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for more than one year at the time of sale or exchange. In certain circumstances, capital losses may be converted from short-term to long-term; in other circumstances, capital losses may be disallowed under the “wash sale” rules.
◾
Your broker will be responsible for furnishing tax reporting information for Fund shares held in a nonqualified account, shareholder reports, and other communications from the Fund. For sales or exchanges of Fund shares acquired in a nonqualified account after 2011, your broker is required to report basis and holding period information to you and the IRS. Your broker may offer a choice of basis calculation methods. Contact your broker to determine which basis methods are available for your account.
◾
The Fund or, in the case of sales of Fund shares in the secondary market, your broker, will generally be required by federal law to withhold tax on any distributions and proceeds paid to you if you have not provided a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) or have not certified to the Fund or its agent, or your broker, as the case may be, that withholding does not apply.
◾
For Authorized Participants Purchasing and Redeeming in Creation Units: An Authorized Participant that exchanges equity securities for one or more Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or a loss on the exchange. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between (i) the market value of the Creation Unit(s) at the time and, (ii) the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus (or minus) the Cash Component paid (or received). A person who redeems one or more Creation Units for equity securities will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Unit(s) and, (ii) the aggregate market value of the securities received plus (or minus) the Cash Component received (or paid). The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Unit(s) cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Persons exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisors with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a redemption of one or more Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Creation Unit(s) have been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if they have been held for one year or less. If you purchase or redeem Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how many shares you purchased or sold and at what price.
FUNDamentals
Taxes
The information provided above is only a summary of how U.S. federal income taxes may affect your investment in the Fund. It is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications. It does not apply to certain types of investors who may be subject to special rules, including foreign or tax-exempt investors or those holding Fund shares through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or IRA. Please see the SAI for more detailed tax information. You should consult with your own tax advisor about the particular tax consequences to you of an investment in the Fund, including the effect of any foreign, state and local taxes, and the effect of possible changes in applicable tax laws.
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Prospectus 2024
Beta Advantage® ETFs
Premium/Discount Information
Information regarding how often the shares of the Fund traded on the Exchange at a price above (at a premium) or below (at a discount) the NAV of the Fund during the past four calendar quarters can be found at the Internet address noted below.
| Fund and Internet address |
| Columbia International Equity Income ETF https://www.columbiathreadneedleus.com/investment-products/exchange-traded-funds/Columbia-International-Equity-Income-ETF/Class-ETF/ details/?cusip=19761L862 |
| Columbia U.S. Equity Income ETF https://www.columbiathreadneedleus.com/investment-products/exchange-traded-funds/Columbia-US-Equity-Income-ETF/Class-ETF/ details/?cusip=19761L854 |
Prospectus 2024
43
Beta Advantage® ETFs
Financial Highlights — Columbia International Equity Income ETF
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total Return at NAV is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period and redemption on the last day of the period. Total Return at Market Price is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the market price at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at market price during the period and redemption on the last day of the period. The total return would have been lower if certain expenses had not been reimbursed/waived by the Investment Manager. Through July 31, 2020, Market Price returns are based on the midpoint of the bid/ask spread for Fund shares at market close (typically 4 pm ET). Beginning with August 31, 2020 month-end performance, Market Price returns are based on closing prices reported by the Fund's primary listing exchange (typically 4 pm ET close). These returns do not represent the returns an investor would receive if shares were traded at other times. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The ratios of expenses and net investment income are annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments, certain derivatives and in-kind transactions, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
| |
Year Ended October 31, | ||||
| |
2023 |
2022 |
2021 |
2020 |
2019 |
| Per share data |
|
|
|
|
|
| Net asset value, beginning of year |
$21.99 |
$26.94 |
$21.08 |
$25.78 |
$26.68 |
| Income (loss) from investment operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
| Net investment income |
0.82 |
0.90 |
0.82 |
0.70 |
0.87 |
| Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) |
3.73 |
(4.85 ) |
5.83 |
(4.71 ) |
0.50 |
| Total from investment operations |
4.55 |
(3.95 ) |
6.65 |
(4.01 ) |
1.37 |
| Less distributions to shareholders: |
|
|
|
|
|
| Net investment income |
(0.82 ) |
(1.00 ) |
(0.79 ) |
(0.69 ) |
(1.01 ) |
| Net realized gains |
– |
– |
– |
– |
(1.26 ) |
| Total distribution to shareholders |
(0.82 ) |
(1.00 ) |
(0.79 ) |
(0.69 ) |
(2.27 ) |
| Net asset value, end of year |
$25.72 |
$21.99 |
$26.94 |
$21.08 |
$25.78 |
| Total Return at NAV |
20.70 % |
(14.97 )% |
31.60 % |
(15.68 )% |
6.05 % |
| Total Return at Market Price |
21.46 % |
(15.76 )% |
32.24 % |
(15.02 )% |
8.74 % |
| Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
| Total gross expenses(a) |
0.45 %(b) |
0.45 % |
0.45 %(b) |
0.45 %(b) |
0.45 %(b) |
| Total net expenses(a)(c) |
0.45 %(b) |
0.45 % |
0.45 %(b) |
0.45 %(b) |
0.45 %(b) |
| Net investment income |
3.14 % |
3.60 % |
3.07 % |
3.08 % |
3.43 % |
| Supplemental data |
|
|
|
|
|
| Net assets, end of year (in thousands) |
$6,430 |
$5,497 |
$5,389 |
$4,217 |
$5,157 |
| Portfolio turnover |
156 % |
177 % |
90 % |
98 % |
76 % |
(a)
In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund’s reported expense ratios.
(b)
The ratio includes less than 0.01% attributed to overdraft expense, which is outside the Unitary Fee (as defined in Note 3).
(c)
Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
44
Prospectus 2024
Beta Advantage® ETFs
Financial Highlights — Columbia U.S. Equity Income ETF
The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the past five fiscal years or, if shorter, the Fund’s period of operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total return in the table represents the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund assuming all dividends and distributions had been reinvested. Total Return at NAV is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period and redemption on the last day of the period. Total Return at Market Price is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the market price at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at market price during the period and redemption on the last day of the period. The total return would have been lower if certain expenses had not been reimbursed/waived by the Investment Manager. Through July 31, 2020, Market Price returns are based on the midpoint of the bid/ask spread for Fund shares at market close (typically 4 pm ET). Beginning with August 31, 2020 month-end performance, Market Price returns are based on closing prices reported by the Fund's primary listing exchange (typically 4 pm ET close). These returns do not represent the returns an investor would receive if shares were traded at other times. Total return and portfolio turnover are not annualized for periods of less than one year. The ratios of expenses and net investment income are annualized for periods of less than one year. The portfolio turnover rate is calculated without regard to purchase and sales transactions of short-term instruments, certain derivatives and in-kind transactions, if any. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Fund’s annual report, which is available upon request.
| |
Year Ended October 31, | ||||
| |
2023 |
2022 |
2021 |
2020 |
2019 |
| Per share data |
|
|
|
|
|
| Net asset value, beginning of year |
$36.28 |
$36.97 |
$25.42 |
$28.60 |
$28.25 |
| Income (loss) from investment operations: |
|
|
|
|
|
| Net investment income |
0.97 |
1.00 |
0.86 |
0.78 |
0.80 |
| Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) |
0.38 |
(0.57 )(a) |
11.53 |
(3.15 ) |
1.44 |
| Total from investment operations |
1.35 |
0.43 |
12.39 |
(2.37 ) |
2.24 |
| Less distributions to shareholders: |
|
|
|
|
|
| Net investment income |
(0.98 ) |
(0.88 ) |
(0.84 ) |
(0.74 ) |
(0.78 ) |
| Net realized gains |
– |
(0.24 ) |
– |
(0.07 ) |
(1.11 ) |
| Total distribution to shareholders |
(0.98 ) |
(1.12 ) |
(0.84 ) |
(0.81 ) |
(1.89 ) |
| Net asset value, end of year |
$36.65 |
$36.28 |
$36.97 |
$25.42 |
$28.60 |
| Total Return at NAV |
3.72 % |
1.22 % |
49.08 % |
(8.18 )% |
9.19 % |
| Total Return at Market Price |
3.29 % |
1.27 % |
50.13 % |
(8.64 )% |
9.04 % |
| Ratios to average net assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
| Total gross expenses(b) |
0.35 %(c) |
0.35 %(c) |
0.35 % |
0.35 % |
0.35 %(c) |
| Total net expenses(b)(d) |
0.35 %(c) |
0.35 %(c) |
0.35 % |
0.35 % |
0.35 %(c) |
| Net investment income |
2.57 % |
2.73 % |
2.55 % |
2.98 % |
2.94 % |
| Supplemental data |
|
|
|
|
|
| Net assets, end of year (in thousands) |
$43,982 |
$39,911 |
$5,545 |
$5,084 |
$4,291 |
| Portfolio turnover |
90 % |
167 % |
77 % |
77 % |
56 % |
(a)
Calculation of the net gain (loss) per share (both realized and unrealized) does not correlate to the aggregate realized and unrealized gain (loss) presented in the Statement of Operations due to the timing of subscriptions and redemptions of Fund shares in relation to fluctuations in the market value of the portfolio.
(b)
In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund bears directly, the Fund indirectly bears a pro rata share of the fees and expenses of any other funds in which it invests. Such indirect expenses are not included in the Fund’s reported expense ratios.
(c)
The ratio includes less than 0.01% attributed to overdraft expense, which is outside the Unitary Fee (as defined in Note 3).
Prospectus 2024
45
Beta Advantage® ETFs
Financial Highlights — Columbia U.S. Equity Income ETF (continued)
(d)
Total net expenses include the impact of certain fee waivers/expense reimbursements made by the Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates, if applicable.
46
Prospectus 2024
Beta Advantage® ETFs
290 Congress Street
Boston, MA 02210
Boston, MA 02210
Additional Information About the Funds
Additional information about each Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semiannual reports to shareholders. In the annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year. The SAI also provides additional information about the Fund and its policies. The SAI, which has been filed with the SEC, is legally part of this prospectus (incorporated by reference). To obtain these documents free of charge, to request other information about the Funds and to make shareholder inquiries, please contact the Funds as follows:
By Mail: Columbia Funds
290 Congress Street
Boston, MA 02210
290 Congress Street
Boston, MA 02210
By Telephone: 800.426.3750
Online: columbiathreadneedleus.com/etfs
Information on each Fund’s net asset value, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads can be found on the Fund's website at columbiathreadneedleus.com/etfs.
Reports and other information about each Fund are also available in the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You can receive copies of this information, for a duplication fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.
The investment company registration number of Columbia ETF Trust I, of which each Fund is a series, is 811-22736.
Columbia Threadneedle Investments is the global brand name of the Columbia and Threadneedle group of companies.
© 2024 Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC. All rights reserved.
PRO271_10_P02_(06/24)
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
June 1, 2024
| Columbia ETF Trust I |
| Columbia Diversified Fixed Income Allocation ETF: DIAL |
| Columbia International Equity Income ETF: INEQ |
| Columbia Multi-Sector Municipal Income ETF: MUST |
| Columbia Research Enhanced Core ETF: RECS |
| Columbia Research Enhanced Real Estate ETF: CRED |
| Columbia Research Enhanced Value ETF: REVS |
| Columbia Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF: SEMI* |
| Columbia Short Duration Bond ETF: SBND |
| Columbia U.S. Equity Income ETF: EQIN |
| Columbia ETF Trust II |
| Columbia EM Core ex-China ETF: XCEM |
| Columbia India Consumer ETF: INCO |
| Columbia Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF: ECON(a) |
(a) Until on or about June 28, 2024, the Fund's name is Columbia Emerging Markets Consumer ETF.
Each of the Funds in Columbia ETF Trust I and Columbia ETF Trust II other than Columbia International Equity Income ETF, Columbia Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF and Columbia U.S. Equity Income ETF is a passively managed exchange-traded fund (ETF). Columbia Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF is an actively managed, semi-transparent ETF. Shares of each Fund are listed and traded on the NYSE Arca, Inc.
*Columbia Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF is different from traditional ETFs.
Traditional ETFs tell the public what assets they hold each day. Columbia Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF will not. This may create additional risks for your investment. For example:
◾
You may have to pay more money to trade this ETF’s shares. This ETF will provide less information to traders, who tend to charge more for trades when they have less information.
◾
The price you pay to buy this ETF shares on an exchange may not match the value of the ETF’s portfolio. The same is true when you sell shares. These price differences may be greater for this ETF compared to other ETFs because it provides less information to traders.
◾
These additional risks may be even greater in bad or uncertain market conditions.
◾
This ETF will publish on its website each day a “Tracking Basket” designed to help trading in shares of the ETF. While the Tracking Basket includes some of the ETF’s holdings, it is not the ETF’s actual portfolio.
The differences between Columbia Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF and other ETFs may also have advantages. By keeping certain information about this ETF secret, this ETF may face less risk that other traders can predict or copy its investment strategy. This may improve this ETF’s performance. If other traders are able to copy or predict this ETF’s investment strategy, however, this may hurt the ETF’s performance.
For additional information regarding the unique attributes and risks of Columbia Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF, see the section entitled “Principal Risks” in this ETF’s Summary Prospectus and the Prospectus, and the sections How the Fund Differs from Traditional Mutual Funds and How the Fund Differs from ETFs that Disclose their Portfolio Holdings Daily in this ETF’s Prospectus.
Unless the context indicates otherwise, references herein to “each Fund,” “the Fund,” “a Fund,” “the Funds” or “Funds” refer to each ETF named above.
This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) is not a prospectus, is not a substitute for reading any prospectus and is intended to be read in conjunction with each Fund’s current prospectus (as amended or supplemented), the date of which may be found in the section of this SAI entitled About the Trusts. The most recent annual report for each Fund identified in the table below (as applicable), which includes the Fund’s audited financial statements for its most recent fiscal period, when available, is incorporated herein by reference.
Copies of the Funds' current prospectuses and annual and semiannual reports (once available, as applicable) may be obtained without charge by calling 800.426.3750 or by visiting columbiathreadneedleus.com/etfs.
Shareholder Reports
| Trust, Fund Name and Fiscal Year End: |
Shareholder Report: |
| Columbia ETF Trust I - October 31 |
|
| Columbia Diversified Fixed Income Allocation ETF Columbia International Equity Income ETF Columbia Multi-Sector Municipal Income ETF Columbia Research Enhanced Core ETF Columbia Research Enhanced Value ETF Columbia Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF Columbia Short Duration Bond ETF Columbia U.S. Equity Income ETF |
|
| Columbia ETF Trust I - December 31 |
|
| Columbia Research Enhanced Real Estate ETF |
|
| Columbia ETF Trust II - March 31 |
|
| Columbia EM Core ex-China ETF Columbia India Consumer ETF Columbia Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF |
|
Table of Contents
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| A-1 | |
| B-1 |
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
1
SAI PRIMER
The SAI is a part of the Funds' registration statement that is filed with the SEC. The registration statement includes the Funds' prospectuses, the SAI and certain exhibits. The SAI, as supplemented from time to time, can be found online at columbiathreadneedleus.com/etfs and/or by accessing the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
For purposes of any electronic version of this SAI, all references to websites or universal resource locators (URLs) are intended to be inactive and are not meant to incorporate the contents of any such website or URL into this SAI, with the exception of the most recent annual report for each Fund, as noted on the front cover of this SAI.
The SAI generally provides additional information about the Funds that is not required to be in the Funds' prospectuses. The SAI expands discussions of certain matters described in the Funds' prospectuses and provides certain additional information about the Funds that may be of help or interest to some investors. Among other things, the SAI provides information about:
◾
the organization of each Trust (of which the Funds are series);
◾
the Funds' investments;
◾
the Funds' investment adviser, investment subadviser(s) (if any) and other service providers, including roles and relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, and conflicts of interest;
◾
the governance of the Funds;
◾
the Funds' brokerage practices;
◾
the purchase, redemption and pricing of Fund Creation Units; and
◾
the application of U.S. federal income tax laws.
If you have any questions about the Funds, please call Columbia Funds at 800.426.3750 or contact your financial advisor.
Throughout this SAI, the term “financial intermediary” may refer, generally, to one or more of the selling agents and/or servicing agents that are authorized to sell and/or service shares of the Funds, which may include broker-dealers and financial advisors as well as firms that employ such broker-dealers and financial advisors, including, for example, brokerage firms, banks, investment advisers, third party administrators and other financial intermediaries.
Each Fund typically updates its registration statement approximately four months after the end of its fiscal year, although in certain circumstances a Fund may update its registration statement sooner. Some of the information in this SAI is reported for a Fund as of the end of the Fund’s last fiscal year (or period) or during the Fund’s last fiscal year (or period), as applicable. This is a reference to the fiscal year (or period) ending prior to the Fund’s last annual update, which may be fifteen months or more prior to the date of the SAI. See About the Trusts for each Fund’s fiscal year end and most recent prospectus date (i.e., the date of the Fund’s last annual update).
Before reading the SAI, you should consult the prospectus for the Fund as well as the Glossary below, which defines certain of the terms used in the SAI. Capitalized terms used in this SAI and not otherwise defined have the meanings given them in a Fund’s prospectus and any related prospectus supplements.
Glossary
| 1933 Act |
Securities Act of 1933, as amended |
| 1934 Act |
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended |
| 1940 Act |
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended |
| Administrator |
The Bank of New York Mellon or BNY Mellon |
| Administrative Services Agreement |
The Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement, as amended, if applicable, between a Trust, on behalf of its Funds, and the Administrator |
| Advisers Act |
Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended |
| Ameriprise Financial |
Ameriprise Financial, Inc. |
| Authorized Participant |
A broker-dealer or other participant in the Continuous Net Settlement System of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) or a participant in DTC with access to the DTC system, and who has executed an agreement with the Distributor that governs transactions in the Funds’ Creation Units |
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
2
| Balancing Amount |
An amount equal to the difference between the NAV of a Creation Unit and the market value of the In-Kind Creation (or Redemption) Basket, used to ensure that the NAV of a Fund Deposit (or Redemption) (other than the Transaction Fee) is identical to the NAV of the Creation Unit being purchased |
| Board |
A Trust’s Board of Trustees |
| Business Day |
Any day on which the NYSE is open for business. A business day typically ends at the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. If the NYSE is scheduled to close early, the business day will be considered to end as of the time of the NYSE’s scheduled close. The Fund will not treat an intraday unscheduled disruption in NYSE trading or an intraday unscheduled closing as a close of regular trading on the NYSE for these purposes and will price its shares as of the regularly scheduled closing time for that day (typically, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the NAV of Fund shares may be determined at such other time or times (in addition to or in lieu of the time set forth above) as the Fund’s Board may approve or ratify. On holidays and other days when the NYSE is closed, the Fund's NAV is not calculated and the Fund does not accept buy or sell orders. However, the value of the Fund's assets may still be affected on such days to the extent that the Fund holds foreign securities that trade on days that foreign securities markets are open. |
| Cash Component |
An amount of cash, including a Transaction Fee, calculated in connection with creations |
| Cash Redemption Amount |
An amount of cash, including a Transaction Fee, calculated in connection with redemptions |
| CEA |
Commodity Exchange Act |
| CFTC |
The United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission |
| Code |
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended |
| Codes of Ethics |
The codes of ethics adopted by the Funds, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (the Investment Manager), ALPS Distributors, Inc. and/or any sub-adviser, as applicable, pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act |
| CET I |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
| CET II |
Columbia ETF Trust II |
| Columbia Funds or Columbia Funds Complex |
The fund complex, including the Funds, that is comprised of the registered investment companies, including traditional mutual funds, closed-end funds, and ETFs, advised by the Investment Manager or its affiliates |
| Columbia Management |
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC |
| Columbia Threadneedle Investments |
The global brand name of the Columbia and Threadneedle group of companies |
| Creation Unit |
An aggregation or block of shares that each Fund issues and redeems on a continuous basis at NAV. Shares will not be issued or redeemed except in Creation Units, which can vary by size (number of Shares) from Fund to Fund. A Fund’s Creation Unit size is disclosed in its prospectus. |
| Custodian |
BNY Mellon |
| Distribution Agreement |
The Distribution Agreement between a Trust, on behalf of its Funds, and the Distributor |
| Distribution Plan(s) |
One or more of the plans adopted by the Board pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act for the distribution of the Funds’ shares |
| Distributor |
ALPS Distributors, Inc. |
| DTC |
Depository Trust Company |
| Exchange |
NYSE Arca, Inc. |
| FDIC |
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation |
| FHLMC |
The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation |
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
3
| FINRA |
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority |
| Fitch |
Fitch Ratings, Inc. |
| FNMA |
Federal National Mortgage Association |
| Foreign Funds |
Collectively, Columbia International Equity Income ETF and each series of CET II |
| The Fund(s) or a Fund |
One or more of the ETFs listed on the front cover of this SAI |
| Fund Deposit |
The In-Kind Creation Basket and Cash Component necessary to purchase a Creation Unit from a Fund |
| Fund Redemption |
The In-Kind Redemption Basket and Cash Redemption Amount received in connection with the redemption of a Creation Unit |
| GICS |
The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS®). GICS was developed by and/or is the exclusive property of MSCI, Inc. (MSCI®) and S&P Global Market Intelligence Inc. (S&P Global Market Intelligence). GICS is a service mark of MSCI and S&P Global Market Intelligence and has been licensed for use by the Investment Manager. Neither GICS, MSCI, nor S&P Global Market Intelligence are affiliated with the Funds, the Investment Manager or any Columbia entity. |
| GNMA |
Government National Mortgage Association |
| IIV or Intraday Indicative Value |
An approximate per-share value of a Fund’s portfolio, disseminated every fifteen seconds throughout the trading day by the Exchange or other information providers |
| In-Kind Creation Basket |
Basket of securities or other instruments to be deposited to purchase Creation Units of a Fund |
| In-Kind Redemption Basket |
Basket of securities or other instruments received upon redemption of a Creation Unit |
| Independent Trustees |
The Trustees of the Board who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Funds |
| Index |
The index identified in an Index Fund’s prospectus, the performance of which the Fund seeks to track |
| Index Fund(s) |
Index-based ETFs that seek to track the performance of a specified index; each series of CET I and CET II are Index Funds other than Columbia International Equity Income ETF, Columbia Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF and Columbia U.S. Equity Income ETF |
| Interested Trustee |
A Trustee of the Board who is currently deemed to be an “interested person” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Funds |
| Investment Management Services Agreement |
The Investment Management Services Agreement, as amended, if applicable, between a Trust, on behalf of its Funds, and the Investment Manager |
| Investment Manager |
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC |
| IRS |
United States Internal Revenue Service |
| LIBOR |
London Inter-bank Offered Rate |
| Moody’s |
Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. |
| NASDAQ |
National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations system |
| NAV |
Net asset value per share of a Fund |
| Non-Indexed Fund(s) |
A Fund that is not an Index Fund (and therefore is actively managed), but like an Index Fund discloses its portfolio holdings each Business Day (unlike a Semi-Transparent Fund, which does not disclose its portfolio holdings each Business Day). Each of the following Funds is a Non- Indexed Fund: Columbia International Equity Income ETF and Columbia U.S. Equity Income ETF. The disclosure throughout this SAI with respect to Non-Indexed Funds is effective on or about June 1, 2024. |
| NRSRO |
Nationally recognized statistical ratings organization (such as, for example, Moody’s, Fitch or S&P) |
| NSCC |
National Securities Clearing Corporation |
| NYSE |
New York Stock Exchange |
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
4
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
5
Throughout this SAI, the Funds are referred to as follows:
| Fund Name: |
Referred to as: |
| Columbia Diversified Fixed Income Allocation ETF |
Diversified Fixed Income Allocation ETF |
| Columbia EM Core ex-China ETF |
EM Core ex-China ETF |
| Columbia India Consumer ETF |
India Consumer ETF |
| Columbia International Equity Income ETF |
International Equity Income ETF |
| Columbia Multi-Sector Municipal Income ETF |
Multi-Sector Municipal Income ETF |
| Columbia Research Enhanced Core ETF |
Research Enhanced Core ETF |
| Columbia Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF |
Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF |
| Columbia Research Enhanced Real Estate ETF |
Research Enhanced Real Estate ETF |
| Columbia Research Enhanced Value ETF |
Research Enhanced Value ETF |
| Columbia Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF |
Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF |
| Columbia Short Duration Bond ETF |
Short Duration Bond ETF |
| Columbia U.S. Equity Income ETF |
U.S. Equity Income ETF |
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
6
ABOUT THE Trusts
The Trusts are open-end management investment companies registered with the SEC under the 1940 Act with an address at 290 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210.
CET I was organized as a Massachusetts business trust on June 8, 2012. CET II was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on September 12, 2008. CET II was formerly named EGA Emerging Global Shares Trust and was renamed Columbia ETF Trust II on October 19, 2016, in connection with the acquisition by Columbia Management of Emerging Global Advisors, LLC on September 1, 2016. The offering of Shares is registered under the 1933 Act.
| Fund |
Fiscal Year End |
Prospectus Date |
Date Began Operations |
Diversified* |
Fund Investment Category** |
| Diversified Fixed Income Allocation ETF |
October 31 |
3/1/2024 |
10/12/2017 |
Yes |
Fixed Income |
| EM Core ex-China ETF |
March 31 |
8/1/2023 |
9/2/2015 |
No |
Equity |
| India Consumer ETF |
March 31 |
8/1/2023 |
8/10/2011 |
No |
Equity |
| International Equity Income ETF |
October 31 |
6/1/2024 |
6/13/2016 |
Yes |
Equity |
| Multi-Sector Municipal Income ETF |
October 31 |
3/1/2024 |
10/10/2018 |
Yes |
Fixed Income |
| Research Enhanced Core ETF |
October 31 |
3/1/2024 |
9/25/2019 |
Yes |
Equity |
| Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF |
March 31 |
8/1/2023 |
9/14/2010 |
No |
Equity |
| Research Enhanced Real Estate ETF |
December 31 |
5/1/2024 |
4/26/2023 |
No |
Equity |
| Research Enhanced Value ETF |
October 31 |
3/1/2024 |
9/25/2019 |
Yes |
Equity |
| Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF |
October 31 |
3/1/2024 |
3/29/2022 |
No |
Equity |
| Short Duration Bond ETF |
October 31 |
3/1/2024 |
9/21/2021 |
No |
Fixed Income |
| U.S. Equity Income ETF |
October 31 |
6/1/2024 |
6/13/2016 |
Yes |
Equity |
*
A “diversified” Fund may not, with respect to 75% of its total assets, invest more than 5% of its total assets in securities of any one issuer or purchase more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer, except obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities and except securities of other investment companies. A “non-diversified” Fund may invest a greater percentage of its total assets in the securities of fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund, which increases the risk that a change in the value of any one investment held by the Fund could affect the overall value of the Fund more than it would affect that of a “diversified” fund holding a greater number of investments. Accordingly, a “non-diversified” Fund’s value will likely be more volatile than the value of a more diversified fund.
**
The Fund Investment Category is used as a convenient way to describe Funds in this SAI and should not be deemed a description of the Fund’s principal investment strategies, which are described in the Fund’s prospectus.
Name Changes. The table below identifies the Funds whose names have changed in the past five years, the effective date of the name change and the former name.
| Fund |
Effective Date of Name Change |
Previous Fund Name |
| International Equity Income ETF |
June 1, 2024 October 14, 2022 |
Columbia International ESG Equity Income ETF Columbia Sustainable International Equity Income ETF |
| Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF |
on or about June 28, 2024 |
Columbia Emerging Markets Consumer ETF |
| U.S. Equity Income ETF |
June 1, 2024 October 14, 2022 |
Columbia U.S. ESG Equity Income ETF Columbia Sustainable U.S. Equity Income ETF |
ETF Overview
Each Index Fund and Non-Indexed Fund offers and issues Shares at NAV only in large blocks, or aggregations, of Shares of a specified number of Shares, called Creation Units, generally in exchange for a basket of securities constituting the portfolio holdings of the Fund, together with the deposit of a specified cash payment or, in certain circumstances, for an all cash payment. Semi-Transparent Funds also offer and issue Shares at NAV only in Creation Units, however, Semi-Transparent Funds generally do so in exchange for the deposit or delivery of the securities and cash included in the Fund’s Tracking Basket. The Funds reserve the right to permit or require Creation Units to be issued in exchange entirely or in part for cash. As a general matter, Semi-Transparent Funds expect to receive and redeem cash-in-lieu of Representative ETFs held in the Tracking Basket. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Shares are not redeemable securities of the Funds. Shares of each Fund are listed and traded on the Exchange. Shares will trade on the Exchange at market prices that may be below, at, or above NAV.
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
7
Unlike conventional mutual funds, Shares are not individually redeemable securities. Rather, each Fund issues and redeems Shares on a continuous basis at NAV, only in Creation Units, which can vary in size (number of Shares) from Fund to Fund. A Fund’s Creation Unit size is disclosed in its prospectus. In the event of the liquidation of a Fund, the Trust may lower the number of Shares in a Creation Unit.
In the instance of creations and redemptions, Transaction Fees may be imposed. Such fees are limited in accordance with requirements of the SEC applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. Some of the information contained in this SAI and the prospectuses – such as information about purchasing and redeeming Shares from a Fund and Transaction Fees – is not relevant to most retail investors.
Once created, Shares generally trade in the secondary market, at market prices that change throughout the day, in amounts less than a Creation Unit. For more information see the Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Shares section. Investors purchasing Shares in the secondary market through a brokerage account or with the assistance of a broker may be subject to brokerage commissions and other charges.
Unlike the Index Funds, Semi-Transparent Funds are actively managed and do not seek to track the performance of an index.
Semi-Transparent Funds operate pursuant to an exemptive order from the SEC issued to Fidelity Beach Street Trust et al., and are bound by the terms of that relief, including with respect to its permissible investments and are not required to publicly disclose their complete portfolio holdings each Business Day. Instead, a Semi-Transparent Fund publishes each Business Day on its website a Tracking Basket, which is designed to closely track the daily performance of the Semi-Transparent Fund but is not the Semi-Transparent Fund’s actual portfolio. The Tracking Basket is comprised of: select recently disclosed portfolio holdings and/or select securities from the universe from which the Fund’s investments are selected (Strategy Components); liquid ETFs that convey information about the types of instruments (that are not otherwise fully represented by the Strategy Components) in which the Semi-Transparent Fund invests (Representative ETFs); and cash and cash equivalents. The Tracking Basket often may include a significant percentage of the securities held in the Semi-Transparent Fund’s portfolio, but it will exclude (or modify the weightings of) certain securities held in the Semi-Transparent Fund’s portfolio, such as those securities that the Semi-Transparent Fund’s portfolio managers are actively looking to purchase or sell, or securities which, if disclosed, could increase the risk of front-running (trading ahead) or free-riding (mirroring) the Fund's investment strategy.
A Semi-Transparent Fund also publishes each Business Day on its website its Tracking Basket Weight Overlap, which is the percentage weight overlap between the holdings of the prior Business Day’s Tracking Basket compared to the holdings of the Semi-Transparent Fund that formed the basis for the Semi-Transparent Fund’s calculation of its NAV at the end of the prior Business Day. The Tracking Basket Weight Overlap is designed to provide investors with an understanding of how similar the Tracking Basket is to the Semi-Transparent Fund’s actual portfolio in percentage terms.
For additional information regarding the Tracking Basket, see the section How the Fund Differs from ETFs that Disclose their Portfolio Holdings Daily in the Semi-Transparent Fund’s prospectus.
The Tracking Basket is the property of Fidelity Product Services, LLC (Fidelity) and is used under license by Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC. No products, materials or investment vehicles, opportunities or otherwise howsoever offered or provided by Columbia Management or its affiliates are sponsored, endorsed, sold, promoted or otherwise supported by Fidelity or any of its affiliates. Neither Fidelity nor any of its affiliates makes any representation, warranty or assurance, express or implied, to any third party (including investors in Columbia Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF regarding the Tracking Basket, the advisability of investing in securities generally or in this ETF particularly or the ability of the Tracking Basket to track general market performance or provide positive investment returns. Fidelity and its affiliates (and their respective officers, directors and employees) are not and shall not be subject to any damages or liability, direct or indirect, consequential or punitive for any errors, omissions, or delays in or related to the Tracking Basket or any data related thereto.
Exchange Listing and Trading
Shares of each Fund are listed and traded on the Exchange. Shares trade on the Exchange or in secondary markets at prices that may differ from their NAV or IIV, including because such prices may be affected by market forces (such as supply and demand for Shares). As is the case of other securities traded on an exchange, when you buy or sell Shares on the Exchange or in the secondary markets your broker or financial intermediary will normally charge you a commission or other transaction charges. These charges only apply to investors who buy and sell Shares of the Funds in secondary market transactions through brokers or other financial intermediaries on the Exchange and do not apply to investors such as market makers, large investors and institutions who wish to deal in Creation Units directly with a Fund. Further, the Trust reserves the right to adjust the price of Shares in the future to maintain convenient trading price ranges for investors (namely, to maintain a price per Share that is attractive to investors) by share splits or reverse share splits, which would have no effect on the NAV.
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
8
There can be no assurance that the Funds’ shares will continue to trade on the Exchange or that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of Shares of each Fund will continue to be met. The Exchange may, but is not required to, remove the Shares of a Fund from listing if: (i) following the initial 12-month period beginning at the commencement of trading of a Fund, there are fewer than 50 beneficial owners of the Shares of the Fund for 30 or more consecutive trading days, (ii) For Index Funds, the value of the Index tracked by the Index Fund is no longer calculated or available, or (iii) such other event shall occur or condition exist that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the Shares of a Fund from listing and trading upon termination of a Fund.
In addition, for Semi-Transparent Funds, there may be circumstances where a security held in a Semi-Transparent Fund’s portfolio but not in its Tracking Basket does not have readily available market quotations. If the Investment Manager determines that such circumstance may affect the reliability of the Tracking Basket as an arbitrage vehicle, that information, along with the identity and weighting of that security in the Semi-Transparent Fund’s portfolio, will be publicly disclosed on the Semi-Transparent Fund’s website and the Investment Manager will assess appropriate remedial measures. In these circumstances, market participants may use this information to engage in certain predatory trading practices that may have the potential to harm the Semi-Transparent Fund and its shareholders. If securities representing 10% or more of the Semi-Transparent Fund’s portfolio do not have readily available market quotations, the Investment Manager will promptly request the Exchange to halt trading on the Semi-Transparent Fund, meaning that investors would not be able to trade Semi-Transparent Fund shares.
The Funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by the Exchange. The Exchange makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of Shares of the Funds or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Funds particularly or the ability of the Funds to achieve their objectives. The Exchange has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Funds.
Continuous Offering
The method by which Creation Units of Shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units of Shares are issued and sold by each Trust on an ongoing basis, a ‘‘distribution,’’ as such term is used in the 1933 Act, may occur at any point. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the 1933 Act.
For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Units after placing an order with the Distributor, breaks them down into constituent Shares and sells some or all of the Shares comprising such Creation Units directly to its customers; or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for Shares. These examples should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to a categorization as an underwriter. A determination of whether a person is an underwriter for the purposes of the 1933 Act depends upon all the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person’s activities.
Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not ‘‘underwriters’’ but are effecting transactions in Shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of Shares, are generally required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(a)(3) of the 1933 Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. In addition, firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to Shares of a Fund are reminded that, pursuant to Rule 153 under the 1933 Act, a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the 1933 Act owed to a national securities exchange member in connection with a sale on the national securities exchange is satisfied by the fact that the Funds’ prospectus is filed with the SEC. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on a national securities exchange and not with respect to ‘‘upstairs’’ transactions (i.e., the trading of securities that occurs within a broker-dealer firm or between two broker-dealers in the over-the-counter market).
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
9
FUNDAMENTAL AND NON-FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT POLICIES
The following discussion of “fundamental” and “non-fundamental” investment policies and limitations for each Fund supplements the discussion of investment policies in the Funds' prospectuses. A fundamental policy may be changed only with Board and shareholder approval. A non-fundamental policy may be changed only with Board approval and does not require shareholder approval.
Unless otherwise noted in a Fund’s prospectus or this SAI, whenever an investment policy or limitation states a maximum percentage of a Fund’s assets that may be invested in any security or other asset, or sets forth a policy regarding an investment standard, compliance with such percentage limitation or standard will be determined solely at the time of the Fund’s acquisition of such security or asset (Time of Purchase Standard). Thus, a Fund may continue, subject to applicable law, to hold a security, even though it causes the Fund to exceed a percentage limitation or not meet a standard, because of post-acquisition changes, including fluctuation in the value of the Fund’s assets.
Fundamental Policies
The table below shows Fund-specific policies that may be changed only with a “vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities” of the Fund, which means the affirmative vote of the lesser of (1) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund, or (2) 67% or more of the shares present at a meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding shares are represented at the meeting in person or by proxy. The table indicates whether or not a fund has a policy on a particular topic. A dash indicates that the Fund does not have a Fundamental policy on a particular topic. The specific policy is stated in the paragraphs that follow the table.
| Fund |
B Buy or sell commodities |
C Issuer Diversification |
D Concentrate in any one industry |
E Act as an underwriter |
F Lending |
G Borrowing |
H Issue senior securities | |
| Diversified Fixed Income Allocation ETF |
A1 |
B1 |
C1 |
D1 |
E1 |
F1 |
G1 |
H1 |
| EM Core ex-China ETF |
A2 |
B2 |
C2 |
D2 |
E2 |
F2 |
G2 |
H2 |
| India Consumer ETF |
A2 |
B2 |
C2 |
D2 |
E2 |
F2 |
G2 |
H2 |
| International Equity Income ETF |
A1 |
B1 |
C1 |
D1 |
E1 |
F1 |
G1 |
H1 |
| Multi-Sector Municipal Income ETF |
A1 |
B1 |
C1 |
D3 |
E1 |
F1 |
G1 |
H1 |
| Research Enhanced Core ETF |
A1 |
B1 |
C1 |
D3 |
E1 |
F1 |
G1 |
H1 |
| Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF |
A2 |
B2 |
C2 |
D2 |
E2 |
F2 |
G2 |
H2 |
| Research Enhanced Real Estate ETF |
A1 |
B1 |
C2 |
D3 |
E1 |
F1 |
G1 |
H1 |
| Research Enhanced Value ETF |
A1 |
B1 |
C1 |
D3 |
E1 |
F1 |
G1 |
H1 |
| Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF |
A1 |
B1 |
C2 |
D4 |
E1 |
F1 |
G1 |
H1 |
| Short Duration Bond ETF |
A1 |
B1 |
C2 |
D3 |
E1 |
F1 |
G1 |
H1 |
| U.S. Equity Income ETF |
A1 |
B1 |
C1 |
D1 |
E1 |
F1 |
G1 |
H1 |
A.
Buy or sell real estate
A1 –
The Fund will not buy or sell real estate, unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments, except this shall not prevent the Fund from investing in: (i) securities or other instruments backed by real estate or interests in real estate, (ii) securities or other instruments of issuers or entities that deal in real estate or are engaged in the real estate business, (iii) real estate investment trusts (REITs) or entities similar to REITs formed under the laws of non-U.S. countries or (iv) real estate or interests in real estate acquired through the exercise of its rights as a holder of securities secured by real estate or interests therein.
A2 –
The Fund may not purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments and provided that this restriction does not prevent the Fund from (i) purchasing or selling securities or instruments secured by real estate or interests therein, securities or instruments representing interests in real estate or securities or instruments of issuers that invest, deal or otherwise engage in transactions in real estate or interests therein; and (ii) making, purchasing or selling real estate mortgage loans.
B.
Buy or sell physical commodities*
B1 –
The Fund will not purchase or sell commodities, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
10
B2 –
The Fund may not purchase or sell commodities, unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments and provided that this restriction does not prevent the Fund from (i) engaging in transactions involving currencies and futures contracts and options thereon; or (ii) investing in securities or other instruments that are secured by commodities.
*
For purposes of the fundamental investment policy on buying and selling physical commodities, the Funds will not consider swap contracts on financial instruments or rates to be commodities for purposes of this restriction despite any federal legislation or regulatory action by the CFTC that subjects such swaps to regulation by the CFTC.
C.
Issuer Diversification*†
C1 –
The Fund will not purchase securities (except securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities) of any one issuer if, as a result, more than 5% of its total assets will be invested in the securities of such issuer or it would own more than 10% of the voting securities of such issuer, except that: (a) up to 25% of its total assets may be invested without regard to these limitations; and (b) a Fund’s assets may be invested in the securities of one or more management investment companies to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder, or any applicable exemptive relief.
C2 –
The Fund is “non-diversified” which means that the proportion of the Fund’s assets that may be invested in the securities of a single issuer is not limited by the 1940 Act. The Fund, however, intends to seek to qualify as a “regulated investment company” (RIC) for purposes of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the Code), which imposes diversification requirements on these Funds that are less restrictive than the requirements applicable to the “diversified” investment companies under the 1940 Act.
*
For purposes of applying the limitation set forth in its issuer diversification policy above, a Fund does not consider futures or swaps central counterparties, where the Fund has exposure to such central counterparties in the course of making investments in futures and securities, to be issuers.
†
For purposes of applying the limitation set forth in its issuer diversification policy, under certain circumstances, a Fund may treat an investment, if any, in a municipal bond refunded with escrowed U.S. Government securities as an investment in U.S. Government securities.
D.
Concentration*
D1† –
Except that a Fund may concentrate to approximately the same extent that its index concentrates in such particular industry or industries, the Fund will not purchase any securities which would cause 25% or more of the value of its total assets at the time of purchase to be invested in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry, provided that: (i) there is no limitation with respect to obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, any state or territory of the United States or any of their agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions; and (ii) notwithstanding this limitation or any other fundamental investment limitation, assets may be invested in the securities of one or more investment companies or subsidiaries to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief. For purposes of determining whether a Fund is concentrated in an industry or group of industries, the Fund may concentrate its investment in the securities of companies engaged in a single industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent as its Index.
D2 –
The Fund may not invest 25% or more of the Fund’s net assets in securities of issuers in any one industry or group of industries (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities or securities of other investment companies), except that a Fund may invest 25% or more of its net assets in securities of issuers in the same industry to approximately the same extent that the Fund’s corresponding index concentrates in the securities of a particular industry or group of industries. Accordingly, if the Fund’s corresponding index stops concentrating in the securities of a particular industry or group of industries, the Fund will also discontinue concentrating in such securities.
D3 –
Except that a Fund will be concentrated to approximately the same extent that its index concentrates in such particular industry or industries, the Fund will not purchase any securities which would cause 25% or more of the value of its total assets at the time of purchase to be invested in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry, provided that: (i) there is no limitation with respect to obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, any state or territory of the United States or any of their agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions; and (ii) notwithstanding this limitation or any other fundamental investment limitation, assets may be invested in the securities of one or more investment companies or subsidiaries to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief. For purposes of determining whether a Fund is concentrated in an industry or group of industries, the Fund will concentrate its investment in the securities of companies engaged in a single industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent as its Index.
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
11
D4 –
The Fund may not purchase the securities of any issuer if, as a result, less than 25% of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in the securities of issuers principally engaged in the semiconductor and semiconductor equipment industry, provided that (i) there is no limitation with respect to obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, any state or territory of the United States or any of their agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions; and (ii) notwithstanding this limitation or any other fundamental investment limitation, assets may be invested in the securities of one or more investment companies or subsidiaries to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.
*
For purposes of applying the limitation set forth in its concentration policy above, a Fund will generally use the industry classifications provided by GICS for classification of issuers of equity securities and the classifications provided by the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index for classification of issues of fixed-income securities. A Fund considers the investments of any underlying funds in which it invests, and will consider the portfolio positions applying the Time of Purchase Standard, which in the case of unaffiliated underlying funds is based on portfolio information made publicly available by them. A Fund does not consider futures or swaps clearinghouses or securities clearinghouses, where the Fund has exposure to such clearinghouses in the course of making investments in futures and securities, to be part of any industry.
†
In March 2024, the Board of Trustees, effective June 1, 2024, approved changes to the investment objectives and principal investment strategies of International Equity Income ETF and U.S. Equity Income ETF such that neither Fund seeks to track the investment performance of an index. Thus, as of such effective date, as Non-Indexed Funds, these Funds' D1 Concentration Policy is not considered in relation to an underlying, tracked index.
E.
Act as an underwriter
E1 –
The Fund will not underwrite any issue of securities issued by other persons within the meaning of the 1933 Act except when it might be deemed to be an underwriter either: (i) in connection with the disposition of a portfolio security; or (ii) in connection with the purchase of securities directly from the issuer where the Fund later resells such securities. This restriction shall not limit the Fund’s ability to invest in securities issued by other registered investment companies.
E2 –
The Fund may not act as an underwriter, except to the extent the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter when disposing of securities it owns or when selling its own Shares.
F.
Lending
F1 –
The Fund will not make loans, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.
F2 –
The Fund may not make loans if, as a result, more than 33 1∕3% of its total assets would be lent to other persons, including other investment companies to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act or any rules, exemptions or interpretations thereunder which may be adopted, granted or issued by the SEC. This limitation does not apply to (i) the lending of portfolio securities; (ii) the purchase of debt securities, other debt instruments, loan participations and/or engaging in direct corporate loans in accordance with its investment goals and policies; and (iii) repurchase agreements to the extent the entry into a repurchase agreement is deemed to be a loan.
G.
Borrowing
G1 –
The Fund will not borrow money except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.
G2 –
The Fund may not borrow money, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, or any rules, exemptions or interpretations thereunder that may be adopted, granted or issued by the SEC.
H.
Issue senior securities
H1 –
The Fund will not issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.
H2 –
The Fund may not issue senior securities, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act or any rules, exemptions or interpretations thereunder that may be adopted, granted or issued by the SEC.
Non-fundamental Policies
The following non-fundamental policies may be changed by the Board at any time and may be in addition to those described in the Funds' prospectus.
Investment in Illiquid Investments
No Fund may acquire any illiquid investment if, immediately after the acquisition, the Fund would have invested more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments that are assets. For these purposes, an “illiquid investment” means any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment.
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
12
Investment in Other Investment Companies
The Funds may not purchase securities of other investment companies except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.
Names Rule Policy
To the extent a Fund is subject to Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act (the Names Rule) and does not otherwise have a fundamental policy in place to comply with the Names Rule, such Fund has adopted the following non-fundamental policy: Shareholders will receive at least 60 days’ notice of any change to the Fund’s investment objective or principal investment strategies made in order to comply with the Names Rule. The notice will be provided in plain English in a separate written document, and will contain the following prominent statement or similar statement in bold-face type: “Important Notice Regarding Change in Investment Policy.” This statement will appear on both the notice and the envelope in which it is delivered, unless it is delivered separately from other communications to investors, in which case the statement will appear either on the notice or the envelope in which the notice is delivered. A Fund subject to a fundamental policy in place to comply with the Names Rule will disclose in the More Information About the Fund section of its prospectus that its 80% policy cannot be changed without shareholder approval.
To the extent that the Fund counts derivatives towards compliance with its 80% policy, such instruments will be valued based on their market value or fair value (determined in accordance with the Fund’s valuation procedures) or, when the adviser determines that the notional value of such instruments is a more appropriate measure of the Fund’s exposure to economic characteristics of investments that are consistent with the Fund’s 80% policy, at such notional value.
For Index Funds
Each Index Fund seeks investment results that, before fees and expenses, closely correspond to the performance of its Index as disclosed in the Index Fund’s prospectus. Several factors may affect a Fund’s ability to achieve this correlation, including, but not limited to: (1) a Fund’s expenses, including brokerage commissions (which may be increased by high portfolio turnover) and the cost of the investment techniques employed by that Fund; (2) a Fund’s holding of less than all of the securities in the Index, including as part of a ‘‘representative sampling’’ strategy, and holding securities not included in the Index; (3) an imperfect correlation between the performance of a Fund’s investments and those of its Index; (4) bid-ask spreads (the effect of which may be increased by portfolio turnover); (5) holding instruments traded in a market that has become illiquid or disrupted; (6) a Fund’s Share prices being rounded to the nearest cent; (7) changes to the Index that are not disseminated in advance; (8) the need to conform a Fund’s portfolio holdings to comply with investment restrictions or policies, or regulatory or tax law requirements; (9) early and unanticipated closings of the markets on which the holdings of a Fund trade, resulting in the inability of the Fund to execute intended portfolio transactions; (10) a Fund’s holdings of cash or cash equivalents, or otherwise not being fully invested in securities of its Index; and (11) market or other events or conditions affecting the investability of the Index Fund's index. While close tracking of any Fund to its Index may be achieved on any single trading day, over time the cumulative percentage increase or decrease in the NAV of the Shares of a Fund may diverge significantly from the cumulative percentage decrease or increase in the Index due to a compounding effect.
Each of the Index Funds may consider changing its current Index at any time, including if, for example: the Index becomes unavailable; the Board believes that the current Index no longer serves shareholder investment needs or that another index may better serve their needs; or the financial or economic environment makes it difficult for the Fund’s investment results to correspond sufficiently to the current Index. If a Fund determines to change its Index, it will assess the appropriateness of the Fund's current name in light of the new index. In addition, each of the Index Funds may consider changes to its Principal Investment Strategies, including to no longer be an Index Fund (i.e., change from a passively managed fund (a fund that seeks to track an index) to an actively managed fund (a fund that does not seek to track an index)). In such an event, to the extent that an Index Fund has currently a policy, that it may concentrate in an industry(ies) to the extent that the index it seeks to track so concentrates, the Fund would no longer concentrate in such industry(ies).
Fundamental securities analysis is not used by the Investment Manager in seeking to correlate an Index Fund’s investment returns with its Index. Rather, the Investment Manager uses a passive (or indexing) approach to determine the investments an Index Fund makes and techniques it employs. While the Investment Manager attempts to minimize any tracking error, certain factors tend to cause an Index Fund’s investment results to vary from a perfect correlation to its Index, as applicable. See About Fund Investments – Information Regarding Risks – Correlation/Tracking Error Risk below for additional details.
For Semi-Transparent Funds and Non-Indexed Funds
For Semi-Transparent Funds and Non-Indexed Funds, the Investment Manager applies fundamental securities analysis in seeking to achieve the Fund’s investment objective. Semi-Transparent Funds and Non-Indexed Funds do not seek to correlate its investment returns with those of an index.
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
13
Additional Information About Concentration
Index rebalancings or other Index changes, or corporate actions relating to investments held by an Index Fund can subsequently cause the Fund to be concentrated when the Index is not, in which case the Fund will seek to exit the concentration as soon as reasonably practicable. The Fund may indirectly concentrate in a particular industry or group of industries through investments in underlying funds.
For each of International Equity Income ETF and U.S. Equity Income ETF, the Fund may not:
1.
Borrow an amount exceeding 10% of the value of its net assets and may borrow only on a temporary basis.
Summary of 1940 Act Restrictions on Certain Activities
Certain of the Fund’s fundamental and, if any, non-fundamental policies set forth above prohibit transactions “except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any applicable exemptive relief.” The following discussion summarizes the flexibility that the Fund currently gains from these exceptions. To the extent the 1940 Act or the rules and regulations thereunder may, in the future, be amended to provide greater flexibility, or to the extent the SEC may in the future grant exemptive relief providing greater flexibility, the Fund will be able to use that flexibility without seeking shareholder approval of its fundamental policies.
Borrowing money – The 1940 Act permits a Fund to borrow up to 33 1∕3% of its total assets (including the amounts borrowed) from banks, plus an additional 5% of its total assets for temporary purposes, which may be borrowed from banks or other sources. The exception in the fundamental policy allows the Funds to borrow money subject to these conditions. Compliance with this limitation is not measured under the Time of Purchase Standard (meaning, a Fund may not exceed these thresholds including if, after borrowing, the Fund’s net assets decrease due to market fluctuations).
Buy or sell physical commodities – The 1940 Act does not directly limit a Fund’s ability to invest directly in physical commodities. However, a Fund’s direct and indirect investments in physical commodities may be limited by the Fund’s intention to qualify as a RIC, and can limit the Fund’s ability to so qualify. One of the requirements for favorable tax treatment as a RIC under the Code is that a Fund derive at least 90 percent of its gross income from certain qualifying sources of income. Income and gains from direct commodities investments, and from certain indirect investments therein, do not constitute qualifying income for this purpose. A Fund that qualifies for an exclusion from the definition of a commodity pool under the CEA and has on file a notice of exclusion under CFTC Rule 4.5 is limited in its ability to use certain financial instruments regulated under the CEA (“commodity interests”).
Investing in other investment companies – The 1940 Act, in summary, provides that a fund generally may not: (i) purchase more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of another investment company; (ii) purchase securities issued by another investment company in an amount representing more than 5% of the investing fund’s total assets; or (iii) purchase securities issued by investment companies that in the aggregate represent more than 10% of the acquiring fund’s total assets (the Statutory Limits). Affiliated funds-of-funds (i.e., those funds that invest in other funds within the same fund family), with respect to investments in such affiliated underlying funds, are not subject to the Statutory Limits and, therefore, may generally invest in affiliated underlying funds without restriction. If shares of the Fund are purchased by an affiliated fund beyond the Statutory Limits in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act, for so long as shares of the Fund are held by such other affiliated fund beyond the Statutory Limits, the Fund will not purchase securities of a registered open-end investment company or registered unit investment trust in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(F) or Section 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act. An additional exception to these limitations applies to investments in money market open-end funds. Rule 12d1-4 also permits the Funds to invest in other investment companies beyond the Statutory Limits, subject to certain conditions. In addition, under Rule 12d1-4, if shares of the Fund are purchased by another fund beyond the Statutory Limits, and the Fund purchases shares of another investment company, the Fund generally will not be able to make new investments in other funds, including private funds exempt from the definition of “investment company” under the 1940 Act by Sections 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) thereof, if, as a result of such investment, more than 10% of the Fund’s assets would be invested in other funds. In addition, an affiliated fund-of-funds’ investment in unaffiliated funds may be made only pursuant to Rule 12d1-4.
Issuing senior securities – A “senior security” is an obligation with respect to the earnings or assets of a company that takes precedence over the claims of that company’s common stock with respect to the same earnings or assets. The 1940 Act prohibits an open-end fund from issuing senior securities other than certain borrowings from a bank, but Rule 18f-4 provides relief from that prohibition as to certain transactions that could be considered issuances of senior securities, provided that the Fund complies with its conditions. The exception in the fundamental policy allows the Fund to operate in accordance with Rule 18f-4.
Making loans (Lending) – Under the 1940 Act, an open-end fund may loan money or property to persons who do not control and are not under common control with the Fund, except that a Fund may make loans to a wholly-owned subsidiary. In addition, the SEC staff takes the position that a Fund may not lend portfolio securities representing more than one-third of the Fund’s total
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
14
value. A Fund must receive from the borrower collateral at least equal in value to the loaned securities, marked to market daily. The exception in the fundamental policy allows the Fund to make loans to third parties, including loans of its portfolio securities, subject to these conditions.
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
15
ABOUT FUND INVESTMENTS
Each Fund’s investment objective, principal investment strategies and related principal risks are discussed in each Fund’s prospectus, as may be supplemented from time to time. Each Fund’s prospectus identifies the types of securities in which the Fund invests principally and summarizes the principal risks to the Fund’s portfolio as a whole associated with such investments. Unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus or this SAI, the investment objective and policies of a Fund may be changed without shareholder approval.
To the extent that a type of security identified in the table below for a Fund is not described in the Fund’s prospectus (or as a sub-category of such security type in this SAI), the Fund may invest in such security type as part of its non-principal investment strategies.
Information about individual types of securities (including certain of their associated risks) in which the Funds may invest is set forth below. Each Fund may invest in securities listed below unless prohibited by its fundamental and non-fundamental investment policies or as otherwise noted in this SAI. The information in the table below does not describe every type of investment, technique or risk to which a Fund may be exposed.
Certain Investment Activity Limits. The overall investment and other activities of the Investment Manager and its affiliates may limit the investment opportunities for each Fund in certain markets, industries or transactions or in individual issuers where limitations are imposed upon the aggregate amount of investment by the Funds and other accounts managed by the Investment Manager and accounts of its affiliates (collectively, affiliated investors). From time to time, each Fund’s activities also may be restricted because of regulatory restrictions applicable to the Investment Manager and its affiliates and/or because of their internal policies. See Investment Management and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest.
Temporary Defensive Positions. Semi-Transparent Funds and Non-Indexed Funds may from time to time take temporary defensive investment positions that may be inconsistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, social or other conditions, including, without limitation investing some or all of its assets in money market instruments or shares of affiliated or unaffiliated government money market funds or holding some or all of its assets in cash or cash equivalents.
Other Strategic and Investment Measures. Semi-Transparent Funds and Non-Indexed Funds may also from time to time take temporary portfolio positions that may or may not be consistent with the Fund’s principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, social or other conditions, including, without limitation, investing in exchange-traded futures (a derivative) in seeking to reduce investment exposure, or in seeking to achieve indirect investment exposure, to a sector, country, region or currency where the Investment Manager (or Fund subadviser, if applicable) believes such defensive positioning is appropriate. Semi-Transparent Funds and Non-Indexed Funds may do so without limit and for as long a period as deemed necessary, when the Investment Manager or the Fund’s subadviser, if applicable: (i) believes that market conditions are not favorable for profitable investing or to avoid losses, (ii) is unable to locate favorable investment opportunities; or (iii) determines that a temporary defensive position is advisable or necessary in order to meet anticipated redemption requests, or for other reasons. While the Fund is so positioned, derivatives could comprise a substantial portion of the Fund’s investments and the Fund may not achieve its investment objective. Investing in this manner may adversely affect Fund performance. During these times, the portfolio managers may make frequent portfolio holding changes, which could result in increased trading expenses and decreased Fund performance.
Types of Investments
A black circle indicates that the investment strategy or type of investment is often employed by the Funds. Exceptions are noted following the table.
| Type of Investment |
Equity Funds* |
Fixed Income Funds* |
|
| Asset Backed Securities |
• |
• |
|
| Bank Obligations (Domestic and Foreign) |
• |
• |
|
| Collateralized Bond Obligations |
• |
• |
|
| Commercial Paper |
• |
• |
|
| Common Stock |
• |
• |
|
| Convertible Securities |
• |
• |
|
| Corporate Debt Securities |
• |
• |
|
| Custody Receipts and Trust Certificates |
• |
• |
|
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
16
| Type of Investment |
Equity Funds* |
Fixed Income Funds* |
|
| Debt Obligations |
•(a) |
• |
|
| Depositary Receipts |
• |
• |
|
| Derivatives |
• |
• |
|
| Dollar Rolls |
• |
• |
|
| Exchange-Traded Notes |
• |
• |
|
| Foreign Currency Transactions |
• |
• |
|
| Foreign Securities |
• |
• |
|
| Guaranteed Investment Contracts (Funding Agreements) |
• |
• |
|
| High-Yield Securities |
• |
• |
|
| Illiquid Investments |
• |
• |
|
| Inflation Protected Securities |
• |
• |
|
| Initial Public Offerings |
• |
• |
|
| Inverse Floaters |
• |
• |
|
| Investments in Other Investment Companies (Including ETFs) |
• |
• |
|
| Listed Private Equity Funds |
• |
• |
|
| Money Market Instruments |
• |
• |
|
| Mortgage-Backed Securities |
• |
• |
|
| Municipal Securities |
• |
• |
|
| Participation Interests |
• |
• |
|
| Partnership Securities |
• |
• |
|
| Preferred Stock |
• |
• |
|
| Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities |
• |
• |
|
| Real Estate Investment Trusts |
• |
• |
|
| Repurchase Agreements |
• |
• |
|
| Reverse Repurchase Agreements |
• |
• |
|
| Short Sales |
•(b) |
•(b) |
|
| Sovereign Debt |
• |
• |
|
| Standby Commitments |
• |
• |
|
| U.S. Government and Related Obligations |
• |
• |
|
| Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations |
• |
• |
|
| Warrants and Rights |
• |
• |
|
*
Equity Funds and Fixed Income Funds that are Semi-Transparent Funds are permitted to invest only in other ETFs, exchange-traded notes, exchange-traded common stocks (other than “penny stocks,” as defined by Rule 3a51-1 under the 1934 Act), common stocks listed on a foreign exchange that trade on such exchange contemporaneously with the Shares, exchange-traded preferred stocks, exchange-traded American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), exchange-traded real estate investment trusts, exchange-traded commodity pools, exchange-traded metals trusts, exchange-traded currency trusts, and exchange-traded futures that trade contemporaneously with the Shares, as well as cash and cash equivalents (with cash equivalents being short-term U.S. Treasury securities, government money market funds, and repurchase agreements).
(a)
Each series of CET II may invest a portion of its assets, for cash management purposes, in liquid, high-quality, short-term debt securities (including repurchase agreements) of corporations, the U.S. government and its agencies and instrumentalities, and banks and finance companies.
(b)
The Funds may engage in short sales in accordance with their investment objective and subject to any Fundamental or Non-Fundamental Investment policy.
Asset-Backed Securities
Asset-backed securities represent interests in, or debt instruments that are backed by, pools of various types of assets that generate cash payments generally over fixed periods of time, such as, among others, motor vehicle installment sales, contracts, installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property, and receivables from revolving (credit card) agreements. Such securities entitle the security holders to receive distributions (i.e., principal and interest) that are tied to the payments made by the borrower on the underlying assets (less fees paid to the originator, servicer, or other parties, and fees paid
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for credit enhancement), so that the payments made on the underlying assets effectively pass through to such security holders. Asset-backed securities typically are created by an originator of loans or owner of accounts receivable that sells such underlying assets to a special purpose entity in a process called a securitization. The special purpose entity issues securities that are backed by the payments on the underlying assets, and have a minimum denomination and specific term. Asset-backed securities may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations or as zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities and may be privately placed or publicly offered. Collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) and collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) are examples of asset-backed securities. See Types of Investments – Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations, – Debt Obligations – Zero-Coupon, Pay-in-Kind and Step-Coupon Securities and – Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities for more information.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with asset-backed securities include: Credit Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Liquidity Risk and Prepayment and Extension Risk.
Bank Obligations (Domestic and Foreign)
Bank obligations include certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, time deposits and promissory notes that earn a specified rate of return and may be issued by (i) a domestic branch of a domestic bank, (ii) a foreign branch of a domestic bank, (iii) a domestic branch of a foreign bank or (iv) a foreign branch of a foreign bank. Bank obligations may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations. See Types of Investments – Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations for more information.
Certificates of deposit, or so-called CDs, typically are interest-bearing debt instruments issued by banks and have maturities ranging from a few weeks to several years. Yankee dollar certificates of deposit are negotiable CDs issued in the United States by branches and agencies of foreign banks. Eurodollar certificates of deposit are CDs issued by foreign banks with interest and principal paid in U.S. dollars. Eurodollar and Yankee Dollar CDs typically have maturities of less than two years and have interest rates that typically are pegged to a reference rate, such as LIBOR or SOFR. Bankers’ acceptances are time drafts drawn on and accepted by banks, are a customary means of effecting payment for merchandise sold in import-export transactions and are a general source of financing. A time deposit can be either a savings account or CD that is an obligation of a financial institution for a fixed term. Typically, there are penalties for early withdrawals of time deposits. Promissory notes are written commitments of the maker to pay the payee a specified sum of money either on demand or at a fixed or determinable future date, with or without interest.
Bank investment contracts are issued by banks. Pursuant to such contracts, the Fund may make cash contributions to a deposit fund of a bank. The bank then credits to the Fund payments at floating or fixed interest rates. The Fund also may hold funds on deposit with its custodian for temporary purposes.
Certain bank obligations, such as some CDs, are insured by the FDIC up to certain specified limits. Many other bank obligations, however, are neither guaranteed nor insured by the FDIC or the U.S. Government. These bank obligations are “backed” only by the creditworthiness of the issuing bank or parent financial institution. Domestic and foreign banks are subject to different governmental regulation. Accordingly, certain obligations of foreign banks, including Eurodollar and Yankee dollar obligations, involve different and/or heightened investment risks than those affecting obligations of domestic banks, including, among others, the possibilities that: (i) their liquidity could be impaired because of political or economic developments; (ii) the obligations may be less marketable than comparable obligations of domestic banks; (iii) a foreign jurisdiction might impose withholding and other taxes at high levels on interest income; (iv) foreign deposits may be seized or nationalized; (v) foreign governmental restrictions such as exchange controls may be imposed, which could adversely affect the payment of principal and/or interest on those obligations; (vi) there may be less publicly available information concerning foreign banks issuing the obligations; and (vii) the reserve requirements and accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements applicable to foreign banks may differ (including, less stringent) from those applicable to domestic banks. Foreign banks generally are not subject to examination by any U.S. Government agency or instrumentality. See Types of Investments – Foreign Securities.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with bank obligations include: Counterparty Risk, Credit Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Issuer Risk, Liquidity Risk, and Prepayment and Extension Risk.
Collateralized Bond Obligations
Collateralized bond obligations (CBOs) are investment grade bonds backed by a pool of bonds, which may include junk bonds (which are considered speculative investments). CBOs are similar in concept to collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), but differ in that CBOs represent different degrees of credit quality rather than different maturities. (See Types of Investments – Mortgage-Backed Securities and – Asset-Backed Securities.) CBOs are often privately offered and sold, and thus not registered under the federal securities laws.
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Underwriters of CBOs package a large and diversified pool of high-risk, high-yield junk bonds, which is then structured into “tranches.” Typically, the first tranche represents a senior claim on collateral and pays the lowest interest rate; the second tranche is junior to the first tranche and therefore subject to greater risk and pays a higher rate; the third tranche is junior to both the first and second tranche, represents the lowest credit quality and instead of receiving a fixed interest rate receives the residual interest payments — money that is left over after the higher tranches have been paid. CBOs, like CMOs, are substantially overcollateralized and this, plus the diversification of the pool backing them, may earn certain of the tranches investment-grade bond ratings. Holders of third-tranche CBOs stand to earn higher or lower yields depending on the rate of defaults in the collateral pool. See Types of Investments – High-Yield Securities.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with CBOs include: Credit Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Liquidity Risk, High-Yield Securities Risk and Prepayment and Extension Risk.
Commercial Paper
Commercial paper is a short-term debt obligation, usually sold on a discount basis, with a maturity ranging from 2 to 270 days issued by banks, corporations and other borrowers. It is sold to investors with temporary idle cash as a way to increase returns on a short-term basis. These instruments are generally unsecured, which increases the credit risk associated with this type of investment. See Types of Investments — Debt Obligations and — Illiquid Investments. See Appendix A for a discussion of securities ratings.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with commercial paper include: Credit Risk and Liquidity Risk.
Common Stock
Common stock represents a unit of equity ownership of a corporation. Owners typically are entitled to vote on the selection of directors and other important corporate governance matters, and to receive dividend payments, if any, on their holdings. However, ownership of common stock does not entitle owners to participate in the day-to-day operations of the corporation. Common stocks of domestic and foreign public corporations can be listed, and their shares traded, on domestic stock exchanges, such as the NYSE or the NASDAQ Stock Market. Domestic and foreign corporations also may have their shares traded on foreign exchanges, such as the London Stock Exchange or Tokyo Stock Exchange. See Types of Investments – Foreign Securities. Common stock may be privately placed or publicly offered. The price of common stock is generally determined by corporate earnings, type of products or services offered, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and market conditions generally. In the event that a corporation declares bankruptcy or is liquidated, the claims of secured and unsecured creditors and owners of bonds and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock. See Types of Investments – Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities, – Preferred Stock and – Convertible Securities for more information.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with common stock include: Issuer Risk and Market Risk.
Convertible Securities
Convertible securities include bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or by the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio or predetermined price (the conversion price). As such, convertible securities combine the investment characteristics of debt securities and equity securities. A holder of convertible securities is entitled to receive the income of a bond, debenture or note or the dividend of a preferred stock until the conversion privilege is exercised. The market value of convertible securities generally is a function of, among other factors, interest rates, the rates of return of similar nonconvertible securities and the financial strength of the issuer. The market value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates rise and, conversely, to rise as interest rates decline. However, a convertible security’s market value tends to reflect the market price of the common stock of the issuing company when that stock price approaches or is greater than its conversion price. As the market price of the underlying common stock declines, the price of the convertible security tends to be influenced more by the rate of return of the convertible security. Because both interest rate and common stock’s market movements can influence their value, convertible securities generally are not as sensitive to changes in interest rates as similar non-convertible debt securities nor generally as sensitive to changes in share price as the underlying common stock. Convertible securities may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations or as zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities and may be privately placed or publicly offered. See Types of Investments — Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations, — Debt Obligations - Zero-Coupon, Pay-in-Kind and Step-Coupon Securities, — Common Stock, — Corporate Debt Securities and — Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities for more information.
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Certain convertible securities may have a mandatory conversion feature, pursuant to which the securities convert automatically into common stock or other equity securities (of the same or a different issuer) at a specified date and at a specified exchange ratio. Certain convertible securities may be convertible at the option of the issuer, which may require a holder to convert the security into the underlying common stock, even at times when the value of the underlying common stock or other equity security has declined substantially. In addition, some convertible securities may be rated below investment grade or may not be rated and, therefore, may be considered speculative investments. Companies that issue convertible securities frequently are small- and mid-capitalization companies and, accordingly, carry the risks associated with such companies. In addition, the credit rating of a company’s convertible securities generally is lower than that of its conventional debt securities. Convertible securities are senior to equity securities and have a claim to the assets of an issuer prior to the holders of the issuer’s common stock in the event of liquidation but generally are subordinate to similar non-convertible debt securities of the same issuer. Some convertible securities are particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates when their predetermined conversion price is much higher than the price for the issuing company’s common stock.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with convertible securities include: Convertible Securities Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Issuer Risk, Market Risk, Prepayment and Extension Risk, and Reinvestment Risk.
Corporate Debt Securities
Corporate debt securities are long and short term fixed income securities typically issued by businesses to finance their operations. Corporate debt securities are issued by public or private companies, as distinct from debt securities issued by a government or its agencies. The issuer of a corporate debt security often has a contractual obligation to pay interest at a stated rate on specific dates and to repay principal periodically or on a specified maturity date. Corporate debt securities typically have four distinguishing features: (1) they are taxable; (2) they have a par value of $1,000; (3) they have a term maturity, which means they come due at a specified time period; and (4) many are traded on major securities exchanges. Notes, bonds, debentures and commercial paper are the most common types of corporate debt securities, with the primary difference being their interest rates, maturity dates and secured or unsecured status. Commercial paper has the shortest term and usually is unsecured, as are debentures. The broad category of corporate debt securities includes debt issued by domestic or foreign companies of all kinds, including those with small-, mid- and large-capitalizations. The category also includes bank loans, as well as assignments, participations and other interests in bank loans. Corporate debt securities may be rated investment grade or below investment grade and may be structured as fixed-, variable or floating-rate obligations or as zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities and may be privately placed or publicly offered. They may also be senior or subordinated obligations. See Appendix A for a discussion of securities ratings. See Types of Investments — Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations, — Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities, — Debt Obligations, — Commercial Paper and — High-Yield Securities for more information.
Extendible commercial notes (ECNs) are very similar to commercial paper except that, with ECNs, the issuer has the option to extend the notes’ maturity. ECNs are issued at a discount rate, with an initial redemption of not more than 90 days from the date of issue. If ECNs are not redeemed by the issuer on the initial redemption date, the issuer will pay a premium (step-up) rate based on the ECN’s credit rating at the time.
Because of the wide range of types and maturities of corporate debt securities, as well as the range of creditworthiness of issuers, corporate debt securities can have widely varying risk/return profiles. For example, commercial paper issued by a large established domestic corporation that is rated by an NRSRO as investment grade may have a relatively modest return on principal but present relatively limited risk. On the other hand, a long-term corporate note issued, for example, by a small foreign corporation from an emerging market country that has not been rated by an NRSRO may have the potential for relatively large returns on principal but carries a relatively high degree of risk.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with corporate debt securities include: Credit Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Issuer Risk, High-Yield Securities Risk, Prepayment and Extension Risk and Reinvestment Risk.
Custody Receipts and Trust Certificates
Custody receipts and trust certificates are derivative products that evidence direct ownership in a pool of securities. Typically, a sponsor will deposit a pool of securities with a custodian in exchange for custody receipts evidencing interests in those securities. The sponsor generally then will sell the custody receipts or trust certificates in negotiated transactions at varying prices. Each custody receipt or trust certificate evidences the individual securities in the pool and the holder of a custody receipt or trust certificate generally will have all the rights and privileges of owners of those securities.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with custody receipts and trust certificates include: Liquidity Risk and Counterparty Risk. In addition, custody receipts and trust certificates generally are subject to the same risks as the securities evidenced by the receipts or certificates.
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Debt Obligations
Many different types of debt obligations exist (for example, bills, bonds, and notes). Issuers of debt obligations have a contractual obligation to pay interest at a fixed, variable or floating rate on specified dates and to repay principal by a specified maturity date. Certain debt obligations (usually intermediate and long-term bonds) have provisions that allow the issuer to redeem or “call” a bond before its maturity. Issuers are most likely to call these securities during periods of falling interest rates. When this happens, an investor may have to replace these securities with lower yielding securities, which could result in a lower return.
The market value of debt obligations is affected primarily by changes in prevailing interest rates, changes in the economic environment and the issuer’s perceived ability to repay the debt. The market value of a debt obligation generally reacts inversely to interest rate changes. When prevailing interest rates decline, the market value of the bond usually rises, and when prevailing interest rates rise, the market value of the bond usually declines.
In general, the longer the maturity of a debt obligation, the higher its yield and the greater the sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Conversely, the shorter the maturity, the lower the yield and the lower the sensitivity to changes in interest rates.
As noted, the values of debt obligations also may be affected by changes in the credit rating or financial condition of their issuers. Generally, the lower the quality rating of a security, the higher the degree of risk as to the payment of interest and return of principal. To compensate investors for taking on such increased risk, those issuers deemed to be less creditworthy generally must offer their investors higher interest rates than do issuers with better credit ratings. See Types of Investments — Corporate Debt Securities, — High-Yield Securities and — Preferred Stock - Trust-Preferred Securities for more information.
Event-Linked Instruments/Catastrophe Bonds. The Fund may obtain event-linked exposure by investing in “event-linked bonds” or “event-linked swaps” or by implementing “event-linked strategies.” Event-linked exposure results in gains or losses that typically are contingent on, or formulaically related to, defined trigger events. Examples of trigger events include hurricanes, earthquakes, weather-related phenomena or statistics relating to such events. Some event-linked bonds are commonly referred to as “catastrophe bonds.” If a trigger event occurs, the principal amount of the bond is reduced (potentially to zero), and the Fund may lose all or a portion of its entire principal invested in the bond or the entire notional amount on a swap.
Stripped Securities. Stripped securities are the separate income or principal payments of a debt security and evidence ownership in either the future interest or principal payments on an instrument. There are many different types and variations of stripped securities. For example, Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal Securities (STRIPS) can be component parts of a U.S. Treasury security where the principal and interest components are traded independently through DTC, a clearing agency registered pursuant to Section 17A of the 1934 Act and created to hold securities for its participants, and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions between participants through electronic computerized book-entries, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of certificates. Treasury Investor Growth Receipts (TIGERs) are U.S. Treasury securities stripped by brokers. Stripped mortgage-backed securities (SMBS) can also be issued by the U.S. Government or its agencies. Stripped securities may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations.
SMBS usually are structured with two or more classes that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distributions from a pool of mortgage-backed assets. Common types of SMBS will be structured so that one class receives some of the interest and most of the principal from the mortgage-backed assets, while another class receives most of the interest and the remainder of the principal.
See Types of Investments – Mortgage-Backed Securities, – Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations and – U.S. Government and Related Obligations for more information.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with stripped securities include: Credit Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Liquidity Risk, Prepayment and Extension Risk, and Stripped Securities Risk.
When-Issued, Delayed Delivery and Forward Commitment Transactions. When-issued, delayed delivery and forward commitment transactions involve the purchase or sale of securities by the Fund, with payment and delivery taking place in the future after the customary settlement period for that type of security. Normally, the settlement date occurs within 45 days of the purchase although in some cases settlement may take longer. The investor does not pay for the securities or receive dividends or interest on them until the contractual settlement date. The payment obligation and, if applicable, the interest rate that will be received on the securities, are fixed at the time that the Fund agrees to purchase the securities. The Fund generally will enter into when-issued, delayed delivery and forward commitment transactions only with the intention of completing such transactions.
However, the Fund’s portfolio managers may determine not to complete a transaction if deemed appropriate to close out the transaction prior to its completion. In such cases, the Fund may realize short-term gains or losses. See Types of Investments — Asset-Backed Securities and — Mortgage-Backed Securities for more information.
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To Be Announced Securities (TBAs). As with other delayed delivery transactions, a seller agrees to issue a TBA security at a future date. However, the seller does not specify the particular securities to be delivered. Instead, the Fund agrees to accept any security that meets specified terms. For example, in a TBA mortgage-backed security transaction, the Fund and the seller would agree upon the issuer, interest rate and terms of the underlying mortgages. The seller would not identify the specific underlying mortgages until it issues the security. TBA mortgage-backed securities increase market risks because the underlying mortgages may be less favorable than anticipated by the Fund. See Types of Investments — Asset-Backed Securities and — Mortgage-Backed Securities for more information. In order to better define contractual rights and to secure rights that will help the Fund mitigate their counterparty risk, TBA transactions may be entered into by the Fund under Master Securities Forward Transaction Agreements (each, an MSFTA). An MSFTA typically contains, among other things, collateral posting terms and netting provisions in the event of default and/or termination event. The collateral requirements are typically calculated by netting the mark-to-market amount for each transaction under such agreement and comparing that amount to the value of the collateral currently pledged by the fund and the counterparty. To the extent amounts due to the Fund are not fully collateralized, contractually or otherwise, the Fund bears the risk of loss from counterparty non-performance.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with when-issued, delayed delivery and forward commitment transactions include: Counterparty Risk, Credit Risk, and Market Risk.
Zero-Coupon, Pay-in-Kind and Step-Coupon Securities. Zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities are types of debt instruments that do not necessarily make payments of interest in fixed amounts or at fixed intervals. Asset-backed securities, convertible securities, corporate debt securities, foreign securities, high-yield securities, mortgage-backed securities, municipal securities, participation interests, stripped securities, U.S. Government and related obligations and other types of debt instruments may be structured as zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities.
Zero-coupon securities do not pay interest on a current basis but instead accrue interest over the life of the security. These securities include, among others, zero-coupon bonds, which either may be issued at a discount by a corporation or government entity or may be created by a brokerage firm when it strips the coupons from a bond or note and then sells the bond or note and the coupon separately. This technique is used frequently with U.S. Treasury bonds, and zero-coupon securities are marketed under such names as CATS (Certificate of Accrual on Treasury Securities), TIGERs or STRIPS. Zero-coupon bonds also are issued by municipalities. Buying a municipal zero-coupon bond frees its purchaser of the obligation to pay regular federal income tax on imputed interest, since the interest is exempt for regular federal income tax purposes. Zero-coupon certificates of deposit and zero-coupon mortgages are generally structured in the same fashion as zero-coupon bonds; the certificate of deposit holder or mortgage holder receives face value at maturity and no payments until then.
Pay-in-kind securities normally give the issuer an option to pay cash at a coupon payment date or to give the holder of the security a similar security with the same coupon rate and a face value equal to the amount of the coupon payment that would have been made.
Step-coupon securities trade at a discount from their face value and pay coupon interest that gradually increases over time. The coupon rate is paid according to a schedule for a series of periods, typically lower for an initial period and then increasing to a higher coupon rate thereafter. The discount from the face amount or par value depends on the time remaining until cash payments begin, prevailing interest rates, liquidity of the security and the perceived credit quality of the issue.
Zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities holders generally have substantially all the rights and privileges of holders of the underlying coupon obligations or principal obligations. Holders of these securities typically have the right upon default on the underlying coupon obligations or principal obligations to proceed directly and individually against the issuer and are not required to act in concert with other holders of such securities.
See Appendix A for a discussion of securities ratings. See Types of Investments — Asset-Backed Securities and — Mortgage-Backed Securities for more information.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with zero-coupon, step-coupon, and pay-in-kind securities include: Credit Risk, Interest Rate Risk and Zero-Coupon Bonds Risk.
Determining Investment Grade for Purposes of Investment Policies. Unless otherwise stated in the Fund’s prospectus, when determining, under the Fund’s investment policies, whether a debt instrument is investment grade or below investment grade for purposes of purchase by the Fund, the Fund will apply a particular credit quality rating methodology, as described within the Fund’s shareholder reports, when available. These methodologies typically make use of credit quality ratings assigned by a third-party rating agency or agencies, when available. Credit quality ratings assigned by a rating agency are subjective opinions, not statements of fact, and are subject to change, including daily. Credit quality ratings apply to the Fund’s debt instrument investments and not the Fund itself.
Ratings limitations under the Fund’s investment policies are applied at the time of purchase by the Fund. Subsequent to purchase, a debt instrument may cease to be rated by a rating agency or its rating may be reduced by a rating agency(ies) below the minimum required for purchase by the Fund. Neither event will require the sale of such debt instrument, but it may be a
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factor in considering whether to continue to hold the instrument. Unless otherwise stated in the Fund’s prospectus or in this SAI, the Fund may invest in debt instruments that are not rated by a rating agency. When a debt instrument is not rated by a rating agency, the Investment Manager or, as applicable, the Fund subadviser determines, at the time of purchase, whether such debt instrument is of investment grade or below investment grade (e.g., junk bond) quality. The Fund’s debt instrument holdings that are not rated by a rating agency are typically referred to as “Not Rated” within the Fund’s shareholder reports.
See Appendix A for a discussion of securities ratings.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with debt obligations include: Confidential Information Access Risk, Credit Risk, Highly Leveraged Transactions Risk, Impairment of Collateral Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Issuer Risk, Liquidity Risk, Prepayment and Extension Risk and Reinvestment Risk.
Determining Average Maturity. When determining the average maturity of the Fund's portfolio, the Fund may use the effective maturity of a portfolio security by, among other things, adjusting for interest rate reset dates, call dates or “put” dates.
Depositary Receipts
See Types of Investments – Foreign Securities below.
Derivatives
General
Derivatives are financial instruments whose values are based on (or “derived” from) traditional securities (such as a stock or a bond), assets (such as a commodity, like gold), reference rates (such as LIBOR and SOFR), market indices (such as the S&P 500® Index) or customized baskets of securities or instruments. Some forms of derivatives, such as exchange-traded futures and options on securities, commodities, or indices, are traded on regulated exchanges. These types of derivatives are standardized contracts that can easily be bought and sold, and whose market values are determined and published daily. Non-standardized derivatives, on the other hand, tend to be more specialized or complex, and may be harder to value. Many derivative instruments often require little or no initial payment and therefore often create inherent economic leverage. Derivatives, when used properly, can enhance returns and be useful in hedging portfolios and managing risk. Some common types of derivatives include futures; options; options on futures; forward foreign currency exchange contracts; forward contracts on securities and securities indices; linked securities and structured products; CMOs; swap agreements and swaptions.
The Fund may use derivatives for a variety of reasons, including, for example: (i) to enhance its return; (ii) to attempt to protect against possible unfavorable changes in the market value of securities held in or to be purchased for its portfolio resulting from securities markets or currency exchange rate fluctuations (i.e., to hedge); (iii) to protect its unrealized gains reflected in the value of its portfolio securities; (iv) to facilitate the sale of such securities for investment purposes; (v) to reduce transaction costs; (vi) to manage the effective maturity or duration of its portfolio; and/or (vii) to maintain cash reserves while remaining fully invested.
Certain Funds may employ portfolio margining with respect to derivatives investments, which creates leverage in the Fund’s portfolio (subjecting the Fund to Leverage Risk). Portfolio margining is a methodology that computes margin requirements for an account based on the greatest projected net loss of all positions in a product class or group, and uses computer modeling to perform risk analysis using multiple pricing scenarios. The pricing scenarios are designed to measure the theoretical loss of the positions, given changes in the underlying price and implied volatility inputs to the model. Accordingly, the margin required is based on the greatest loss that would be incurred in a portfolio if the value of its components move up or down by a predetermined amount.
The Fund may use any or all of the above investment techniques and may purchase different types of derivative instruments at any time and in any combination. The use of derivatives is a function of numerous variables, including market conditions. See also Types of Investments — Warrants and Rights and — Debt Obligations - When Issued, Delayed Delivery and Forward Commitment Transactions.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with transactions in derivatives (including the derivatives instruments discussed below) include: Counterparty Risk, Credit Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Leverage Risk, Liquidity Risk, Market Risk, Derivatives Risk, Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk, Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk, Derivatives Risk – Inverse Floaters Risk, Derivatives Risk – Options Risk, Derivatives Risk – Structured Investments Risk and/or Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk.
Structured Investments (Indexed or Linked Securities)
General. Indexed or linked securities, also often referred to as “structured products,” are instruments that may have varying combinations of equity and debt characteristics. These instruments are structured to recast the investment characteristics of the underlying security or reference asset. If the issuer is a unit investment trust or other special purpose vehicle, the structuring will typically involve the deposit with or purchase by such issuer of specified instruments (such as commercial bank loans or
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securities) and/or the execution of various derivative transactions, and the issuance by that entity of 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.
Indexed and Inverse Floating Rate Securities. The Fund may invest in securities that provide a potential return based on a particular index or interest rates. For example, the Fund may invest in debt securities that pay interest based on an index of interest rates. The principal amount payable upon maturity of certain securities also may be based on the value of the index. To the extent the Fund invests in these types of securities, the Fund’s return on such securities will rise and fall with the value of the particular index: that is, if the value of the index falls, the value of the indexed securities owned by the Fund will fall. Interest and principal payable on certain securities may also be based on relative changes among particular indices.
The Fund may also invest in so-called “inverse floaters” or “residual interest bonds” on which the interest rates vary inversely with a floating rate (which may be reset periodically by a Dutch auction, a remarketing agent, or by reference to a short-term tax-exempt interest rate index). The Fund may purchase synthetically-created inverse floating rate bonds evidenced by custodial or trust receipts. A trust funds the purchase of a bond by issuing two classes of certificates: short-term floating rate notes (typically sold to third parties) and the inverse floaters (also known as residual certificates). No additional income beyond that provided by the trust’s underlying bond is created; rather, that income is merely divided-up between the two classes of certificates. Generally, income on inverse floating rate bonds will decrease when interest rates increase, and will increase when interest rates decrease. Such securities can have the effect of providing a degree of investment leverage, since they may increase or decrease in value in response to changes in market interest rates at a rate that is a multiple of the actual rate at which fixed-rate securities increase or decrease in response to such changes. As a result, the market values of such securities will generally be more volatile than the market values of fixed-rate securities. To seek to limit the volatility of these securities, the Fund may purchase inverse floating obligations that have shorter-term maturities or that contain limitations on the extent to which the interest rate may vary. Certain investments in such obligations may be illiquid. Furthermore, where such a security includes a contingent liability, in the event of an adverse movement in the underlying index or interest rate, the Fund may be required to pay substantial additional margin to maintain the position.
Credit-Linked Securities. Among the income-producing securities in which the Fund may invest are credit linked securities. The issuers of these securities frequently are limited purpose trusts or other special purpose vehicles that, in turn, invest in a derivative instrument or basket of derivative instruments, such as credit default swaps, interest rate swaps and other securities, in order to provide exposure to certain fixed income markets. For instance, the Fund may invest in credit-linked securities as a cash management tool in order to gain exposure to a certain market and/or to remain fully invested when more traditional income-producing securities are not available. Like an investment in a bond, investments in these credit linked securities represent the right to receive periodic income payments (in the form of distributions) and payment of principal at the end of the term of the security. However, these payments are conditioned on or linked to the issuer’s receipt of payments from, and the issuer’s potential obligations to, the counterparties to the derivative instruments and other securities in which the issuer invests. For instance, the issuer may sell one or more credit default swaps, under which the issuer would receive a stream of payments over the term of the swap agreements provided that no event of default has occurred with respect to the referenced debt obligation upon which the swap is based. If a default occurs, the stream of payments may stop and the issuer would be obligated to pay the counterparty the par (or other agreed upon value) of the referenced debt obligation. This, in turn, would reduce the amount of income and/or principal that the Fund would receive. The Fund’s investments in these securities are indirectly subject to the risks associated with derivative instruments. These securities generally are exempt from registration under the 1933 Act. Accordingly, there may be no established trading market for the securities and they may be illiquid.
Equity-Linked Notes. An equity-linked note (ELN) is a debt instrument whose value is based on the value of a single equity security, basket of equity securities or an index of equity securities (each, an Underlying Equity). An ELN typically provides interest income, thereby offering a yield advantage over investing directly in an Underlying Equity. The Fund may purchase ELNs that trade on a securities exchange or those that trade on the over-the-counter markets, including Rule 144A securities. The Fund may also purchase ELNs in a privately negotiated transaction with the issuer of the ELNs (or its broker-dealer affiliate). The Fund may or may not hold an ELN until its maturity.
Equity-linked securities also include issues such as Structured Yield Product Exchangeable for Stock (STRYPES), Trust Automatic Common Exchange Securities (TRACES), Trust Issued Mandatory Exchange Securities (TIMES) and Trust Enhanced Dividend Securities (TRENDS). The issuers of these equity-linked securities generally purchase and hold a portfolio of stripped U.S. Treasury securities maturing on a quarterly basis through the conversion date, and a forward purchase contract with an existing shareholder of the company relating to the common stock. Quarterly distributions on such equity-linked securities generally consist of the cash received from the U.S. Treasury securities and such equity-linked securities generally are not entitled to any dividends that may be declared on the common stock.
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ELNs also include participation notes issued by a bank or broker-dealer that entitles the Fund to a return measured by the change in value of an Underlying Equity. Participation notes are typically used when a direct investment in the Underlying Equity is restricted due to country-specific regulations. Investment in a participation note is not the same as investment in the constituent shares of the company (or other issuer type) to which the Underlying Equity is economically tied. A participation note represents only an obligation of the company or other issuer type to provide the Fund the economic performance equivalent to holding shares of the Underlying Equity. A participation note does not provide any beneficial or equitable entitlement or interest in the relevant Underlying Equity. In other words, shares of the Underlying Equity are not in any way owned by the Fund.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with equity-linked notes include: Counterparty Risk, Credit Risk, Liquidity Risk and Market Risk.
Index-, Commodity- and Currency-Linked Securities. “Index-linked” or “commodity-linked” notes are debt securities of companies that call for interest payments and/or payment at maturity in different terms than the typical note where the borrower agrees to make fixed interest payments and to pay a fixed sum at maturity. Principal and/or interest payments on an index-linked or commodity-linked note depend on the performance of one or more market indices, such as the S&P 500® Index, a weighted index of commodity futures such as crude oil, gasoline and natural gas or the market prices of a particular commodity or basket of commodities or securities. Currency-linked debt securities are short-term or intermediate-term instruments having a value at maturity, and/or an interest rate, determined by reference to one or more foreign currencies. Payment of principal or periodic interest may be calculated as a multiple of the movement of one currency against another currency, or against an index.
Index-, commodity- and currency-linked securities may entail substantial risks. Such instruments may be subject to significant price volatility. The company issuing the instrument may fail to pay the amount due on maturity. The underlying investment may not perform as expected by the Fund’s portfolio manager. Markets and underlying investments and indexes may move in a direction that was not anticipated by the Fund’s portfolio manager. Performance of the derivatives may be influenced by interest rate and other market changes in the United States and abroad, and certain derivative instruments may be illiquid.
Linked securities are often issued by unit investment trusts. Examples of this include such index-linked securities as S&P Depositary Receipts (SPDRs), which is an interest in a unit investment trust holding a portfolio of securities linked to the S&P 500® Index, and a type of exchange-traded fund (ETF). Because a unit investment trust is an investment company under the 1940 Act, the Fund’s investments in SPDRs are subject to the limitations set forth in Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act, although the SEC has issued exemptive relief permitting investment companies such as the Funds to invest beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1)(A) subject to certain conditions. SPDRs generally closely track the underlying portfolio of securities, trade like a share of common stock and pay periodic dividends proportionate to those paid by the portfolio of stocks that comprise the S&P 500® Index. As a holder of interests in a unit investment trust, the Fund would indirectly bear its ratable share of that unit investment trust’s expenses. At the same time, the Fund would continue to pay its own management and advisory fees and other expenses, as a result of which the Fund and its shareholders in effect would be absorbing levels of fees with respect to investments in such unit investment trusts.
Because linked securities typically involve no credit enhancement, their credit risk generally will be equivalent to that of the underlying instruments. Investments in structured products may be structured as a class that is either subordinated or unsubordinated to the right of payment of another class. Subordinated linked securities typically have higher rates of return and present greater risks than unsubordinated structured products. Structured products sometimes are sold in private placement transactions and often have a limited trading market.
Investments in linked securities have the potential to lead to significant losses because of unexpected movements in the underlying financial asset, index, currency or other investment. The ability of the Fund to utilize linked securities successfully will depend on its ability correctly to predict pertinent market movements, which cannot be assured. Because currency-linked securities usually relate to foreign currencies, some of which may be currencies from emerging market countries, there are certain additional risks associated with such investments.
Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts. A futures contract sale creates an obligation by the seller to deliver the type of security or other asset called for in the contract at a specified delivery time for a stated price. A futures contract purchase creates an obligation by the purchaser to take delivery of the type of security or other asset called for in the contract at a specified delivery time for a stated price. The specific security or other asset delivered or taken at the settlement date is not determined until on or near that date. The determination is made in accordance with the rules of the exchange on which the futures contract was made. The Fund may enter into futures contracts which are traded on national or foreign futures exchanges and are standardized as to maturity date and underlying security or other asset. Futures exchanges and trading in the United States are regulated under the CEA by the CFTC, a U.S. Government agency. See CFTC Regulation below for information on CFTC regulation.
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Traders in futures contracts may be broadly classified as either “hedgers” or “speculators.” Hedgers use the futures markets primarily to offset unfavorable changes (anticipated or potential) in the value of securities or other assets currently owned or expected to be acquired by them. Speculators less often own the securities or other assets underlying the futures contracts which they trade, and generally use futures contracts with the expectation of realizing profits from fluctuations in the value of the underlying securities or other assets.
Unlike when the Fund purchases or sells a security, no price is paid or received by the Fund upon the purchase or sale of a futures contract, although the Fund is required to deposit with its futures broker an amount of cash and/or U.S. Government securities in order to initiate and maintain open positions in futures contracts. This amount is known as “initial margin.” The nature of initial margin in futures transactions is different from that of margin in security transactions, in that futures contract margin does not involve the borrowing of funds by the Fund to finance the transactions. Rather, initial margin is in the nature of a performance bond or good faith deposit intended to assure completion of the contract (delivery or acceptance of the underlying security or other asset) that is returned to the Fund upon termination of the futures contract, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Minimum initial margin requirements are established by the relevant futures exchange and may be changed. Brokers may establish deposit requirements which are higher than the exchange minimums. Futures contracts are customarily purchased and sold on margin which may range upward from less than 5% of the value of the contract being traded. Subsequent payments, called “variation margin,” to and from the broker (or the custodian) are made on a daily basis as the price of the underlying security or other asset fluctuates, a process known as “marking to market.” If the futures contract price changes to the extent that the margin on deposit does not satisfy margin requirements, payment of additional variation margin will be required. Conversely, a change in the contract value may reduce the required margin, resulting in a repayment of excess margin to the contract holder. Variation margin payments are made for as long as the contract remains open.
Although futures contracts by their terms call for actual delivery or acceptance of securities or other assets (stock index futures contracts or futures contracts that reference other intangible assets do not permit delivery of the referenced assets), the contracts usually are closed out before the settlement date without the making or taking of delivery. The Fund may elect to close some or all of its futures positions at any time prior to their expiration. The purpose of taking such action would be to reduce or eliminate the position then currently held by the Fund. Closing out an open futures position is done by taking an opposite position (“buying” a contract which has previously been “sold,” “selling” a contract previously “purchased”) in an identical contract (i.e., the same aggregate amount of the specific type of security or other asset with the same delivery date) to terminate the position. Final determinations are made as to whether the price of the initial sale of the futures contract exceeds or is below the price of the offsetting purchase, or whether the purchase price exceeds or is below the offsetting sale price. Final determinations of variation margin are then made, additional cash is required to be paid by or released to the Fund, and the Fund realizes a loss or a gain. Brokerage commissions and transaction fees are incurred when a futures contract is bought or sold.
Successful use of futures contracts by the Fund is subject to its portfolio manager’s ability to predict correctly movements in the direction of interest rates and other factors affecting securities and commodities markets. This requires different skills and techniques than those required to predict changes in the prices of individual securities. The Fund, therefore, bears the risk that future market trends will be incorrectly predicted.
The risk of loss in trading futures contracts in some strategies can be substantial, due both to the relatively low margin deposits required and the potential for an extremely high degree of leverage involved in futures contracts. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in an immediate and substantial loss to the investor. For example, if at the time of purchase, 10% of the value of the futures contract is deposited as margin, a subsequent 10% decrease in the value of the futures contract would result in a total loss of the margin deposit, before any deduction for the transaction costs, if the account were then closed out. A 15% decrease would result in a loss equal to 150% of the original margin deposit if the contract were closed out. Thus, a purchase or sale of a futures contract may result in losses in excess of the amount posted as initial margin for the contract.
In the event of adverse price movements, the Fund would continue to be required to make daily cash payments in order to maintain its required margin. In such a situation, if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell portfolio securities in order to meet daily margin requirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. The inability to close the futures position also could have an adverse impact on the ability to hedge effectively.
To reduce or eliminate a hedge position held by the Fund, the Fund may seek to close out a position. The ability to establish and close out positions will be subject to the development and maintenance of a liquid secondary market. It is not certain that this market will develop or continue to exist for a particular futures contract, which may limit the Fund’s ability to realize its profits or limit its losses. Reasons for the absence of a liquid secondary market on an exchange include the following: (i) there may be insufficient trading interest in certain contracts; (ii) restrictions may be imposed by an exchange on opening transactions, closing transactions or both; (iii) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of contracts, or underlying securities; (iv) unusual or unforeseen circumstances, such as volume in excess of trading or clearing capability, may interrupt normal operations on an exchange; (v) the facilities of an exchange or a clearing corporation
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may not at all times be adequate to handle current trading volume; or (vi) one or more exchanges could, for economic or other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of contracts (or a particular class or series of contracts), in which event the secondary market on that exchange (or in the class or series of contracts) would cease to exist, although outstanding contracts on the exchange that had been issued by a clearing corporation as a result of trades on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.
Interest Rate Futures Contracts. Bond prices are established in both the cash market and the futures market. In the cash market, bonds are purchased and sold with payment for the full purchase price of the bond being made in cash, generally within five business days after the trade. In the futures market, a contract is made to purchase or sell a bond in the future for a set price on a certain date. Historically, the prices for bonds established in the futures markets have tended to move generally in the aggregate in concert with the cash market prices and have maintained fairly predictable relationships. Accordingly, the Fund may use interest rate futures contracts as a defense, or hedge, against anticipated interest rate changes. The Fund presently could accomplish a similar result to that which it hopes to achieve through the use of interest rate futures contracts by selling bonds with long maturities and investing in bonds with short maturities when interest rates are expected to increase, or conversely, selling bonds with short maturities and investing in bonds with long maturities when interest rates are expected to decline. However, because of the liquidity that is often available in the futures market, the protection is more likely to be achieved, perhaps at a lower cost and without changing the rate of interest being earned by the Fund, through using futures contracts.
Interest rate futures contracts are exchange-traded in an auction environment. Each exchange guarantees performance under contract provisions through a clearing corporation, a nonprofit organization managed by the exchange membership. A public market exists in futures contracts covering various financial instruments including long-term U.S. Treasury Bonds and Notes; GNMA modified pass-through mortgage-backed securities; three-month U.S. Treasury Bills; and ninety-day commercial paper. The Fund may also invest in exchange-traded Eurodollar contracts, which are interest rate futures on the forward level of a reference rate. These contracts are generally considered liquid securities and trade on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Such Eurodollar contracts are generally used to “lock-in” or hedge the future level of short-term rates. The Fund may trade in any interest rate futures contracts for which there exists a public market, including, without limitation, the foregoing instruments.
Index Futures Contracts. An index futures contract is a contract to buy or sell units of an index at a specified future date at a price agreed upon when the contract is made. Entering into a contract to buy units of an index is commonly referred to as buying or purchasing a contract or holding a long position in the index. Entering into a contract to sell units of an index is commonly referred to as selling a contract or holding a short position in the index. A unit is the current value of the index. The Fund may enter into stock index futures contracts, debt index futures contracts, or other index futures contracts appropriate to its objective(s).
Municipal Bond Index Futures Contracts. Municipal bond index futures contracts may act as a hedge against changes in market conditions. A municipal bond index assigns values daily to the municipal bonds included in the index based on the independent assessment of dealer-to-dealer municipal bond brokers. A municipal bond index futures contract represents a firm commitment by which two parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount equal to a specified dollar amount multiplied by the difference between the municipal bond index value on the last trading date of the contract and the price at which the futures contract is originally struck. No physical delivery of the underlying securities in the index is made.
Commodity-Linked Futures Contracts. Commodity-linked futures contracts are traded on futures exchanges. These futures exchanges offer a central marketplace in which to transact in futures contracts, a clearing corporation to process trades, and standardization of expiration dates and contract sizes. Futures markets also specify the terms and conditions of delivery as well as the maximum permissible price movement during a trading session. Additionally, the commodity futures exchanges may have position limit rules that limit the amount of futures contracts that any one party may hold in a particular commodity at any point in time. These position limit rules are designed to prevent any one participant from controlling a significant portion of the market.
Commodity-linked futures contracts are generally based upon commodities within six main commodity groups: (1) energy, which includes, among others, crude oil, brent crude oil, gas oil, natural gas, gasoline and heating oil; (2) livestock, which includes, among others, feeder cattle, live cattle and hogs; (3) agriculture, which includes, among others, wheat (Kansas wheat and Chicago wheat), corn and soybeans; (4) industrial metals, which includes, among others, aluminum, copper, lead, nickel and zinc; (5) precious metals, which includes, among others, gold and silver; and (6) softs, which includes cotton, coffee, sugar and cocoa. The Fund may purchase commodity futures contracts, swaps on commodity futures contracts, options on futures contracts and options and futures on commodity indices with respect to these six main commodity groups and the individual commodities within each group, as well as other types of commodities.
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The price of a commodity futures contract will reflect the storage costs of purchasing the physical commodity. These storage costs include the time value of money invested in the physical commodity plus the actual costs of storing the commodity less any benefits from ownership of the physical commodity that are not obtained by the holder of a futures contract (this is sometimes referred to as the “convenience yield”). To the extent that these storage costs change for an underlying commodity while the Fund is long futures contracts on that commodity, the value of the futures contract may change proportionately.
In the commodity futures markets, if producers of the underlying commodity wish to hedge the price risk of selling the commodity, they will sell futures contracts today to lock in the price of the commodity at delivery tomorrow. In order to induce speculators to take the corresponding long side of the same futures contract, the commodity producer must be willing to sell the futures contract at a price that is below the expected future spot price. Conversely, if the predominant hedgers in the futures market are the purchasers of the underlying commodity who purchase futures contracts to hedge against a rise in prices, then speculators will only take the short side of the futures contract if the futures price is greater than the expected future spot price of the commodity.
The changing nature of the hedgers and speculators in the commodity markets will influence whether futures contract prices are above or below the expected future spot price. This can have significant implications for the Fund when it is time to replace an existing contract with a new contract. If the nature of hedgers and speculators in futures markets has shifted such that commodity purchasers are the predominant hedgers in the market, the Fund might open the new futures position at a higher price or choose other related commodity-linked investments.
The values of commodities which underlie commodity futures contracts are subject to additional variables which may be less significant to the values of traditional securities such as stocks and bonds. Variables such as drought, floods, weather, livestock disease, embargoes and tariffs may have a larger impact on commodity prices and commodity-linked investments, including futures contracts, commodity-linked structured notes, commodity-linked options and commodity-linked swaps, than on traditional securities. These additional variables may create additional investment risks which subject the Fund’s commodity-linked investments to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities.
Options on Futures Contracts. The Fund may purchase and write call and put options on those futures contracts that it is permitted to buy or sell. The Fund may use such options on futures contracts in lieu of writing options directly on the underlying securities or other assets or purchasing and selling the underlying futures contracts. Such options generally operate in the same manner as options purchased or written directly on the underlying investments. A futures option gives the holder, in return for the premium paid, the right, but not the obligation, to buy from (call) or sell to (put) the writer of the option a futures contract at a specified price at any time during the period of the option. Upon exercise, the writer of the option is obligated to pay the difference between the cash value of the futures contract and the exercise price. Like the buyer or seller of a futures contract, the holder or writer of an option has the right to terminate its position prior to the scheduled expiration of the option by selling or purchasing an option of the same series, at which time the person entering into the closing purchase transaction will realize a gain or loss. There is no guarantee that such closing purchase transactions can be effected.
The Fund will be required to deposit initial margin and maintenance margin with respect to put and call options on futures contracts written by it pursuant to brokers’ requirements similar to those described above.
Options on Index Futures Contracts. The Fund may also purchase and sell options on index futures contracts. Options on index futures give the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in an index futures contract (a long position if the option is a call and a short position if the option is a put), at a specified exercise price at any time during the period of the option. Upon exercise of the option, the delivery of the futures position by the writer of the option to the holder of the option will be accompanied by delivery of the accumulated balance in the writer’s futures margin account, which represents the amount by which the market price of the index futures contract, at exercise, exceeds (in the case of a call) or is less than (in the case of a put) the exercise price of the option on the index future. If an option is exercised on the last trading day prior to the expiration date of the option, the settlement will be made entirely in cash equal to the difference between the exercise price of the option and the closing level of the index on which the future is based on the expiration date. Purchasers of options who fail to exercise their options prior to the exercise date suffer a loss of the premium paid.
Use by Tax-Exempt Funds of Interest Rate and U.S. Treasury Security Futures Contracts and Options. If the Fund invests in tax-exempt securities, it may purchase and sell futures contracts and related options on interest rate and U.S. Treasury securities when, in the opinion of the Fund’s portfolio manager, price movements in these security futures and related options will correlate closely with price movements in the tax-exempt securities which are the subject of the hedge. Interest rate and U.S. Treasury securities futures contracts require the seller to deliver, or the purchaser to take delivery of, the type of security called for in the contract at a specified date and price. Options on interest rate and U.S. Treasury security futures contracts give the purchaser the right in return for the premium paid to assume a position in a futures contract at the specified option exercise price at any time during the period of the option.
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Eurodollar and Yankee Dollar Futures Contracts and Options Thereon. Eurodollar futures contracts enable purchasers to obtain a fixed rate for the lending of funds and sellers to obtain a fixed rate for borrowings. The Fund may use Eurodollar futures contracts and options thereon to hedge against changes in a reference rate, such as LIBOR or SOFR, to which many interest rate swaps and fixed income instruments are linked.
Options
Options on Stocks, Stock Indices and Other Indices. The Fund may purchase and write (i.e., sell) put and call options. Such options may relate to particular stocks or stock indices, and may or may not be listed on a domestic or foreign securities exchange and may or may not be cleared and settled by the Options Clearing Corporation (OCC). Stock index options are put options and call options on various stock indices. In most respects, they are identical to listed options on common stocks.
There is a key difference between stock options and index options in connection with their exercise. In the case of stock options, the underlying security, common stock, is delivered. However, upon the exercise of an index option, settlement does not occur by delivery of the securities comprising the index. The option holder who exercises the index option receives an amount of cash if the closing level of the stock 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 stock index and the exercise price of the option expressed in dollars times a specified multiple. A stock index fluctuates with changes in the market value of the securities included in the index. For example, some stock index options are based on a broad market index, such as the S&P 500® Index or a narrower market index, such as the S&P 100® Index. Indices may also be based on an industry or market segment.
The Fund may, for the purpose of hedging its portfolio, subject to applicable securities regulations, purchase and write put and call options on foreign stock indices listed on foreign and domestic stock exchanges.
As an alternative to purchasing call and put options on index futures, the Fund may purchase call and put options on the underlying indices themselves. Such options could be used in a manner identical to the use of options on index futures. Options involving securities indices provide the holder with the right to make or receive a cash settlement upon exercise of the option based on movements in the relevant index. Such options must be listed on a national securities exchange and issued by the OCC. Such options may relate to particular securities or to various stock indices, except that the Fund may not write covered options on an index.
Writing Covered Options. The Fund may write covered call options and covered put options on securities held in its portfolio. Call options written by the Fund give the purchaser the right to buy the underlying securities from the Fund at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration date of the option, regardless of the security’s market price; put options give the purchaser the right to sell the underlying securities to the Fund at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration date of the option, regardless of the security’s market price.
The Fund may write covered options, which means that, so long as the Fund is obligated as the writer of a call option, it will own the underlying securities subject to the option (or comparable securities satisfying the cover requirements of securities exchanges). In the case of put options, the Fund will hold liquid assets equal to the price to be paid if the option is exercised. In addition, the Fund will be considered to have covered a put or call option if and to the extent that it holds an option that offsets some or all of the risk of the option it has written. The Fund may write combinations of covered puts and calls (straddles) on the same underlying security.
The Fund will receive a premium from writing a put or call option, which increases the Fund’s return on the underlying security if the option expires unexercised or is closed out at a profit. The amount of the premium reflects, among other things, the relationship between the exercise price and the current market value of the underlying security, the volatility of the underlying security, the amount of time remaining until expiration, current interest rates, and the effect of supply and demand in the options market and in the market for the underlying security. By writing a call option, the Fund limits its opportunity to profit from any increase in the market value of the underlying security above the exercise price of the option but continues to bear the risk of a decline in the value of the underlying security. By writing a put option, the Fund assumes the risk that it may be required to purchase the underlying security for an exercise price higher than the security’s then-current market value, resulting in a potential capital loss unless the security subsequently appreciates in value.
The Fund’s obligation to sell an instrument subject to a call option written by it, or to purchase an instrument subject to a put option written by it, may be terminated prior to the expiration date of the option by the Fund’s execution of a closing purchase transaction, which is effected by purchasing on an exchange an offsetting option of the same series (i.e., same underlying instrument, exercise price and expiration date) as the option previously written. A closing purchase transaction will ordinarily be effected in order to realize a profit on an outstanding option, to prevent an underlying instrument from being called, to permit the sale of the underlying instrument or to permit the writing of a new option containing different terms on such underlying instrument. The Fund realizes a profit or loss from a closing purchase transaction if the cost of the transaction (option premium
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plus transaction costs) is less or more than the premium received from writing the option. Because increases in the market price of a call option generally reflect increases in the market price of the security underlying the option, any loss resulting from a closing purchase transaction may be offset in whole or in part by unrealized appreciation of the underlying security.
If the Fund writes a call option but does not own the underlying security, and when it writes a put option, the Fund may be required to deposit cash or securities with its broker as “margin” or collateral for its obligation to buy or sell the underlying security. As the value of the underlying security varies, the Fund may also have to deposit additional margin with the broker. Margin requirements are complex and are fixed by individual brokers, subject to minimum requirements currently imposed by the Federal Reserve Board and by stock exchanges and other self-regulatory organizations.
Purchasing Put Options. The Fund may purchase put options to protect its portfolio holdings in an underlying security against a decline in market value. Such hedge protection is provided during the life of the put option since the Fund, as holder of the put option, is able to sell the underlying security at the put exercise price regardless of any decline in the underlying security’s market price. For a put option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying security must decline sufficiently below the exercise price to cover the premium and transaction costs. By using put options in this manner, the Fund will reduce any profit it might otherwise have realized from appreciation of the underlying security by the premium paid for the put option and by transaction costs.
Purchasing Call Options. The Fund may purchase call options, including call options to hedge against an increase in the price of securities that the Fund wants ultimately to buy. Such hedge protection is provided during the life of the call option since the Fund, as holder of the call option, is able to buy the underlying security at the exercise price regardless of any increase in the underlying security’s market price. In order for a call option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying security must rise sufficiently above the exercise price to cover the premium and transaction costs. These costs will reduce any profit the Fund might have realized had it bought the underlying security at the time it purchased the call option.
Over-the-Counter (OTC) Options. OTC options (options not traded on exchanges) are generally established through negotiation with the other party to the options contract.
Swap Agreements
General. Swap agreements are derivative instruments that can be individually negotiated and structured to include exposure to a variety of different types of investments or market factors. Depending on their structure, swap agreements may increase or decrease the Fund’s exposure to long- or short-term interest rates, foreign currency values, mortgage securities, corporate borrowing rates, or other factors such as security prices or inflation rates. Common types of swap agreements include interest rate, index, commodity, commodity futures, equity, equity index, credit default, bond futures, total return, currency exchange rate, and other types of swap agreements such as caps, collars and floors. The Fund also may enter into swaptions, which are options to enter into a swap agreement.
Swap agreements are usually entered into without an upfront payment because the value of each party’s position is the same. The market values of the underlying commitments will change over time, resulting in one of the commitments being worth more than the other and the net market value creating a risk exposure for one party or the other.
In a typical interest rate swap, one party agrees to make regular payments equal to a floating interest rate times a “notional principal amount,” in return for payments equal to a fixed rate times the same amount, for a specified period of time. If a swap agreement provides for payments in different currencies, the parties might agree to exchange notional principal amounts as well. In a total return swap agreement, the non-floating rate side of the swap is based on the total return of an individual security, a basket of securities, an index or another reference asset. Swaps may also depend on other prices or rates, such as the value of an index or mortgage prepayment rates.
In a typical cap or floor agreement, one party agrees to make payments only under specified circumstances, usually in return for payment of a fee by the other party. For example, the buyer of an interest rate cap obtains the right to receive payments to the extent that a specified interest rate exceeds an agreed-upon level, while the seller of an interest rate floor is obligated to make payments to the extent that a specified interest rate falls below an agreed-upon level. Caps and floors have an effect similar to buying or writing options. A collar combines elements of buying a cap and selling a floor. In interest rate collar transactions, one party sells a cap and purchases a floor, or vice versa, in an attempt to protect itself against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels or collar amounts.
Swap agreements will tend to shift the Fund’s investment exposure from one type of investment to another. For example, if the Fund agreed to pay fixed rates in exchange for floating rates while holding fixed-rate bonds, the swap would tend to decrease the Fund’s exposure to long-term interest rates. Another example is if the Fund agreed to exchange payments in dollars for payments in foreign currency. In that case, the swap agreement would tend to decrease the Fund’s exposure to U.S. interest rates and increase its exposure to foreign currency and interest rates.
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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. 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 (or delayed in its ability) 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.
Counterparty risk with respect to derivatives will be affected by new rules and regulations affecting the derivatives market. For example, some derivatives transactions are required to be centrally cleared, and a party to a cleared derivatives transaction is subject to the credit risk of the clearing house and the clearing member through which it holds its cleared position, rather than the credit risk of its original counterparty to the derivative transaction. Credit risk of market participants with respect to derivatives that are centrally cleared is concentrated in a few clearing houses, and it is not clear how an insolvency proceeding of a clearing house would be conducted and what impact an insolvency of a clearing house would have on the financial system. A clearing member is obligated by contract and by applicable regulation to segregate all funds received from customers with respect to cleared derivatives transactions from the clearing member’s proprietary assets. However, all funds and other property received by a clearing broker from its customers are generally held by the clearing broker on a commingled basis in an omnibus account, and the clearing member may invest those funds in certain instruments permitted under the applicable regulations. The assets of the Fund might not be fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy of the Fund’s clearing member, because the Fund would be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds segregated on behalf of the clearing broker’s customers for a relevant account class. Also, the clearing member is required to transfer to the clearing organization the amount of margin required by the clearing organization for cleared derivatives, which amounts are generally held in an omnibus account at the clearing organization for all customers of the clearing member. Regulations promulgated by the CFTC require that the clearing member notify the clearing house of the amount of initial margin provided by the clearing member to the clearing organization that is attributable to each customer. However, if the clearing member does not provide accurate reporting, the Funds are subject to the risk that a clearing organization will use the Fund’s assets held in an omnibus account at the clearing organization to satisfy payment obligations of a defaulting customer of the clearing member to the clearing organization. In addition, clearing members generally provide to the clearing organization the net amount of variation margin required for cleared swaps for all of its customers in the aggregate, rather than the gross amount of each customer. The Funds are therefore subject to the risk that a clearing organization will not make variation margin payments owed to the Fund if another customer of the clearing member has suffered a loss and is in default, and the risk that the Fund will be required to provide additional variation margin to the clearing house before the clearing house will move the Fund’s cleared derivatives transactions to another clearing member. In addition, if a clearing member does not comply with the applicable regulations or its agreement with the Funds, or in the event of fraud or misappropriation of customer assets by a clearing member, the Fund could have only an unsecured creditor claim in an insolvency of the clearing member with respect to the margin held by the clearing member.
Interest Rate Swaps. Interest rate swap agreements are often used to obtain or preserve a desired return or spread at a lower cost than through a direct investment in an instrument that yields the desired return or spread. They are financial instruments that involve the exchange of one type of interest rate cash flow for another type of interest rate cash flow on specified dates in the future. In a standard interest rate swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange their respective commitments to pay fixed or floating interest rates on a predetermined specified (notional) amount. The swap agreement’s notional amount is the predetermined basis for calculating the obligations that the swap counterparties have agreed to exchange. Under most swap agreements, the obligations of the parties are exchanged on a net basis. The two payment streams are netted out, with each party receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. Interest rate swaps can be based on various measures of interest rates, including swap rates, Treasury rates, foreign interest rates and other reference rates.
Municipal Market Data (MMD) Rate Locks. An MMD Rate Lock permits the Fund to lock in a specific municipal interest rate for a portion of its portfolio to preserve a return on a particular investment or a portion of its portfolio, which in turn protects against any increase in the price of securities to be purchased at a later date. By using an MMD Rate Lock, the Fund can create a synthetic long or short duration position. The Fund will ordinarily use these transactions as a hedge or for duration or risk management, which may not be successful. An MMD Rate Lock is a contract between the Fund and an MMD Rate Lock provider pursuant to which the parties agree to make a net settlement payment to each other on a notional and duration amount, contingent upon whether the Municipal Market Data AAA General Obligation Scale is above or below a specified level on the
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expiration date of the contract. For example, if the Fund buys an MMD Rate Lock and the Municipal Market Data AAA General Obligation Scale is below the specified level on the expiration date, the counterparty to the contract will make a payment to the Fund equal to the specified level minus the actual level, multiplied by the notional amount of the contract. If the Municipal Market Data AAA General Obligation Scale is above the specified level on the expiration date, the Fund will make a payment to the counterparty equal to the actual level minus the specified level, multiplied by the notional amount of the contract. In connection with investments in MMD Rate Locks, there is a risk that municipal yields will move in the opposite direction than anticipated by the Fund, which would cause the Fund to make payments to its counterparty in the transaction that could adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Credit Default Swap Agreements. The Fund may enter into credit default swap agreements, which may have as reference obligations one or more securities or a basket of securities that are or are not currently held by the Fund. The protection “buyer” in a credit default contract is generally obligated to pay the protection “seller” an upfront or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided that no credit event, such as a default, on a reference obligation has occurred. If a credit event occurs, the seller generally must pay the buyer the “par value” (full notional value) of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity described in the swap, or the seller may be required to deliver the related net cash amount, if the swap is cash settled. The Fund may be either the buyer or seller in a credit default swap. If the Fund is a buyer and no credit event occurs, the Fund may recover nothing if the swap is held through its termination date. However, if a credit event occurs, the buyer generally may elect to receive the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity whose value may have significantly decreased. As a seller, the Fund generally receives an upfront payment or a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the swap provided that there is no credit event. As the seller, the Fund would effectively add leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap.
Credit default swap agreements may involve greater risks than if the Fund had invested in the reference obligation directly since, in addition to risks relating to the reference obligation, credit default swaps are subject to liquidity risk, counterparty risk and credit risk. The Fund will enter into credit default swap agreements generally with counterparties that meet certain standards of creditworthiness. A buyer generally will lose its investment and recover nothing if no credit event occurs and the swap is held to its termination date. If a credit event were to occur, the value of any deliverable obligation received by the seller, coupled with the upfront or periodic payments previously received, may be less than the full notional value it pays to the buyer, resulting in a loss of value to the seller. The Fund’s obligations under a credit default swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owing to the Fund).
Equity Swaps. Equity swaps allow the parties to the swap agreement to exchange components of return on one equity investment (e.g., a basket of equity securities or an index) for a component of return on another non-equity or equity investment, including an exchange of differential rates of return. Equity swaps may be used to invest in a market without owning or taking physical custody of securities in circumstances where direct investment may be restricted for legal reasons or is otherwise impractical. Equity swaps also may be used for other purposes, such as hedging or seeking to increase total return.
Total Return Swap Agreements. Total return swap agreements are contracts in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to another party based on the change in market value of the assets underlying the contract, which may include a specified security, basket of securities or securities indices during the specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or the total return from other underlying assets. Total return swap agreements may be used to obtain exposure to a security or market without owning or taking physical custody of such security or investing directly in such market. Total return swap agreements may effectively add leverage to the Fund’s portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap.
Total return swap agreements are subject to the risk that a counterparty will default on its payment obligations to the Fund thereunder, and conversely, that the Fund will not be able to meet its obligation to the counterparty. Generally, the Fund will enter into total return swaps on a net basis (i.e., the two payment streams are netted against one another with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments). The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to each total return swap will be accrued on a daily basis. If the total return swap transaction is entered into on other than a net basis, the full amount of the Fund’s obligations will be accrued on a daily basis.
Variance, Volatility and Correlation Swap Agreements. Variance and volatility swaps are contracts that provide exposure to increases or decreases in the volatility of certain referenced assets. Correlation swaps are contracts that provide exposure to increases or decreases in the correlation between the prices of different assets or different market rates.
Commodity-Linked Swaps. Commodity-linked swaps are two-party contracts in which the parties agree to exchange the return or interest rate on one instrument for the return of a particular commodity, commodity index or commodities futures or options contract. The payment streams are calculated by reference to an agreed upon notional amount. A one-period swap contract
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operates in a manner similar to a forward or futures contract because there is an agreement to swap a commodity for cash at only one forward date. The Fund may engage in swap transactions that have more than one period and therefore more than one exchange of commodities.
The Fund may invest in total return commodity swaps to gain exposure to the overall commodity markets. In a total return commodity swap, the Fund will receive the price appreciation of a commodity index, a portion of the index, or a single commodity in exchange for paying an agreed-upon fee. If the commodity swap is for one period, the Fund will pay a fixed fee, established at the outset of the swap. However, if the term of the commodity swap is more than one period, with interim swap payments, the Fund will pay an adjustable or floating fee. With a “floating” rate, the fee is pegged to a reference rate such as LIBOR or SOFR, and is adjusted each period. Therefore, if interest rates increase over the term of the swap contract, the Fund may be required to pay a higher fee at each swap reset date.
Cross-Currency Swaps. Cross-currency swaps are similar to interest rate swaps, except that they involve multiple currencies. The Fund may enter into a cross-currency swap when it has exposure to one currency and desires exposure to a different currency. Typically, the interest rates that determine the cross-currency swap payments are fixed, although occasionally one or both parties may pay a floating rate of interest. Unlike an interest rate swap, however, the principal amounts are exchanged at the beginning of the contract and returned at the end of the contract. In addition to paying and receiving amounts at the beginning and termination of the agreements, both sides will have to pay in full periodically based upon the currency they have borrowed. Changes in foreign exchange currency rates and changes in interest rates, as described above, may negatively affect cross-currency swaps.
Contracts for Differences. Contracts for differences are swap arrangements in which the parties agree that their return (or loss) will be based on the relative performance of two different groups or baskets of securities. Often, one or both baskets will be an established securities index. The Fund’s return will be based on changes in value of theoretical long futures positions in the securities comprising one basket (with an aggregate face value equal to the notional amount of the contract for differences) and theoretical short futures positions in the securities comprising the other basket. The Fund also may use actual long and short futures positions and achieve similar market exposure by netting the payment obligations of the two contracts. The Fund typically enters into contracts for differences (and analogous futures positions) when its portfolio manager believes that the basket of securities constituting the long position will outperform the basket constituting the short position. If the short basket outperforms the long basket, the Fund will realize a loss — even in circumstances when the securities in both the long and short baskets appreciate in value.
Swaptions. A swaption is an options contract on a swap agreement. These transactions give a party the right (but not the obligation) to enter into new swap agreements or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement (which are described herein) at some designated future time on specified terms, in return for payment of the purchase price (the “premium”) of the option. The Fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call swaptions to the same extent it may make use of standard options on securities or other instruments. The writer of the contract receives the premium and bears the risk of unfavorable changes in the market value on the underlying swap agreement. Swaptions can be bundled and sold as a package. These are commonly called interest rate caps, floors and collars (which are described herein).
Many swaps are complex and often valued subjectively. Many over-the-counter derivatives are complex and their valuation often requires modeling and judgment, which increases the risk of mispricing or incorrect valuation. The pricing models used may not produce valuations that are consistent with the values the Fund realizes when it closes or sells an over-the-counter derivative. Valuation risk is more pronounced when the Fund enters into over-the-counter derivatives with specialized terms because the market value of those derivatives in some cases is determined in part by reference to similar derivatives with more standardized terms. Incorrect valuations may result in increased cash payment requirements to counterparties, undercollateralization and/or errors in calculation of the Fund’s net asset value.
Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Dodd-Frank Act) established a framework for the regulation of OTC swap markets; the framework outlined the joint responsibility of the CFTC and the SEC in regulating swaps. The CFTC is responsible for the regulation of swaps, the SEC is responsible for the regulation of security-based swaps and they are both jointly responsible for the regulation of mixed swaps.
Risk of Potential Governmental Regulation of Derivatives
It is possible that government regulation of various types of derivative instruments, including futures and swap agreements, may limit or prevent the Funds from using such instruments as a part of their investment strategy, and could ultimately prevent the Funds from being able to achieve their investment objectives. The effects of present or future legislation and regulation in this area are not known, but the effects could be substantial and adverse.
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The futures markets are subject to comprehensive statutes, regulations, and margin requirements. In addition, the SEC, CFTC, exchanges and various self-regulatory organizations are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of a market emergency, including, for example, the implementation or reduction of speculative position limits, the implementation of higher margin requirements, the establishment of daily price limits and the suspension of trading.
The regulation of swaps and futures transactions in the U.S. is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial action. Such regulations can change, perhaps to a material extent, the nature of an investment in the Fund or the ability of the Fund to continue to implement its investment strategies. In particular, the Dodd-Frank Act, which was signed into law in July 2010, has changed the way in which the U.S. financial system is supervised and regulated. Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Act sets forth a new legislative framework for OTC derivatives, such as swaps, in which the Funds may invest. Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Act makes broad changes to the OTC derivatives market and grants significant authority to the SEC and the CFTC to regulate OTC derivatives and market participants.
Recent U.S. and non-U.S. legislative and regulatory reforms, including those related to the Dodd-Frank Act, have resulted in, and may in the future result in, new regulation of derivative instruments and the Fund's use of such instruments. Such 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) and/or increase the costs of such transactions, and the Fund may as a result be unable to execute its investment strategies in a manner the Investment Manager might otherwise choose.
The U.S. government and the European Union (and some other jurisdictions) have enacted regulations and similar requirements that prescribe clearing, margin, reporting and registration requirements for participants in the derivatives market. These requirements are evolving and their ultimate impact on the Fund remains unclear, but such impact could include restricting and/or imposing significant costs or other burdens upon the Fund’s participation in derivatives transactions. Additionally, regulations governing the use of derivatives by registered investment companies require, among other things, that a fund that invests in derivative instruments beyond a specified limited amount to apply a value-at-risk-based limit to its portfolio and establish a comprehensive derivatives risk management program. A fund that uses derivative instruments in a limited amount is not subject to the full requirements of Rule 18f-4.
Additional Risk Factors in Cleared Derivatives Transactions
Under recently adopted rules and regulations, transactions in some types of swaps (including interest rate swaps and credit default swaps on North American and European indices) are required to be centrally cleared. In a transaction involving those swaps (“cleared derivatives”), the Fund’s counterparty is a clearing house, rather than a bank or broker. Since the Funds are not members of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house (“clearing members”) can participate directly in the clearing house, the Funds will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members. In a cleared derivatives transaction, the Funds will make payments (including margin payments) to and receive payments from a clearing house through their accounts at clearing members. Clearing members guarantee performance of their clients’ obligations to the clearing house.
In many ways, centrally cleared derivative arrangements are less favorable to open-end funds than bilateral arrangements. For example, the Funds may be required to provide greater amounts of margin for cleared derivatives positions than for bilateral derivatives transactions. Also, in contrast to a bilateral derivatives position, following a period of notice to the Fund, a clearing member generally can require termination of an existing cleared derivatives position at any time or increases in margin requirements above the margin that the clearing member required at the beginning of a transaction. Clearing houses also have broad rights to increase margin requirements for existing positions or to terminate those positions at any time. Any increase in margin requirements or termination of existing cleared derivatives positions by the clearing member or the clearing house could interfere with the ability of the Fund to pursue its investment strategy. Further, any increase in margin requirements by a clearing member could also expose the Fund to greater credit risk to its clearing member, because margin for cleared derivatives transactions in excess of clearing house’s margin requirements typically is held by the clearing member. Also, the Fund is subject to risk if it enters into a derivatives transaction that is required to be cleared (or that the Investment Manager expects to be cleared), and no clearing member is willing or able to clear the transaction on the Fund’s behalf. While the documentation in place between the Funds and their clearing members generally provides that the clearing members will accept for clearing all transactions submitted for clearing that are within credit limits (specified in advance) for each Fund, the Funds are still subject to the risk that no clearing member will be willing or able to clear a transaction. In those cases, the position might have to be terminated, and the Fund could lose some or all of the benefit of the position, including loss of an increase in the value of the position and/or loss of hedging protection. In addition, the documentation governing the relationship between the Funds and clearing members is developed by the clearing members and generally is less favorable to the Funds than typical bilateral derivatives documentation. For example, documentation relating to cleared derivatives generally includes a one-way indemnity by the Funds in favor of the clearing member for losses the clearing member incurs as the Funds’ clearing member and typically does not provide the Funds any remedies if the clearing member defaults or becomes insolvent. While futures contracts entail similar risks, the risks likely are more pronounced for cleared swaps due to their more limited liquidity and market history.
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Some types of cleared derivatives are required to be executed on an exchange or on a swap execution facility. A swap execution facility is a trading platform where multiple market participants can execute derivatives by accepting bids and offers made by multiple other participants in the platform. While this execution requirement is designed to increase transparency and liquidity in the cleared derivatives market, trading on a swap execution facility can create additional costs and risks for the Funds. For example, swap execution facilities typically charge fees, and if the Fund executes derivatives on a swap execution facility through a broker intermediary, the intermediary may impose fees as well. Also, the Fund may indemnify a swap execution facility, or a broker intermediary who executes cleared derivatives on a swap execution facility on the Fund’s behalf, against any losses or costs that may be incurred as a result of the Fund’s transactions on the swap execution facility.
These and other new rules and regulations could, among other things, further restrict the Fund’s ability to engage in, or increase the cost to the Fund of, derivatives transactions, for example, by making some types of derivatives no longer available to the Fund, increasing margin or capital requirements, or otherwise limiting liquidity or increasing transaction costs. These regulations are new and evolving, so their potential impact on the Funds and the financial system are not yet known. While the new regulations and the central clearing of some derivatives transactions are designed to reduce systemic risk (i.e., the risk that the interdependence of large derivatives dealers could cause a number of those dealers to suffer liquidity, solvency or other challenges simultaneously), there is no assurance that the new clearing mechanisms will achieve that result, and in the meantime, as noted above, central clearing and related requirements expose the Funds to new kinds of risks and costs.
CFTC Regulation
Each of the Funds listed on the cover of this SAI qualifies for an exclusion from the definition of a commodity pool under the CEA and has on file a notice of exclusion under CFTC Rule 4.5. Accordingly, the Investment Manager is not subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator under the CEA with respect to these Funds, although the Investment Manager is a registered commodity pool operator and “commodity trading advisor”. To remain eligible for the exclusion, each of these Funds is limited in its ability to use certain financial instruments regulated under the CEA (“commodity interests”), including futures and options on futures and certain swaps transactions. In the event that the Fund’s investments in commodity interests are not within the thresholds set forth in the exclusion, one or more Funds not currently registered as a commodity pool may be required to register as such, which could increase Fund expenses, adversely affecting the Fund’s total return.
Dollar Rolls
Dollar rolls involve selling securities (e.g., mortgage-backed securities or U.S. Treasury securities) and simultaneously entering into a commitment to purchase those or similar securities on a specified future date and price from the same party. Mortgage dollar rolls and U.S. Treasury rolls are types of dollar rolls. The Fund foregoes principal and interest paid on the securities during the “roll” period. The Fund is compensated by the difference between the current sales price and the lower forward price for the future purchase of the securities, as well as the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the initial sale. The investor also could be compensated through the receipt of fee income equivalent to a lower forward price. Dollar roll transactions may result in higher transaction costs for the Fund.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with mortgage dollar rolls include: Counterparty Risk, Credit Risk and Interest Rate Risk.
Exchange-Traded Notes (ETNs)
ETNs are instruments that combine aspects of bonds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and are designed to provide investors with access to the returns, less investor fees and expenses, of various market benchmarks or strategies to which they are usually linked. When an investor buys an ETN, the issuer, typically an underwriting bank, promises to pay upon maturity the amount reflected in the benchmark or strategy (minus fees and expenses). Some ETNs make periodic coupon payments. Like ETFs, ETNs are traded on an exchange, but ETNs have additional risks compared to ETFs, including the risk that if the credit of the ETN issuer becomes suspect, the investment might lose some or all of its value. Though linked to the performance, for example, of a market benchmark, ETNs are not equities or index funds, but they do share several characteristics. Similar to equities, ETNs are traded on an exchange and can be sold short. Similar to index funds, ETNs may be linked to the return of a benchmark or strategy, but ETNs do not have an ownership interest in the instruments underlying the benchmark or strategy the ETN is tracking.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with exchange-traded notes include: Counterparty Risk, Credit Risk and Market Risk.
Foreign Currency Transactions
The following is applicable to the extent that a fund invests in foreign securities. Because investments in foreign securities usually involve currencies of foreign countries and because the Fund may hold cash and cash equivalent investments in foreign currencies, the value of the Fund’s assets as measured in U.S. dollars may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in currency exchange rates and exchange control regulations. Also, the Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions
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between various currencies. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time, causing the Fund’s NAV to fluctuate. Currency exchange rates are generally determined by the forces of supply and demand in the foreign exchange markets, actual or anticipated changes in interest rates, and other complex factors. Currency exchange rates also can be affected by the intervention of U.S. or foreign governments or central banks, or the failure to intervene, or by currency controls or political developments.
Spot Rates and Derivative Instruments. The Fund may conduct its foreign currency exchange transactions either at the spot (cash) rate prevailing in the foreign currency exchange market or by entering into forward foreign currency exchange contracts (forward contracts). (See Types of Investments – Derivatives.) These contracts are traded in the interbank market conducted directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. Because foreign currency transactions occurring in the interbank market might involve substantially larger amounts than those involved in the use of such derivative instruments, the Fund could be disadvantaged by having to deal in the odd lot market for the underlying foreign currencies at prices that are less favorable than for round lots.
The Fund may enter into forward contracts for a variety of reasons, including for risk management (hedging) or for investment purposes.
When the Fund enters into a contract for the purchase or sale of a security denominated in a foreign currency or has been notified of a dividend or interest payment, it may desire to lock in the price of the security or the amount of the payment, usually in U.S. dollars, although it could desire to lock in the price of the security in another currency. By entering into a forward contract, the Fund would be able to protect itself against a possible loss resulting from an adverse change in the relationship between different currencies from the date the security is purchased or sold to the date on which payment is made or received or when the dividend or interest is actually received.
The Fund may enter into forward contracts when management of the Fund believes the currency of a particular foreign country may decline in value relative to another currency. When selling currencies forward in this fashion, the Fund may seek to hedge the value of foreign securities it holds against an adverse move in exchange rates. The precise matching of forward contract amounts and the value of securities involved generally will not be possible since the future value of securities in foreign currencies more than likely will change between the date the forward contract is entered into and the date it matures. The projection of short-term currency market movements is extremely difficult and successful execution of a short-term hedging strategy is highly uncertain.
This method of protecting the value of the Fund’s securities against a decline in the value of a currency does not eliminate fluctuations in the underlying prices of the securities. It simply establishes a rate of exchange that can be achieved at some point in time. Although forward contracts can be used to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in value of hedged currency, they will also limit any potential gain that might result should the value of such currency increase.
The Fund may also enter into forward contracts when the Fund’s portfolio manager believes the currency of a particular country will increase in value relative to another currency. The Fund may buy currencies forward to gain exposure to a currency without incurring the additional costs of purchasing securities denominated in that currency.
For example, the combination of U.S. dollar-denominated instruments with long forward currency exchange contracts creates a position economically equivalent to a position in the foreign currency, in anticipation of an increase in the value of the foreign currency against the U.S. dollar. Conversely, the combination of U.S. dollar-denominated instruments with short forward currency exchange contracts is economically equivalent to borrowing the foreign currency for delivery at a specified date in the future, in anticipation of a decrease in the value of the foreign currency against the U.S. dollar.
Unanticipated changes in the currency exchange results could result in poorer performance for Funds that enter into these types of transactions.
At maturity of a forward contract, the Fund may either deliver (if a contract to sell) or take delivery of (if a contract to buy) the foreign currency or terminate its contractual obligation by entering into an offsetting contract with the same currency trader, having the same maturity date, and covering the same amount of foreign currency.
If the Fund engages in an offsetting transaction, it will incur a gain or loss to the extent there has been movement in forward contract prices. If the Fund engages in an offsetting transaction, it may subsequently enter into a new forward contract to buy or sell the foreign currency.
Although the Fund values its assets each business day in terms of U.S. dollars, it may not intend to convert its foreign currencies into U.S. dollars on a daily basis. However, it will do so from time to time, and such conversions involve certain currency conversion costs. Although foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for conversion, they do realize a profit based on the difference (spread) between the prices at which they buy and sell various currencies. Thus, a dealer may offer to sell a foreign currency to the Fund at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange should the Fund desire to resell that currency to the dealer.
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It is possible, under certain circumstances, including entering into forward currency contracts for investment purposes, that the Fund will be required to limit or restructure its forward contract currency transactions to qualify as a “regulated investment company” under the Code.
Options on Foreign Currencies. The Fund may buy put and call options and write covered call and cash-secured put options on foreign currencies for hedging purposes and to gain exposure to foreign currencies. For example, a decline in the dollar value of a foreign currency in which securities are denominated will reduce the dollar value of such securities, even if their value in the foreign currency remains constant. In order to protect against the diminutions in the value of securities, the Fund may buy put options on the foreign currency. If the value of the currency does decline, the Fund would have the right to sell the currency for a fixed amount in dollars and would thereby offset, in whole or in part, the adverse effect on its portfolio that otherwise would have resulted.
Conversely, where a change in the dollar value of a currency would increase the cost of securities the Fund plans to buy, or where the Fund would benefit from increased exposure to the currency, the Fund may buy call options on the foreign currency, giving it the right to purchase the currency for a fixed amount in dollars. The purchase of the options could offset, at least partially, the changes in exchange rates.
As in the case of other types of options, however, the benefit to the Fund derived from purchases of foreign currency options would be reduced by the amount of the premium and related transaction costs. In addition, where currency exchange rates do not move in the direction or to the extent anticipated, the Fund could sustain losses on transactions in foreign currency options that would require it to forego a portion or all of the benefits of advantageous changes in rates.
The Fund may write options on foreign currencies for similar purposes. For example, when the Fund anticipates a decline in the dollar value of foreign-denominated securities due to adverse fluctuations in exchange rates, it could, instead of purchasing a put option, write a call option on the relevant currency, giving the option holder the right to purchase that currency from the Fund for a fixed amount in dollars. If the expected decline occurs, the option would most likely not be exercised and the diminution in value of securities would be offset, at least partially, by the amount of the premium received.
Similarly, instead of purchasing a call option when a foreign currency is expected to appreciate, the Fund could write a put option on the relevant currency, giving the option holder the right to that currency from the Fund for a fixed amount in dollars. If rates move in the manner projected, the put option would expire unexercised and allow the Fund to hedge increased cost up to the amount of the premium.
As in the case of other types of options, however, the writing of a foreign currency option will constitute only a partial hedge up to the amount of the premium, and only if rates move in the expected direction. If this does not occur, the option may be exercised and the Fund would be required to buy or sell the underlying currency at a loss that may not be offset by the amount of the premium. Through the writing of options on foreign currencies, the Fund also may be required to forego all or a portion of the benefits that might otherwise have been obtained from favorable movements on exchange rates.
An option written on foreign currencies is covered if the Fund holds currency sufficient to cover the option or has an absolute and immediate right to acquire that currency without additional cash consideration upon conversion of assets denominated in that currency or exchange of other currency held in its portfolio. An option writer could lose amounts substantially in excess of its initial investments, due to the margin and collateral requirements associated with such positions.
Options on foreign currencies are traded through financial institutions acting as market-makers, although foreign currency options also are traded on certain national securities exchanges, such as the Philadelphia Stock Exchange and the Chicago Board Options Exchange, subject to SEC regulation. In an over-the-counter trading environment, many of the protections afforded to exchange participants will not be available. For example, there are no daily price fluctuation limits, and adverse market movements could therefore continue to an unlimited extent over a period of time. Although the purchaser of an option cannot lose more than the amount of the premium plus related transaction costs, this entire amount could be lost.
Foreign currency option positions entered into on a national securities exchange are cleared and guaranteed by the OCC, thereby reducing the risk of counterparty default. Further, a liquid secondary market in options traded on a national securities exchange may be more readily available than in the over-the-counter market, potentially permitting the Fund to liquidate open positions at a profit prior to exercise or expiration, or to limit losses in the event of adverse market movements.
Foreign Currency Futures and Related Options. The Fund may enter into currency futures contracts to buy or sell currencies. It also may buy put and call options and write covered call and cash-secured put options on currency futures. Currency futures contracts are similar to currency forward contracts, except that they are traded on exchanges (and have margin requirements) and are standardized as to contract size and delivery date. Most currency futures call for payment of delivery in U.S. dollars. The Fund may use currency futures for the same purposes as currency forward contracts, subject to CFTC limitations.
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Currency futures and options on futures values can be expected to correlate with exchange rates, but will not reflect other factors that may affect the value of the Fund’s investments. A currency hedge, for example, should protect a Yen-denominated bond against a decline in the Yen, but will not protect the Fund against price decline if the issuer’s creditworthiness deteriorates. Because the value of the Fund’s investments denominated in foreign currency will change in response to many factors other than exchange rates, it may not be possible to match the amount of a forward contract to the value of the Fund’s investments denominated in that currency over time.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with foreign currency transactions include: Foreign Currency Risk, Derivatives Risk, Interest Rate Risk, and Liquidity Risk.
Foreign Securities
The Funds may invest in foreign securities to the extent described in their prospectuses, and may obtain exposures to foreign securities through depository receipts, as described below. Foreign securities include debt, equity and derivative securities that a Fund’s portfolio manager(s), as the case may be, determines are “foreign” based on the consideration of an issuer’s country of organization, domicile, its principal place of business, its primary stock exchange listing, the source of its revenue or other factors. The Fund’s investments in foreign markets, may include issuers in emerging markets, as well as frontier markets, each of which carry heightened risks as compared with investments in other typical foreign markets. Unless otherwise stated in the Fund’s prospectus, emerging market countries are generally those either defined by World Bank-defined per capita income brackets or determined to be an emerging market based on qualitative judgments by the portfolio managers about a country’s level of economic and institutional development, among other factors. Frontier market countries generally have smaller economies and even less developed capital markets than typical emerging market countries (which themselves have increased investment risk relative to investing in more developed markets) and, as a result, the risks of investing in emerging market countries are magnified in frontier market countries. Foreign securities may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations or as zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities and may be privately placed or publicly offered. See Types of Investments — Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations, — Debt Obligations - Zero-Coupon, Pay-in-Kind and Step-Coupon Securities and — Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities for more information.
Due to the potential for foreign withholding taxes, MSCI publishes two versions of its indices reflecting the reinvestment of dividends using two different methodologies: gross dividends and net dividends. While both versions reflect reinvested dividends, they differ with respect to the manner in which taxes associated with dividend payments are treated. In calculating the net dividends version, MSCI incorporates reinvested dividends applying the withholding tax rate applicable to foreign non-resident institutional investors that do not benefit from double taxation treaties. The Investment Manager believes that the net dividends version of MSCI indices better reflects the returns U.S. investors might expect were they to invest directly in the component securities of an MSCI index.
There is a practice in certain foreign markets under which an issuer’s securities are blocked from trading at the custodian or sub-custodian level for a specified number of days before and, in certain instances, after a shareholder meeting where such shares are voted. This is referred to as “share blocking.” The blocking period can last up to several weeks. Share blocking may prevent the Fund from buying or selling securities during this period, because during the time shares are blocked, trades in such securities will not settle. It may be difficult or impossible to lift blocking restrictions, with the particular requirements varying widely by country. As a consequence of these restrictions, the Investment Manager, on behalf of the Fund, may abstain from voting proxies in markets that require share blocking.
Foreign securities may include depositary receipts, such as American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), European Depositary Receipts (EDRs) and Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs). ADRs are U.S. dollar-denominated receipts issued in registered form by a domestic bank or trust company that evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign issuer. EDRs are foreign currency-denominated receipts issued in Europe, typically by foreign banks or trust companies and foreign branches of domestic banks, that evidence ownership of foreign or domestic securities. GDRs are receipts structured similarly to ADRs and EDRs and are marketed globally.
Depositary receipts will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities. In general, ADRs, in registered form, are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets, and EDRs, in bearer form, are designed for use in European securities markets. GDRs are tradable both in the United States and in Europe and are designed for use throughout the world. The Fund may invest in depositary receipts through “sponsored” or “unsponsored” facilities. A sponsored facility is established jointly by the issuer of the underlying security and a depositary, whereas a depositary may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by the issuer of the deposited security. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of such facilities and the depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute interest holder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through voting rights to the holders of such receipts in respect of the deposited securities. The issuers of unsponsored depositary receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States, and, therefore, there may be limited information available regarding such issuers and/or limited correlation between available information and the market value of the depositary receipts.
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Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with foreign securities include: Emerging Markets Securities Risk, Foreign Currency Risk, Foreign Securities Risk, Frontier Market Risk, Geographic Focus Risk, Issuer Risk, and Market Risk.
Guaranteed Investment Contracts (Funding Agreements)
Guaranteed investment contracts, or funding agreements, are short-term, privately placed debt instruments issued by insurance companies. Pursuant to such contracts, the Fund may make cash contributions to a deposit fund of the insurance company’s general account. The insurance company then credits to the Fund payments at negotiated, floating or fixed interest rates. The Fund will purchase guaranteed investment contracts only from issuers that, at the time of purchase, meet certain credit and quality standards. In general, guaranteed investment contracts are not assignable or transferable without the permission of the issuing insurance companies, and an active secondary market does not exist for these investments. In addition, the issuer may not be able to pay the principal amount to the Fund on seven days’ notice or less, at which time the investment may be considered illiquid. See Types of Investments – Illiquid Investments.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with guaranteed investment contracts (funding agreements) include: Credit Risk and Liquidity Risk.
High-Yield Securities
High-yield, or low and below investment grade securities (below investment grade securities are also known as “junk bonds”) are debt securities with the lowest investment grade rating (e.g., BBB by S&P and Fitch or Baa by Moody’s), that are below investment grade (e.g., lower than BBB by S&P and Fitch or Baa by Moody’s) or that are unrated but determined by the Fund’s portfolio managers to be of comparable quality. These types of securities may be issued to fund corporate transactions or restructurings, such as leveraged buyouts, mergers, acquisitions, debt reclassifications or similar events. High-yield securities may be more speculative in nature than securities with higher ratings and tend to be more sensitive to credit risk, particularly during a downturn in the economy. These types of securities may be issued by unseasoned companies without long track records of sales and earnings, or by companies or municipalities that have questionable credit strength. High-yield securities and comparable unrated securities: (i) likely will have some quality and protective characteristics that, in the judgment of one or more NRSROs, are outweighed by large uncertainties or major risk exposures to adverse conditions; (ii) are speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation; and (iii) may have a less liquid secondary market, potentially making it difficult to value or sell such securities. Credit ratings issued by credit rating agencies are designed to evaluate the safety of principal and interest payments of rated securities. They do not, however, evaluate the market value risk of lower-quality securities and, therefore, may not fully reflect the true risks of an investment. In addition, credit rating agencies may or may not make timely changes in a rating to reflect changes in the economy or in the condition of the issuer that affect the market value of the securities. Consequently, credit ratings are used only as a preliminary indicator of investment quality. High-yield securities may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations or as zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities and may be privately placed or publicly offered. See Types of Investments – Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations, – Debt Obligations – Zero-Coupon, Pay-in-Kind and Step-Coupon Securities and – Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities for more information.
The rates of return on these types of securities generally are higher than the rates of return available on more highly rated securities, but generally involve greater volatility of price and risk of loss of principal and income, including the possibility of default by or insolvency of the issuers of such securities. Accordingly, the Fund may be more dependent on the Investment Manager’s (or, if applicable, a subadviser’s) credit analysis with respect to these types of securities than is the case for more highly rated securities.
The market values of certain high-yield securities and comparable unrated securities tend to be more sensitive to individual corporate developments and changes in economic conditions than are the market values of more highly rated securities. In addition, issuers of high-yield and comparable unrated securities often are highly leveraged and may not have more traditional methods of financing available to them, so that their ability to service their debt obligations during an economic downturn or during sustained periods of rising interest rates may be impaired.
The risk of loss due to default is greater for high-yield and comparable unrated securities than it is for higher rated securities because high-yield securities and comparable unrated securities generally are unsecured and frequently are subordinated to more senior indebtedness. The Fund may incur additional expenses to the extent that it is required to seek recovery upon a default in the payment of principal or interest on its holdings of such securities. The existence of limited markets for lower-rated debt securities may diminish the Fund’s ability to: (i) obtain accurate market quotations for purposes of valuing such securities and calculating portfolio net asset value; and (ii) sell the securities at fair market value either to meet redemption requests or to respond to changes in the economy or in financial markets.
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Many lower-rated securities are not registered for offer and sale to the public under the 1933 Act. Investments in these restricted securities may be determined to be liquid (able to be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven days or less without the sales or dispositions significantly changing the market value of the investment) pursuant to the Funds’ liquidity risk management program. The Fund may not purchase or otherwise acquire any illiquid investments if, immediately after the acquisition, the value of illiquid investments held by the Fund would exceed 15% of the Fund’s net assets. The Fund is not otherwise subject to any limitation on its ability to invest in restricted securities. Restricted securities may be less liquid than other lower-rated securities, potentially making it difficult to value or sell such securities.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with high-yield securities include: Credit Risk, Interest Rate Risk, High-Yield Securities Risk and Prepayment and Extension Risk.
Illiquid Investments
An illiquid investment is any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Some securities, such as those not registered under U.S. securities laws, cannot be sold in public transactions. Some securities are deemed to be illiquid because they are subject to contractual or legal restrictions on resale. Subject to its investment policies, the Fund may invest in illiquid investments and may invest in certain restricted securities that are deemed to be illiquid investments at the time of purchase.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risk typically associated with illiquid investments include: Liquidity Risk.
Inflation-Protected Securities
Inflation is a general rise in prices of goods and services. Inflation erodes the purchasing power of an investor’s assets. For example, if an investment provides a total return of 7% in a given year and inflation is 3% during that period, the inflation-adjusted, or real, return is 4%. Inflation-protected securities are debt securities whose principal and/or interest payments are adjusted for inflation, unlike debt securities that make fixed principal and interest payments. One type of inflation-protected debt security is issued by the U.S. Treasury. The principal of these securities is adjusted for inflation as indicated by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for urban consumers and interest is paid on the adjusted amount. The CPI is a measurement of changes in the cost of living, made up of components such as housing, food, transportation and energy.
If the CPI falls, the principal value of inflation-protected securities will be adjusted downward, and consequently the interest payable on these securities (calculated with respect to a smaller principal amount) will be reduced. Conversely, if the CPI rises, the principal value of inflation-protected securities will be adjusted upward, and consequently the interest payable on these securities will be increased. Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity is guaranteed in the case of U.S. Treasury inflation-protected securities, even during a period of deflation. However, the current market value of the inflation-protected securities is not guaranteed and will fluctuate. Other inflation-indexed securities include inflation-related bonds, which may or may not provide a similar guarantee. If a guarantee of principal is not provided, the adjusted principal value of the bond repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal.
Other issuers of inflation-protected debt securities include other U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities, corporations and foreign governments. There can be no assurance that the CPI or any foreign inflation index will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. Moreover, there can be no assurance that the rate of inflation in a foreign country will be correlated to the rate of inflation in the United States. If interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation (for example, due to changes in currency exchange rates), investors in these securities may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the bond’s inflation measure.
Any increase in principal for an inflation-protected security resulting from inflation adjustments is considered by IRS regulations to be taxable income in the year it occurs. For direct holders of an inflation-protected security, this means that taxes must be paid on principal adjustments even though these amounts are not received until the bond matures. Similarly, a Fund treated as a regulated investment company (RIC) under the Code that holds these securities distributes both interest income and the income attributable to principal adjustments in the form of cash or reinvested shares, which are taxable to shareholders.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with inflation-protected securities include: Inflation-Protected Securities Risk, Interest Rate Risk and Market Risk. In addition, inflation-protected securities issued by non-U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities are subject to Credit Risk.
Initial Public Offerings
The Fund may invest in initial public offerings (IPOs) of common stock or other primary or secondary syndicated offerings of equity or debt securities issued by a corporate issuer. Fixed income funds frequently invest in these types of offerings of debt securities. A purchase of IPO securities often involves higher transaction costs than those associated with the purchase of securities already traded on exchanges or markets. The Fund may hold IPO securities for a period of time, or may sell them soon
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after the purchase. Investments in IPOs could have a magnified impact — either positive or negative — on the Fund’s performance while the Fund’s assets are relatively small. The impact of an IPO on the Fund’s performance may tend to diminish as the Fund’s assets grow. In circumstances when investments in IPOs make a significant contribution to the Fund’s performance, there can be no assurance that similar contributions from IPOs will continue in the future.
Although one or more risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with IPOs include: IPO Risk, Issuer Risk, Liquidity Risk, Market Risk, and Small Company Securities Risk.
Inverse Floaters
See Types of Investments – Derivatives – Indexed or Linked Securities (Structured Products) above.
Investments in Other Investment Companies (Including Other ETFs)
Investing in other investment companies may be a means by which the Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective. The Fund may invest in securities issued by other investment companies within the limits prescribed by the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder and any exemptive relief currently or in the future available to the Fund. These securities include shares of other affiliated or unaffiliated open-end investment companies (i.e., mutual funds), closed-end funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), UCITS funds (pooled investment vehicles established in accordance with the Undertaking for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities) and business development companies.
Except with respect to funds structured as funds-of-funds or so-called master/feeder funds or other funds whose strategies otherwise allow such investments, the 1940 Act generally requires that a fund limit its investments in another investment company or series thereof so that, as determined at the time a securities purchase is made: (i) no more than 5% of the value of its total assets will be invested in the securities of any one investment company; (ii) no more than 10% of the value of its total assets will be invested in the aggregate in securities of other investment companies; and (iii) no more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of any one investment company or series thereof will be owned by a fund or by companies controlled by a fund. Such other investment companies may include ETFs, which are shares of publicly traded unit investment trusts, open-end funds or depositary receipts that may be passively managed (e.g., they seek to track the performance of specific indexes or companies in related industries) or they may be actively managed, such as the Funds. The SEC has granted orders for exemptive relief to certain ETFs (including the Funds) that permit investments in those ETFs by certain other registered investment companies in excess of these limits.
ETFs are listed on an exchange and trade in the secondary market on a per-share basis, which allows investors to purchase and sell ETF shares at their market price throughout the day. Certain ETFs, such as passively managed ETFs, hold portfolios of securities that are designed to replicate, as closely as possible before expenses, the price and yield of a specified market index. The performance results of these ETFs will not replicate exactly the performance of the pertinent index due to transaction and other expenses, including fees to service providers borne by ETFs. ETF shares are sold and redeemed at net asset value only in large blocks called creation units. The Funds’ ability to redeem creation units may be limited by the 1940 Act, which provides that the Funds will not be obligated to redeem shares in an amount exceeding one percent of their total outstanding securities during any period of less than 30 days.
Although the Fund may derive certain advantages from being able to invest in shares of other investment companies, such as to be fully invested, there may be potential disadvantages. Investing in other investment companies may result in higher fees and expenses for the Fund and its shareholders. A shareholder may be charged fees not only on Fund shares held directly but also on the investment company shares that the Fund purchases. Because these investment companies may invest in other securities, they are also subject to the risks associated with a variety of investment instruments as described in this SAI.
Under the 1940 Act and rules and regulations thereunder, the Fund may purchase shares of affiliated funds, subject to certain conditions. Investing in affiliated funds presents certain actual or potential conflicts of interest. For more information about such actual and potential conflicts of interest, see Investment Management and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with the securities of other investment companies include: Investing in Other Funds Risk, Issuer Risk and Market Risk.
Listed Private Equity Funds
The Fund may invest directly in listed private equity funds, which may include, among others, business development companies, investment holding companies, publicly traded limited partnership interests (common units), publicly traded venture capital funds, publicly traded venture capital trusts, publicly traded private equity funds, publicly traded private equity investment trusts, publicly traded closed-end funds, publicly traded financial institutions that lend to or invest in privately held companies and any other publicly traded vehicle whose purpose is to invest in privately held companies.
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The Fund may invest in listed private equity funds that hold investments in a wide array of businesses and industries at various stages of development, from early stage to later stage to fully mature businesses. The Fund may invest in listed private equity funds that emphasize making equity and equity-like (preferred stock, convertible stock and warrants) investments in later stage to mature businesses, or may invest in listed private equity funds making debt investments or investments in companies at other stages of development. In addition, the Fund may invest in the common stock of closed-end management investment companies, including business development companies that invest in securities of listed private equity companies.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with investment in listed private equity funds include: Credit Risk, Liquidity Risk, Market Risk, Sector Risk, and Valuation Risk.
Money Market Instruments
Money market instruments include cash equivalents and short-term debt obligations which include: (i) bank obligations, including certificates of deposit (CDs), time deposits and bankers’ acceptances, and letters of credit of banks or savings and loan associations having capital surplus and undivided profits (as of the date of its most recently published annual financial statements) in excess of $100 million (or the equivalent in the instance of a foreign branch of a U.S. bank) at the date of investment; (ii) funding agreements; (iii) repurchase agreements; (iv) obligations of the United States, foreign countries and supranational entities, and each of their subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities; (v) certain corporate debt securities, such as commercial paper, short-term corporate obligations and extendible commercial notes; (vi) participation interests; and (vii) municipal securities. Money market instruments may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations and may be privately placed or publicly offered. The Fund may also invest in affiliated and unaffiliated money market mutual funds, which invest primarily in money market instruments. See Types of Investments — Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations and — Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities for more information.
With respect to money market securities, certain U.S. Government obligations are backed or insured by the U.S. Government, its agencies or its instrumentalities. Other money market securities are backed only by the claims paying ability or creditworthiness of the issuer.
Bankers’ acceptances are marketable short-term credit instruments used to finance the import, export, transfer or storage of goods. They are termed “accepted” when a bank unconditionally guarantees their payment at maturity.
The Fund may invest cash in, or hold as collateral for certain investments, shares of registered or unregistered money market funds, including funds advised by the Investment Manager or its affiliates. These funds are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency. The Fund and its shareholders indirectly bear a
portion of the expenses of any money market fund or other fund in which the Fund may invest.
portion of the expenses of any money market fund or other fund in which the Fund may invest.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with money market instruments include: Credit Risk, Inflation Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Issuer Risk and Money Market Fund Risk.
Mortgage-Backed Securities
Mortgage-backed securities are a type of asset-backed security that represent interests in, or debt instruments backed by, pools of underlying mortgages. In some cases, these underlying mortgages may be insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies. Mortgage-backed securities entitle the security holders to receive distributions that are tied to the payments made on the underlying mortgage collateral (less fees paid to the originator, servicer, or other parties, and fees paid for credit enhancement), so that the payments made on the underlying mortgage collateral effectively pass through to such security holders. Mortgage-backed securities are created when mortgage originators (or mortgage loan sellers who have purchased mortgage loans from mortgage loan originators) sell the underlying mortgages to a special purpose entity in a process called a securitization. The special purpose entity issues securities that are backed by the payments on the underlying mortgage loans, and have a minimum denomination and specific term. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders. Mortgage-backed securities may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations or as zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities and may be privately placed or publicly offered. See Types of Investments — Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations, — Debt Obligations - Zero-Coupon, Pay-in-Kind and Step-Coupon Securities and — Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities for more information.
Mortgage-backed securities may be issued or guaranteed by Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA or Ginnie Mae), Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA or Fannie Mae), or Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC or Freddie Mac), but also may be issued or guaranteed by other issuers, including private companies. GNMA is a government-owned corporation that is an agency of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It guarantees, with the full faith and credit of the United States, full and timely payment of all monthly principal and interest on its mortgage-backed securities. Before 2008, FNMA and FHLMC were government-sponsored corporations owned entirely by private stockholders.
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Both issue mortgage-related securities that contain guarantees as to timely payment of interest and principal but that are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. The value of the FNMA’s and FHLMC’s securities fell sharply in 2008 due to concerns that they did not have sufficient capital to offset losses. The U.S. Treasury has historically had the authority to purchase obligations of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In addition, in 2008, due to capitalization concerns, Congress provided the U.S. Treasury with additional authority to lend Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac emergency funds and to purchase the companies’ stock, as described below. In September 2008, the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had been placed in conservatorship, a statutory process with the objective of returning the entities to normal business operations.
In the past, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have received significant capital support through U.S. Treasury preferred stock purchases and Federal Reserve purchases of their mortgage-backed securities. There can be no assurance that these or other agencies of the government will provide such support in the future. The future status of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac could be impacted by, among other things, the actions taken and restrictions placed on Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac by the FHFA in its role as conservator, the restrictions placed on Fannie Mae’s or Freddie Mac’s operations and activities under the senior stock purchase agreements, market responses to developments at Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, and future legislative and regulatory action that alters the operations, ownership structure and/or mission of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, each of which may, in turn, impact the value of, and cash flows on, any securities guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Should Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac be taken out of conservatorship, it is unclear whether the U.S. Treasury would continue to enforce its rights or perform its current obligations under the senior stock purchase agreements. It is also unclear how the capital structure of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would be constructed post-conservatorship, and what effects, if any, the privatization of the enterprises would have on their creditworthiness and guarantees of certain mortgage-backed securities. Accordingly, should the FHFA take Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac out of conservatorship, there could be an adverse impact on the value of securities they guarantee, which could cause the Fund’s shares to lose value.
Stripped mortgage-backed securities are a type of mortgage-backed security that receives differing proportions of the interest and principal payments from the underlying assets. Generally, there are two classes of stripped mortgage-backed securities: Interest Only (IO) and Principal Only (PO). IOs entitle the holder to receive distributions consisting of all or a portion of the interest on the underlying pool of mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. POs entitle the holder to receive distributions consisting of all or a portion of the principal of the underlying pool of mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities. See Types of Investments — Debt Obligations - Stripped Securities for more information.
Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (CMOs) are hybrid mortgage-related instruments issued by special purpose entities secured by pools of mortgage loans or other mortgage-related securities, such as mortgage pass-through securities or stripped mortgage-backed securities. CMOs may be structured into multiple classes, often referred to as “tranches,” with each class bearing a different stated maturity and entitled to a different schedule for payments of principal and interest, including prepayments. Principal prepayments on collateral underlying a CMO may cause it to be retired substantially earlier than its stated maturity or final distribution dates, resulting in a loss of all or part of the premium if any has been paid. The yield characteristics of mortgage-backed securities differ from those of other debt securities. Among the differences are that interest and principal payments are made more frequently on mortgage-backed securities, usually monthly, and principal may be repaid at any time. These factors may reduce the expected yield. Interest is paid or accrues on all classes of the CMOs on a periodic basis. The principal and interest payments on the underlying mortgage assets may be allocated among the various classes of CMOs in several ways. Typically, payments of principal, including any prepayments, on the underlying mortgage assets are applied to the classes in the order of their respective stated maturities or final distribution dates, so that no payment of principal is made on CMOs of a class until all CMOs of other classes having earlier stated maturities or final distribution dates have been paid in full.
Commercial mortgage-backed securities are a specific type of mortgage-backed security collateralized by a pool of mortgages on commercial real estate.
CMO residuals are mortgage securities issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government or by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including savings and loan associations, homebuilders, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks and special purpose entities of the foregoing. The cash flow generated by the mortgage assets underlying a series of CMOs is applied first to make required payments of principal and interest on the CMOs and second to pay the related administrative expenses and any management fee of the issuer. The residual in a CMO structure generally represents the interest in any excess cash flow remaining after making the foregoing payments. Each payment of such excess cash flow to a holder of the related CMO residual represents income and/or a return of capital. The amount of residual cash flow resulting from a CMO will depend on, among other things, the characteristics of the mortgage assets, the coupon rate of each class of CMO, prevailing interest rates, the amount of administrative expenses and the pre-payment experience on the mortgage assets. In particular, the yield to maturity on CMO residuals is extremely sensitive to pre-payments on the related underlying mortgage assets, in the same manner as an interest-only (IO) class of stripped mortgage-backed securities. In addition, if a series of a CMO includes a class that bears interest at an adjustable rate, the yield to maturity on the related CMO residual will also be extremely sensitive to
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changes in the level of the index upon which interest rate adjustments are based. As described below with respect to stripped mortgage-backed securities, in certain circumstances an ETF may fail to recoup fully its initial investment in a CMO residual. CMO residuals are generally purchased and sold by institutional investors through several investment banking firms acting as brokers or dealers. Transactions in CMO residuals are generally completed only after careful review of the characteristics of the securities in question. In addition, CMO residuals may or, pursuant to an exemption therefrom, may not have been registered under the 1933 Act. CMO residuals, whether or not registered under the 1933 Act, may be subject to certain restrictions on transferability, and may be deemed “illiquid” and subject to the Fund’s limitations on investment in illiquid investments.
Mortgage pass-through securities are interests in pools of mortgage-related securities that differ from other forms of debt securities, which normally provide for periodic payment of interest in fixed amounts with principal payments at maturity or specified call dates. Instead, these securities provide a monthly payment which consists of both interest and principal payments. In effect, these payments are a “pass-through” of the monthly payments made by the individual borrowers on their residential or commercial mortgage loans, net of any fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of such securities. Additional payments are caused by repayments of principal resulting from the sale of the underlying property, refinancing or foreclosure, net of fees or costs which may be incurred. Some mortgage-related securities (such as securities issued by the GNMA) are described as “modified pass-through.” These securities entitle the holder to receive all interest and principal payments owed on the mortgage pool, net of certain fees, at the scheduled payment dates regardless of whether or not the mortgagor actually makes the payment.
REMICs are entities that own mortgages and elect REMIC status under the Code and, like CMOs, issue debt obligations collateralized by underlying mortgage assets that have characteristics similar to those issued by CMOs.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with mortgage- and asset-backed securities include: Credit Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Issuer Risk, Liquidity Risk, Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk, Prepayment and Extension Risk and Reinvestment Risk.
Municipal Securities
Municipal securities include debt obligations issued by governmental entities, including states, political subdivisions, agencies, instrumentalities, and authorities, as well as U.S. territories, commonwealths and possessions (such as Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and their political subdivisions, agencies, instrumentalities, and authorities, to obtain funds for various public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public facilities, the refunding of outstanding obligations, the payment of general operating expenses, and the extension of loans to public institutions and facilities.
Municipal securities may include municipal bonds, municipal notes and municipal leases, which are described below. Municipal bonds are debt obligations of a governmental entity that obligate the municipality to pay the holder a specified sum of money at specified intervals and to repay the principal amount of the loan at maturity. Municipal securities can be classified into two principal categories, including “general obligation” bonds and other securities and “revenue” bonds and other securities. General obligation bonds are secured by the issuer’s full faith, credit and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest. Revenue securities are payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise tax or other specific revenue source, such as the user of the facility being financed. Municipal securities also may include “moral obligation” securities, which normally are issued by special purpose public authorities. If the issuer of moral obligation securities is unable to meet its debt service obligations from current revenues, it may draw on a reserve fund, the restoration of which is a moral commitment but not a legal obligation of the governmental entity that created the special purpose public authority. Municipal securities may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations or as zero-coupon, pay-in-kind and step-coupon securities and may be privately placed or publicly offered. See Types of Investments – Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations, – Debt Obligations – Zero-Coupon, Pay-in-Kind and Step-Coupon Securities and – Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities for more information.
Municipal notes may be issued by governmental entities and other tax-exempt issuers in order to finance short-term cash needs or, occasionally, to finance construction. Most municipal notes are general obligations of the issuing entity payable from taxes or designated revenues expected to be received within the relevant fiscal period. Municipal notes generally have maturities of one year or less. Municipal notes can be subdivided into two sub-categories: (i) municipal commercial paper and (ii) municipal demand obligations.
Municipal commercial paper typically consists of very short-term unsecured negotiable promissory notes that are sold, for example, to meet seasonal working capital or interim construction financing needs of a governmental entity or agency. While these obligations are intended to be paid from general revenues or refinanced with long-term debt, they frequently are backed by letters of credit, lending agreements, note repurchase agreements or other credit facility agreements offered by banks or institutions. See Types of Investments – Commercial Paper for more information.
Municipal demand obligations can be subdivided into two general types: variable rate demand notes and master demand obligations. Variable rate demand notes are tax-exempt municipal obligations or participation interests that provide for a periodic adjustment in the interest rate paid on the notes. They permit the holder to demand payment of the notes, or to demand purchase
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of the notes at a purchase price equal to the unpaid principal balance, plus accrued interest either directly by the issuer or by drawing on a bank letter of credit or guaranty issued with respect to such note. The issuer of the municipal obligation may have a corresponding right to prepay at its discretion the outstanding principal of the note plus accrued interest upon notice comparable to that required for the holder to demand payment. The variable rate demand notes in which the Fund may invest are payable, or are subject to purchase, on demand, usually on notice of seven calendar days or less. The terms of the notes generally provide that interest rates are adjustable at intervals ranging from daily to six months.
Master demand obligations are tax-exempt municipal obligations that provide for a periodic adjustment in the interest rate paid and permit daily changes in the amount borrowed. The interest on such obligations is, in the opinion of counsel for the borrower, excluded from gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes (but not necessarily for alternative minimum tax purposes). Although there is no secondary market for master demand obligations, such obligations are considered by the Fund to be liquid because they are payable upon demand.
Municipal lease obligations are participations in privately arranged loans to state or local government borrowers and may take the form of a lease, an installment purchase, or a conditional sales contract. They are issued by state and local governments and authorities to acquire land, equipment, and facilities. An investor may purchase these obligations directly, or it may purchase participation interests in such obligations. In general, municipal lease obligations are unrated, in which case they will be determined by the Fund’s portfolio manager to be of comparable quality at the time of purchase to rated instruments that may be acquired by the Fund. Frequently, privately arranged loans have variable interest rates and may be backed by a bank letter of credit. In other cases, they may be unsecured or may be secured by assets not easily liquidated.
Moreover, such loans in most cases are not backed by the taxing authority of the issuers and may have limited marketability or may be marketable only by virtue of a provision requiring repayment following demand by the lender.
Municipal leases may be subject to greater risks than general obligation or revenue bonds. State constitutions and statutes set forth requirements that states or municipalities must meet in order to issue municipal obligations. Municipal leases may contain a covenant by the state or municipality to budget for and make payments due under the obligation. Certain municipal leases may, however, provide that the issuer is not obligated to make payments on the obligation in future years unless funds have been appropriated for this purpose each year.
Although lease obligations do not constitute general obligations of the municipal issuer to which the government’s taxing power is pledged, a lease obligation ordinarily is backed by the government’s covenant to budget for, appropriate, and make the payments due under the lease obligation. However, certain lease obligations contain “non-appropriation” clauses that provide that the government has no obligation to make lease or installment purchase payments in future years unless money is appropriated for such purpose on a periodic basis. In the case of a “non-appropriation” lease, the Fund’s ability to recover under the lease in the event of non-appropriation or default likely will be limited to the repossession of the leased property in the event that foreclosure proves difficult.
Tender option bonds are municipal securities having relatively long maturities and bearing interest at a fixed interest rate substantially higher than prevailing short-term tax-exempt rates that is coupled with the agreement of a third party, such as a bank, broker-dealer or other financial institution, to grant the security holders the option, at periodic intervals, to tender their securities to the institution and receive the face value thereof. The financial institution receives periodic fees equal to the difference between the municipal security’s coupon rate and the rate that would cause the security to trade at face value on the date of determination.
There are variations in the quality of municipal securities, both within a particular classification and between classifications, and the rates of return on municipal securities can depend on a variety of factors, including general money market conditions, the financial condition of the issuer, general conditions of the municipal bond market, the size of a particular offering, the maturity of the obligation, and the rating of the issue. The ratings of NRSROs represent their opinions as to the quality of municipal securities. It should be emphasized, however, that these ratings are general and are not absolute standards of quality, and municipal securities with the same maturity, interest rate, and rating may have different rates of return while municipal securities of the same maturity and interest rate with different ratings may have the same rate of return. The municipal bond market is characterized by a large number of different issuers, many having smaller sized bond issues, and a wide choice of different maturities within each issue. For these reasons, most municipal bonds do not trade on a daily basis and many trade only rarely. Because many of these bonds trade infrequently, the spread between the bid and offer may be wider and the time needed to develop a bid or an offer may be longer than for other security markets. See Appendix A for a discussion of securities ratings. (See Types of Investments – Debt Obligations.)
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Standby Commitments. Standby commitments are securities under which a purchaser, usually a bank or broker-dealer, agrees to purchase, for a fee, an amount of the Fund’s municipal obligations. The amount payable by a bank or broker-dealer to purchase securities subject to a standby commitment typically will be substantially the same as the value of the underlying municipal securities. The Fund may pay for standby commitments either separately in cash or by paying a higher price for portfolio securities that are acquired subject to such a commitment.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with standby commitments include: Counterparty Risk, Market Risk, and Municipal Securities Risk.
Taxable Municipal Obligations. Interest or other investment return is subject to federal income tax for certain types of municipal obligations for a variety of reasons. These municipal obligations do not qualify for the federal income tax exemption because (a) they did not receive necessary authorization for tax-exempt treatment from state or local government authorities, (b) they exceed certain regulatory limitations on the cost of issuance for tax-exempt financing or (c) they finance public or private activities that do not qualify for the federal income tax exemption. These non-qualifying activities might include, for example, certain types of multi-family housing, certain professional and local sports facilities, refinancing of certain municipal debt, and borrowing to replenish a municipality’s underfunded pension plan.
See Appendix A for a discussion of securities ratings. (See Types of Investments – Debt Obligations.)
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with municipal securities include: Credit Risk, Inflation Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Market Risk, and Municipal Securities Risk.
Participation Interests
Participation interests (also called pass-through certificates or securities) represent an interest in a pool of debt obligations, such as municipal bonds or notes that have been “packaged” by an intermediary, such as a bank or broker-dealer. Participation interests typically are issued by partnerships or trusts through which the Fund receives principal and interest payments that are passed through to the holder of the participation interest from the payments made on the underlying debt obligations. The purchaser of a participation interest receives an undivided interest in the underlying debt obligations. The issuers of the underlying debt obligations make interest and principal payments to the intermediary, as an initial purchaser, which are passed through to purchasers in the secondary market, such as the Fund. Mortgage-backed securities are a common type of participation interest. Participation interests may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations or as zero-coupon, pay-in- kind and step-coupon securities and may be privately placed or publicly offered. See Types of Investments – Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations, – Debt Obligations – Zero-Coupon, Pay-in-Kind and Step-Coupon Securities and – Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities for more information.
Loan participations also are a type of participation interest. Loans, loan participations, and interests in securitized loan pools are interests in amounts owed by a corporate, governmental, or other borrower to a lender or consortium of lenders (typically banks, insurance companies, investment banks, government agencies, or international agencies).
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with loan participations include: Confidential Information Access Risk, Credit Risk, and Interest Rate Risk.
Partnership Securities
The Fund may invest in securities issued by publicly traded partnerships or master limited partnerships or limited liability companies (together referred to as PTPs/MLPs). These entities are limited partnerships or limited liability companies that may be publicly traded on stock exchanges or markets such as the NYSE, the NYSE Alternext US LLC (formerly the American Stock Exchange) and NASDAQ. PTPs/MLPs often own businesses or properties relating to energy, natural resources or real estate, or may be involved in the film industry or research and development activities. Generally, PTPs/MLPs are operated under the supervision of one or more managing partners or members. Limited partners, unit holders, or members (such as a fund that invests in a partnership) are not involved in the day-to-day management of the company. Limited partners, unit holders, or members are allocated income and capital gains associated with the partnership project in accordance with the terms of the partnership or limited liability company agreement.
At times PTPs/MLPs may potentially offer relatively high yields compared to common stocks. Because PTPs/MLPs are generally treated as partnerships or similar limited liability “pass-through” entities for tax purposes, they do not ordinarily pay income taxes, but pass their earnings on to unit holders (except in the case of some publicly traded firms that may be taxed as corporations). For tax purposes, unit holders may initially be deemed to receive only a portion of the distributions attributed to them because certain other portions may be attributed to the repayment of initial investments and may thereby lower the cost basis of the units or shares owned by unit holders. As a result, unit holders may effectively defer taxation on the receipt of some distributions until they sell their units. These tax consequences may differ for different types of entities.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with partnership securities include: Interest Rate Risk, Issuer Risk, Liquidity Risk and Market Risk.
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Preferred Stock
Preferred stock represents units of ownership of a corporation that frequently have dividends that are set at a specified rate. Preferred stock has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock shares some of the characteristics of both debt and equity. Preferred stock ordinarily does not carry voting rights. Most preferred stock is cumulative; if dividends are passed (i.e., not paid for any reason), they accumulate and must be paid before common stock dividends. Participating preferred stock entitles its holders to share in profits above and beyond the declared dividend, along with common shareholders, as distinguished from nonparticipating preferred stock, which is limited to the stipulated dividend. Convertible preferred stock is exchangeable for a given number of shares of common stock and thus tends to be more volatile than nonconvertible preferred stock, which generally behaves more like a fixed income bond. Preferred stock may be privately placed or publicly offered. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. See Types of Investments – Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities for more information.
Auction preferred stock (APS) is a type of adjustable-rate preferred stock with a dividend determined periodically in a Dutch auction process by corporate bidders. An APS is distinguished from standard preferred stock because its dividends change from time to time. Shares typically are bought and sold at face values generally ranging from $100,000 to $500,000 per share. Holders of APS may not be able to sell their shares if an auction fails, such as when there are more shares of APS for sale at an auction than there are purchase bids.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with preferred stock include: Convertible Securities Risk, Issuer Risk, Liquidity Risk and Market Risk.
Trust-Preferred Securities. Trust-preferred securities, also known as trust-issued securities, are securities that have characteristics of both debt and equity instruments and are typically treated by the Funds as debt investments.
Generally, trust-preferred securities are cumulative preferred stocks issued by a trust that is created by a financial institution, such as a bank holding company. The financial institution typically creates the trust with the objective of increasing its capital by issuing subordinated debt to the trust in return for cash proceeds that are reflected on the financial institutions balance sheet.
The primary asset owned by the trust is the subordinated debt issued to the trust by the financial institution. The financial institution makes periodic interest payments on the debt as discussed further below. The financial institution will subsequently own the trust’s common securities, which may typically represent a small percentage of the trust’s capital structure. The remainder of the trust’s capital structure typically consists of trust-preferred securities which are sold to investors. The trust uses the sales proceeds to purchase the subordinated debt issued by the financial institution. The financial institution uses the proceeds from the subordinated debt sale to increase its capital while the trust receives periodic interest payments from the financial institution for holding the subordinated debt.
The trust uses the interest received to make dividend payments to the holders of the trust-preferred securities. The dividends are generally paid on a quarterly basis and are often higher than other dividends potentially available on the financial institution’s common stocks. The interests of the holders of the trust-preferred securities are senior to those of common stockholders in the event that the financial institution is liquidated, although their interests are typically subordinated to those of other holders of other debt issued by the institution.
The primary benefit for the financial institution in using this particular structure is that the trust-preferred securities issued by the trust are treated by the financial institution as debt securities for tax purposes (as a consequence of which the expense of paying interest on the securities is tax deductible), but are treated as more desirable equity securities for purposes of the calculation of capital requirements.
In certain instances, the structure involves more than one financial institution and thus, more than one trust. In such a pooled offering, an additional separate trust may be created. This trust will issue securities to investors and use the proceeds to purchase the trust-preferred securities issued by other trust subsidiaries of the participating financial institutions. In such a structure, the trust-preferred securities held by the investors are backed by other trust-preferred securities issued by the trust subsidiaries.
If a financial institution is financially unsound and defaults on interest payments to the trust, the trust will not be able to make dividend payments to holders of the trust-preferred securities such as the Fund, as the trust typically has no business operations other than holding the subordinated debt issued by the financial institution(s) and issuing the trust-preferred securities and common stock backed by the subordinated debt.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with trust-preferred securities include: Credit Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Liquidity Risk and Prepayment and Extension Risk.
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Private Placement and Other Restricted Securities
Private placement securities are securities that have been privately placed and are not registered under the 1933 Act. They are generally eligible for sale only to certain eligible investors. Private placements often may offer attractive opportunities for investment not otherwise available on the open market. Private placement and other “restricted” securities often cannot be sold to the public without registration under the 1933 Act or the availability of an exemption from registration (such as Rules 144 or 144A), or they are “not readily marketable” because they are subject to other legal or contractual delays in or restrictions on resale. Asset-backed securities, common stock, convertible securities, corporate debt securities, foreign securities, high-yield securities, money market instruments, mortgage-backed securities, municipal securities, participation interests, preferred stock and other types of equity and debt instruments may be privately placed or restricted securities.
Private placements typically may be sold only to qualified institutional buyers or, in the case of the initial sale of certain securities, such as those issued in collateralized debt obligations or collateralized loan obligations, to accredited investors (as defined in Rule 501(a) under the 1933 Act), or in a privately negotiated transaction or to a limited number of qualified purchasers, or in limited quantities after they have been held for a specified period of time and other conditions are met pursuant to an exemption from registration.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with private placement and other restricted securities include: Issuer Risk, Liquidity Risk, Market Risk and Confidential Information Access Risk.
Real Estate Investment Trusts
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) are pooled investment vehicles that manage a portfolio of real estate or real estate related loans to earn profits for their shareholders. 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, such as shopping centers, nursing homes, office buildings, apartment complexes, and hotels, and derive income primarily from the collection of rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling properties that have appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive income from the collection of interest payments. REITs can be subject to extreme volatility due to fluctuations in the demand for real estate, changes in interest rates, and adverse economic conditions.
Partnership units of real estate and other types of companies sometimes are organized as master limited partnerships in which ownership interests are publicly traded.
Similar to regulated investment companies, REITs are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided they comply with certain requirements under the Code. The Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any expenses paid by a REIT in which it invests. REITs often do not provide complete tax information until after the calendar year-end. Consequently, because of the delay, it may be necessary for the Fund investing in REITs to request permission to extend the deadline for issuance of Forms 1099-DIV beyond January 31. In the alternative, amended Forms 1099-DIV may be sent.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with REITs include: Interest Rate Risk, Issuer Risk, Market Risk and Real Estate-Related Investment Risk.
Repurchase Agreements
Repurchase agreements are agreements under which the Fund acquires a security for a relatively short period of time (usually within seven days) subject to the obligation of a seller to repurchase and the Fund to resell such security at a fixed time and price (representing the Fund’s cost plus interest). The repurchase agreement specifies the yield during the purchaser’s holding period. Repurchase agreements also may be viewed as loans made by the Fund that are collateralized by the securities subject to repurchase, which may consist of a variety of security types. The Fund typically will enter into repurchase agreements only with commercial banks, registered broker-dealers and the Fixed Income Clearing Corporation. Such transactions are monitored to ensure that the value of the underlying securities will be at least equal at all times to the total amount of the repurchase obligation, including any accrued interest.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with repurchase agreements include: Counterparty Risk, Credit Risk, Issuer Risk, Market Risk, and Repurchase Agreements Risk.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements
Reverse repurchase agreements are agreements under which the Fund temporarily transfers possession of a portfolio instrument to another party, such as a bank or broker-dealer, in return for cash. At the same time, the Fund agrees to repurchase the instrument at an agreed-upon time (normally within 7 days) and price which reflects an interest payment. The Fund generally retains the right to interest and principal payments on the security. Reverse repurchase agreements also may be viewed as borrowings made by the Fund.
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Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with reverse repurchase agreements include: Credit Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Issuer Risk, Leverage Risk, Market Risk, and Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk.
Short Sales
The Fund may sometimes sell securities short when it owns an equal amount of the securities sold short. This is a technique known as selling short “against the box.” If the Fund makes a short sale “against the box,” it would not immediately deliver the securities sold and would not receive the proceeds from the sale. The seller is said to have a short position in the securities sold until it delivers the securities sold, at which time it receives the proceeds of the sale. To secure its obligation to deliver securities sold short, the Fund will deposit in escrow in a separate account with the custodian an equal amount of the securities sold short or securities convertible into or exchangeable for such securities. The Fund can close out its short position by purchasing and delivering an equal amount of the securities sold short, rather than by delivering securities already held by the Fund, because the Fund might want to continue to receive interest and dividend payments on securities in its portfolio that are convertible into the securities sold short.
Short sales “against the box” entail many of the same risks and considerations described below regarding short sales not “against the box.” However, when the Fund sells short “against the box” it typically limits the amount of its effective leverage. The Fund’s decision to make a short sale “against the box” may be a technique to hedge against market risks when the Fund’s portfolio manager believes that the price of a security may decline, causing a decline in the value of a security owned by the Fund or a security convertible into or exchangeable for such security. In such case, any future losses in the Fund’s long position would be reduced by a gain in the short position. The extent to which such gains or losses in the long position are reduced will depend upon the amount of securities sold short relative to the amount of the securities the Fund owns, either directly or indirectly, and, in the case where the Fund owns convertible securities, changes in the investment values or conversion premiums of such securities. Short sales may have adverse tax consequences to the Fund and its shareholders.
Subject to its fundamental and non-fundamental investment policies, the Fund may engage in short sales that are not “against the box,” which are sales by the Fund of securities, contracts or instruments that it does not own in hopes of purchasing the same security, contract or instrument at a later date at a lower price. The technique is also used to protect a profit in a long-term position in a security, commodity futures contract or other instrument. To make delivery to the buyer, the Fund must borrow or purchase the security. If borrowed, the Fund is then obligated to replace the security borrowed from the third party, so the Fund must purchase the security at the market price at a later time. If the price of the security has increased during this time, then the Fund will incur a loss equal to the increase in price of the security from the time of the short sale plus any premiums and interest paid to the third party. (Until the security is replaced, the Fund is required to pay to the lender amounts equal to any dividends or interest which accrue during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, the Fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet the margin requirements, until the short position is closed out.) Short sales of forward commitments and derivatives do not involve borrowing a security. These types of short sales may include futures, options, contracts for differences, forward contracts on financial instruments and options such as contracts, credit-linked instruments, and swap contracts.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with short sales include: Leverage Risk, Market Risk, and Short Positions Risk.
Sovereign Debt
Sovereign debt obligations are issued or guaranteed by foreign governments or their agencies. It may be in the form of conventional securities or other types of debt instruments such as loans or loan participations. A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which a sovereign debtor may be subject. (See also Types of Investments – Foreign Securities.) In addition, there may be no legal recourse against a sovereign debtor in the event of a default.
Sovereign debt includes Brady Bonds, which are securities issued under the framework of the Brady Plan, an initiative announced by former U.S. Treasury Secretary Nicholas F. Brady in 1989 as a mechanism for debtor nations to restructure their outstanding external commercial bank indebtedness.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with sovereign debt include: Credit Risk, Emerging Markets Securities Risk, Foreign Securities Risk, Issuer Risk and Market Risk.
Standby Commitments
See Types of Investments – Municipal Securities above.
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U.S. Government and Related Obligations
U.S. Government obligations include U.S. Treasury obligations and securities issued or guaranteed by various agencies of the U.S. Government or by various agencies or instrumentalities established or sponsored by the U.S. Government. U.S. Treasury obligations and securities issued or guaranteed by various agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government differ in their interest rates, maturities and time of issuance, as well as with respect to whether they are guaranteed by the U.S. Government. U.S. Government and related obligations may be structured as fixed-, variable- or floating-rate obligations. See Types of Investments – Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations for more information.
Investing in U.S. Government and related obligations is subject to certain risks. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. These securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only by the credit of the issuing agency or instrumentality and, as a result, may be subject to greater credit risk than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury. Obligations of U.S. Government agencies, authorities, instrumentalities and sponsored enterprises historically have involved limited risk of loss of principal if held to maturity. However, no assurance can be given that the U.S. Government would provide financial support to any of these entities if it is not obligated to do so by law.
Government-sponsored entities issuing securities include privately owned, publicly chartered entities created to reduce borrowing costs for certain sectors of the economy, such as farmers, homeowners, and students. They include the Federal Farm Credit Banks Funding Corporation, Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and SLM Corporation. Government-sponsored entities may issue discount notes (with maturities ranging from overnight to 360 days) and bonds. On September 7, 2008, the Federal Housing Finance Agency placed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into conservatorship, a statutory process with the objective of returning the entities to normal business operations.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with U.S. Government and related obligations include: Credit Risk, Inflation Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Prepayment and Extension Risk, Reinvestment Risk, and U.S. Government Obligations Risk.
Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations
Variable- and floating-rate obligations are debt instruments that provide for periodic adjustments in the interest rate and, under certain circumstances, varying principal amounts. Unlike a fixed interest rate, a variable, or floating, rate is one that rises and declines based on the movement of an underlying index of interest rates and may pay interest at rates that are adjusted periodically according to a specified formula. Variable- or floating-rate securities frequently include a demand feature enabling the holder to sell the securities to the issuer at par. In many cases, the demand feature can be exercised at any time. Some securities that do not have variable or floating interest rates may be accompanied by puts producing similar results and price characteristics. Variable-rate demand notes include master demand notes that are obligations that permit the investor to invest fluctuating amounts, which may change daily without penalty, pursuant to direct arrangements between the investor (as lender), and the borrower. The interest rates on these notes fluctuate. The issuer of such obligations normally has a corresponding right, after a given period, to prepay in its discretion the outstanding principal amount of the obligations plus accrued interest upon a specified number of days’ notice to the holders of such obligations. Because these obligations are direct lending arrangements between the lender and borrower, it is not contemplated that such instruments generally will be traded. There generally is not an established secondary market for these obligations. Accordingly, where these obligations are not secured by letters of credit or other credit support arrangements, the lender’s right to redeem is dependent on the ability of the borrower to pay principal and interest on demand. Such obligations frequently are not rated by credit rating agencies and may involve heightened risk of default by the issuer. Asset-backed securities, bank obligations, convertible securities, corporate debt securities, foreign securities, high-yield securities, money market instruments, mortgage-backed securities, municipal securities, participation interests, stripped securities, U.S. Government and related obligations and other types of debt instruments may be structured as variable- and floating-rate obligations.
Most floating rate loans are acquired directly from the agent bank or from another holder of the loan by assignment. Most such loans are secured, and most impose restrictive covenants on the borrower. These loans are typically made by a syndicate of banks and institutional investors, represented by an agent bank which has negotiated and structured the loan and which is responsible generally for collecting interest, principal, and other amounts from the borrower on its own behalf and on behalf of the other lending institutions in the syndicate, and for enforcing its rights and the rights of the syndicate against the borrower. Each of the lending institutions, including the agent bank, lends to the borrower a portion of the total amount of the loan, and retains the corresponding interest in the loan. Floating rate loans may include delayed draw term loans and prefunded or synthetic letters of credit.
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The Fund’s ability to receive payments of principal and interest and other amounts in connection with loans held by it will depend primarily on the financial condition of the borrower. The failure by the Fund to receive scheduled interest or principal payments on a loan would adversely affect the income of the Fund and would likely reduce the value of its assets, which would be reflected in a reduction in the Fund’s NAV. Banks and other lending institutions generally perform a credit analysis of the borrower before originating a loan or purchasing an assignment in a loan. In selecting the loans in which the Fund will invest, however, the Investment Manager will not rely on that credit analysis of the agent bank, but will perform its own investment analysis of the borrowers. The Investment Manager’s analysis may include consideration of the borrower’s financial strength and managerial experience, debt coverage, additional borrowing requirements or debt maturity schedules, changing financial conditions, and responsiveness to changes in business conditions and interest rates. Investments in loans may be of any quality, including “distressed” loans, and will be subject to the Fund’s credit quality policy.
Loans may be structured in different forms, including assignments and participations. In an assignment, the Fund purchases an assignment of a portion of a lender’s interest in a loan. In this case, the Fund may be required generally to rely upon the assigning bank to demand payment and enforce its rights against the borrower, but would otherwise be entitled to all of such bank’s rights in the loan.
The borrower of a loan may, either at its own election or pursuant to terms of the loan documentation, prepay amounts of the loan from time to time. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to reinvest the proceeds of any loan prepayment at the same interest rate or on the same terms as those of the original loan.
Corporate loans in which the Fund may purchase a loan assignment are made generally to finance internal growth, mergers, acquisitions, recapitalizations, stock repurchases, leveraged buy-outs, dividend payments to sponsors and other corporate activities. The highly leveraged capital structure of certain borrowers may make such loans especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions. The Fund may hold investments in loans for a very short period of time when opportunities to resell the investments that the Fund’s portfolio manager believes are attractive arise.
Certain of the loans acquired by the Fund may involve revolving credit facilities under which a borrower may from time to time borrow and repay amounts up to the maximum amount of the facility. In such cases, the Fund would have an obligation to advance its portion of such additional borrowings upon the terms specified in the loan assignment. To the extent that the Fund is committed to make additional loans under such an assignment, it will at all times designate cash or securities in an amount sufficient to meet such commitments.
Notwithstanding its intention in certain situations to not receive material, non-public information with respect to its management of investments in floating rate loans, the Investment Manager may from time to time come into possession of material, non-public information about the issuers of loans that may be held in the Fund’s portfolio. Possession of such information may in some instances occur despite the Investment Manager’s efforts to avoid such possession, but in other instances the Investment Manager may choose to receive such information (for example, in connection with participation in a creditors’ committee with respect to a financially distressed issuer). As, and to the extent, required by applicable law, the Investment Manager’s ability to trade in these loans for the account of the Fund could potentially be limited by its possession of such information. Such limitations on the Investment Manager’s ability to trade could have an adverse effect on the Fund by, for example, preventing the Fund from selling a loan that is experiencing a material decline in value. In some instances, these trading restrictions could continue in effect for a substantial period of time.
In some instances, other accounts managed by the Investment Manager may hold other securities issued by borrowers whose floating rate loans may be held in the Fund’s portfolio. These other securities may include, for example, debt securities that are subordinate to the floating rate loans held in the Fund’s portfolio, convertible debt or common or preferred equity securities.
In certain circumstances, such as if the credit quality of the issuer deteriorates, the interests of holders of these other securities may conflict with the interests of the holders of the issuer’s floating rate loans. In such cases, the Investment Manager may owe conflicting fiduciary duties to the Fund and other client accounts. The Investment Manager will endeavor to carry out its obligations to all of its clients to the fullest extent possible, recognizing that in some cases certain clients may achieve a lower economic return, as a result of these conflicting client interests, than if the Investment Manager’s client accounts collectively held only a single category of the issuer’s securities.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with variable- or floating-rate obligations include: Counterparty Risk, Credit Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Liquidity Risk and Prepayment and Extension Risk.
Warrants and Rights
Warrants and rights are types of securities that give a holder a right to purchase shares of common stock. Warrants usually are issued together with a bond or preferred stock and entitle a holder to purchase a specified amount of common stock at a specified price typically for a period of years. Rights usually have a specified purchase price that is lower than the current market price and entitle a holder to purchase a specified amount of common stock typically for a period of only weeks. Warrants
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may be used to enhance the marketability of a bond or preferred stock. Warrants do not carry with them the right to dividends or voting rights and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. Warrants may be considered to have more speculative characteristics than certain other types of investments. In addition, the value of a warrant does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and a warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date, if any.
The potential exercise price of warrants or rights may exceed their market price, such as when there is no movement in the market price or the market price of the common stock declines.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with warrants and rights include: Convertible Securities Risk, Counterparty Risk, Credit Risk, Issuer Risk, and Market Risk.
Contingent Value Rights. A contingent value right (CVR) gives the holder the right to receive an amount, which may be fixed or determined by a formula, in the event that a specified corporate action or other business event or trigger occurs (or fails to occur) during the term of the CVR. CVRs may be awarded to investors in the context of a corporate acquisition or major restructuring, such as a reorganization pursuant to Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or other reorganization. For example, investors in an acquired or reorganized company may receive CVRs that enable the investor to receive additional shares of the acquiring company in the event that the acquiring company’s share price falls below a certain level by a specified date, or to receive cash payments and/or securities in the event of a future sale or liquidation event involving the company by a specified date. CVRs generally do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the issuer and do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with CVRs include: Contingent Value Rights Risk, Counterparty Risk, Credit Risk, Liquidity Risk, and Valuation Risk.
Information Regarding Risks
The following is a summary of risks of investing in the Funds and the risk characteristics associated with the various securities, instruments, assets and investments as well as strategies and techniques that may be available to the Funds for investment. A Fund’s risk profile is largely determined by each Fund’s portfolio holdings and principal investment strategies (see the Fund’s most recent annual or semiannual report for portfolio holdings information and see the Fund’s current prospectus for the description of the Fund’s principal investment strategies and principal risks). The Funds are allowed to invest in other securities, instruments, assets and investments, and may engage in strategies and techniques other than those described in the Fund’s current prospectus, subjecting the Fund to the risks associated with these other securities, instruments, assets, investments, strategies and techniques.
An investment in the Funds is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. One or more of the following risks may be associated with an investment in a Fund at any time:
Active Management Risk. The Semi-Transparent Funds and Non-Indexed Funds are actively managed and their performance therefore will reflect, in part, the ability of the portfolio managers to make investment decisions that seek to achieve each Fund’s investment objective. The Semi-Transparent Funds and Non-Indexed Funds are not index funds (they do not seek to track the performance of an index), and Semi-Transparent Funds do not provide daily transparency into their portfolio holdings like most other ETFs. Due to their active management, the Semi-Transparent Funds and Non-Indexed Funds could underperform their benchmark index and/or other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies. For Semi-Transparent Funds and Non-Indexed Funds, active trading of portfolio securities may result in added expenses, a lower return and increased tax liability, including relative to other ETFs.
Activist Strategies Risk. The Fund may purchase securities of a company that is the subject of a proxy contest or which activist investors are attempting to influence, in the expectation that new management or a change in business strategies will cause the price of the company’s securities to increase. If the proxy contest, or the new management, is not successful, the market price of the company’s securities will typically fall.
In addition, where an acquisition or restructuring transaction or proxy fight is opposed by the subject company’s management, the transaction often becomes the subject of litigation. Such litigation involves substantial uncertainties and may impose substantial cost and expense on the Fund.
Allocation Risk. For any Fund that uses an asset allocation strategy in pursuit of its investment objective, there is a risk that the Fund's allocation among asset classes, investments, managers, strategies and/or investment styles will cause the Fund's shares to lose value or cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives and/or strategies, or that the investments themselves will not produce the returns expected.
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Alternative Strategies Investment Risk. An investment in alternative investment strategies (Alternative Strategies), whether through direct investment or through one or more underlying funds that use Alternative Strategies, involves risks, which may be significant. Alternative Strategies may include strategies, instruments or other assets, such as derivatives, that seek investment returns uncorrelated with the broad equity and fixed income/debt markets, as well as those providing exposure to other markets (such as commodity markets), including but not limited to absolute (positive) return strategies. Alternative Strategies may fail to achieve their desired performance, market or other exposure, or their returns (or lack thereof) may be more correlated with the broad equity and/or fixed income/debt markets than was anticipated, and the Fund may lose money. Some Alternative Strategies may be considered speculative.
Arbitrage Risk. Unlike ETFs that publicly disclose their complete portfolio holdings daily, the Semi-Transparent Fund discloses each business day the Tracking Basket and Tracking Basket Weight Overlap, which are intended to allow market participants to estimate the value of positions in the Semi-Transparent Fund’s shares. Although this information is designed to facilitate arbitrage opportunities in Semi-Transparent Fund shares to minimize bid/ask spreads and/or premiums or discounts between the market price and the NAV of the Semi-Transparent Fund’s shares, the structure for the Semi-Transparent Fund is novel and there is no guarantee the Semi-Transparent Fund’s arbitrage mechanism will operate as intended or that the Semi-Transparent Fund will not experience greater premiums or discounts between the market price and NAV of the Semi-Transparent Fund’s shares and/or wider bid/ask spreads than those experienced by other ETFs.
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. Only an Authorized Participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants, none of which are or will be obligated to engage in creation or redemption transactions. To the extent that these institutions exit the business or are unable or unwilling to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able or willing to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units, Fund shares may trade at a greater premium or discount between the market price and the NAV of the Fund’s shares and/or wider bid/ask spreads than those experienced by other ETFs. Additionally, the Fund could possibly face trading halts and/or delisting from the Exchange. This risk is heightened in times of market stress, including at both the Fund share level and the Fund holdings level.
Bankruptcy Process and Trade Claims Risk. The Fund may purchase bankruptcy claims. There are a number of significant risks inherent in the bankruptcy process. The effect of a bankruptcy filing on a company may adversely and permanently affect the company and cause it to be incapable of restoring itself as a viable business. Many events in a bankruptcy are the product of contested matters and adversarial proceedings. The duration of a bankruptcy proceeding is difficult to predict and a creditor’s return on investment can be adversely affected by delays while the plan of reorganization is being finalized. The administrative costs in connection with a bankruptcy proceeding are frequently high and are paid out of the debtor’s estate before any return to creditors. The Fund may also purchase trade claims against companies, including companies in bankruptcy or reorganization proceedings, which include claims of suppliers for unpaid goods delivered, claims for unpaid services rendered, claims for contract rejection damages and claims related to litigation. An investment in trade claims is very speculative, illiquid, and carries a high degree of risk. The markets in trade claims are generally not regulated by U.S. federal securities laws or the SEC.
Changing Distribution Level Risk. The Fund normally expects to receive income which may include interest, dividends and/or capital gains, depending upon its investments. The distribution amounts paid by the Fund will vary and generally depend on the amount of income the Fund earns (less expenses) on its portfolio holdings, and capital gains or losses it recognizes. A decline in the Fund’s income or net capital gains arising from its investments may reduce its distribution level.
Commodity-related Investment Risk. The value of commodities investments will generally be affected by overall market movements and factors specific to a particular industry or commodity, which may include demand for the commodity, weather, embargoes, tariffs, and economic health, political, international, regulatory and other developments. Economic and other events (whether real or perceived) can reduce the demand for commodities, which may, in turn, reduce market prices and cause the value of Fund shares to fall. The frequency and magnitude of such changes cannot be predicted. Exposure to commodities and commodities markets may subject the value of the Fund's investments (and therefore the Fund) to greater volatility than other types of investments. No, or limited, active trading market may exist for certain commodities investments, which may impair the ability to sell or to realize the full value of such investments in the event of the need to liquidate such investments. In addition, adverse market conditions may impair the liquidity of actively traded commodities investments thereby subjecting the Fund to increased liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price). Certain types of commodities instruments are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument. The Fund may make commodity-related investments through, and may invest in one or more underlying funds that make commodity-related investments through, one or more wholly-owned subsidiaries organized outside the U.S. that are generally not subject to U.S. laws (including securities laws) and their protections. However, any such subsidiary is wholly owned and controlled by the Fund and any underlying fund subsidiary
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is wholly-owned and controlled by the underlying fund, making it unlikely that the subsidiary will take action contrary to the interests of the Fund or the underlying fund and their shareholders. Further, any such subsidiaries will be subject to the laws of a foreign jurisdiction, and can be adversely affected by developments in that jurisdiction.
Concentration Risk. To the extent that the Fund concentrates its investment in particular issuers, countries, geographic regions, industries or sectors, the Fund may be subject to greater risks of adverse developments in such areas of focus than a fund that invests in a wider variety of issuers, countries, geographic regions, industries, sectors or investments.
Confidential Information Access Risk. In many instances, issuers of floating rate loans offer to furnish material, non-public information (Confidential Information) to prospective purchasers or holders of the issuer’s floating rate loans to help potential investors assess the value of the loan. The portfolio managers may avoid the receipt of Confidential Information about the issuers of floating rate loans being considered for acquisition by the Fund, or held in the Fund. A decision not to receive Confidential Information from these issuers may disadvantage the Fund as compared to other floating rate loan investors, and may adversely affect the price the Fund pays for the loans it purchases, or the price at which the Fund sells the loans. Further, in situations when holders of floating rate loans are asked, for example, to grant consents, waivers or amendments, the ability to assess the desirability thereof may be compromised. For these and other reasons, it is possible that the decision not to receive Confidential Information could adversely affect the Fund’s performance.
Contingent Value Rights Risk. Risks associated with an investment in CVRs are generally similar to risks associated with investing in options, such as the risk that the required trigger event does not occur prior to a CVR’s expiration, causing the CVR to expire with no value. CVRs also present liquidity risk, as they may be difficult or impossible to transfer. Further, because CVRs are valued based on the likelihood of the occurrence of a trigger event, valuation often requires subjective modeling and judgment, which increases the risk of mispricing.
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are subject to the usual risks associated with debt instruments, such as interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates) and credit risk (the risk that the issuer of a debt instrument will default or otherwise become unable, or be perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor a financial obligation, such as making payments to the Fund when due). Convertible securities also react to changes in the value of the common stock into which they convert, and are thus subject to market risk (the risk that the market values of securities or other investments that the Fund holds will fall, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably, or fail to rise). Because the value of a convertible security can be influenced by both interest rates and the common stock's market movements, a convertible security generally is not as sensitive to interest rates as a similar debt instrument, and generally will not vary in value in response to other factors to the same extent as the underlying common stock. In the event of a liquidation of the issuing company, holders of convertible securities would typically be paid before the company's common stockholders but after holders of any senior debt obligations of the company. The Fund may be forced to convert a convertible security before it otherwise would choose to do so, which may decrease the Fund's return.
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Contingent Convertible Securities Risk. Contingent convertible securities, also known as contingent capital securities or “CoCos,” are hybrid securities that are typically issued by non-U.S. banks. CoCos have characteristics of both debt and equity instruments, although they are generally treated by the Funds as debt investments. If certain “trigger events” occur, CoCos either convert into equity or undergo a principal write-down or write-off. Trigger events, which are defined by the documents governing the CoCo, may include a decline in the issuer’s capital ratio below a specified trigger level, the share price of the issuer falling to a particular level for a certain period of time, other events indicating an increase in the issuer’s risk of insolvency, and/or certain regulatory events, including changes in regulatory capital requirements or regulatory actions related to the issuer’s solvency prospects.
The value of CoCos may be influenced by the creditworthiness of the issuer and/or fluctuations in such issuer’s applicable capital ratios; supply and demand for CoCos; general market conditions and available liquidity; and economic, financial or political events impacting the issuer, its particular market or the financial markets more broadly. Due to the contingent conversion or principal write-down or write-off features, CoCos may have substantially greater risk than other securities in times of financial stress. The occurrence of an automatic conversion or write-down or write-off event may be unpredictable and the potential effects of such event could cause a Fund’s shares to lose value. The coupon payments offered by CoCos are discretionary and may be cancelled or adjusted downward by the issuer or at the request of the relevant regulatory authority at any point, for any reason, and for any length of time. As a result of the uncertainty with respect to coupon payments, the value of CoCos may be volatile and their price may decline rapidly if coupon payments are suspended. CoCos are typically structurally subordinated to traditional convertible bonds in the issuer’s capital structure. There may be circumstances under which investors in CoCos may suffer a capital loss ahead of equity holders or when equity holders do not.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with CoCos include: Convertible Securities Risk, Credit Risk, Foreign Securities Risk, High-Yield Investments Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Issuer Risk, and Market Risk.
The value of CoCos may be influenced by the creditworthiness of the issuer and/or fluctuations in such issuer’s applicable capital ratios; supply and demand for CoCos; general market conditions and available liquidity; and economic, financial or political events impacting the issuer, its particular market or the financial markets more broadly. Due to the contingent conversion or principal write-down or write-off features, CoCos may have substantially greater risk than other securities in times of financial stress. The occurrence of an automatic conversion or write-down or write-off event may be unpredictable and the potential effects of such event could cause a Fund’s shares to lose value. The coupon payments offered by CoCos are discretionary and may be cancelled or adjusted downward by the issuer or at the request of the relevant regulatory authority at any point, for any reason, and for any length of time. As a result of the uncertainty with respect to coupon payments, the value of CoCos may be volatile and their price may decline rapidly if coupon payments are suspended. CoCos are typically structurally subordinated to traditional convertible bonds in the issuer’s capital structure. There may be circumstances under which investors in CoCos may suffer a capital loss ahead of equity holders or when equity holders do not.
Although one or more of the other risks described in this SAI may also apply, the risks typically associated with CoCos include: Convertible Securities Risk, Credit Risk, Foreign Securities Risk, High-Yield Investments Risk, Interest Rate Risk, Issuer Risk, and Market Risk.
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Correlation/Tracking Error Risk. This risk applies to the Index Funds. The Fund’s value will generally decline when the performance of the securities within the Index declines. A number of factors may affect the Fund’s ability to achieve a high degree of correlation with the Index, and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of correlation. Failure to achieve a high degree of correlation may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective. The factors that may adversely affect the Fund’s correlation with the Index include, among others, the size of the Fund’s portfolio, fees, expenses, transaction costs, income items, valuation methodology, accounting standards, the effectiveness of sampling techniques (if applicable), changes in the Index and disruptions or illiquidity in the markets for the securities or other instruments in which the Fund invests. Funds that typically use a “full replication” approach in seeking to track the performance of their Index invest all, or substantially all, of their assets in the components of the Index in approximately the same proportion as their weighting in the Index. At times, these “full replication” Funds may not have investment exposure to all components of the Index, or their weighting of investment exposure to such components may be different from that of the Index. Funds that typically use a “representative sampling” approach in seeking to track the performance of their Index, which is an indexing strategy that involves investing in only some of the components of the Index that collectively are believed to have an investment profile similar to that of the Index, may not track the Index with the same degree of accuracy as would an investment vehicle replicating the entire Index. In addition, both full replication and representative sampling Funds may invest in securities or other instruments not included in the Index. The Fund may take or refrain from taking investment positions for various reasons, such as tax efficiency purposes, or to comply with regulatory restrictions, which may negatively affect the Fund’s correlation with the Index. The Fund may also be subject to large movements of assets into and out of the Fund, potentially resulting in the Fund being over- or under-exposed to certain components of the Index and may be impacted by Index reconstitutions and Index rebalancing events. Additionally, the Fund's foreign investments may trade on markets that may not be open on the same day or at the same time as the Fund, which may cause a difference between the changes in the daily performance of the Fund and changes in the level of the Index. Furthermore, the Fund may need to execute currency trades that due to regulatory, legal and operational constraints will occur at a later date than the trading of the related security. Currency holdings may be valued at a different time and at different rates than that used by the Index. Holding cash balances may detract from the Fund’s ability to track the Index. In addition, the Fund’s NAV may deviate from the Index if the Fund fair values a portfolio security at a price other than the price used by the Index for that security. The Fund also bears management and other expenses and transaction costs in trading securities or other instruments, which the Index does not bear. The Fund, unlike the Index, is subject to regulatory requirements that can limit the Fund’s investments relative to what the Index can hold. The Fund, unlike the Index, is subject to Office of Foreign Assets Control and other regulatory restrictions, including, for example, restrictions on the ability of the Fund to invest in or hold certain securities. If the Fund is restricted from investing in or holding a security that was a component of the Index, and the Index did not remove such security, timely or at all, the Fund’s ability to track the Index could be negatively impacted. Accordingly, the Fund’s performance will likely fail to match the performance of the Index, after taking expenses into account, as well as regulatory limitations. Any of these factors could decrease correlation between the performance of the Fund and the Index and may hinder the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
Several factors may affect the Fund’s ability to achieve a high degree of correlation with its current Index. Among these factors are: (1) the Fund’s fees and expenses, including brokerage (which may be increased by high portfolio turnover) and the costs associated with the use of derivatives or other assets or instruments; (2) the Fund holding less than all of the components of the Fund’s Index or the Fund holding investments not included in the Index; (3) the "representative sampling" strategy, where applicable, may not work as intended so as to sufficiently track the performance of the Index; (4) an imperfect correlation between the performance of instruments held by the Fund, such as, among others, futures contracts, and the performance of the components of the Index; (5) bid-ask spreads (the effect of which may be increased by portfolio turnover); (6) holding instruments traded in a market that has become illiquid or disrupted; (7) the Fund’s share prices being rounded to the nearest cent; (8) changes to the Index that are not disseminated in advance; (9) the need to conform the Fund’s portfolio holdings to comply with investment restrictions or policies or regulatory or tax law requirements; (10) limit up or limit down trading halts on options or futures contracts which may prevent the Fund from purchasing or selling options or futures contracts; (11) early and unanticipated closings of the markets on which the holdings of the Fund trade, resulting in the inability of the Fund to execute intended portfolio transactions; and (12) fluctuations in currency exchange rates. Also, Fund rebalancings to their Index, disparities between estimated and actual purchases and redemptions of the Fund may cause the Fund to be over- or underexposed to its Index. This may result in greater tracking and correlation error.
Counterparty Risk. The risk exists that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund or by a special purpose or structured vehicle in which the Fund invests may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund, due to financial difficulties. The Fund may obtain no or limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other reorganizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. Transactions that the Fund enters into may involve counterparties in the financial services sector and, as a result, events affecting the financial services sector may cause the Fund’s NAV to fluctuate.
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In the event of a counterparty’s (or its affiliate’s) insolvency, the Fund’s ability to exercise remedies, such as the termination of transactions, netting of obligations and realization on collateral, could be stayed or eliminated under new special resolution regimes adopted in the United States, the European Union and various other jurisdictions. Such regimes generally provide government authorities with broad authority to intervene when a financial institution is experiencing financial difficulty. In particular, the regulatory authorities could reduce, eliminate or convert to equity the liabilities to the Fund of a counterparty subject to such proceedings in the European Union (sometimes referred to as a “bail in”).
Credit Risk. Credit risk is the risk that the value of loans or other debt instruments may decline if the borrower or the issuer thereof defaults or otherwise becomes unable or unwilling, or is perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments to the Fund when due. Various factors could affect the actual or perceived willingness or ability of the borrower or the issuer to make timely interest or principal payments, including changes in the financial condition of the borrower or the issuer or in general economic conditions. Debt instruments backed by an issuer's taxing authority may be subject to legal limits on the issuer's power to increase taxes or otherwise to raise revenue, or may be dependent on legislative appropriation or government aid. Certain debt instruments are backed only by revenues derived from a particular project or source, rather than by an issuer's taxing authority, and thus may have a greater risk of default. Credit rating agencies, such as S&P Global Ratings, Moody’s, Fitch, DBRS and KBRA, assign credit ratings to certain loans and debt instruments to indicate their credit risk. A rating downgrade by such agencies can negatively impact the value of such instruments. Lower-rated or unrated loans or instruments held by the Fund may present increased credit risk as compared to higher-rated loans or instruments. Non-investment grade loans or debt instruments may be subject to greater price fluctuations and are more likely to experience a default than investment grade loans or debt instruments and therefore may expose the Fund to increased credit risk. If the Fund purchases unrated loans or instruments, or if the ratings of loans or instruments held by the Fund are lowered after purchase, the Fund will depend on analysis of credit risk more heavily than usual. If the issuer of a loan or debt instrument declares bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, there may be a delay before the Fund can act on the collateral (if any) securing the loan or debt instrument, which may adversely affect the Fund. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan or debt instrument that is adverse to the holders of the loan or debt instrument. Such actions may include invalidating the loan or debt instrument, the lien on the collateral (if any), the priority status of the loan or debt instrument, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan or debt instrument could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan or debt instrument at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans or debt instruments that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure typically involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans or debt instruments of the same borrower.
Cybersecurity Breaches, Systems Failure and Other Business Disruptions Risk. The Fund and its service providers, including the Investment Manager and its affiliate (Ameriprise Financial, which is the Investment Manager’s parent company (together with the Investment Manager, referred to herein as we, us and our)), any investment subadvisers, the Custodian and other service providers, as well as all their underlying service providers (collectively, the Service Providers), are heavily dependent on their respective employees, agents and other personnel (Personnel) and proprietary and third-party technology and infrastructure and related business, operational and information systems, networks, computers, devices, programs, applications, data and functions (collectively, Systems) to perform necessary business activities. The Systems and Personnel that the Fund and the Service Providers rely upon may be vulnerable to significant disruptions and failures, including those relating to or arising from cybersecurity breaches (including intentional acts, e.g., cyber-attacks, hacking, phishing scams, unauthorized payment requests and other social engineering techniques aimed at Personnel or Systems, and unintentional events or activity), attempted cybersecurity breaches, Systems malfunctions, user error, conduct (or misconduct) of or arising from Personnel, and remote access to Systems (particularly important given the increased use of technologies such as the internet to conduct business). The increased use of mobile and cloud technologies and remote work heighten these and other operational risks. In addition, other events or circumstances – whether foreseeable, unforeseeable, or beyond our control, such as acts of war, other conflicts, insurrections, military actions, terrorism, riots, civil unrest including large scale protests, natural disaster, widespread disease, pandemic or other public health crises – may result in, among other things, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss or reduction in Personnel and other resources. In the above circumstances, the Fund’s and the Service Providers’ operations may be significantly impacted, or even temporarily halted. The Fund’s securities market counterparties or vendors may face the same or similar systems failure, cybersecurity breaches and other business disruptions risks.
Systems and Personnel disruptions and failures, particularly cybersecurity breaches, may result in (i) proprietary or confidential information or data including personal investor information (and that of beneficial owners of investors) being lost, withheld for ransom, misused, destroyed, stolen, released, corrupted or rendered unavailable, (ii) unauthorized access to Systems and loss of operational capacity, including from, but not limited to, denial-of-service attacks (i.e., efforts to make network services and other
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Systems unavailable to intended users), and (iii) the misappropriation of Fund or investor assets or sensitive information. Any such events could negatively impact Service Provider Personnel and Systems and may have significant adverse impacts on the Fund and its shareholders.
Systems and Personnel disruptions and failures such as cybersecurity breaches may cause delays or mistakes in materials provided to shareholders and may also interfere with, or negatively impact, the processing of Fund investor transactions, pricing of Fund investments, calculating the Fund’s NAV, and trading within the Fund’s portfolio, while causing or subjecting the Fund to potential financial losses as well as additional compliance, legal, and operational costs. The third-party trading systems relied upon by us (and generally much of the asset management and related industries) are vital to our everyday operations, and despite our and our trading system vendor’s business continuity and recovery plans, such trading systems may fail or be disrupted, which could cause significant harm to our business and Fund shareholders. Such events could negatively impact the Fund, its shareholders and the business, financial condition and performance or results of operations of the Service Providers.
The trend toward broad consumer and general public notification of Systems failures and cybersecurity breaches could exacerbate the harm to the Fund, its shareholders and Service Provider business, financial condition and performance or results of operations. Even if we and the Service Providers successfully protect our respective Systems from failures or cybersecurity breaches, we may incur significant expenses in connection with our responses to any such events or compliance with evolving laws, as well as the need for adoption, implementation and maintenance of appropriate security measures. We could also suffer harm to our business and reputation if attempted or actual cybersecurity breaches are publicized. We and the Service Providers cannot be certain that evolving threats from cyber-criminals and other cyber-threat actors, exploitation of new vulnerabilities in our respective Systems, data thefts, Systems break-ins or other types of inappropriate access will not compromise or breach the technology or other security measures protecting our respective Systems.
We routinely face and address evolving cybersecurity threats and have been able to detect and respond to these incidents to date without a material loss of client financial assets or information through the use of ongoing monitoring and continual improvement of our security capabilities and incident response manual. We have been threatened by phishing and spear phishing scams, social engineering attacks, account takeovers, introductions of malware, attempts at electronic break-ins, and the submission of fraudulent payment requests. Systems failures and cybersecurity breaches may be difficult to detect, may go undetected for long periods or may never be detected. The impact of such events may be compounded over time. Although we evaluate the materiality of all Systems failures and cybersecurity breaches detected, we may conclude that some such events are not material and may choose not to address them. Such conclusions may not prove to be correct.
Although we have established business continuity/disaster recovery plans (Continuity and Recovery Plans) designed to prevent or mitigate the effects of Systems and Personnel disruptions and failures and cybersecurity breaches, there are inherent limitations in Continuity and Recovery Plans. These limitations include the possibility that certain risks have not been identified, that Continuity and Recovery Plans might not – despite testing and monitoring – operate as designed, that Continuity and Recovery Plans may not be sufficient to stop or mitigate negative impacts, including financial losses, or that Continuity and Recovery Plans may otherwise be unable to achieve their objectives. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result. The widespread use of work-from-home arrangements may increase these risks. The Investment Manager and its affiliates have systematically implemented strategies to address the operating environment spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Investment Manager’s operations teams seek to operate without significant disruptions in service. Its Continuity and Recovery Plans take into consideration that a pandemic could be widespread and may occur in multiple waves, affecting different communities at different times with varying levels of severity. The Fund cannot, however, predict the impact that natural or man-made disasters and conditions, including pandemics, may have on the ability of us and the Service Providers to continue ordinary business operations and technology functions over near- or longer-term periods. In addition, the Fund cannot control or dictate the Continuity and Recovery Plans of the Service Providers. As a result, there can be no assurance that the Fund will not suffer financial losses relating to Systems or Personnel disruptions or failures or cybersecurity breaches affecting them or us in the future.
Systems and Personnel disruptions and failures and cybersecurity breaches may necessitate significant investment to repair or replace impacted Systems. In addition, the Fund may incur substantial costs for risk management in connection with failures or interruptions of Systems, Personnel, Continuity and Recovery Plans and cybersecurity defense measures in order to attempt to prevent any such events or incidents in the future, which, if they should occur, may be prolonged and may negatively impact business operations.
Any insurance or other risk-shifting tools available to us in order to manage or mitigate the risks associated with Systems and Personnel disruptions and failures and cybersecurity breaches are generally subject to terms and conditions such as deductibles, coinsurance, limits and policy exclusions, as well as risk of counterparty denial of coverage, default or insolvency. While Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates maintain cyber liability insurance that provides both third-party liability and first-party
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liability coverages, this insurance may not be sufficient to protect us against all losses. In addition, contractual remedies may not be available with respect to Service Providers or may prove inadequate if available (e.g., because of limits on the liability of the Service Providers) to protect the Fund against all losses.
Stock and other market exchanges, financial intermediaries, issuers of, and counterparties to, Fund investments , market makers and authorized participants also may be adversely impacted by Systems and Personnel disruptions and failures and cybersecurity breaches, in their own businesses, subjecting them to the risks described here, as well as other additional or enhanced risks particular to their businesses, which could result in losses to the Fund and its shareholders. Issuers of securities or other instruments in which the Fund invests may also experience Systems and Personnel disruptions and failures and cybersecurity breaches, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers, which may cause the Fund’s investment in such issuers to lose money.
Depositary Receipts Risk. Depositary receipts are receipts issued by a bank or trust company reflecting ownership of underlying securities issued by foreign companies. Some foreign securities are traded in the form of American Depositary Receipts and/or Global Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve risks similar to the risks associated with investments in foreign securities, including those associated with an issuer’s (and any of its related companies’) country of organization and places of business operations, which may be related to the particular political, regulatory, economic, social and other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations and actions, war, other conflicts, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics) occurring in the country and fluctuations in such country’s currency, as well as market risk tied to the underlying foreign company. In addition, holders of depositary receipts may have limited voting rights, may not have the same rights afforded to stockholders of a typical domestic company in the event of a corporate action, such as an acquisition, merger or rights offering, and may experience difficulty in receiving company stockholder communications. There is no guarantee that a financial institution will continue to sponsor a depositary receipt, or that a depositary receipt will continue to trade on an exchange, either of which could adversely affect the liquidity, availability and pricing of the depositary receipt. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of depositary receipts and, therefore, may affect the value of your investment in the Fund. A potential conflict of interest exists to the extent that the Fund invests in ADRs for which the Fund's custodian serves as depository bank. To the extent that the exchange price of a depositary receipt differs from the local price of the underlying security used by the Index, the Fund may be prevented from fully achieving its investment objective of tracking the performance of the Index.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives may involve significant risks. Derivatives are financial instruments, traded on an exchange or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, with a value in relation to, or derived from, the value of an underlying asset(s) (such as a security, commodity or currency) or other reference, such as an index, rate or other economic indicator (each an underlying reference). Derivatives may include those that are privately placed or otherwise exempt from SEC registration, including certain Rule 144A eligible securities. Derivatives could result in Fund losses if the underlying reference does not perform as anticipated. Use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that can involve investment techniques, risks, and tax planning different from those associated with more traditional investment instruments. The Fund’s derivatives strategy may not be successful and use of certain derivatives could result in substantial, potentially unlimited, losses to the Fund regardless of the Fund’s actual investment. A relatively small movement in the price, rate or other economic indicator associated with the underlying reference may result in substantial losses for the Fund. Derivatives may be more volatile than other types of investments. Derivatives can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, including the risk of an adverse credit event associated with the underlying reference (credit risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value, price or rate of the underlying reference (market risk), the risk of an adverse movement in the value of underlying currencies (foreign currency risk) and the risk of an adverse movement in underlying interest rates (interest rate risk). Derivatives may expose the Fund to additional risks, including the risk of loss due to a derivative position that is imperfectly correlated with the underlying reference it is intended to hedge or replicate (correlation risk), the risk that a counterparty will fail to perform as agreed (counterparty risk), the risk that a hedging strategy may fail to mitigate losses, and may offset gains (hedging risk), the risk that the return on an investment may not keep pace with inflation (inflation risk), the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested (leverage risk), the risk that the Fund may be unable to sell an investment at an advantageous time or price (liquidity risk), the risk that the investment may be difficult to value (pricing risk), and the risk that the price or value of the investment fluctuates significantly over short periods of time (volatility risk). The value of derivatives may be influenced by a variety of factors, including national and international political and economic developments. Potential changes to the regulation of the derivatives markets may make derivatives more costly, may limit the market for derivatives, or may otherwise adversely affect the value or performance of derivatives.
Derivatives Risk – Forward Contracts Risk. A forward contract is an over-the-counter derivative transaction between two parties to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying reference at a specified price (or rate) on a specified date in the future. Forward contracts are negotiated on an individual basis and are not standardized or traded on exchanges. The market for forward contracts is substantially unregulated (there is no limit on daily price movements and speculative position limits are not applicable). The principals who deal in certain forward contract markets are not required to continue to make markets in the underlying references in which they trade and these markets can experience periods of illiquidity, sometimes of significant
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duration. There have been periods during which certain participants in forward contract markets have refused to quote prices for certain underlying references or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they were prepared to buy and that at which they were prepared to sell. At or prior to maturity of a forward contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in forward contract prices. The liquidity of the markets for forward contracts depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the market for forwards could be reduced. A relatively small price movement in a forward contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. Forward contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
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A forward foreign currency contract is a derivative (forward contract) in which the underlying reference is a country's or region’s currency. The Fund may agree to buy or sell a country's or region’s currency at a specific price on a specific date in the future. These instruments may fall in value (sometimes dramatically) due to foreign market downswings or foreign currency value fluctuations, subjecting the Fund to foreign currency risk (the risk that Fund performance may be negatively impacted by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund exposes a significant percentage of its assets to currencies other than the U.S. dollar). The effectiveness of any currency hedging strategy by a Fund may be reduced by the Fund’s inability to precisely match forward contract amounts and the value of securities involved. Forward foreign currency contracts used for hedging may also limit any potential gain that might result from an increase or decrease in the value of the currency. Unanticipated changes in the currency markets could result in reduced performance for the Fund. When the Fund converts its foreign currencies into U.S. dollars, it may incur currency conversion costs due to the spread between the prices at which it may buy and sell various currencies in the market.
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A forward interest rate agreement is a derivative whereby the buyer locks in an interest rate at a future settlement date. If the interest rate on the settlement date exceeds the lock rate, the buyer pays the seller the difference between the two rates (based on the notional value of the agreement). If the lock rate exceeds the interest rate on the settlement date, the seller pays the buyer the difference between the two rates (based on the notional value of the agreement). The Fund may act as a buyer or a seller.
Derivatives Risk – Futures Contracts Risk. A futures contract is an exchange-traded derivative transaction between two parties in which a buyer (holding the “long” position) agrees to pay a fixed price (or rate) at a specified future date for delivery of an underlying reference from a seller (holding the “short” position). The seller hopes that the market price on the delivery date is less than the agreed upon price, while the buyer hopes for the contrary. Certain futures contract markets are highly volatile, and futures contracts may be illiquid. Futures exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices by imposing a maximum permissible daily price movement. The Fund may be disadvantaged if it is prohibited from executing a trade outside the daily permissible price movement. At or prior to maturity of a futures contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in futures contract prices. The liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To the extent participants make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced. Positions in futures contracts may be closed out only on the exchange on which they were entered into or through a linked exchange, and no secondary market exists for such contracts. Futures positions are marked to market each day and variation margin payment must be paid to or by the Fund. Because of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, it is possible that the Fund may employ a high degree of leverage in the portfolio. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund, exceeding the amount of the margin paid. For certain types of futures contracts, losses are potentially unlimited. Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV. Futures contracts executed (if any) on foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk, and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
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A bond (or debt instrument) future is a derivative that is an agreement for the contract holder to buy or sell a bond or other debt instrument, a basket of bonds or other debt instruments, or the bonds or other debt instruments in an index on a specified date at a predetermined price. The buyer (long position) of a bond future is obliged to buy the underlying reference at the agreed price on expiry of the future.
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A commodity-linked future is a derivative that is an agreement to buy or sell one or more commodities (such as crude oil, gasoline and natural gas), basket of commodities or indices of commodity futures at a specific date in the future at a specific price.
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A currency future, also an FX future or foreign exchange future, is a derivative that is an agreement to exchange one currency for another at a specified date in the future at a price (exchange rate) that is fixed on the purchase date.
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An equity future is a derivative that is an agreement for the contract holder to buy or sell a specified amount of an individual equity, a basket of equities, or the securities in an equity index on a specified date at a predetermined price.
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An interest rate future is a derivative that is an agreement whereby the buyer and seller agree to the future delivery of an interest-bearing instrument on a specific date at a pre-determined price. Examples include Treasury-bill futures, Treasury-bond futures and Eurodollar futures.
Derivatives Risk – Inverse Floaters Risk. Inverse variable or floating rate obligations, sometimes referred to as inverse floaters, are a type of over-the-counter derivative debt instrument with a variable or floating coupon rate that moves in the opposite direction of an underlying reference, typically short-term interest rates. As short-term interest rates go down, the holders of the inverse floaters receive more income and, as short-term interest rates go up, the holders of the inverse floaters receive less income. Variable rate securities provide for a specified periodic adjustment in the coupon rate, while floating rate securities have a coupon rate that changes whenever there is a change in a designated benchmark index or the issuer’s credit rating. While inverse floaters tend to provide more income than similar term and credit quality fixed-rate bonds, they also exhibit greater volatility in price movement, which could result in significant losses for the Fund. An inverse floater may have the effect of investment leverage to the extent that its coupon rate varies by a magnitude that exceeds the magnitude of the change in the index or reference rate of interest, which could result in increased losses for the Fund. There is a risk that the current interest rate on variable and floating rate instruments may not accurately reflect current market interest rates or adequately compensate the holder for the current creditworthiness of the issuer. Some inverse floaters are structured with liquidity features and may include market-dependent liquidity features that may expose the Fund to greater liquidity risk. Inverse floaters can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Options Risk. Options are derivatives that give the purchaser the option to buy (call) or sell (put) an underlying reference from or to a counterparty at a specified price (the strike price) on or before an expiration date. The Fund may purchase or write (i.e., sell) put and call options on an underlying reference it is otherwise permitted to invest in. When writing options, the Fund is exposed to the risk that it may be required to buy or sell the underlying reference at a disadvantageous price on or before the expiration date. If the Fund sells a put option, the Fund may be required to buy the underlying reference at a strike price that is above market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option, the Fund may be required to sell the underlying reference at a strike price that is below market price, resulting in a loss. If the Fund sells a call option that is not covered (it does not own the underlying reference), the Fund's losses are potentially unlimited. Options may involve economic leverage, which could result in greater volatility in price movement. Options may be traded on a securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market. At or prior to maturity of an options contract, the Fund may enter into an offsetting contract and may incur a loss to the extent there has been adverse movement in options prices. Options can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
Derivatives Risk – Structured Investments Risk. Structured investments are over-the-counter derivatives that provide principal and/or interest payments based on the value of an underlying reference(s). Structured investments typically provide interest income, thereby offering a potential yield advantage over investing directly in an underlying reference. Structured investments may lack a liquid secondary market and their prices or value can be volatile which could result in significant losses for the Fund. In some cases, depending on its terms, a structured investment may provide that principal and/or interest payments may be adjusted below zero resulting in a potential loss of principal and/or interest payments. Additionally, the particular terms of a structured investment may create economic leverage by requiring payment by the issuer of an amount that is a multiple of the price change of the underlying reference. Economic leverage will increase the volatility of structured investment prices, and could result in increased losses for the Fund. The Fund’s use of structured instruments may not work as intended. If structured investments are used to reduce the duration of the Fund’s portfolio, this may limit the Fund’s return when having a longer duration would be beneficial (for instance, when interest rates decline). Structured investments can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
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A commodity-linked structured note is a derivative (structured investment) that has principal and/or interest payments based on the market price of one or more particular commodities (such as crude oil, gasoline and natural gas), a basket of commodities, indices of commodity futures or other economic variable. If payment of interest on a commodity-linked structured note is linked to the value of a particular commodity, basket of commodities, commodity index or other economic variable, the Fund might receive lower interest payments (or not receive any of the interest due) on its investments if there is a loss of value in the underlying reference. Further, to the extent that the amount of principal to be repaid upon maturity is
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linked to the value of a particular commodity, basket of commodities, commodity index or other economic variable, the Fund might not receive a portion (or any) of the principal at maturity of the investment or upon earlier exchange. At any time, the risk of loss associated with a particular structured note in the Fund’s portfolio may be significantly higher than the value of the note. A liquid secondary market may not exist for the commodity-linked structured notes held in the Fund’s portfolio, which may make it difficult for the notes to be sold at a price acceptable to the portfolio managers or for the Fund to accurately value them.
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An equity-linked note (ELN) is a derivative (structured investment) that has principal and/or interest payments based on the value of a single equity security, a basket of equity securities, or an index of equity securities, and generally has risks similar to these underlying equity securities. ELNs may be leveraged or unleveraged. An ELN typically provides interest income, thereby offering a yield advantage over investing directly in an underlying equity. The Fund may purchase ELNs that trade on a securities exchange or those that trade on the over-the-counter markets, as well as in privately negotiated transactions with the issuer of the ELN. Investments in ELNs are also subject to liquidity risk, which may make ELNs difficult to sell and value. The liquidity of unlisted ELNs is normally determined by the willingness of the issuer to make a market in the ELN. While the Fund will seek to purchase ELNs only from issuers that it believes to be willing and able to repurchase the ELN at a reasonable price, there can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to sell at such a price. Furthermore, such inability to sell may impair the Fund’s ability to enter into other transactions at a time when doing so might be advantageous. The Fund’s investments in ELNs have the potential to lead to significant losses, including the amount the Fund invested in the ELN, because ELNs are subject to the market and volatility risks associated with their underlying equity. In addition, because ELNs often take the form of unsecured notes of the issuer, the Fund would be subject to the risk that the issuer may default on its obligations under the ELN, thereby subjecting the Fund to the further risk of being too concentrated in the securities (including ELNs) of that issuer. However, the Fund typically considers ELNs alongside other securities of the issuer in its assessment of issuer concentration risk. In addition, ELNs may exhibit price behavior that does not correlate with the underlying securities. ELNs may also be subject to leverage risk. The Fund may or may not hold an ELN until its maturity. ELNs also include participation notes.
Derivatives Risk – Swaps Risk. In a typical swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return earned on a specified underlying reference for a fixed return or the return from another underlying reference during a specified period of time. Swaps may be difficult to value and may be illiquid. Swaps could result in Fund losses if the underlying asset or reference does not perform as anticipated. Swaps create significant investment leverage such that a relatively small price movement in a swap may result in immediate and substantial losses to the Fund. The Fund may only close out a swap with its particular counterparty, and may only transfer a position with the consent of that counterparty. Certain swaps, such as short swap transactions and total return swaps, have the potential for unlimited losses, regardless of the size of the initial position. Swaps can increase the Fund’s risk exposure to underlying references and their attendant risks, such as credit risk, market risk, foreign currency risk, and interest rate risk, while also exposing the Fund to correlation risk, counterparty risk, hedging risk, inflation risk, leverage risk, liquidity risk, pricing risk and volatility risk.
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A commodity-linked swap is a derivative (swap) that is an agreement where the underlying reference is the market price of one or more particular commodities (such as crude oil, gasoline and natural gas), basket of commodities or indices of commodity futures.
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A credit default swap (including a swap on a credit default index, sometimes referred to as a credit default swap index) is a derivative and special type of swap where one party pays, in effect, an insurance premium through a stream of payments to another party in exchange for the right to receive a specified return upon the occurrence of a particular credit event by one or more third parties, such as bankruptcy, default or a similar event. A credit default swap may be embedded within a structured note or other derivative instrument. Credit default swaps enable an investor to buy or sell protection against such a credit event (such as an issuer’s bankruptcy, restructuring or failure to make timely payments of interest or principal). Credit default swap indices are indices that reflect the performance of a basket of credit default swaps and are subject to the same risks as credit default swaps. If such a default were to occur, any contractual remedies that the Fund may have may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could delay or limit the Fund's recovery. Thus, if the counterparty under a credit default swap defaults on its obligation to make payments thereunder, as a result of its bankruptcy or otherwise, the Fund may lose such payments altogether, or collect only a portion thereof, which collection could involve costs or delays. The Fund’s return from investment in a credit default swap index may not match the return of the referenced index. Further, investment in a credit default swap index could result in losses if the referenced index does not perform as expected. Unexpected changes in the composition of the index may also affect performance of the credit default swap index. If a referenced index has a dramatic intraday move that causes a material decline in the Fund’s net assets, the terms of the Fund’s credit default swap index may permit the counterparty to immediately close out the transaction. In that event, the Fund may be unable to enter into another credit default swap index or otherwise achieve desired exposure, even if the referenced index reverses all or a portion of its intraday move.
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An inflation rate swap is a derivative typically used to transfer inflation risk from one party to another through an exchange of cash flows. In an inflation rate swap, one party pays a fixed rate on a notional principal amount, while the other party pays a floating rate linked to an inflation index, such as the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
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An interest rate swap is a derivative in which two parties agree to exchange interest rate cash flows, based on a specified notional amount from a fixed rate to a floating rate (or vice versa) or from one floating rate to another. Interest rate swaps can be based on various measures of interest rates, including swap rates, treasury rates, foreign interest rates and other reference rates.
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Total return swaps are derivative swap transactions in which one party agrees to pay the other party an amount equal to the total return of a defined underlying reference during a specified period of time. In return, the other party would make periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or on the total return of a different underlying reference.
Derivatives Risk – Swaptions Risk. A swaption is an options contract on a swap agreement. These transactions give the purchasing party the right (but not the obligation) to enter into new swap agreements or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement at some designated future time on specified terms, in return for payment of the purchase price (the “premium”) of the option. The Fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call swaptions to the same extent it may make use of standard options on securities or other instruments. The writer of the contract receives the premium and bears the risk of unfavorable changes in the market value on the underlying swap agreement. Swaptions can be bundled and sold as a package. These are commonly called interest rate caps, floors and collars.
Distressed Securities Risk. The Fund may purchase distressed securities of business enterprises involved in workouts, liquidations, reorganizations, bankruptcies and similar situations. Since there is typically substantial uncertainty concerning the outcome of transactions involving business enterprises in these situations, there is a high degree of risk of loss, including loss of the entire investment.
In bankruptcy, there can be considerable delay in reaching accord on a restructuring plan acceptable to a bankrupt company’s lenders, bondholders and other creditors and then obtaining the approval of the bankruptcy court. Such delays could result in substantial losses to the investments in such company’s securities or obligations. Moreover, there is no assurance that a plan favorable to the class of securities held by the Fund will be adopted or that the subject company might not eventually be liquidated rather than reorganized.
In liquidations (both in and out of bankruptcy) and other forms of corporate reorganization, there exists the risk that the reorganization either will be unsuccessful, will be delayed or will result in a distribution of cash or a new security, the value of which will be less than the purchase price of the security in respect of which such distribution is received. It may be difficult to obtain accurate information concerning a company in financial distress, with the result that the analysis and valuation are especially difficult. The market for securities of such companies tends to be illiquid and sales may be possible only at substantial discounts.
Early/Late Close/Trading Halt Risk. An exchange or market may close early, close late or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities may be restricted, which may result in the Fund being unable to buy or sell these securities. In these circumstances, the Fund may be unable to rebalance and/or reconstitute its portfolio (as applicable), may be unable to accurately price its investments, may incur substantial trading losses and/or may be prevented from sufficiently tracking the performance of the Index. There may be circumstances where a security held in a semi-transparent Fund’s portfolio but not in the Tracking Basket does not have readily available market quotations. If the Investment Manager determines that such circumstance may affect the reliability of the Tracking Basket as an arbitrage vehicle, that information, along with the identity and weighting of that security in the semi-transparent Fund’s portfolio, will be publicly disclosed on the semi-transparent Fund’s website and the Investment Manager will assess appropriate remedial measures. In these circumstances, market participants may use this information to engage in certain predatory trading practices that may have the potential to harm the semi-transparent Fund and its shareholders. If securities representing 10% or more of the semi-transparent Fund’s portfolio do not have readily available market quotations, the Investment Manager would promptly request the Exchange to halt trading on the semi-transparent Fund, meaning that investors would not be able to trade semi-transparent Fund shares.
Emerging Market Securities Risk. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in emerging market countries, such as China, Russia and certain countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, are more likely to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk. In addition, emerging market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political, economic or other conditions. Their economies are usually less mature and their securities markets are typically less developed with more limited trading activity (i.e., lower trading volumes and less liquidity) than more developed countries. Emerging market securities tend to be more volatile, and may be more susceptible to market manipulation, than securities in more developed markets. Many emerging market countries are heavily dependent on international trade and have fewer trading partners, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns in other countries. Some
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emerging market countries have a higher risk of currency devaluations, and some of these countries may experience periods of high inflation or rapid changes in inflation rates and may have hostile relations with other countries. Due to the differences in the nature and quality of financial information of issuers of emerging market securities, including auditing and financial reporting standards, financial information and disclosures about such issuers may be unavailable or, if made available, may be considerably less reliable than publicly available information about other foreign securities. The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, which regulates auditors of U.S. public companies, is unable to inspect audit work papers in certain foreign countries. Investors in foreign countries often have limited rights and few practical remedies to pursue shareholder claims, including class actions or fraud claims, and the ability of the SEC, the U.S. Department of Justice and other authorities to bring and enforce actions against foreign issuers or foreign persons is limited.
Operational and Settlement Risks of Securities in Emerging Markets. In addition to having less developed securities markets, banks in emerging markets that are eligible foreign sub-custodians may be recently organized, lack extensive operating experience or lack effective government oversight or regulation. In addition, there may be legal restrictions or limitations on the ability of the Fund to recover assets held in custody by a foreign sub-custodian in the event of the bankruptcy of the sub-custodian. Because settlement systems may be less organized than in developed markets and because delivery versus payment settlement may not be possible or reliable, there may be a greater risk that settlement may be delayed and that cash or securities of the Fund may be lost because of failures of or defects in the system, including fraud or corruption. Settlement systems in emerging markets also have a higher risk of failed trades.
Risks Related to Currencies and Corporate Actions in Emerging Markets. Risks related to currencies and corporate actions are also greater in emerging market countries than in developed countries. For example, some emerging market countries may have fixed or managed currencies that are not free-floating against the U.S. dollar. Further, certain currencies may not have an active trading market internationally, or countries may have varying exchange rates. Some emerging market countries have a higher risk of currency devaluations, and some of these countries may experience sustained periods of high inflation or rapid changes in inflation rates which can have negative effects on a country’s economy and securities markets. Corporate action procedures in emerging market countries may be less reliable and have limited or no involvement by the depositories and central banks. Lack of standard practices and payment systems can lead to significant delays in payment.
Risks Related to Corporate and Securities Laws in Emerging Markets. Securities laws in emerging markets may be relatively new and unsettled and, consequently, there is a risk of rapid and unpredictable change in laws regarding foreign investment, securities regulation, title to securities and shareholder rights. Accordingly, foreign investors may be adversely affected by new or amended laws and regulations. In addition, the systems of corporate governance to which issuers in certain emerging markets are subject may be less advanced than the systems to which issuers located in more developed countries are subject, and therefore, shareholders of such issuers may not receive many of the protections available to shareholders of issuers located in more developed countries. These risks may be heightened in China and Russia.
Risks of Investments in Russia. A Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities issued by companies located in Russia. The Russian securities market is exposed to a variety of risks described above in “Emerging Market Securities Risk” not encountered in more developed markets. The Russian securities market is relatively new, and a substantial portion of securities transactions are privately negotiated outside of stock exchanges. The inexperience of the Russian securities market and the limited volume of trading in securities in the market may make obtaining accurate prices on portfolio securities from independent sources more difficult than in more developed markets.
Because of the recent formation of the Russian securities markets, the relatively underdeveloped state of Russia’s banking and telecommunication systems and the legal and regulatory framework in Russia, settlement, clearing and registration of securities transactions are subject to additional risks. Prior to 2013, there was no central registration system for equity share registration in Russia and registration was carried out either by the issuers themselves or by registrars located throughout Russia. These registrars may not have been subject to effective state supervision or licensed with any governmental entity. In 2013, Russia established the National Settlement Depository (NSD) as a recognized central securities depository, and title to Russian equities is now based on the records of the NSD and not on the records of the local registrars. The implementation of the NSD is generally expected to decrease the risk of loss in connection with recording and transferring title to securities; however, loss may still occur. Additionally, issuers and registrars remain prominent in the validation and approval of documentation requirements for corporate action processing in Russia, and there remain inconsistent market standards in the Russian market with respect to the completion and submission of corporate action elections. To the extent that the Fund suffers a loss relating to title or corporate actions relating to its portfolio securities, it may be difficult for the Fund to enforce its rights or otherwise remedy the loss.
In addition, Russia also may attempt to assert its influence in the region through economic or military measures, as it did with Georgia in the summer of 2008 and Ukraine in 2014 and 2022. Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, significantly amplifying already existing geopolitical tensions. The extent and duration of the military action, the resulting sanctions or other punitive actions and the resulting future market disruptions, including declines in its stock markets,
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the value of Russian sovereign debt and the value of the ruble against the U.S. dollar, are impossible to predict, but have been and could continue to be significant. Any such disruptions caused by Russian military action or other hostile actions (including cyberattacks and espionage) or resulting actual and threatened responses to such activity, including potential widening of the scope of the conflict, purchasing and financing restrictions, potential suspension of trading Russian securities on stock exchanges, boycotts or changes in consumer or purchaser preferences, sanctions, tariffs or cyberattacks on the Russian government, Russian companies or Russian individuals, including politicians, have impacted and may continue to impact Russia’s economy and Russian issuers of securities in which the Fund invests. Actual and threatened responses to such military action have impacted, and may continue to impact the markets for certain Russian commodities, such as oil and natural gas, as well as other sectors of the Russian economy, and may likely have collateral impacts on such sectors globally. Further, several large corporations and U.S. states have announced plans to divest interests or otherwise curtail business dealings with certain Russian businesses.
Governments in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union and many other countries (collectively, the Sanctioning Bodies) have imposed broad-ranging economic sanctions, including banning Russia from global payments systems that facilitate cross-border payments, prohibiting certain securities trades and certain private transactions in the energy sector, asset freezes and prohibition of all business, against certain Russian individuals (including politicians) both inside Russia and globally, as well as Russian corporate and banking entities. The Sanctioning Bodies, and/or others, could also institute or threaten further sanctions, which may result in the decline of the value and liquidity of Russian securities, further downgrades in the credit ratings of Russia or Russian issuers, a further weakening of the ruble or other adverse consequences for the Russian economy. These sanctions may include the immediate freeze of Russian securities and/or funds invested in prohibited assets, impairing the ability of a Fund to buy, sell, receive or deliver those securities and/or assets. Sanctions may also result in Russia taking countermeasures or retaliatory actions which may further impair the value and liquidity of Russian securities. For instance, in response to sanctions, the government of Russia imposed capital controls to restrict movements of capital entering and exiting the country and the Russian Central Bank suspended the sales of Russian securities by non-residents of Russia on its local stock exchange. Any market disruptions caused by Russian military action, resulting sanctions and/or countermeasures or actions thereto may magnify the impact of other risks to the Fund. Market events are rapidly evolving and present uncertainty and risk with respect to markets globally and the performance of the Fund and its investments could be negatively impacted.
China Bond Connect Risk. The risks noted here are in addition to the risks described under Emerging Market Securities Risk. Chinese debt instruments trade on the China Interbank Bond Market (CIBM) and may be purchased through a market access program that is designed to, among other things, enable foreign investment in the People’s Republic of China (Bond Connect). There are significant risks inherent in investing in Chinese debt instruments, similar to the risks of investing in other fixed-income securities in emerging markets. The prices of debt instruments traded on the CIBM may fluctuate significantly due to low trading volume and potential lack of liquidity. The rules to access debt instruments that trade on the CIBM through Bond Connect are relatively new and subject to change, which may adversely affect a Fund’s ability to invest in these instruments and to enforce its rights as a beneficial owner of these instruments. Trading through Bond Connect is subject to a number of restrictions that may affect a Fund’s investments and returns. In addition, securities offered through Bond Connect may lose their eligibility for trading through the program at any time. If Bond Connect securities lose their eligibility for trading through the program, they may be sold but can no longer be purchased through Bond Connect. There can be no assurance as to the program’s continued existence or whether future developments regarding the program may restrict or adversely affect a Fund’s investments or returns.
Investments made through Bond Connect are subject to order, clearance and settlement procedures that are relatively untested in China, which could pose risks to a Fund. CIBM does not support all trading strategies (such as short selling) and investments in Chinese debt instruments that trade on the CIBM are subject to the risks of suspension of trading without cause or notice, trade failure or trade rejection and default of securities depositories and counterparties. Furthermore, Chinese debt instruments purchased via Bond Connect will be held via a book entry omnibus account in the name of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority Central Moneymarkets Unit (CMU) maintained with a China-based depository (either the China Central Depository & Clearing Co. (CCDC) or the Shanghai Clearing House (SCH)). A Fund’s ownership interest in these Chinese debt instruments will not be reflected directly in book entry with CCDC or SCH and will instead only be reflected on the books of a Fund’s Hong Kong sub-custodian. Therefore, a Fund’s ability to enforce its rights as a bondholder may depend on CMU’s ability or willingness as record-holder of the bonds to enforce a Fund’s rights as a bondholder. Additionally, the omnibus manner in which Chinese debt instruments are held could expose a Fund to the credit risk of the relevant securities depositories and a Fund’s Hong Kong sub-custodian. While a Fund holds a beneficial interest in the instruments it acquires through Bond Connect, the mechanisms that beneficial owners may use to enforce their rights are untested. In addition, courts in China have limited experience in applying the concept of beneficial ownership. Moreover, Chinese debt instruments acquired through Bond Connect generally may not be sold, purchased or otherwise transferred other than through Bond Connect in accordance with applicable rules.
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A Fund’s investments in Chinese debt instruments acquired through Bond Connect are generally subject to a number of regulations and restrictions, including Chinese securities regulations and listing rules, loss recovery limitations and disclosure of interest reporting obligations. A Fund will not benefit from access to Hong Kong investor compensation funds, which are set up to protect against defaults of trades, when investing through Bond Connect.
Bond Connect can only operate when both China and Hong Kong markets are open for trading and when banking services are available in both markets on the corresponding settlement days. In addition, the trading, settlement and IT systems required for non-Chinese investors in Bond Connect are relatively new. In the event of systems malfunctions or extreme market conditions, trading via Bond Connect could be disrupted. The rules applicable to taxation of Chinese debt instruments acquired through Bond Connect remain subject to further clarification. Uncertainties in the Chinese tax rules governing taxation of income and gains from investments via Bond Connect could result in unexpected tax liabilities for a Fund, which may negatively affect investment returns for shareholders. Bond Connect trades are settled in Chinese Renminbi (RMB), and investors must have timely access to a reliable supply of RMB in Hong Kong, which cannot be guaranteed.
China Stock Connect Risk. The risks noted here are in addition to the risks described under “Emerging Market Securities Risk”. A Fund may, directly or indirectly (through, for example, participatory notes or other types of equity-linked notes), purchase shares in mainland China-based companies that trade on Chinese stock exchanges such as the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (China A-Shares) through the Shanghai and Shenzhen – Hong Kong Stock Connect (China Stock Connect), or that may be available in the future through additional stock connect programs, a mutual market access program designed to, among other things, enable foreign investment in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) via brokers in Hong Kong. There are significant risks inherent in investing in China A-Shares through China Stock Connect. The underdeveloped state of PRC’s investment and banking systems subjects the settlement, clearing, and registration of securities transactions to heightened risks. Specifically, trading can be affected by a number of issues. China Stock Connect can only operate when both PRC and Hong Kong markets are open for trading and when banking services are available in both markets on the corresponding settlement days. As such, if one or both markets are closed on a U.S. trading day, a Fund may not be able to dispose of its shares in a timely manner, which could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. Because China Stock Connect is relatively new, its effects on the market for trading China A-shares are uncertain. In addition, the trading, settlement and information technology (IT) systems required to operate China Stock Connect are relatively new and continuing to evolve. In the event that the relevant systems do not function properly, trading through China Stock Connect could be disrupted.
PRC regulations require that, in order to sell its China A-Shares, a Fund must pre-deliver the China A-Shares to a broker. If the China A-Shares are not in the broker’s possession before the market opens on the day of sale, the sell order will be rejected. This requirement could also limit a Fund’s ability to dispose of its China A-Shares purchased through China Stock Connect in a timely manner. Additionally, China Stock Connect is subject to daily quota limitations on purchases in the PRC. Once the daily quota is reached, orders to purchase additional China A-Shares through China Stock Connect will be rejected. A Fund’s investment in China A-Shares may only be traded through China Stock Connect and is not otherwise transferable. China Stock Connect utilizes an omnibus clearing structure, and the Fund’s shares will be registered in its custodian’s name on the Central Clearing and Settlement System. This may limit the ability of the Investment Manager (and/or any subadviser, as the case may be) to effectively manage a Fund, and may expose the Fund to the credit risk of its custodian or to greater risk of expropriation. Investment in China A-Shares through China Stock Connect may be available only through a single broker that is an affiliate of the Fund’s custodian, which may affect the quality of execution provided by such broker. China Stock Connect restrictions could also limit the ability of a Fund to sell its China A-Shares in a timely manner, or to sell them at all. Further, different fees, costs and taxes are imposed on foreign investors acquiring China A-Shares acquired through China Stock Connect, and these fees, costs and taxes may be higher than comparable fees, costs and taxes imposed on owners of other securities providing similar investment exposure.
Environmental, Social and Governance Investment Research Tools Risk. Applicable to International Equity Income ETF and U.S. Equity Income ETF. The Investment Manager’s proprietary ESGM Ratings system and screens are subjective (based on the Investment Manager’s opinion) research tools incorporated into the investment selection process. These research tools may not operate as intended and may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies. Fund performance will depend on the quality and accuracy of the assumptions and framework (which may be amended over time) on which these research tools are based. Fund performance will also depend on the accuracy and availability of data that the research tools employ and such data may be based on proprietary research, based on third-party research, or by the issuers themselves (which also may be based upon data obtained from third parties). Any errors in the data could adversely affect these research tools and Fund performance.
These research tools depend, in part, upon subjective selection and application of factors and data inputs. The Investment Manager has discretion to determine the data collected and incorporated into these research tools, as well as in interpreting and applying the data used in these research tools. It is not practicable for these research tools to factor in all available data, and no assurance can be given that such data will be helpful or be free from errors. Information the Investment Manager deems sufficient to calculate a company’s ESGM Rating may not be available for certain companies.
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Event-Driven Trading Risk. The Fund may seek to profit from the occurrence of specific corporate or other events. A delay in the timing of these events, or the failure of these events to occur at all, may have a significant negative effect on the Fund’s performance.
Event-driven investing requires the portfolio managers to make predictions about (i) the likelihood that an event will occur and (ii) the impact such event will have on the value of a company’s securities. If the event fails to occur or it does not have the effect foreseen, losses can result. For example, the adoption of new business strategies, a meaningful change in management or the sale of a division or other significant assets by a company may not be valued as highly by the market as the portfolio managers had anticipated, resulting in losses. In addition, a company may announce a plan of restructuring which promises to enhance value and fail to implement it, resulting in losses to investors.
Event-Linked Instruments Risk. The Fund may seek to profit from investment in debt securities whose performance is linked to the occurrence of specific “trigger” events, such as a hurricane, earthquake, or other physical or weather-related phenomena. If a trigger event causes losses exceeding a specific amount in the geographic region and time period specified in a bond, the Fund may lose a portion or all of its principal invested in the bond or suffer a reduction in credited interest. Some event-linked bonds have features that delay the return of capital upon the occurrence of a specified event; in these cases, whether or not there is loss of capital or interest, the return on the investment may be significantly lower during the extension period. Bonds commonly referred to as “catastrophe bonds” are a type of event-linked instrument in which the Fund may invest. Catastrophe bonds may be issued by government agencies, insurance companies, reinsurers, special purpose corporations or other on-shore or off-shore entities (such special purpose entities are created to accomplish a narrow and well-defined objective, such as the issuance of a note in connection with a reinsurance transaction). The return on these securities is tied primarily to property insurance risk and is analogous to underwriting insurance in certain circumstances. By isolating insurance risk, these securities are largely uncorrelated to other more traditional investments. Risks associated with investment in catastrophe bonds would include, for example, a major hurricane or similar catastrophe striking a heavily populated area of the East Coast of the United States or a major earthquake with an epicenter in an urban area on the West Coast of the United States. In addition to specified trigger events, catastrophe bonds may expose the Fund to other risks, such as credit risk (the risk that the issuer of a debt instrument will default or otherwise become unable, or be perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor a financial obligation, such as making payments to the Fund when due), counterparty risk (the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund), adverse regulatory or jurisdictional interpretations, adverse tax consequences, liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price), and foreign currency risk (the risk that Fund performance may be negatively impacted by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund exposes a significant percentage of its assets to currencies other than the U.S. dollar). Event-linked exposure often provides for an extension of maturity to process and audit loss claims where a trigger event has, or possibly has, occurred. An extension of maturity may increase volatility. From time to time, the volume of catastrophe bonds available in the market may be insufficient to enable the Fund to invest as great a percentage of its assets in catastrophe bonds as it would like.
Focused Portfolio Risk. The Fund, because it may invest in a limited number of companies, may have more volatility in its NAV and is considered to have more risk than a fund that invests in a greater number of companies because changes in the value of a single security may have a more significant effect, either negative or positive, on the Fund’s NAV. To the extent the Fund invests its assets in fewer securities, the Fund is subject to greater risk of loss if any of those securities decline in price.
Foreign Currency Risk. The performance of the Fund may be materially affected positively or negatively by foreign currency strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly if the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa. Restrictions on currency trading may be imposed by foreign countries, which may adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Even though the currencies of some countries may be pegged to the U.S. dollar, the conversion rate may be controlled by government regulation or intervention at levels significantly different than what would normally prevail in a free market. Significant revaluations of the U.S. dollar exchange rate of these currencies could cause substantial reductions in the Fund’s NAV.
Foreign Currency-Related Tax Risk. As a regulated investment company (RIC), the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from sources treated as “qualifying income” under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The Fund may gain exposure to local currency markets through forward currency contracts. Although foreign currency gains currently constitute “qualifying income,” the Internal Revenue Service has the authority to issue regulations excluding from the definition of “qualifying income” a RIC’s foreign currency gains not “directly related” to its “principal business” of investing in stock or securities (or options and futures with respect thereto). Such regulations might treat gains from some of the
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Fund’s foreign currency-denominated positions as not qualifying income and there is a possibility that such regulations might be applied retroactively, in which case, the Fund might not qualify as a RIC for one or more years. In the event the Internal Revenue Service issues such regulations, the Fund’s Board may authorize a significant change in investment strategy or the Fund’s liquidation.
Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in or exposure to securities of foreign companies may involve heightened risks relative to investments in or exposure to securities of U.S. companies. For example, foreign markets can be extremely volatile. Foreign securities may also be less liquid, making them more difficult to trade, than securities of U.S. companies so that the Fund may, at times, be unable to sell foreign securities at desirable times or prices. Brokerage commissions, custodial costs and other fees are also generally higher for foreign securities. The Fund may have limited or no legal recourse in the event of default with respect to certain foreign securities, including those issued by foreign governments. In addition, foreign governments may impose withholding or other taxes on the Fund’s income, capital gains or proceeds from the disposition of foreign securities, which could reduce the Fund’s return on such securities. In some cases, such withholding or other taxes could potentially be confiscatory. Other risks include: possible delays in the settlement of transactions or in the payment of income; generally less publicly available information about foreign companies; the impact of economic, political, social, diplomatic or other conditions or events (including, for example, military confrontations and actions, war, other conflicts, terrorism and disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics), possible seizure, expropriation or nationalization of a company or its assets or the assets of a particular investor or category of investors; accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards that may be less comprehensive and stringent than those applicable to domestic companies; the imposition of economic and other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country; and the generally less stringent standard of care to which local agents may be held in the local markets. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain reliable information about the securities and business operations of certain foreign issuers. Governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the level of risks. Economic sanctions may be, and have been, imposed against certain countries, organizations, companies, entities and/or individuals. Economic sanctions and other similar governmental actions could, among other things, effectively restrict or eliminate the Fund’s ability to purchase or sell securities, and thus may make the Fund’s investments in such securities less liquid or more difficult to value. In addition, as a result of economic sanctions, the Fund may be forced to sell or otherwise dispose of investments at inopportune times or prices, which could result in losses to the Fund and increased transaction costs. These conditions may be in place for a substantial period of time and enacted with limited advance notice to the Fund. The risks posed by sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals or industries or businesses within the country may be heightened to the extent the Fund invests significantly in the affected country or region or in issuers from the affected country that depend on global markets. Additionally, investments in certain countries may subject the Fund to a number of tax rules, the application of which may be uncertain. Countries may amend or revise their existing tax laws, regulations and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in or uncertainties regarding the laws, regulations or procedures of a country could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies located in such countries in which the Fund invests, or result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. The performance of the Fund may also be negatively affected by fluctuations in a foreign currency's strength or weakness relative to the U.S. dollar, particularly to the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in foreign securities or other assets denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short or long periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates, imposition of currency exchange controls and economic or political developments in the U.S. or abroad. The Fund may also incur currency conversion costs when converting foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa. Additionally, foreign investments of the Funds may trade in markets that may not be open on the same day or at the same time as the Fund, or foreign markets may close after the Fund has calculated its NAV for a given business day, which may cause a difference in the market price of such foreign securities and the value attributed to such securities by the Fund which in turn may result in a greater premium or discount between the market price and the NAV of the Fund's shares and/or wider bid/ask spreads than those experienced by other ETFs.
Operational and Settlement Risks of Foreign Securities. The Fund’s foreign securities are generally held outside the United States in the primary market for the securities in the custody of certain eligible foreign banks and trust companies (foreign sub-custodians), as permitted under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act). Settlement practices for foreign securities may differ from those in the United States. Some countries have limited governmental oversight and regulation of industry practices, stock exchanges, depositories, registrars, brokers and listed companies, which increases the risk of corruption and fraud and the possibility of losses to the Fund. In particular, under certain circumstances, foreign securities may settle on a delayed delivery basis, meaning that the Fund may be required to make payment for securities before the Fund has actually received delivery of the securities or deliver securities prior to the receipt of payment. Typically, in these cases, the Fund will receive evidence of ownership in accordance with the generally accepted settlement practices in the local market entitling the Fund to delivery or payment at a future date, but there is a risk that the security will not be delivered to the Fund or that payment
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will not be received, although the Fund and its foreign sub-custodians take reasonable precautions to mitigate this risk. Losses can also result from lost, stolen or counterfeit securities; defaults by brokers and banks; failures or defects of the settlement system; or poor and improper record keeping by registrars and issuers.
Share Blocking. Share blocking refers to a practice in certain foreign markets under which an issuer’s securities are blocked from trading at the custodian or sub-custodian level for a specified number of days before and, in certain instances, after a shareholder meeting where a vote of shareholders takes place. The blocking period can last up to several weeks. Share blocking may prevent the Fund from buying or selling securities during this period, because during the time shares are blocked, trades in such securities will not settle. It may be difficult or impossible to lift blocking restrictions, with the particular requirements varying widely by country. As a consequence of these restrictions, the Investment Manager, on behalf of the Fund, may abstain from voting proxies in markets that require share blocking.
Forward Commitments on Mortgage-Backed Securities (including Dollar Rolls) Risk. When purchasing mortgage-backed securities in the “to be announced” (TBA) market (MBS TBAs), the seller agrees to deliver mortgage-backed securities for an agreed upon price on an agreed upon date, but may make no guarantee as to the specific securities to be delivered. In lieu of taking delivery of mortgage-backed securities, the Fund could enter into dollar rolls, which are transactions in which the Fund sells securities to a counterparty and simultaneously agrees to purchase those or similar securities in the future at a predetermined price. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase may decline below the repurchase price, or that the counterparty may default on its obligations. These transactions may also increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. If the Fund reinvests the proceeds of the security sold, the Fund will also be subject to the risk that the investments purchased with such proceeds will decline in value (a form of leverage risk). MBS TBAs and dollar rolls are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the transaction may not perform or be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Frontier Market Risk. Frontier market countries generally have smaller economies and even less developed capital markets than typical emerging market countries (which themselves have increased investment risk relative to more developed market countries) and, as a result, the Fund’s exposure to risks associated with investing in emerging market countries are magnified when the Fund invests in frontier market countries. The increased risks include: the potential for extreme price volatility and illiquidity in frontier market countries; government ownership or control of parts of the private sector and of certain companies; trade barriers, exchange controls, managed adjustments in relative currency values and other protectionist measures imposed or negotiated by the countries with which frontier market countries trade; and the relatively new and unsettled securities laws in many frontier market countries. In addition, frontier market countries are more likely to experience instability resulting, for example, from rapid changes or developments in social, political and economic conditions. Many frontier market countries are heavily dependent on international trade, which makes them more sensitive to world commodity prices and economic downturns and other conditions in other countries. Some frontier market countries have a higher risk of currency devaluations, and some of these countries may experience periods of high inflation or rapid changes in inflation rates and may have hostile relations with other countries. Securities issued by foreign governments or companies in frontier market countries are even more likely than emerging markets securities to have greater exposure to the risks of investing in foreign securities that are described in Foreign Securities Risk.
Fund Shares Liquidity Risk. Although the Fund’s shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active, liquid or otherwise orderly trading market for shares will be established or maintained by market makers or Authorized Participants, particularly in times of stressed market conditions. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be able to attract market makers and Authorized Participants. There is no obligation for market makers to make a market in the Fund’s shares or for Authorized Participants to submit purchase or redemption orders for creation units. Accordingly, if such parties determine not to perform their respective functions, this could, such as during times of market stress, in turn, lead to variances between the market price of the Fund’s shares and the underlying value of those shares and bid/ask spreads could widen. Trading in Fund shares on the Exchange also may be disrupted or even halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Fund shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Fund shares on the Exchange may be subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the Exchange “circuit breaker” rules. There also can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund’s shares will continue to be met or will remain unchanged.
Geographic Focus Risk. The Fund may be particularly susceptible to risks related to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers and countries within the specific geographic regions in which the Fund invests. Currency devaluations could occur in countries that have not yet experienced currency devaluation to date, or could continue to occur in countries that have already experienced such devaluations. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund.
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Asia Pacific Region. A number of countries in the Asia Pacific region are considered underdeveloped or developing, including from a political, economic and/or social perspective, and may have relatively unstable governments and economies
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based on limited business, industries and/or natural resources or commodities. Events in any one country within the region may impact that country, other countries in the region or the region as a whole. As a result, events in the region will generally have a greater effect on the Fund than if the Fund were more geographically diversified in a region with more developed countries and economies. This could result in increased volatility in the value of the Fund’s investments and losses for the Fund. Continued growth of economies and securities markets in the region will require sustained economic and fiscal discipline, as well as continued commitment to governmental and regulatory reforms. Development also may be influenced by international economic conditions, including those in the United States and Japan, and by world demand for goods or natural resources produced in countries in the Asia Pacific region. Securities markets in the region are generally smaller and have a lower trading volume than those in the United States, which may result in the securities of some companies in the region being less liquid than U.S. or other foreign securities. Some currencies, inflation rates or interest rates in the Asia Pacific region are or can be volatile, and some countries in the region may restrict the flow of money in and out of the country. The risks described under “Emerging Market Securities Risk,” “Frontier Market Risk,” and “Foreign Securities Risk” may be more pronounced due to the Fund’s focus on investments in the region.
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Europe. The Fund is particularly susceptible to risks related to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions, including acts of war or other conflicts in the region, affecting issuers and countries in Europe. Countries in Europe are often closely connected and interdependent, and events in one European country can have an adverse impact on, and potentially spread to, other European countries. Most developed countries in Western Europe are members of the European Union (EU), and many are also members of the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). European countries can be significantly affected by the tight fiscal and monetary controls that the EMU imposes on its members and with which candidates for EMU membership are required to comply. In addition, significant private or public debt problems in a single EU country can pose economic risks to the EU as a whole. Unemployment in Europe has historically been higher than in the United States and public deficits are an ongoing concern in many European countries. As a result, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund. If securities of issuers in Europe fall out of favor, it may cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not focus their investments in this region of the world. Any uncertainty caused by the departure of the United Kingdom (UK) from the EU, which occurred in January 2020, could have negative impacts on the UK and EU, as well as other European economies and the broader global economy. These could include negative impacts on currencies and financial markets as well as increased volatility and illiquidity, and potentially lower economic growth in markets in the UK, Europe and globally, which could adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Any attempt by the Fund to hedge against or otherwise protect its portfolio or to profit from such circumstances may fail and, accordingly, an investment in the Fund could lose money over short or long periods.
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Greater China. The Greater China region consists of Hong Kong, The People's Republic of China and Taiwan, among other countries, and the Fund's investments in the region are particularly susceptible to risks in that region. The Hong Kong, Taiwanese, and Chinese economies are dependent on the economies of other countries and can be significantly affected by currency fluctuations and increasing competition from other emerging economies in Asia with lower costs. Adverse events in any one country within the region may impact the other countries in the region or Asia as a whole. As a result, adverse events in the region will generally have a greater effect on the Fund than if the Fund were more geographically diversified, which could result in greater volatility in the Fund’s NAV and losses. Markets in the Greater China region can experience significant volatility due to social, economic, regulatory and political uncertainties. Changes in Chinese government policy and economic growth rates could significantly affect local markets and the entire Greater China region. China has yet to develop comprehensive securities, corporate, or commercial laws, its market is relatively new and less developed, and its economy is experiencing a relative slowdown. Export growth continues to be a major driver of China’s economic growth. As a result, a reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, the institution of additional tariffs or other trade barriers, including as a result of heightened trade tensions between China and the United States, or a downturn in any of the economies of China’s key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the Chinese economy. The risks described under “Emerging Market Securities Risk,” “Frontier Market Risk,” and “Foreign Securities Risk” may be more pronounced due to the Fund’s focus on investments in the region. Many Chinese companies to which the Fund seeks investment exposure use a structure known as a variable interest entity (a VIE) to address Chinese restrictions on direct foreign investment in Chinese companies operating in certain sectors. The Fund’s investment exposure to VIEs may pose additional risks because the Fund’s investment is not made directly in the VIE (the actual Chinese operating company), but rather in a holding company domiciled outside of China (a Holding Company) whose interests in the business of the underlying Chinese operating company (the VIE) are established through contracts rather than through equity ownership. The VIE (which the Fund is restricted from owning under Chinese law) is generally owned by Chinese nationals, and the Holding Company (in which the Fund invests) holds only contractual rights (rather than equity ownership) relating to the VIE, typically including a contractual claim on the VIE's profits. Shares of the Holding Company, in turn, are traded on exchanges outside of China and are available to non-Chinese investors such as the Fund. The VIE structure is a longstanding practice in China that, until recently, was not acknowledged by the Chinese government, creating uncertainty over the possibility that the Chinese government might cease to tolerate VIE
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structures at any time or impose new restrictions on the structure. In such a scenario, the Chinese operating company could be subject to penalties, including revocation of its business and operating license, or the Holding Company could forfeit its interest in the business of the Chinese operating company. Further, in case of a dispute, the remedies and rights of the Fund may be limited, and such legal uncertainty may be exploited against the interests of the Fund. Control over a VIE may also be jeopardized if a natural person who holds the equity interest in the VIE breaches the terms of the contractual arrangements, is subject to legal proceedings, or if any physical instruments or property of the VIE, such as seals, business registration certificates, financial data and licensing arrangements (sometimes referred to as “chops”), are used without authorization. In the event of such an occurrence, the Fund, as a foreign investor, may have little or no legal recourse. In addition to the risk of government intervention, investments through a VIE structure are subject to the risk that the China-based company (or its officers, directors, or Chinese equity owners) may breach the contractual arrangements, that Chinese law changes in a way that adversely affects the enforceability of the arrangements, or that the contracts are otherwise not enforceable under Chinese law. In any of these cases, a Fund may suffer significant losses on its investments through a VIE structure with little or no recourse available. The Fund will typically have little or no ability to influence the VIE through proxy voting or other means because it is not a VIE owner/shareholder. Foreign companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States, including companies using the VIE structure, could also face delisting or other ramifications for failure to meet the expectations and/or requirements of the SEC, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or other U.S. regulators. Recently, China has proposed the adoption of rules which would affirm that VIEs are legally permissible, though there remains significant uncertainty over how these rules will operate. Any of these risks could reduce the liquidity and value of the Fund’s investments in Holding Companies or render them valueless.
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Japan. The Fund is particularly susceptible to the social, political, economic, regulatory and other conditions or events that may affect Japan’s economy. The Japanese economy is heavily dependent upon international trade, including, among other things, the export of finished goods and the import of oil and other commodities and raw materials. Because of its trade dependence, the Japanese economy is particularly exposed to the risks of currency fluctuation, foreign trade policy and regional and global economic disruption, including the risk of increased tariffs, embargoes, and other trade limitations or factors. Strained relationships between Japan and its neighboring countries, including China, South Korea and North Korea, based on historical grievances, territorial disputes, and defense concerns, may also cause uncertainty in Japanese markets. As a result, additional tariffs, other trade barriers, or boycotts may have an adverse impact on the Japanese economy. Japanese government policy has been characterized by economic regulation, intervention, protectionism and large government deficits. The Japanese economy is also challenged by an unstable financial services sector, highly leveraged corporate balance sheets and extensive cross-ownership among major corporations. Structural social and labor market changes, including an aging workforce, population decline and traditional aversion to labor mobility may adversely affect Japan’s economic competitiveness and growth potential. The potential for natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons and tsunamis, could also have significant negative effects on Japan’s economy. A significant portion of Japan's trade is conducted with developing nations in East and Southeast Asia and its economy can be affected by conditions and currency fluctuations in these and other countries. For a number of years, Japan’s economic growth rate has remained relatively low, and it may remain low in the future. Securities in Japan are denominated and quoted in yen. As a result, the value of the Fund's Japanese securities as measured in U.S. dollars may be affected by fluctuations in the value of the Japanese yen relative to the U.S. dollar. Securities traded on Japanese stock exchanges have exhibited significant volatility in recent years. As a result of the Fund’s investment in Japanese securities, the Fund’s NAV may be more volatile than the NAV of a more geographically diversified fund. If securities of issuers in Japan fall out of favor, it may cause the Fund to underperform other funds that do not focus their investments in Japan.
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Latin America Region. The Fund is particularly susceptible to risks related to economic, political, regulatory, legal, social or other events or conditions affecting issuers in, or those that have investment exposure to, the Latin America region. The economies of many Latin American countries have experienced elevated and volatile interest rates, inflation rates and unemployment rates. Currency devaluations and exchange rate volatility have also been common among Latin American economies. Relatively high dependence upon commodities, such as petroleum, minerals, metals and agricultural products, amongst others, may cause certain Latin American economies to be particularly sensitive to fluctuations in commodity prices. International economic conditions, trade arrangements and flow of international capital may have significant impact on Latin American economies due to their relatively heavy reliance upon international trade. Latin American economies may also be susceptible to adverse government regulatory and economic intervention and controls which may negatively impact economic growth. Limitations in the ability to repatriate investment income, capital or the proceeds of the sale of securities from Latin American countries could adversely affect the Fund. Other risks associated with investments in Latin American economies may include inadequate investor protections, less developed custody, settlement, regulatory, accounting, auditing and financial standards, unfavorable changes in laws or regulations, natural disasters, corruption and military activity. The risks described under “Emerging Market Securities Risk,” “Frontier Market Risk,” and “Foreign Securities Risk” may be more pronounced due to the Fund’s focus on investments in the region.
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Middle East and North Africa Region. The Fund is particularly susceptible to risks related to economic, political, regulatory, legal, social or other events or conditions affecting issuers in, or those that have investment exposure to, the Middle East and North Africa region. The economies of many Middle Eastern and North African countries have experienced local and regional conflicts including terrorist activity, religious, ethnic and/or socio-economic unrest, acts of war or other conflicts in the region, as well as elevated and volatile interest rates, inflation rates and unemployment rates. Currency devaluations and exchange rate volatility have also been common among Middle Eastern and North African economies. Relatively high dependence upon commodities, such as petroleum and minerals amongst others, may cause certain Middle Eastern and North African economies to be particularly sensitive to fluctuations in commodity prices. International economic conditions, trade arrangements and flow of international capital may have a significant impact on Middle Eastern and North African economies due to their relatively heavy reliance upon international trade. Middle Eastern and North African economies may also be susceptible to adverse government regulatory and economic intervention and controls which may negatively impact economic growth. Limitations in the ability to repatriate investment income, capital or the proceeds of the sale of securities from Middle Eastern and North African countries could adversely affect the Fund. Other risks associated with investments in Middle Eastern and North African economies may include inadequate investor protections, less developed custody, settlement, regulatory, accounting, auditing and financial standards, unfavorable changes in laws or regulations, natural disasters, corruption and military activity. The risks described under “Emerging Market Securities Risk,” “Frontier Market Risk,” and “Foreign Securities Risk” may be more pronounced due to the Fund’s focus on investments in the region.
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India. The Fund is particularly susceptible to risks related to economic, political, regulatory or other events or conditions affecting issuers in India. Because the Fund invests predominantly in Indian securities, its NAV will be much more sensitive to changes in economic, political and other factors within India than would a fund that invested in a variety of countries. Special risks include, among others, political and legal uncertainty, persistent religious, ethnic and border disputes, greater government control over the economy, currency fluctuations or blockage and the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets. Uncertainty regarding inflation and currency exchange rates, fiscal policy, credit ratings and the possibility that future harmful political actions will be taken by the Indian government, could negatively impact the Indian economy and securities markets, and thus adversely affect the Fund’s performance. The risks described under “Emerging Market Securities Risk,” “Frontier Market Risk,” and “Foreign Securities Risk” may be more pronounced due to the Fund’s focus on investments in the region.
The Indian government has exercised, and continues to exercise, significant influence over many aspects of the economy, and the number of public sector enterprises in India is substantial. Accordingly, Indian government actions in the future could have a significant effect on the Indian economy, which could affect private sector companies, market conditions, and prices and yields of securities in the Fund’s portfolio. The Fund’s performance will also be affected by changes in value of the Indian rupee versus the U.S. dollar. For example, if the value of the U.S. dollar goes up compared to the Indian rupee, an investment traded in the rupee will go down in value because it will be worth fewer U.S. dollars. Furthermore, the Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between U.S. dollars and rupees.
Indian issuers are subject to less regulation and scrutiny with regard to financial reporting, accounting and auditing than U.S. companies. Information regarding Indian corporations may be less reliable and all material information may not be available to the Fund. Securities laws in India are relatively new and unsettled and, consequently, there is a risk of rapid and unpredictable change in laws regarding foreign investment, securities regulation, title to securities and shareholder rights. Accordingly, foreign investors may be adversely affected by new or amended laws and regulations. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain and enforce a judgment in a court in India. It may not be possible for the Fund to effect service of process in India, and if the Fund obtains a judgment in a U.S. court, it may be difficult to enforce such judgment in India. The stock markets in the region are undergoing a period of growth and change, which may result in trading or price volatility and difficulties in the settlement and recording of transactions, and in interpreting and applying the relevant laws and regulations. The securities industries in India are comparatively underdeveloped, and stockbrokers and other intermediaries may not perform as well as their counterparts in the United States and other more developed securities markets and which may impose additional costs on investment.
The Indian population is comprised of diverse religious, linguistic, ethnic and religious groups. India has, from time to time, experienced civil unrest and hostility with neighboring countries such as Pakistan. Violence and disruption associated with these tensions could have a negative effect on the economy and, consequently, adversely affect the Fund. Agriculture occupies a prominent position in the Indian economy, alongside India’s service and industrial sectors. Adverse changes in weather, including monsoons, and other natural disasters in India and surrounding regions can have a significant adverse effect on the Indian economy, which could adversely affect the Fund.
The Indian government has exercised, and continues to exercise, significant influence over many aspects of the economy, and the number of public sector enterprises in India is substantial. Accordingly, Indian government actions in the future could have a significant effect on the Indian economy, which could affect private sector companies, market conditions, and prices and yields of securities in the Fund’s portfolio. The Fund’s performance will also be affected by changes in value of the Indian rupee versus the U.S. dollar. For example, if the value of the U.S. dollar goes up compared to the Indian rupee, an investment traded in the rupee will go down in value because it will be worth fewer U.S. dollars. Furthermore, the Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between U.S. dollars and rupees.
Indian issuers are subject to less regulation and scrutiny with regard to financial reporting, accounting and auditing than U.S. companies. Information regarding Indian corporations may be less reliable and all material information may not be available to the Fund. Securities laws in India are relatively new and unsettled and, consequently, there is a risk of rapid and unpredictable change in laws regarding foreign investment, securities regulation, title to securities and shareholder rights. Accordingly, foreign investors may be adversely affected by new or amended laws and regulations. In addition, it may be difficult to obtain and enforce a judgment in a court in India. It may not be possible for the Fund to effect service of process in India, and if the Fund obtains a judgment in a U.S. court, it may be difficult to enforce such judgment in India. The stock markets in the region are undergoing a period of growth and change, which may result in trading or price volatility and difficulties in the settlement and recording of transactions, and in interpreting and applying the relevant laws and regulations. The securities industries in India are comparatively underdeveloped, and stockbrokers and other intermediaries may not perform as well as their counterparts in the United States and other more developed securities markets and which may impose additional costs on investment.
The Indian population is comprised of diverse religious, linguistic, ethnic and religious groups. India has, from time to time, experienced civil unrest and hostility with neighboring countries such as Pakistan. Violence and disruption associated with these tensions could have a negative effect on the economy and, consequently, adversely affect the Fund. Agriculture occupies a prominent position in the Indian economy, alongside India’s service and industrial sectors. Adverse changes in weather, including monsoons, and other natural disasters in India and surrounding regions can have a significant adverse effect on the Indian economy, which could adversely affect the Fund.
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Global Economic Risk. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, which increases the possibility that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact issuers in a different country or region or across the globe. The severity or duration of adverse economic conditions may also be affected by policy changes made by governments or quasi-governmental organizations. The imposition of sanctions by the United States or another government on a country could cause disruptions to the country’s financial system and economy, which could negatively impact the value of securities.
EuroZone. A number of countries in the EU have experienced, and may continue to experience, severe economic and financial difficulties. Additional EU member countries may also fall subject to such difficulties. These events could negatively affect the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments in euro-denominated securities and derivatives contracts, securities of issuers located in the EU or with significant exposure to EU issuers or countries. If the euro is dissolved entirely, the legal and contractual consequences for holders of euro-denominated obligations and derivative contracts would be determined by laws in effect at such time. Such investments may continue to be held, or purchased, to the extent consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and permitted under applicable law. These potential developments, or market perceptions concerning these and related issues, could adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Certain countries in the EU have had to accept assistance from supra-governmental agencies such as the International Monetary Fund, the European Stability Mechanism (the ESM) or other supra-governmental agencies. The European Central Bank has also been intervening to purchase Eurozone debt in an attempt to stabilize markets and reduce borrowing costs.
There can be no assurance that these agencies will continue to intervene or provide further assistance and markets may react adversely to any expected reduction in the financial support provided by these agencies. Responses to the financial problems by European governments, central banks and others including austerity measures and reforms, may not work, may result in social unrest and may limit future growth and economic recovery or have other unintended consequences. In addition, one or more countries may abandon the euro and/or withdraw from the EU. The impact of these actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, could be significant and far-reaching.
Brexit. Following the withdrawal by the UK from the EU, the UK and the EU entered into a Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) in 2021, which governs certain parts of the future relationship between the UK and the EU. The TCA does not provide the UK with the same level of rights or access to all goods and services in the EU as the UK previously maintained as a member of the EU. In particular, the TCA does not include an agreement on financial services. Accordingly, uncertainty remains in certain areas as to the future relationship between the UK and the EU. The uncertainty caused by the UK’s departure from the EU, which occurred in January 2020, could lead to prolonged political, legal, regulatory, tax and economic uncertainty and wider instability and volatility in the financial markets of the UK and more broadly across Europe. It may also lead to weakening corporate and financial confidence in such markets as the UK renegotiates the regulation of the provision of financial services within and to persons in the EU and potentially lower economic growth in the UK, Europe and globally, which may adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
Growth Securities Risk. Growth securities typically trade at a higher multiple of earnings than other types of equity securities. Accordingly, the market values of growth securities may never reach their expected market value and may decline in price. In addition, growth securities, at times, may not perform as well as value securities or the stock market in general, and may be out of favor with investors for varying periods of time. Growth securities may also be sensitive to movements in interest rates.
Hedging Transactions Risk. The Fund may invest in securities and utilize financial instruments for a variety of hedging purposes. Hedging transactions may limit the opportunity for gain if the value of the portfolio position should increase. There can be no assurance that the Fund will engage in hedging transactions at any given time, even under volatile market conditions, or that any hedging transactions the Fund engages in will be successful. Moreover, it may not be possible for the Fund to enter into a hedging transaction at a price sufficient to protect its assets. The Fund may not anticipate a particular risk so as to hedge against it.
Hedging against a decline in the value of a portfolio position does not eliminate fluctuations in the values of portfolio positions or prevent losses, but establishes other positions designed to gain from those same developments, which moderates the decline in value. Such hedging transactions also limit the opportunity for gain if the value of the portfolio position should increase. Moreover, it may not be possible for the Fund to hedge against an exchange rate, interest rate or security price fluctuation that is generally anticipated, causing it to be unable to enter into a hedging transaction at a price sufficient to protect its assets from the decline in value of the portfolio positions anticipated as a result of such fluctuations.
The Fund is not required to attempt to hedge portfolio positions and, for various reasons, may determine not to do so. Furthermore, the Fund may not anticipate a particular risk so as to hedge against it. While the Fund may enter into hedging transactions to seek to reduce risk, such transactions may result in a poorer overall performance for the Fund than if the Fund had not engaged in any such hedging transaction. In addition, the degree of correlation between price movements of the instruments used in a hedging strategy and price movements in the portfolio position being hedged may vary. For a variety of reasons, the Fund may not seek to establish a perfect correlation between such hedging instruments and the portfolio holdings
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being hedged. Such imperfect correlation may prevent the Fund from achieving the intended hedge or expose the Fund to the risk of loss. The successful utilization of hedging and risk management transactions requires skills complementary to those needed in the selection of the Fund’s portfolio holdings. Moreover, it should be noted that a portfolio will always be exposed to certain risks that cannot be hedged, such as credit risk (the risk that the issuer of a debt instrument will default or otherwise become unable, or be perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor a financial obligation, such as making payments to the Fund when due), counterparty risk (the risk that a counterparty to a transaction in a financial instrument held by the Fund may become insolvent or otherwise fail to perform its obligations, including making payments to the Fund) and liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price).
High-Yield Investments Risk. Securities and other debt instruments held by the Fund that are rated below investment grade (commonly called “high-yield” or “junk” bonds) and unrated debt instruments of comparable quality tend to be more sensitive to credit risk than higher-rated debt instruments and may experience greater price fluctuations in response to perceived changes in the ability of the issuing entity or obligor to pay interest and principal when due than to changes in interest rates. These investments are generally more likely to experience a default than higher-rated debt instruments. High-yield debt instruments are considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. These debt instruments typically pay a premium – a higher interest rate or yield – because of the increased risk of loss, including default. High-yield debt instruments may require a greater degree of judgment to establish a price, may be difficult to sell at the time and price the Fund desires, may carry high transaction costs, and also are generally less liquid than higher-rated debt instruments. The ratings provided by third party rating agencies are based on analyses by these ratings agencies of the credit quality of the debt instruments and may not take into account every risk related to whether interest or principal will be timely repaid. In adverse economic and other circumstances, issuers of lower-rated debt instruments are more likely to have difficulty making principal and interest payments than issuers of higher-rated debt instruments.
Highly Leveraged Transactions Risk. The loans or other debt instruments in which the Fund invests may consist of transactions involving refinancings, recapitalizations, mergers and acquisitions and other financings for general corporate purposes. The Fund’s investments also may include senior obligations of a borrower issued in connection with a restructuring pursuant to Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code (commonly known as “debtor-in-possession” financings), provided that such senior obligations are determined by the Fund’s portfolio managers to be a suitable investment for the Fund. In such highly leveraged transactions, the borrower assumes large amounts of debt in order to have the financial resources to attempt to achieve its business objectives. Such business objectives may include but are not limited to: management’s taking over control of a company (leveraged buy-out); reorganizing the assets and liabilities of a company (leveraged recapitalization); or acquiring another company. Loans or other debt instruments that are part of highly leveraged transactions involve a greater risk (including default and bankruptcy) than other investments.
Impairment of Collateral Risk. The value of collateral, if any, securing a loan can decline, and may be insufficient to meet the borrower’s obligations or difficult or costly to liquidate. In addition, the Fund’s access to collateral may be limited by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, certain floating rate and other loans may not be fully collateralized and may decline in value.
Index Methodology and Provider Risk. This risk applies to the Index Funds. The Fund seeks performance that corresponds to the performance of the Index. There is no guarantee or assurance that the Index will achieve high, or even positive, returns. The Index may underperform more traditional indices. In turn, the Fund could lose value while other indices or measures of market performance increase in value or performance. In addition, the Fund may be subject to the risk that the Index Provider may commit errors in Index computation, construction and reconstitution or rebalancing, as applicable, despite any of the Index Provider’s procedures designed to prevent such occurrences and due diligence conducted by the Investment Manager. Errors may result in a negative performance impact to the Fund and its shareholders.
Inflation Risk. Inflation risk is the uncertainty over the future real value (after inflation) of an investment. Inflation rates may change frequently and drastically as a result of various factors, including unexpected shifts in the domestic or global economy, and the Fund’s investments may not keep pace with inflation, which may result in losses to Fund investors.
Inflation-Protected Securities Risk. Inflation-protected debt securities tend to react to changes in real interest rates. Real interest rates can be described as nominal interest rates minus the expected impact of inflation. In general, the price of an inflation-protected debt security falls when real interest rates rise, and rises when real interest rates fall. Interest payments on inflation-protected debt securities will vary as the principal and/or interest is adjusted for inflation and may be more volatile than interest paid on ordinary bonds. In periods of deflation, the Fund may have no income at all from such investments. Income earned by a shareholder depends on the amount of principal invested, and that principal will not grow with inflation unless the shareholder reinvests the portion of Fund distributions that comes from inflation adjustments. A Fund’s investment in certain inflation-protected debt securities may generate taxable income in excess of the interest they pay to the Fund, which may cause the Fund to sell investments to obtain cash to make income distributions to shareholders, including at times when it may not be advantageous to do so.
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Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates. In general, if interest rates rise, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to fall, and if interest rates fall, the values of loans and other debt instruments tend to rise. Changes in the value of a debt instrument usually will not affect the amount of income the Fund receives from it but will generally affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a debt instrument, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Interest rate declines also may increase prepayments of debt obligations, which, in turn, would increase prepayment risk (the risk that the Fund will have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). The Fund is subject to the risk that the income generated by its investments may not keep pace with inflation. Actions by governments and central banking authorities can result in increases or decreases in interest rates. Higher periods of inflation could lead such authorities to raise interest rates. Such actions may negatively affect the value of debt instruments held by the Fund, resulting in a negative impact on the Fund's performance and NAV. Debt instruments with floating coupon rates are typically less sensitive to interest rate changes, but these debt instruments may decline in value if their coupon rates do not rise as much as, or keep pace with, yields on such types of debt instruments. Because rates on certain floating rate loans and other debt instruments reset only periodically, changes in interest rates (and particularly sudden and significant changes) can be expected to cause fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV. Any interest rate increases could cause the value of the Fund’s investments in debt instruments to decrease. Rising interest rates may prompt redemptions from the Fund, which may force the Fund to sell investments at a time when it is not advantageous to do so, which could result in losses.
Investing in Other Funds Risk. The Fund’s investment in other funds (affiliated and/or unaffiliated funds, including exchange-traded funds (ETFs)) subjects the Fund to the investment performance (positive or negative) and risks of the underlying funds in direct proportion to the Fund’s investment therein. The performance of the underlying funds could be adversely affected if other investors in the same underlying funds make relatively large investments or redemptions in such underlying funds. The Fund, and its shareholders, indirectly bear a portion of the expenses of any funds in which the Fund invests. Due to the expenses and costs of an underlying fund being shared by its investors, redemptions by other investors in the underlying funds could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for such underlying fund. These transactions might also result in higher brokerage, tax or other costs for the underlying funds. This risk may be particularly important when one investor owns a substantial portion of the underlying funds. The Investment Manager has a conflict of interest in selecting affiliated underlying funds over unaffiliated underlying funds because it receives management fees from affiliated underlying funds, and it has a conflict in selecting among affiliated underlying funds, because the fees paid to it by certain affiliated underlying funds are higher than the fees paid by other affiliated underlying funds. Also, to the extent that the Fund is constrained/restricted from investing (or investing further) in a particular underlying fund for one or more reasons (e.g., underlying fund capacity constraints or regulatory restrictions) or if the Fund chooses to sell its investment in an underlying fund because of poor investment performance or for other reasons, the Fund may have to invest in other underlying funds, including less desirable funds – from a strategy or investment performance standpoint – which could have a negative impact on Fund performance. In addition, Fund performance could be negatively impacted if an appropriate alternate underlying fund is not identified in a timely manner or at all.
IPO Risk. IPOs are subject to many of the same risks as investing in companies with smaller market capitalizations. To the extent the Fund determines to invest in IPOs, it may not be able to invest to the extent desired, because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an IPO are available to the Fund. The investment performance of the Fund during periods when it is unable to invest significantly or at all in IPOs may be lower than during periods when the Fund is able to do so. In addition, as the Fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the Fund’s performance will generally decrease. IPOs sold within 12 months of purchase may result in increased short-term capital gains, which will be taxable to the Fund’s shareholders as ordinary income.
Issuer Risk. An issuer in which the Fund invests or to which it has exposure may perform poorly or below expectations, and the value of its loans or securities may therefore decline, which may negatively affect the Fund’s performance. Underperformance of an issuer may be caused by poor management decisions, competitive pressures, breakthroughs in technology, reliance on suppliers, labor problems or shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, natural disasters, military confrontations and actions, war, other conflicts, terrorism, disease/virus outbreaks, epidemics or other events, conditions and factors which may impair the value of your investment in the Fund and could result in a greater premium or discount between the market price and the NAV of the Fund's shares and wider bid/ask spreads than those experienced by other ETFs.
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Large-Cap Stock Risk. Investments in larger, more established companies (larger companies) may involve certain risks associated with their larger size. For instance, larger companies may be less able to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in consumer tastes or innovation from smaller competitors. Also, larger companies are sometimes less able to achieve as high growth rates as successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.
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Small- and Mid-Cap Stock Risk. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies can, in certain circumstances, have a higher potential for gains than securities of larger companies but are more likely to have more risk than larger companies. For example, small- and mid-cap companies may be more vulnerable to market downturns and adverse business or economic events than larger companies because they may have more limited financial resources and business operations. Small- and mid-cap companies are also more likely than larger companies to have more limited product lines and operating histories and to depend on smaller and generally less experienced management teams. Securities of small- and mid-cap companies may trade less frequently and in smaller volumes and may be less liquid and fluctuate more sharply in value than securities of larger companies. When the Fund takes significant positions in small- and mid-cap companies with limited trading volumes, the liquidation of those positions, particularly in a distressed market, could be prolonged and result in Fund investment losses that would affect the value of your investment in the Fund. In addition, some small- and mid-cap companies may not be widely followed by the investment community, which can lower the demand for their stocks.
Large Purchases and Redemptions of Fund Shares Risk. The timing and magnitude of Fund share purchases and redemptions, including by large Fund shareholders transacting in large amounts of Fund shares, could prevent the Fund from being fully invested, or require the Fund to sell portfolio securities at unfavorable prices or hold ready reserves of uninvested cash in amounts larger than might otherwise be the case to meet shareholder redemptions. Thus, large Fund share purchases and redemptions could adversely impact the Fund’s performance. Such Fund share activity may also increase the Fund’s transaction costs, which would also detract from Fund performance. Because the expenses and costs of the Fund are shared by its investors, large redemptions in the Fund could result in decreased economies of scale and increased operating expenses for non-redeeming Fund shareholders. In addition, in the event of a Fund proxy proposal, one or more large investor(s) could dictate with its/their vote the results of the proposal, which may have a less favorable impact on minority-stake shareholders. Please see the information in the Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities – Principal Shareholders and Control Persons section of this SAI for information about each person who owns of record or is known by the Trust to own 25% or more of the Fund’s outstanding shares as of the date indicated. The amount indicated can fluctuate. To the extent that any of these large investors in the Funds (or their underlying holders) seek to redeem Fund shares, the Fund is subject to this risk at a heightened level.
Leverage Risk. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using borrowings, short sales, derivatives, or similar instruments or techniques. Use of leverage can produce volatility and may exaggerate changes in the Fund’s NAV and in the return on the Fund’s portfolio, which may increase the risk that the Fund will lose more than it has invested. The use of leverage may cause the Fund to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet any applicable regulatory limits. Futures contracts, options on futures contracts, forward contracts and other derivatives can allow the Fund to obtain large investment exposures in return for meeting relatively small margin requirements. As a result, investments in those transactions may be highly leveraged. If the Fund uses leverage, through the purchase of particular instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may experience capital losses that exceed the net assets of the Fund. Because short sales involve borrowing securities and then selling them, the Fund’s short sales effectively leverage the Fund’s assets. The Fund’s assets that are used as collateral to secure the Fund’s obligations to return the securities sold short may decrease in value while the short positions are outstanding, which may force the Fund to use its other assets to increase the collateral. Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund's volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that a leveraging strategy will be successful.
Limitations of Intraday Indicative Value (IIV) Risk. The Exchange intends to disseminate every 15 seconds throughout each trading day the approximate per share value of a Fund’s published basket of portfolio securities and the approximate per share value of a Semi-Transparent Fund’s portfolio as of the end of the prior business day (the ‘‘intraday indicative value’’ or ‘‘IIV’’). The IIV should not be viewed as a ‘‘real-time’’ update of the NAV per share of the Fund because (i) the IIV may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is computed once a day, generally at the end of the business day, (ii) the calculation of NAV may be subject to fair valuation at different prices than those used in the calculations of the IIV, (iii) unlike the calculation of NAV, the IIV does not take into account Fund expenses, (iv) in the case of a Fund, the IIV is based on the published basket of portfolio securities and not on the Fund’s holdings and (v) in the case of a Semi-Transparent Fund, the IIV is based on the Fund’s holdings. The IIV calculations are based on local market prices and may not reflect events that occur subsequent to the local market’s close (as applicable). The Fund, the Investment Manager and their affiliates are not involved in, or responsible for, any aspect of the calculation or dissemination of the Fund’s IIV, and the Fund, the Investment Manager and their affiliates do not make any warranty as to the accuracy of these calculations.
Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk is the risk associated with any event, circumstance, or characteristic of an investment or market that negatively impacts the Fund’s ability to sell, or realize the proceeds from the sale of, an investment at a desirable time or price. Liquidity risk may arise because of, for example, a lack of marketability of the investment. Decreases in the number of financial institutions, including banks and broker-dealers willing to make markets (match up sellers and buyers) in the Fund’s investments or decreases in their capacity or willingness to trade such investments may increase the Fund’s exposure to this risk. The debt market has experienced considerable growth, and financial institutions making markets in instruments purchased and
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sold by the Fund (e.g., bond dealers) have been subject to increased regulation. The impact of that growth and regulation on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to engage in trading or “making a market” in such instruments remains unsettled. As a result, the Fund, when seeking to sell its portfolio investments, could find that selling is more difficult than anticipated, especially during times of high market volatility. Market participants attempting to sell the same or a similar instrument at the same time as the Fund could exacerbate the Fund’s exposure to liquidity risk. The Fund may have to accept a lower selling price for the holding, sell other investments that it might otherwise prefer to hold, or forego another more appealing investment opportunity. The liquidity of Fund investments may change significantly over time and certain investments that were liquid when purchased by the Fund may later become illiquid, particularly in times of overall economic distress. Changing regulatory, market or other conditions or environments (for example, the interest rate or credit environments) may also adversely affect the liquidity and the price of the Fund's investments. Certain types of investments, such as structured notes and non-investment grade debt instruments, as an example, may be especially subject to liquidity risk. Floating rate loans also generally are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale and may trade infrequently on the secondary market. The value of the loan to the Fund may be impaired in the event that the Fund needs to liquidate such loans. The inability to purchase or sell floating rate loans and other debt instruments at a fair price may have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance. Securities or other assets in which the Fund invests may be traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on an exchange and therefore may be more difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Judgment plays a larger role in valuing illiquid or less liquid investments as compared to valuing liquid or more liquid investments. Price volatility may be higher for illiquid or less liquid investments as a result of, for example, the relatively less frequent pricing of such securities (as compared to liquid or more liquid investments). Generally, the less liquid the market at the time the Fund sells a portfolio investment, the greater the risk of loss or decline of value to the Fund. Overall market liquidity and other factors can lead to an increase in Fund redemptions, which may negatively impact Fund performance and NAV, including, for example, if the Fund is forced to sell investments in a down market. In addition, in stressed market conditions, the market for Fund shares may become less liquid. Deterioration in the liquidity of Fund shares may adversely impact the liquidity of the Fund's underlying portfolio securities. These adverse impacts on the liquidity of Fund shares and on the liquidity of the Fund's underlying portfolio securities could in turn lead to a greater premium or discount between the market price and the NAV of the Fund's shares and/or wider bid/ask spreads than those experienced by other ETFs.
Governments and their regulatory agencies and self-regulatory organizations may take actions that affect the regulation of the instruments in which the Fund invests, or the issuers of such instruments, in ways that are unforeseeable. Legislation or regulation may also change the way in which the Fund or the Investment Manager or any Fund subadviser, as the case may be, are regulated or supervised. Such legislation or regulation could affect or preclude a Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.
Governments and their regulatory agencies and self-regulatory organizations may also acquire distressed assets from financial institutions and acquire ownership interests in those institutions. The implications of government ownership and disposition of these assets are unclear, and such a program may have positive or negative effects on the liquidity, valuation and performance of a Fund’s portfolio holdings. Furthermore, volatile financial markets can expose the Funds to greater market and liquidity risk and potential difficulty in valuing portfolio instruments held by the Funds.
While the Investment Manager and any subadvisers can endeavor to take various preventative measures to address liquidity risk, including conducting periodic portfolio risk analysis/management and stress-testing, such measures may not be successful and may not have fully accounted for the specific circumstances that ultimately impact a Fund and its holdings.
Listed Private Equity Fund Investment Risk. Private equity funds include financial institutions or vehicles whose principal business is to invest in and lend capital to privately held companies. The Fund is subject to the underlying risks that affect private equity funds in which it invests, which may include increased liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price), pricing risk (the risk that the investment may be difficult to value), sector risk (the risk that a significant portion of Fund assets invested in one or more economic sectors may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that sector than funds that invest more broadly) and credit risk (the risk that the issuer of a debt instrument will default or otherwise become unable, or be perceived to be unable or unwilling, to honor a financial obligation, such as making payments to the Fund when due). Limited or incomplete information about the companies in which private equity funds invest, and relatively concentrated investment portfolios of private equity funds, may expose the Fund to greater volatility and risk of loss. Fund investment in private equity funds subjects Fund shareholders indirectly to the fees and expenses incurred by private equity funds.
Loan Assignment/Loan Participation Risk. If a bank loan is acquired through an assignment, the Fund may not be able to unilaterally enforce all rights and remedies under the loan and with regard to any associated collateral. If a bank loan is acquired through a participation, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement, and the Fund may not benefit from the collateral supporting the debt obligation in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund will be exposed to the credit risk of both the borrower and the institution selling the participation.
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Loan Interests Risk. Loan interests may not be considered “securities,” and purchasers, such as the Fund, therefore may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws. Loan interests generally are subject to restrictions on transfer, and the Fund may be unable to sell loan interests at a time when it may otherwise be desirable to do so or may be able to sell them only at prices that are less than what the Fund regards as their fair market value. Accordingly, loan interests may at times be illiquid. Loan interests may be difficult to value and typically have extended settlement periods (generally greater than 7 days). This exposes the Fund to the risk that the receipt of principal and interest payments may be late due to delayed interest settlement. Extended settlement periods during significant Fund redemption activity could potentially cause increased short-term liquidity demands on the Fund. As a result, the Fund may be forced to sell investments at unfavorable prices, or borrow money or effect short settlements where possible (at a cost to the Fund), in an effort to generate sufficient cash to pay redeeming shareholders. The Fund’s actions in this regard may not be successful. Interests in loans created to finance highly leveraged companies or transactions, such as corporate acquisitions, may be especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions.
Interests in secured loans have the benefit of collateral and, typically, of restrictive covenants limiting the ability of the borrower to further encumber its assets, although many covenants may be waived or modified with the consent of a certain percentage of the holders of the loans even if the Fund does not consent. There is a risk that the value of any collateral securing a loan in which the Fund has an interest may decline and that the collateral may not be sufficient to cover the amount owed on the loan. In most loan agreements there is no formal requirement to pledge additional collateral. In the event the borrower defaults, the Fund’s access to the collateral may be limited or delayed by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. Further, there is a risk that a court could take action with respect to a loan that is adverse to the holders of the loan, including the Fund. Such actions may include invalidating the loan, the lien on the collateral, the priority status of the loan, or ordering the refund of interest previously paid by the borrower. Any such actions by a court could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. A default or expected default of a loan could also make it difficult for the Fund to sell the loan at a price approximating the value previously placed on it. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, bankruptcy or similar situation, the Fund may be required to retain legal or similar counsel. This may increase the Fund’s operating expenses and adversely affect its NAV. Loans that have a lower priority for repayment in an issuer’s capital structure may involve a higher degree of overall risk than more senior loans of the same borrower. In the event of a default, second lien secured loans will generally be paid only if the value of the collateral exceeds the amount of the borrower’s obligations to the first lien secured lenders. The remaining collateral may not be sufficient to cover the full amount owed on the loan in which the Fund has an interest. In addition, if a secured loan is foreclosed, the Fund would likely bear the costs and liabilities associated with owning and disposing of the collateral. The collateral may be difficult to sell and the Fund would bear the risk that the collateral may decline in value while the Fund is holding it. From time to time, disagreements may arise amongst the holders of loans and debt in the capital structure of an issuer, which may give rise to litigation risks, including the risk that a court could take action adverse to the holders of the loan, which could negatively impact the Fund’s performance.
The Fund may acquire a loan interest by obtaining an assignment of all or a portion of the interests in a particular loan that are held by an original lender or a prior assignee. As an assignee, the Fund will usually succeed to all rights and obligations of its assignor with respect to the portion of the loan that is being assigned. However, the rights and obligations acquired by the purchaser of a loan assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the original lenders or the assignor. Alternatively, the Fund may acquire a participation interest in a loan that is held by another party. When the Fund’s loan interest is a participation, the Fund may have less control over the exercise of remedies than the party selling the participation interest, and the Fund normally would not have any direct rights against the borrower. As a participant, the Fund would also be subject to the risk that the party selling the participation interest would not remit the Fund’s pro rata share of loan payments to the Fund. It may also be difficult for the Fund to obtain an accurate picture of a lending bank’s financial condition.
Macro Strategy Risk. The profitability of any macro program depends primarily on the ability of its manager to predict derivative contract price movements to implement investment ideas regarding macroeconomic trends. Price movements for commodity interests are influenced by, among other things: changes in interest rates; governmental, agricultural, trade, fiscal, monetary and exchange control programs and policies; weather and climate conditions; natural disasters, such as hurricanes; changing supply and demand relationships; changes in balances of payments and trade; U.S. and international rates of inflation and deflation; currency devaluations and revaluations; U.S. and international political and economic events; and changes in philosophies and emotions of market participants. The trading methods used by the portfolio managers may not take all of these factors into account.
The global macro programs to which the Fund’s investments are exposed typically use derivative financial instruments that are actively traded using a variety of strategies and investment techniques that involve significant risks. The derivative financial instruments traded include commodities, currencies, futures, options and forward contracts and other derivative instruments that have inherent leverage and price volatility that result in greater risk than instruments used within different or other strategies, and the systematic programs used to trade them may rely on proprietary investment strategies that are not fully disclosed, which may in turn result in risks that are not anticipated.
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Market Price Relative to NAV Risk. Shares of the Fund may trade at prices that vary from Fund NAV. Shares of the Fund are listed for trading on the Exchange and are bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices that may differ, in some cases significantly, from their NAV. The NAV of the Fund will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The market prices of shares, however, will generally fluctuate in response to changes in NAV, as well as the relative supply of, and demand for, Fund shares on the Exchange. The Investment Manager cannot predict whether Fund shares will trade below, at or above their NAV. Price differences may result because of, among other factors, supply and demand forces in the secondary trading market for Fund shares. It is expected that these forces generally will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the Fund’s holdings. In this regard, if a shareholder purchases Fund shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV or sells shares at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, the shareholder may sustain losses. Different investment strategies or techniques, including those intended to be defensive in nature, including, as examples, stop loss orders to sell an ETF’s shares in the secondary market during negative market events or conditions, such as a “flash crash” or other market disruptions, may not work as intended and may produce significant losses to investors. Investors should consult their financial intermediary prior to using any such investment strategies or techniques, or before investing in the Fund.
Market Risk. The Fund may incur losses due to declines in the value of one or more securities in which it invests. These declines may be due to factors affecting a particular issuer, or the result of, among other things, political, regulatory, market, economic or social developments affecting the relevant market(s) more generally. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to price or value hard-to-value assets in thinly traded and closed markets and could cause significant redemptions and operational challenges. Global economies and financial markets are increasingly interconnected, and conditions and events in one country, region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. These risks may be magnified if certain events or developments adversely interrupt the global supply chain; in these and other circumstances, such risks might affect companies worldwide. As a result, local, regional or global events such as terrorism, war, other conflicts, natural disasters, disease/virus outbreaks and epidemics or other public health issues, recessions, depressions or other events – or the potential for such events – could have a significant negative impact on global economic and market conditions and could result in a greater premium or discount between the market price and the NAV of the Fund's shares and wider bid/ask spreads than those experienced by other ETFs. In addition, as the share of assets invested in passive index-based strategies increases, price correlations among the securities included in an index may increase and the market value of securities, including those included in one or more market indices, may become less correlated with their underlying values. Because index-based strategies generally buy or sell securities based solely on their inclusion in an index, securities prices may rise or fall based on whether money is flowing into or out of these strategies rather than based on an analysis of the securities’ underlying values. This valuation disparity could lead to increased price volatility for individual securities, and the market as a whole, which may result in Fund losses.
In March 2023, a number of U.S. domestic banks and foreign banks experienced financial difficulties and, in some cases, failures. There can be no certainty that the actions taken by banking regulators to limit the effect of those difficulties and failures on other banks or other financial institutions or on the U.S. or foreign economies generally will be effective. It is possible that more banks or other financial institutions will experience financial difficulties or fail, which may affect adversely other U.S. or foreign financial institutions and economies. Other adverse developments that affect financial institutions or the financial services industry generally, or concerns or rumors about any such developments, may reduce liquidity in the market generally or have other adverse effects on an economy, a Fund or issuers in which the Fund invests.
The large-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022 has resulted in sanctions and market disruptions, including declines in regional and global stock markets, unusual volatility in global commodity markets and significant devaluations of Russian currency. The extent and duration of the military action are impossible to predict but could continue to be significant. Market disruption caused by the Russian military action, and any countermeasures or responses thereto (including international sanctions, a downgrade in a country’s credit rating, purchasing and financing restrictions, boycotts, tariffs, changes in consumer or purchaser preferences, cyberattacks and espionage) could continue to have severe adverse impacts on regional and/or global securities and commodities markets, including markets for oil and natural gas. These impacts may include reduced market liquidity, distress in credit markets, further disruption of global supply chains, increased risk of inflation, and limited access to investments in certain international markets and/or issuers. These developments and other related events could negatively impact Fund performance.
The pandemic caused by coronavirus disease 2019 and its variants (COVID-19) has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant global economic and societal disruption and market volatility due to disruptions in market access, resource availability, facilities operations, imposition of tariffs, export controls and supply chain disruption, among others. Such disruptions may be caused, or exacerbated by, quarantines and travel restrictions, workforce displacement and loss in human and other resources. The uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, duration, reach, costs and effects of the global pandemic, as well as actions that have been or could be taken by governmental authorities or other third parties, present unknowns that are yet to
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unfold. The impacts, as well as the uncertainty over impacts to come, of COVID-19 – and any other infectious illness outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future – could negatively affect global economies and markets in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. In addition, the impact of infectious illness outbreaks and epidemics in less developed countries may be greater due to generally less established healthcare systems, governments and financial markets. Public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in certain countries or globally. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. Any such events could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Master Limited Partnership Risk. Investments in securities (units) of master limited partnerships involve risks that differ from an investment in common stock. Holders of these units have more limited rights to vote on matters affecting the partnership. These units may be subject to cash flow and dilution risks. There are also certain tax risks associated with such an investment. In particular, the Fund’s investment in master limited partnerships can be limited by the Fund’s intention to qualify as a regulated investment company for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and can limit the Fund’s ability to so qualify. In addition, conflicts of interest may exist between common unit holders, subordinated unit holders and the general partner of a master limited partnership, including a conflict arising as a result of incentive distribution payments. In addition, there are risks related to the general partner’s right to require unit holders to sell their common units at an undesirable time or price.
Money Market Fund Investment Risk. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the FDIC or any other government agency. Certain money market funds float their NAV while others seek to preserve the value of investments at a stable NAV (typically $1.00 per share). An investment in a money market fund, even an investment in a fund seeking to maintain a stable NAV per share, is not guaranteed and it is possible for the Fund to lose money by investing in these and other types of money market funds. Certain money market funds may impose a discretionary liquidity fee of up to 2% on redemptions if that fee is determined to be in the best interest of the fund and, by October 2, 2024 or earlier, certain money market funds must impose a mandatory liquidity fee on redemptions if net redemptions exceed 5% of their net assets. Such fees, if imposed, will reduce the amount the Fund receives on redemptions. In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market funds in which it invests, including affiliated money market funds. By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. The money market fund may not achieve its investment objective. The Fund, through its investment in the money market fund, may not achieve its investment objective. To the extent the Fund invests in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in such instruments. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Because a decision to impose or not impose discretionary liquidity fees on an affiliated money market fund may negatively impact any Funds that invest in it, all to which the Investment Manager and Board may also owe a fiduciary duty, any recommendation by the Investment Manager or decision by the Board, or the Investment Manager as its delegate, with respect to such fees on the affiliated money market fund may present conflicts of interest to the Investment Manager and the Board. The Investment Manager or the Board of the affiliated money market fund, for example, could be conflicted by a determination to not impose such fees at a time when, if implemented, the other Columbia Funds could potentially experience negative impacts, while not imposing such fees could potentially result in a negative impact to the affiliated money market fund. Any decisions by the Board, or the Investment Manager as its delegate, to favor such fees could result in reduced or limited investments in the affiliated money market fund by the other Columbia Funds, which may lead to increased affiliated money market fund expenses (which would be borne by the remaining Fund investors).
If a liquidity fee is imposed, an investing Columbia Fund may have to sell other investments at less than opportune times rather than using the cash invested in the money market fund to meet shareholder redemptions. The Investment Manager, as a result of any such fees on an affiliated money market fund (or the potential imposition thereof, recognizing that the Investment Manager will be aware of the affiliated money market fund’s liquid assets position), may determine to not invest the other Columbia Funds’ assets in the affiliated money market fund, and potentially be forced to invest in more expensive, lower-performing investments.
Mortgage- and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk. The value of any mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities including collateralized debt obligations and collateralized loan obligations, if any, held by the Fund may be affected by, among other things, changes or perceived changes in: interest rates; factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or the originator of the mortgages or other assets; the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds or other credit enhancements; or the market's assessment of the quality of underlying assets. Mortgage-backed securities represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of mortgages from which payments of interest and principal (net of fees
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paid to the issuer or guarantor of the securities) are distributed to the holders of the mortgage-backed securities. Other types of asset-backed securities typically represent interests in, or are backed by, pools of receivables such as credit, automobile, student and home equity loans. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities can have a fixed or an adjustable rate. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securities are subject to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price) and prepayment risk (the risk that the underlying mortgage or other asset may be refinanced or prepaid prior to maturity during periods of declining or low interest rates, causing the Fund to have to reinvest the money received in securities that have lower yields). In addition, the impact of prepayments on the value of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities may be difficult to predict and may result in greater volatility. A decline or flattening of housing values may cause delinquencies in mortgages (especially sub-prime or non-prime mortgages) underlying mortgage-backed securities and thereby adversely affect the ability of the mortgage-backed securities issuer to make principal and/or interest payments to mortgage-backed securities holders, including the Fund. Rising or high interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, making them more volatile and more sensitive to changes in interest rates. Payment of principal and interest on some mortgage-backed securities (but not the market value of the securities themselves) may be guaranteed (i) by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association) or (ii) by its agencies, authorities, enterprises or instrumentalities (in the case of securities guaranteed by the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC)), which are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government (although FNMA and FHLMC may be able to access capital from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations under such securities). Mortgage-backed securities issued by non-governmental issuers (such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers) may be supported by various credit enhancements, such as pool insurance, guarantees issued by governmental entities, letters of credit from a bank or senior/subordinated structures, and may entail greater risk than obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government, whether or not such obligations are guaranteed by the private issuer. Under the direction of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, FNMA and FHLMC have entered into a joint initiative to develop a common securitization platform for the issuance of a uniform mortgage-backed security (the Single Security Initiative) that aligns the characteristics of FNMA and FHLMC certificates. The Single Security Initiative was implemented in June 2019, and the effects it may have on the market for mortgage-backed securities are uncertain.
Municipal Securities Risk. Municipal securities are debt obligations generally issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including general financing for state and local governments, or financing for a specific project or public facility, and include obligations of the governments of the U.S. territories, commonwealths and possessions such as Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to the extent such obligations are exempt from state and U.S. federal income taxes. The value of municipal securities can be significantly affected by actual or expected political and legislative changes at the federal or state level. Municipal securities may be fully or partially backed by the taxing authority of the local government, by the credit of a private issuer, by the current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or by domestic or foreign entities providing credit support, such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance, and are generally classified into general obligation bonds and special revenue obligations. General obligation bonds are backed by an issuer's taxing authority and may be vulnerable to limits on a government's power or ability to raise revenue or increase taxes. They may also depend for payment on legislative appropriation and/or funding or other support from other governmental bodies. Revenue obligations are payable from revenues generated by a particular project or other revenue source, and are typically subject to greater risk of default than general obligation bonds because investors can look only to the revenue generated by the project or other revenue source backing the project, rather than to the general taxing authority of the state or local government issuer of the obligations. Because many municipal securities are issued to finance projects in sectors such as education, health care, transportation and utilities, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. The amount of publicly available information for municipal issuers is generally less than for corporate issuers.
Issuers in a state, territory, commonwealth or possession in which the Fund invests may experience significant financial difficulties for various reasons, including as the result of events that cannot be reasonably anticipated or controlled such as economic downturns or similar periods of economic stress, social conflict or unrest, labor disruption and natural disasters. Such financial difficulties may lead to credit rating downgrades or defaults of such issuers which, in turn, could affect the market values and marketability of many or all municipal obligations of issuers in such state, territory, commonwealth or possession. The value of the Fund’s shares will be negatively impacted to the extent it invests in such securities. The Fund’s annual and semiannual reports show the Fund’s investment exposures at a point in time. The risk of investing in the Fund is directly correlated to the Fund’s investment exposures.
Securities issued by a particular state and its instrumentalities are subject to the risk of unfavorable developments in such state. A municipal security can be significantly affected by adverse tax, legislative, regulatory, demographic or political changes as well as changes in a particular state's (state and its instrumentalities) financial, economic or other condition and prospects.
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The Fund’s investments in municipal securities may include securities of issuers in the electric, transportation, education, and leasing sectors (collectively, these sectors compose the Municipal Core Revenue Sector), which subjects the Fund’s investments to the risks associated with those sectors, including the risk of regulatory action or policy changes by numerous governmental agencies and bodies, including federal, state, and local governmental agencies, as well as requirements imposed by private entities. Issuers in the Municipal Core Revenue Sector are subject to certain risks, including competitive pricing pressures, the rising cost of products and services (especially for companies dependent upon a relatively limited number of products or services) among others, government regulation, obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so), product liability and other similar litigation, labor disputes, lease supply and demand, and technology obsolescence, amongst other factors and conditions.
The Fund’s investments in municipal securities may include securities of issuers in the health care sector, which subjects the Fund’s investments to the risks associated with that sector, including the risk of regulatory action or policy changes by numerous governmental agencies and bodies, including federal, state, and local governmental agencies, as well as requirements imposed by private entities, such as insurance companies. A major source of revenue for the health care industry is payments from the Medicare and Medicaid programs. As a result, the industry is sensitive to legislative changes and reductions in governmental spending for such programs. Numerous other factors may affect the industry, such as general and local economic conditions, demand for services, expenses (including, among others, malpractice insurance premiums) and competition among health care providers. Additional factors also may adversely affect health care facility operations, such as adoption of legislation proposing a national health insurance program, other state or local health care reform measures, medical and technological advances that alter the need for or cost of health services or the way in which such services are delivered, changes in medical coverage that alter the traditional fee-for-service revenue stream, and efforts by employers, insurers, and governmental agencies to reduce the costs of health insurance and health care services.
Opportunistic Investing Risk. Undervalued securities involve the risk that they may never reach their expected full market value, either because the market fails to recognize the security's intrinsic worth or the expected value was misgauged. Securities that are believed to be undervalued by the portfolio managers may decline in price. Turnaround companies may never improve their fundamentals, may take much longer than expected to improve, or may improve much less than expected. Development stage companies could fail to develop and deplete their assets, resulting in large percentage losses.
Passive Investment Risk. This risk applies to the Index Funds. The Fund is not actively managed and may be affected by a general decline in market segments related to its Index’s investment exposures. The Fund invests in securities or instruments included in, or believed by the portfolio managers to be representative of, the Index regardless of their investment merits. The Fund does not seek temporary defensive positions when markets decline or appear overvalued.
Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions and/or spreads, when it buys and sells securities or other holdings (or “turns over” its portfolio), including in connection with index rebalancing or index reconstitutions. High levels of transactions increase brokerage and other transaction costs and may result in increased taxable capital gains.
Preferred Stock Risk. Preferred stock is a type of stock that may pay dividends at a different rate than common stock of the same issuer, if at all, and that has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stock does not ordinarily carry voting rights. The price of a preferred stock is generally determined by earnings, type of products or services, projected growth rates, experience of management, liquidity, and general market conditions of the markets on which the stock trades. The most significant risks associated with investments in preferred stock include issuer risk, market risk and interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates).
Prepayment and Extension Risk. Prepayment and extension risk is the risk that a loan, bond or other security or investment might, in the case of prepayment risk, be called or otherwise converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity and, in the case of extension risk, that the investment might not be called as expected. In the case of prepayment risk, if the investment is converted, prepaid or redeemed before maturity, the portfolio managers may not be able to invest the proceeds in other investments providing as high a level of income, resulting in a reduced yield to the Fund. As interest rates decrease or spreads narrow on such securities, the likelihood of prepayment increases. Conversely, extension risk is the risk that an unexpected rise in interest rates will extend the life of a security beyond the prepayment time. If the Fund's investments are locked in at a lower interest rate for a longer period of time, the portfolio managers may be unable to capitalize on securities with higher interest rates or wider spreads.
Quantitative and Other Models Risk. Quantitative models used by the Index and the LES framework (the tool) used in selecting securities for Research Enhanced Real Estate ETF's Index may cause the Fund to underperform other investment strategies for short or long periods of time. Performance will depend upon the quality and accuracy of the assumptions, theories and framework upon which the quantitative model or tool is based. The success of a quantitative model or tool will depend upon its accurate reflection of market conditions, with proper adjustments as market conditions change over time. Adjustments, or lack of adjustments, to the quantitative model or tool, including as conditions change, as well as any errors or imperfections in
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the quantitative model or tool, could adversely affect Fund performance. The performance of a quantitative model or tool depends upon the quality of its design and effective execution under actual market conditions. Even a well-designed quantitative model or tool cannot be expected to perform well in all market conditions or across all time intervals. Quantitative models or tools may underperform in certain market environments including stressed or volatile market conditions. It is not possible or practicable for a quantitative model or tool to factor in all relevant, available data. There is no guarantee that the data actually utilized in a quantitative model or tool will be the most accurate data available or be free from errors. There can be no assurance that the use of quantitative models or tools will enable the Fund to achieve its objective.
Real Estate-Related Investment Risk. Investments in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and in securities of other companies (wherever organized) principally engaged in the real estate industry subject the Fund to, among other things, risks similar to those of direct investments in real estate and the real estate industry in general. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, possible lack of availability of financing and changes in interest rates or property values. REITs are entities that either own properties or make construction or mortgage loans, and also may include operating or finance companies. The value of interests in a REIT may be affected by, among other factors, changes in the value of the underlying properties owned by the REIT, changes in the prospect for earnings and/or cash flow growth of the REIT itself, defaults by borrowers or tenants, market saturation, decreases in market rates for rents, and other economic, political, or regulatory matters affecting the real estate industry, including REITs. REITs and similar non-U.S. entities depend upon specialized management skills, may have limited financial resources, may have less trading volume in their securities, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than the overall securities markets. In a rising interest rate environment, the stock prices of real estate-related investments may decline and the borrowing costs of these companies may increase. REITs are also subject to the risk of failing to qualify for favorable tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The failure of a REIT to continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes can materially and adversely affect its value. Some REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are affected by risks similar to those associated with investments in debt securities including changes in interest rates and the quality of credit extended.
Regulatory Risk — Alternative Investments. Legal, tax, and regulatory developments may adversely affect the Fund and its investments. The regulatory environment for the Fund and certain of its investments is evolving, and changes in the regulation of investment funds, their managers, and their trading activities and capital markets, or a regulator’s disagreement with the Fund’s or others’ interpretation of the application of certain regulations, may adversely affect the ability of the Fund to pursue its investment strategy, its ability to obtain leverage and financing, and the value of investments held by the Fund. There has been an increase in governmental, as well as self-regulatory, scrutiny of the investment industry in general and the alternative investment industry in particular. It is impossible to predict what, if any, changes in regulations may occur, but any regulation that restricts the ability of the Fund or any underlying funds or other investments to trade in securities or other instruments or the ability of the Fund or underlying funds to employ, or brokers and other counterparties to extend, credit in their trading (as well as other regulatory changes that result) could have a material adverse impact on the Fund’s performance.
The Fund’s business is dynamic and is expected to change over time. Therefore, the Fund and its underlying investments may be subject to new or additional regulatory constraints in the future. Such regulations may have a significant impact on shareholders or the operations of the Fund, including, without limitation, restricting the types of investments the Fund may make, preventing the Fund from exercising its voting rights with regard to certain financial instruments, requiring the Fund to disclose the identity of its investors or otherwise. To the extent the Fund or its underlying investments are subject to such regulation, such regulations may have a detrimental effect on one or more shareholders. Prospective investors are encouraged to consult their own advisors regarding an investment in the Fund.
Regulatory Risk — Money Market Funds. Money market funds and the securities they invest in are subject to comprehensive regulations. The enactment of new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operation, performance and/or yield of money market funds.
Regulatory Risk — U.S. Banking Law. Following the conversion of Ameriprise National Trust Bank into a federal savings bank in May 2019, Ameriprise Financial, Inc. continues to be subject to ongoing supervision by the Board of Governors for the Federal Reserve System as well as applicable U.S. federal banking laws, including the Home Owners Loan Act and certain parts of the Bank Holding Company Act, including Section 13 thereof (commonly referred to as the Volcker Rule). These laws impose limits on the amount and duration of any proprietary capital held in the Fund by the Investment Manager, Ameriprise Financial, Inc. or certain of their controlled affiliates or products. Failure to comply with those limitations could subject the Fund to limitations on its portfolio investments and/or trading restrictions which could adversely impact the Fund’s ability to execute its investment strategy. Under such circumstances, the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates may be required to reduce their ownership interests in the Fund or the Fund’s Board may liquidate the Fund, which may result in losses, increased transaction costs and/or adverse tax consequences for the Fund, each of which may adversely affect the value of your investment in the Fund.
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Reinvestment Risk. Reinvestment risk arises when the Fund is unable to reinvest income or principal at the same or at least the same return it is currently earning.
Repurchase Agreements Risk. Repurchase agreements are agreements in which the seller of a security to the Fund agrees to repurchase that security from the Fund at a mutually agreed upon price and time. Repurchase agreements carry the risk that the counterparty may not fulfill its obligations under the agreement. This could cause the Fund's income and the value of your investment in the Fund to decline.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements Risk. Reverse repurchase agreements are agreements in which a Fund sells a security to a counterparty, such as a bank or broker-dealer, in return for cash and agrees to repurchase that security at a mutually agreed upon price and time. Reverse repurchase agreements carry the risk that the market value of the security sold by the Fund may decline below the price at which the Fund must repurchase the security. Reverse repurchase agreements also may be viewed as a form of borrowing, and borrowed assets used for investment creates leverage risk (the risk that losses may be greater than the amount invested). Leverage can create an interest expense that may lower the Fund's overall returns. Leverage presents the opportunity for increased net income and capital gains, but may also exaggerate the Fund’s volatility and risk of loss. There can be no guarantee that this strategy will be successful.
Rule 144A and Other Exempted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in privately placed and other securities or instruments exempt from SEC registration (collectively “private placements”), subject to certain regulatory restrictions. In the U.S. market, private placements are typically sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or qualified purchasers, as applicable. An insufficient number of buyers interested in purchasing private placements at a particular time could adversely affect the marketability of such investments and the Fund might be unable to dispose of them promptly or at reasonable prices, subjecting the Fund to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price). The Fund’s holdings of private placements may increase the level of Fund illiquidity if eligible buyers are unable or unwilling to purchase them at a particular time. The Fund may also have to bear the expense of registering the securities for resale and the risk of substantial delays in effecting the registration. Additionally, the purchase price and subsequent valuation of private placements typically reflect a discount, which may be significant, from the market price of comparable securities for which a more liquid market exists. Issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities are required to furnish information to potential investors upon request. However, the required disclosure is much less extensive than that required of public companies and is not publicly available since the offering information is not filed with the SEC. Further, issuers of Rule 144A eligible securities can require recipients of the offering information (such as the Fund) to agree contractually to keep the information confidential, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to dispose of the security.
Secondary Market Trading Risk. Investors buying or selling Fund shares will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price that an investor is willing to pay for Fund shares (the bid price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Fund shares (the ask price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the “spread” or “bid/ask spread.” The bid/ask spread varies over time for Fund shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if the Fund’s shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if the Fund’s shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, increased market volatility may cause widening of bid/ask spreads.
Sector Risk. At times, the Fund may have a significant portion of its assets invested in securities of companies conducting business in a related group of industries within one or more economic sectors. Companies in the same sector may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund vulnerable to unfavorable developments in that group of industries or economic sector.
Sector Risk — Consumer Discretionary/Staples Sector Investments. To the extent a Fund concentrates its investments in companies in the consumer discretionary and staples sectors, it is vulnerable to the particular risks that may affect companies in those sectors. Companies in the consumer discretionary and staples sectors are subject to certain risks, including fluctuations in the performance of the overall domestic and international economies, interest rate changes, currency exchange rates, increased competition and consumer confidence. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including reduced disposable household income, reduced consumer spending, and changing demographics and consumer tastes. Companies in these sectors may be subject to competitive forces (including competition brought by an influx of foreign brands), which may also have an adverse impact on their profitability. These sectors may be strongly affected by fads, marketing campaigns, changes in demographics and consumer preferences, and other economic or social factors affecting consumer demand. Governmental regulation, including price controls and regulations on packaging, labeling, competition, and certification, may affect the profitability of certain companies invested in by the Fund. Companies operating in these sectors may also be adversely affected by government and private litigation.
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Consumer Staples — Agricultural Products. The Fund is vulnerable to the particular risks that may affect companies in the agricultural products industry (part of the consumer staples sector). Companies engaged in agricultural production may be adversely affected by changes or trends in commodity prices and labor costs, which may be influenced by unpredictable factors. Increased competition and changes in consumer tastes and spending can also influence the demand for agricultural and livestock products, affecting the price of such commodities. Many companies in the agricultural products industry are subject to government subsidy policies and environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. Any changes to these policies, laws and regulations, or the imposition of tariffs or other trade restraints, may have a material adverse effect on companies operating in this industry. Some companies may also be involved in agricultural technology or food innovation and are heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by loss or impairment of those rights. Adverse weather conditions (such as floods or droughts), natural disasters and other factors, such as disease outbreaks, war or other conflict, also may adversely affect companies operating in this industry.
Sector Risk — Energy Sector Investments. To the extent a Fund concentrates its investments in companies in the energy sector, it is vulnerable to the particular risks that may affect companies in that sector. Companies in the energy sector are subject to certain risks, including legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions and increased competition. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including, among others, fluctuations in energy prices, energy fuel supply and demand factors, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, local and international policies, and events occurring in nature. For instance, natural events (such as earthquakes, hurricanes or fires in prime natural resources areas) and political events (such as government instability or military confrontations and actions) can affect the value of companies involved in business activities in the energy sector. Other risks may include liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities, depletion of resources, and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control. The energy sector may also be affected by economic cycles, rising interest rates, high inflation, technical progress, labor relations, legislative or regulatory changes, local and international policies, and adverse market conditions.
Sector Risk — Financial Services Sector Investments. To the extent a Fund concentrates its investments in companies in the financial services sector, it is vulnerable to the particular risks that may affect companies in that sector. Companies in the financial services sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk of regulatory change, decreased liquidity in credit markets and unstable interest rates. Such companies may have concentrated portfolios, such as a high level of loans to one or more industries or sectors, which makes them vulnerable to economic conditions that affect such industries or sectors. Performance of such companies may be affected by competitive pressures and exposure to investments, agreements and counterparties, including credit products that, under certain circumstances, may lead to losses (e.g., subprime loans). Companies in the financial services sector are subject to extensive governmental regulation that may limit the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they may charge. In addition, profitability of such companies is largely dependent upon the availability and the cost of capital.
Sector Risk — Health Care Sector Investments. To the extent a Fund concentrates its investments in companies in the health care sector, it is vulnerable to the particular risks that may affect companies in that sector. Companies in the health care sector are subject to certain risks, including restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, government approval of medical products and services, competitive pricing pressures, and the rising cost of medical products and services (especially for companies dependent upon a relatively limited number of products or services), among others. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including government regulation, obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so), product liability and other similar litigation as well as product obsolescence.
Sector Risk — Industrials Sector Investments. To the extent a Fund concentrates its investments in companies in the industrials sector, it is vulnerable to the particular risks that may affect companies in that sector. Companies in the industrials sector are subject to certain risks, including changes in supply and demand for their specific product or service and for industrial sector products in general, including decline in demand for such products due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including government regulation, world events, economic conditions and risks for environmental damage and product liability claims.
Sector Risk — Information Technology Sector Investment Risk. To the extent a Fund concentrates its investments in companies in the information technology sector, it is vulnerable to the particular risks that may affect companies in that sector. Companies in the information technology sector are subject to certain risks, including the risk that new services, equipment or technologies will not be accepted by consumers and businesses or will become rapidly obsolete. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including obtaining and protecting patents (or the failure to do so) and significant competitive pressures, including aggressive pricing of their products or services, new market entrants, competition for market share and short product cycles due to an accelerated rate of technological developments. Such competitive pressures may lead to limited earnings and/or falling profit margins. As a result, the value of their securities may fall or fail to rise. In addition, many information technology sector companies have limited operating histories and prices of these companies’ securities historically
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have been more volatile than other securities, especially over the short term. Some companies in the information technology sector are facing increased government and regulatory scrutiny and may be subject to adverse government or regulatory action, which could negatively impact the value of their securities.
Sector Risk — Materials Investments. To the extent a Fund concentrates its investments in companies in the materials sector, it is vulnerable to the particular risks that may affect companies in the materials sector. Companies in the materials sector are subject to certain risks, including that many materials companies are significantly affected by the level and volatility of commodity prices, exchange rates, import controls, increased competition, environmental policies, consumer demand, and events occurring in nature. For instance, natural events (such as earthquakes, hurricanes or fires in prime natural resource areas) and political events (such as government instability or military confrontations and actions) can affect the value of companies involved in business activities in the materials sector. Performance of such companies may be affected by factors including, among others, that at times worldwide production of industrial materials has exceeded demand as a result of over-building or economic downturns, leading to poor investment returns or losses. Other risks may include liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities, depletion of resources, and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control. The materials sector may also be affected by economic cycles, rising interest rates, high inflation, technical progress, labor relations, legislative or regulatory changes, local and international policies, and adverse market conditions. In addition, prices of, and thus the Fund’s investments in, precious metals are considered speculative and are affected by a variety of worldwide and economic, financial and political factors. Prices of precious metals may fluctuate sharply.
Sector Risk — Utilities Sector Investments. To the extent a Fund concentrates its investments in companies in the energy sector, it is vulnerable to the particular risks that may affect companies in that sector. Companies in the utilities sector are subject to certain risks, including risks associated with government regulation, interest rate changes, financing difficulties, supply and demand for services or products, intense competition, natural resource conservation and commodity price fluctuations.
Semiconductors and Semiconductor Equipment Industry Risk. To the extent the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in securities of companies conducting business within the semiconductors and semiconductor equipment industry, which is included within the Information Technology sector, it is vulnerable to the particular risks that may affect companies within that industry. Companies in the same or related industries may be similarly affected by economic, regulatory, political or market events or conditions, which may make the Fund more vulnerable to unfavorable developments than funds that invest more broadly. Generally, the more broadly a fund invests, the more it spreads risk and potentially reduces the risks of loss and volatility.
The Fund is sensitive to, and its performance may depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the semiconductor and semiconductor equipment industry. The risks of investments in the industry include: intense competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from subsidized foreign competitors with lower production costs; wide fluctuations in securities prices due to risks of rapid obsolescence of products and related technology; economic performance of the customers of semiconductor and related companies; their research costs and the risks that their products may not prove commercially successful; and thin capitalization and limited product lines, markets, financial resources or quality management and personnel. Semiconductor design and process methodologies are subject to rapid technological change requiring large expenditures, potentially requiring financing that may be difficult or impossible to obtain, for research and development in order to improve product performance and increase manufacturing yields. These companies rely on a combination of patents, trade secret laws and contractual provisions to protect their technologies. The process of seeking patent protection can be long and expensive. The industry is characterized by frequent litigation regarding patent and other intellectual property rights, which may require such companies to defend against competitors’ assertions of intellectual property infringement or misappropriation. Some companies are also engaged in other lines of business unrelated to the semiconductor business, and these companies may experience problems with these lines of business that could adversely affect their operating results. The international operations of many companies expose them to the risks associated with instability and changes in economic and political conditions, foreign currency fluctuations, changes in foreign regulations, tariffs, and trade disputes. Business conditions in this industry can change rapidly from periods of strong demand to periods of weak demand. Any future downturn in the industry could harm the business and operating results of these companies. The stock prices of companies in the industry have been and will likely continue to be volatile relative to the overall market.
The industry may also be affected by risks that affect the broader technology sector, including: government regulation, dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for qualified personnel, a small number of companies representing a large portion of the technology semiconductor industry as a whole, cyclical market patterns, significant product price erosion hampering company profits, periods of over-capacity and production shortages, changing demand, variations in manufacturing costs and yields and significant expenditures for capital equipment and product development.
Short Positions Risk. A Fund that establishes short positions introduces more risk to the Fund than a fund that only takes long positions (where the fund owns the instrument or other asset) because the maximum sustainable loss on an instrument or other asset purchased (held long) is limited to the amount paid for the instrument or other asset plus the transaction costs, whereas
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there is no maximum price of the shorted instrument or other asset when purchased in the open market. Therefore, in theory, short positions have unlimited risk. The Fund’s use of short positions in effect “leverages” the Fund. Leverage potentially exposes the Fund to greater risks of loss due to unanticipated market movements, which may magnify losses and increase the volatility of returns. To the extent the Fund takes a short position in a derivative instrument or other asset, this involves the risk of a potentially unlimited increase in the value of the underlying instrument or other asset. Short sales also involve transaction and other costs that will reduce potential Fund gains and increase potential Fund losses.
Sovereign Debt Risk. The willingness or ability of a sovereign or quasi-sovereign debtor to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by a variety of factors, including its cash flow situation, the extent of its reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the sovereign or quasi-sovereign debtor’s policy toward international lenders, and the political constraints to which such debtor may be subject.
With respect to sovereign or quasi-sovereign debt of emerging market issuers, investors should be aware that certain emerging market countries are among the largest debtors to commercial banks and foreign governments. At times, certain emerging market countries have declared moratoria on the payment of principal and interest on external debt. Certain emerging market countries have experienced difficulty in servicing their sovereign or quasi-sovereign debt on a timely basis and that has led to defaults and the restructuring of certain indebtedness to the detriment of debt holders. Sovereign debt risk is increased for emerging market issuers.
Special Situations Risk. Securities of companies that are involved in an initial public offering or a major corporate event, such as a business consolidation or restructuring, may be exposed to heightened risk because of the high degree of uncertainty that can be associated with such events. Securities issued in initial public offerings often are issued by companies that are in the early stages of development, have a history of little or no revenues and may operate at a loss following the offering. It is possible that there will be no active trading market for the securities after the offering, and that the market price of the securities may be subject to significant and unpredictable fluctuations. Initial public offerings are subject to many of the same risks as investing in companies with smaller market capitalizations. To the extent the Fund determines to invest in initial public offerings, it may not be able to invest to the extent desired, because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an initial public offering are available to the Fund. The investment performance of the Fund during periods when it is unable to invest significantly or at all in initial public offerings may be lower than during periods when the Fund is able to do so. Securities purchased in initial public offerings which are sold within 12 months after purchase may result in increased short-term capital gains, which will be taxable to the Fund’s shareholders as ordinary income. Certain “special situation” investments are investments in securities or other instruments that may be classified as illiquid or lacking a readily ascertainable fair value. Certain special situation investments prevent ownership interests therein from being withdrawn until the special situation investment, or a portion thereof, is realized or deemed realized, which may negatively impact Fund performance. Investing in special situations may have a magnified effect on the performance of funds with small amounts of assets.
Stripped Securities Risk. Stripped securities are the separate income or principal components of debt securities. These securities are particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, and therefore subject to greater fluctuations in price than typical interest bearing debt securities. For example, stripped mortgage-backed securities have greater interest rate risk than mortgage-backed securities with like maturities, and stripped treasury securities have greater interest rate risk (the risk of losses attributable to changes in interest rates) than traditional government securities with identical credit ratings.
Terrorism, War, Natural Disaster and Epidemic Risk. Terrorism, war, military confrontations and actions, other conflicts, and related geopolitical events (and their aftermath) 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. Likewise, natural and environmental disasters, such as, for example, earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis and weather-related phenomena generally, as well as widespread disease and virus outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics, have been and can be highly disruptive to economies and markets, adversely affecting individual companies, sectors, industries, markets, currencies, interest and inflation rates, credit ratings, investor sentiment, and other factors affecting the value of the Fund’s investments. Given the increasing interdependence among global economies and markets, conditions in one country, market, or region are increasingly likely to adversely affect markets, issuers, and/or foreign exchange rates in other countries, including the U.S. These disruptions could prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner and negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objectives. Any such event(s) could have a significant adverse impact on the value and risk profile of the Fund.
Tracking Basket Structure Risk. The Semi-Transparent Fund’s Tracking Basket structure may affect the price at which the Semi-Transparent Fund shares trade in the secondary market. Although the Tracking Basket is intended to provide investors with enough information to allow for an effective arbitrage mechanism that will keep the market price of the Semi-Transparent Fund at or close to the Semi-Transparent Fund’s NAV per share, there is a risk that market prices will vary significantly from NAV. ETFs trading on the basis of a published Tracking Basket may trade at a wider bid/ask spread than ETFs that publish their
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complete portfolio holdings on a daily basis and therefore, may cost investors more to trade. These risks may increase during periods of market disruption or volatility. In addition, although the Semi-Transparent Fund seeks to benefit from not disclosing portfolio holdings daily, market participants may attempt to use the Tracking Basket to identify the Semi-Transparent Fund’s trading strategy. If successful, this could result in such market participants engaging in certain predatory trading practices that may have the potential to harm the Semi-Transparent Fund and its shareholders, such as front-running (trading ahead) or free-riding (mirroring) the Semi-Transparent Fund’s strategy.
U.S. Government Obligations Risk. While U.S. Treasury obligations are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. Government, such securities are nonetheless subject to credit risk (i.e., the risk that the U.S. Government may be, or may be perceived to be, unable or unwilling to honor its financial obligations, such as making payments). Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies or authorities and U.S. Government-sponsored instrumentalities or enterprises may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. For example, securities issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Banks are neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. Government. These securities may be supported by the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or only by the credit of the issuing agency, authority, instrumentality or enterprise and, as a result, are subject to greater credit risk than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.
Valuation Risk. The sales price the Fund (or an underlying fund or other investment vehicle) could receive, or actually receives, for any particular investment may differ from the Fund’s (or an underlying fund’s or other investment vehicle’s) valuation of the investment, particularly for securities that trade in thin or volatile markets, debt securities sold in amounts less than institutional-sized lots (typically referred to as odd lots) or securities that are valued using a fair value methodology that produces an estimate of the fair value of the security/instrument.
Warrants and Rights Risk. Warrants are securities giving the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy the stock of an issuer at a given price (generally higher than the value of the stock at the time of issuance) during a specified period or perpetually. Warrants may be acquired separately or in connection with the acquisition of securities. Warrants do not carry with them the right to dividends or voting rights and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. Warrants are subject to the risks associated with the security underlying the warrant, including market risk. Warrants may expire unexercised and subject the Fund to liquidity risk (the risk that it may not be possible for the Fund to liquidate the instrument at an advantageous time or price), which may result in Fund losses. Rights are available to existing shareholders of an issuer to enable them to maintain proportionate ownership in the issuer by being able to buy newly issued shares. Rights allow shareholders to buy the shares below the current market price. Rights are typically short-term instruments that are valued separately and trade in the secondary market during a subscription (or offering) period. Holders can exercise the rights and purchase the stock, sell the rights or let them expire. Their value, and their risk of investment loss, is a function of that of the underlying security.
Zero-Coupon Bonds Risk. Zero-coupon bonds are bonds that do not pay interest in cash on a current basis, but instead accrue interest over the life of the bond. As a result, these securities are issued at a discount and their values may fluctuate more than the values of similar securities that pay interest periodically. Although these securities pay no interest to holders prior to maturity, interest accrued on these securities is reported as income to the Fund and affects the amounts distributed to its shareholders, which may cause the Fund to sell investments to obtain cash to make income distributions to shareholders, including at times when it may not be advantageous to do so.
Certain of the risks described above in this SAI may also apply, directly or indirectly, to the Investment Manager and any investment subadviser and their affiliates, which may negatively impact their respective abilities to provide services to the Funds, potentially resulting in losses to the Fund or other consequences.
Borrowings
In general, pursuant to the 1940 Act, a Fund may borrow money only from banks in an amount not exceeding 33 1∕3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings). Any borrowings that come to exceed this amount must be reduced within three days (not including Sundays and holidays) to the extent necessary to comply with the 33 1∕3% limitation.
Lending of Portfolio Securities
To generate additional income, a Fund may lend up to 33%, or such lower percentage specified by the Fund or Investment Manager, of the value of its total assets (including securities out on loan) to broker-dealers, banks or other institutional borrowers of securities. A Fund may loan securities to approved borrowers pursuant to borrower agreements in exchange for collateral at least equal in value to the loaned securities, marked to market daily. Collateral may consist of cash, securities issued by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities (collectively, “U.S. Government securities”) or such other collateral as may be
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approved by the Board. For loans secured by cash, the Fund retains the interest earned on cash collateral, but the Fund is required to pay the borrower a rebate for the use of the cash collateral. For loans secured by U.S. Government securities, the borrower pays a borrower fee to the lending agent on behalf of the Fund.
If the market value of the loaned securities goes up, the Fund will require additional collateral from the borrower. If the market value of the loaned securities goes down, the borrower may request that some collateral be returned. During the existence of the loan, the Fund will receive from the borrower amounts equivalent to any dividends, interest or other distributions on the loaned securities, as well as interest on such amounts.
Loans are subject to termination by a Fund or a borrower at any time. A Fund may choose to terminate a loan in order to vote in a proxy solicitation. The Funds’ proxy voting policies and procedures are described in this SAI under Investment Management and Other Services – Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures – General.
Securities lending involves counterparty risk, including the risk that a borrower may not provide sufficient or any collateral when required or may not return the loaned securities, timely or at all. Counterparty risk also includes a potential loss of rights in the collateral if the borrower or the lending agent defaults or fails financially. This risk is increased if a Fund’s loans are concentrated with a single borrower or limited number of borrowers. There are no limits on the number of borrowers a Fund may use and a Fund may lend securities to only one or a small group of borrowers. Funds participating in securities lending also bear the risk of loss in connection with investments of cash collateral received from the borrowers. Cash collateral may only be invested in short-term, highly liquid obligations, and in accordance with investment guidelines contained in the securities lending agreement and approved by the Board. Some or all of the cash collateral received in connection with the securities lending program may be invested in one or more pooled investment vehicles, including, among other vehicles, money market funds. To the extent that the value or return of a Fund’s investments of the cash collateral declines below the amount owed to a borrower, a Fund may incur losses that exceed the amount it earned on lending the security. The Investment Manager is not responsible for any loss incurred by the Funds in connection with the securities lending program.
The Funds currently do not participate in the securities lending program, but the Board may determine that the Funds participate in the future.
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INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND OTHER SERVICES
The Investment Manager
Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, located at 290 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210, is the investment manager of the Funds and also serves as the investment manager and administrator of other funds in the Columbia Funds Complex. The Investment Manager is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial, which is located at 1099 Ameriprise Financial Center, Minneapolis, MN 55474. Ameriprise Financial is a holding company, which primarily conducts business through its subsidiaries to provide financial planning, products and services that are designed to be utilized as solutions for clients’ cash and liquidity, asset accumulation, income, protection and estate and wealth transfer needs.
The Investment Manager and its investment advisory affiliates (Participating Affiliates) around the world may coordinate in providing services to their clients. Such coordination may include functional leadership of the business (the “global” business). From time to time, the Investment Manager (or any affiliated investment subadviser to the Funds, as the case may be) may engage its Participating Affiliates to provide a variety of services such as investment research, investment monitoring, trading, and discretionary investment management (including portfolio management) to certain accounts managed by the Investment Manager, including the Funds. These Participating Affiliates will provide services to the Funds and other accounts of the Investment Manager (or any affiliated investment subadviser to the Funds, as the case may be) either pursuant to subadvisory agreements, delegation agreements, personnel-sharing agreements or similar inter-company or other arrangements or relationships and the Funds will pay no additional fees and expenses as a result of any such arrangements or relationships. These Participating Affiliates, like the Investment Manager, are direct or indirect subsidiaries of Ameriprise Financial and are registered with the appropriate respective regulators in their home jurisdictions and, where required, the SEC and the CFTC in the United States.
Pursuant to some of these arrangements or relationships, certain personnel of these Participating Affiliates serve as “associated persons” or officers of the Investment Manager and, in this capacity, subject to the oversight and supervision of the Investment Manager and consistent with the investment objectives, policies and limitations set forth in the Funds' prospectuses and this SAI, and with the Investment Manager’s and the Funds' compliance policies and procedures, provide services to the Funds.
As a manager of global equities, fixed income and real estate assets, Columbia Management seeks to provide its investment professionals, including Fund portfolio managers, with access to various internal tools and resources that they may use to enhance or supplement their investment processes, including access to Columbia Management’s proprietary Fundamental Research capability, Quantitative Equity Research capability, and Responsible Investing Research capability, each as further described below.
Columbia Management’s Equity and Fixed Income Fundamental Research Capability
Columbia Management and its advisory affiliates maintain an internal central research function for both equity and fixed income. Investment analysts who are responsible for central research provide their views on specific issuers and securities internally for general consumption by other analysts and portfolio managers, as well as to investment personnel of certain of our advisory affiliates. Fund portfolio managers may, by way of example, seek to leverage the central fundamental research for sector expertise. Equity analysts that are tied to specific portfolio management teams or strategies generally do not provide their research internally in this manner but may share their investment views with investment personnel (including personnel at certain of our advisory affiliates) via email or other form of communication. In addition, certain of our research analysts have portfolio management responsibilities that may create potential conflicts of interest with respect to the allocation of investment research. We have adopted policies and related controls to manage these conflicts.
Columbia Management’s Quantitative Equity Research Capability
Columbia Management’s quantitative research team applies fundamental investment concepts within a quantitative and systematic framework to create robust sector- and industry-specific multi-factor stock selection models across three broad categories, including valuation (such as cash flow yield), catalyst (such as price momentum) and quality (such as earnings quality) models, to rank the securities within a sector/industry. A company’s rating is scaled from 1 (most attractive) to 5 (least attractive) based on the relative ranking of its overall score from its multi-factor model. The ranking results are another available resource internally for general consumption by other analysts and Fund portfolio managers, as well as to investment personnel of certain of our advisory affiliates. Fund portfolio managers may, by way of example, seek to leverage this information for the Funds they manage.
Columbia Management’s Responsible Investing Research Capability
Columbia Management maintains an internal central Responsible Investment (RI) research function. Columbia Management became a signatory to the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in October 2014. The PRI initiative is based on six principles that address the integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into
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investment decision-making and stewardship practices. As a PRI signatory, Columbia Management has made a commitment by investing in the resources, enhanced analytics and data to supplement its standard fundamental and quantitative tools to help its investment teams expand their investment mosaic to potentially consider and integrate ESG factors that seek to identify material associated risks and opportunities that may bear on the long-term value creation and sustainability of a company. While Columbia Management follows the PRI Principles, becoming a PRI signatory does not require the application of specific RI factors in Columbia Management’s investment process, and Columbia Management may take actions inconsistent with the PRI if, in its judgment, it is in the best interests of its clients to do so.
While Columbia Management believes that evaluating RI research and analysis enables portfolio managers to make better-informed investment decisions, each portfolio management team within Columbia Management makes its own investment decisions and certain teams may place more, less or no emphasis on ESG factors in any given investment decision. Columbia Management believes in being an active and responsible steward of the capital entrusted to it by our clients. Consistent with this philosophy and the duty to act in the best interests of our clients, our publicly available Stewardship Principles form an important part of our investment framework and guidelines. These Principles outline the governance of Columbia Management’s stewardship activities as they apply across asset classes, as well as specifying Columbia Management’s approach to monitoring the companies in which it invests and the role within stewardship of engagement and proxy voting.
Services Provided
Under the Investment Management Services Agreement, the Investment Manager has contracted to, subject to general oversight by the Board, manage and supervise the day-to-day operations and business affairs of the Funds. In this role, the Investment Manager furnishes each such Fund with investment research and advice. Under the Investment Management Services Agreement, any liability of the Investment Manager to the Trusts, a Fund and/or its shareholders is limited to situations involving the Investment Manager’s own willful misfeasance, bad faith, negligence in the performance of its duties or reckless disregard of its obligations and duties.
The Investment Management Services Agreement may be terminated with respect to a Fund at any time on 60 days’ written notice by the Investment Manager or by the Board or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund. The Investment Management Services Agreement will automatically terminate upon any assignment thereof, will continue in effect for two years from its initial effective date and thereafter will continue from year to year with respect to a Fund only so long as such continuance is approved at least annually (i) by the Board or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund and (ii) by vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) of the Investment Manager or the Trusts.
The Investment Manager pays all compensation of the Trustees and officers of the Trusts who are employees of the Investment Manager or its affiliates, except for the Chief Compliance Officer, a portion of whose salary is paid by the Columbia Funds (excluding those Funds that pay a Unified Fee, as defined below). Except to the extent expressly assumed by the Investment Manager and except to the extent required by law to be paid or reimbursed by the Investment Manager, the Investment Manager does not have a duty to pay any Fund operating expenses incurred in the organization and operation of a Fund, including, but not limited to, auditing, legal, custodial, investor servicing and shareholder reporting expenses. The Funds that do not pay a Unified Fee (as defined below) pay the cost of printing and mailing Fund prospectuses to shareholders.
The Investment Manager, at its own expense, provides office space, facilities and supplies, equipment and personnel for the performance of its functions under each Fund’s Investment Management Services Agreement.
Investment Management Services Agreement Fee Rates
Each Fund set forth in the table below, unless otherwise noted, pays the Investment Manager an annual fee for its investment advisory services, as set forth in the Investment Management Services Agreement and the table below. The fee is calculated as a percentage of the daily net assets of each Fund and is paid monthly. The Investment Manager and/or its affiliates may, from time to time, at its/their own expense from its/their own resources, compensate purchasers of Creation Units and other financial institutions for administrative or marketing services. The Investment Manager and/or its affiliates may from time to time waive fees and/or reimburse certain Fund expenses. See the Funds’ prospectuses for more information.
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Investment Management Services Agreement Fee Schedule
| Fund |
Assets (in millions) |
Annual rate at each asset level |
| Diversified Fixed Income Allocation ETF(a) |
All assets |
0.28% |
| EM Core ex-China ETF(b) |
All assets |
0.16% |
| India Consumer ETF(b) |
All assets |
0.75% |
| International Equity Income ETF(a) |
All assets |
0.45% |
| Multi-Sector Municipal Income ETF(a) |
All assets |
0.23% |
| Research Enhanced Core ETF(a) |
All assets |
0.15% |
| Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF(b) |
All assets |
0.49% |
| Research Enhanced Real Estate ETF(a) |
All assets |
0.33% |
| Research Enhanced Value ETF(a) |
All assets |
0.19% |
| Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF(a) |
All assets |
0.75% |
| Short Duration Bond ETF(a) |
All assets |
0.25% |
| U.S. Equity Income ETF(a) |
All assets |
0.35% |
(a)
In return for the investment advisory services fee, the Investment Manager has agreed to pay the operating costs and expenses of the Fund other than the following expenses, which will be paid by the Fund: taxes, interest incurred on borrowing by the Fund, if any; brokerage fees and commissions and any other portfolio transaction expenses; interest and fee expense related to a Fund’s participation in inverse floater structures; infrequent and/or unusual expenses (including litigation expenses); distribution and/or servicing fees; expenses incurred in connection with lending securities; and expenses approved by the Board. Throughout this SAI, this fee is referred to as a “Unified Fee.”
(b)
In return for the investment advisory services fee, the Investment Manager has agreed to pay the operating costs and expenses of the Fund other than the following expenses, which will be paid by the Fund: the management fee set forth above; taxes; interest incurred on borrowing by the Fund (including but not limited to overdraft fees), if any; brokerage expenses, fees, commissions and other portfolio transaction expenses (including but not limited to service fees charged by custodians of depositary receipts and scrip fees related to registrations on foreign exchanges); interest and fee expense related to the Fund’s participation in inverse floater structures; infrequent and/or unusual expenses, including without limitation litigation expenses (including but not limited to arbitrations and indemnification expenses); distribution and/or service fees; expenses incurred in connection with lending securities; and any other infrequent and/or unusual expenses approved by the Board. Throughout this SAI, this fee is referred to as a “Unified Fee.”
Investment Advisory Services Fees Paid. The table below shows the total investment advisory services fees paid by each Fund under the Investment Management Services Agreement for the last three fiscal periods (net of investment advisory services fee waivers). For more information about fees waived or Fund expenses reimbursed by the Investment Manager, see Expense Limitations. The table is organized by fiscal year end.
Investment Advisory Services Fees
| |
Investment Advisory Services Fees | ||
| |
2023 |
2022 |
2021 |
| For Funds with fiscal period ending March 31 | |||
| EM Core ex-China ETF |
$187,924 |
$80,982 |
$35,181 |
| India Consumer ETF |
577,359 |
709,377 |
596,864 |
| Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF |
472,770 |
800,775 |
1,037,927 |
| For Funds with fiscal period ending October 31 | |||
| Diversified Fixed Income Allocation ETF |
1,296,624 |
2,559,232 |
2,772,311 |
| International Equity Income ETF |
29,536 |
23,648 |
24,201 |
| Multi-Sector Municipal Income ETF |
708,182 |
435,109 |
216,791 |
| Research Enhanced Core ETF |
214,853 |
63,900 |
85,594 |
| Research Enhanced Value ETF |
39,200 |
42,563 |
9,030 |
| Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF |
147,802 |
43,546(a) |
N/A |
| Short Duration Bond ETF |
123,483 |
104,781 |
5,453(b) |
| U.S. Equity Income ETF |
162,960 |
93,242 |
20,806 |
| For Funds with fiscal period ending December 31 | |||
| Research Enhanced Real Estate ETF |
8,267(c) |
N/A |
N/A |
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(a)
For the period from March 29, 2022 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2022.
(b)
For the period from September 21, 2021 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2021.
(c)
For the period from April 26, 2023 (commencement of operations) to December 31, 2023.
Manager of Managers Exemption
The SEC has issued an exemptive order (the Order) that permits the Investment Manager, subject to the approval of the Board and conditions of the Order, to hire subadvisers, by entering into subadvisory agreements with them, and to materially change the terms of those subadvisory agreements, including the subadvisory fees paid thereunder, without seeking approval of the Fund’s shareholders and thereby avoiding the expense and delays associated with obtaining such approval (the Manager of Managers Structure). For Funds that began operations (see About the Trusts) prior to September 2017, the Order covers unaffiliated subadvisers; for Funds that have commenced operations since September 2017, the Order covers unaffiliated subadvisers and subadvisers that are indirect or direct wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Investment Manager or sister companies of the Investment Manager that are indirect or direct wholly-owned subsidiaries of Ameriprise Financial. In addition to the Order, the Funds may rely on any other current or future laws, rules, or regulatory guidance from the SEC or its staff applicable to a Manager of Managers Structure.
The SEC has issued a separate exemptive order that permits the Board to approve new subadvisory agreements or material changes to existing subadvisory agreements at a meeting that is not in person, provided that the conditions of the order are satisfied. These conditions include, among others, the requirements that (i) the Trustees will be able to participate in the meeting using a means of communication that allows them to hear each other simultaneously during the meeting, (ii) management will represent that the materials provided to the Board include the same information the Board would have received if approval were sought at an in-person Board meeting, (iii) Trustees will have the opportunity to object to considering the proposal at a non-in-person meeting (in which case the Board will consider the proposal at an in-person meeting unless the objection is rescinded) and (iv) the need for considering the proposal at a non-in-person meeting will be explained to the Board.
In order for each of India Consumer ETF and Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF to rely on the Order, holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities would first need to approve operating the Fund in this manner. There is no assurance shareholder approval, if sought, will be received, and no changes will be made without shareholder approval until that time.
The Investment Manager and its affiliates may have other relationships, including significant financial relationships, with current or potential subadvisers and/or their affiliates, which may create certain conflicts of interest. When making recommendations to the Board to appoint or to change a subadviser, or to change the terms of a subadvisory agreement, the Investment Manager discloses to the Board the nature of any such material relationships.
Portfolio Managers. The following table provides information about the portfolio managers of each Fund. In addition to the other account information disclosed in the table, portfolio managers may have accounts holding Ameriprise Financial stock options granted to them as part of their compensation. The table is organized by fiscal year end.
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*
RIC refers to a Registered Investment Company; PIV refers to a Pooled Investment Vehicle.
**
Number of accounts for which the advisory fee paid is based in part or wholly on performance and the aggregate net assets in those accounts.
(a)
Excludes any notional investments.
(b)
See Columbia Management – Tech Team below for information regarding the structure of, and the method used to determine, the compensation of each Portfolio Manager with respect to the Fund.
Potential Conflicts of Interest
Columbia Management: Like other investment professionals with multiple clients, a Fund’s portfolio manager(s) may face certain potential conflicts of interest in connection with managing both the Fund and other accounts at the same time. The Investment Manager and the Funds have adopted compliance policies and procedures that attempt to address certain of the potential conflicts that portfolio managers face in this regard. Certain of these conflicts of interest are summarized below.
The management of funds or other accounts with different advisory fee rates and/or fee structures, including accounts, such as the Investment Manager’s hedge funds, that pay advisory fees based on account performance (performance fee accounts), may raise potential conflicts of interest for a portfolio manager by creating an incentive to favor accounts that pay higher fees, including performance fee accounts, such that the portfolio manager may have an incentive to allocate attractive investments disproportionately to performance fee accounts.
Similar conflicts of interest also may arise when a portfolio manager has personal investments in other accounts that may create an incentive to favor those accounts. When the Investment Manager determines it necessary or appropriate in order to ensure compliance with restrictions on joint transactions under the 1940 Act, a Fund may not be able to invest in privately-placed securities in which other accounts advised by the Investment Manager using a similar style, including performance fee accounts, are able to invest, even when the Investment Manager believes such securities would otherwise represent attractive investment opportunities. As a general matter and subject to the Investment Manager’s Code of Ethics and certain limited exceptions, including for investments in the Investment Manager’s hedge funds, the Investment Manager’s investment professionals do not have the opportunity to invest in client accounts, other than the Funds.
A portfolio manager who is responsible for managing multiple funds and/or accounts may devote unequal time and attention to the management of those Funds and/or accounts. The effects of this potential conflict may be more pronounced where Funds and/or accounts managed by a particular portfolio manager have different investment strategies.
A portfolio manager may be able to select or influence the selection of the broker/dealers that are used to execute securities transactions for the Funds. A portfolio manager’s decision as to the selection of broker/dealers could produce disproportionate costs and benefits among the Funds and the other accounts the portfolio manager manages.
A potential conflict of interest may arise when a portfolio manager buys or sells the same securities for a Fund and other accounts. On occasions when a portfolio manager considers the purchase or sale of a security to be in the best interests of a Fund as well as other accounts, the Investment Manager’s trading desk may, to the extent consistent with applicable laws and regulations, aggregate the securities to be sold or bought in order to obtain the best execution and lower brokerage commissions, if any. Aggregation of trades may create the potential for unfairness to a Fund or another account if a portfolio manager favors one account over another in allocating the securities bought or sold. The Investment Manager and its Participating Affiliates may coordinate their trading operations for certain types of securities and transactions pursuant to personnel-sharing agreements or similar intercompany arrangements. However, typically the Investment Manager does not coordinate trading activities with a Participating Affiliate with respect to accounts of that Participating Affiliate unless such Participating Affiliate is also providing trading services for accounts managed by the Investment Manager. Similarly, a Participating Affiliate typically does not coordinate trading activities with the Investment Manager with respect to accounts of the Investment Manager unless the Investment Manager is also providing trading services for accounts managed by such Participating Affiliate. As a result, it is possible that the Investment Manager and its Participating Affiliates may trade in the same instruments at the same time, in the same or opposite direction or in different sequence, which could negatively impact the prices paid by the Fund on such instruments. Additionally, in circumstances where trading services are being provided
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on a coordinated basis for the Investment Manager’s accounts (including the Funds) and the accounts of one or more Participating Affiliates in accordance with applicable law, it is possible that the allocation opportunities available to the Funds may be decreased, especially for less actively traded securities, or orders may take longer to execute, which may negatively impact Fund performance.
“Cross trades,” in which a portfolio manager sells a particular security held by a Fund to another account (potentially saving transaction costs for both accounts), could involve a potential conflict of interest if, for example, a portfolio manager is permitted to sell a security from one account to another account at a higher price than an independent third party would pay. The Investment Manager and the Funds have adopted compliance procedures that provide that any transactions between a Fund and another account managed by the Investment Manager are to be made at a current market price, consistent with applicable laws and regulations.
Another potential conflict of interest may arise based on the different investment objectives and strategies of a Fund and other accounts managed by its portfolio manager(s). Depending on another account’s objectives and other factors, a portfolio manager may give advice to and make decisions for a Fund that may differ from advice given, or the timing or nature of decisions made, with respect to another account. A portfolio manager’s investment decisions are the product of many factors in addition to basic suitability for the particular account involved. Thus, a portfolio manager may buy or sell a particular security for certain accounts, and not for a Fund, even though it could have been bought or sold for the Fund at the same time. A portfolio manager also may buy a particular security for one or more accounts when one or more other accounts are selling the security (including short sales). There may be circumstances when a portfolio manager’s purchases or sales of portfolio securities for one or more accounts may have an adverse effect on other accounts, including the Funds.
To the extent a Fund invests in underlying funds, a portfolio manager will be subject to additional potential conflicts of interest. Because of the structure of funds-of-funds, the potential conflicts of interest for the portfolio managers may be different than the potential conflicts of interest for portfolio managers who manage other Funds. The Investment Manager and its affiliates may receive higher compensation as a result of allocations to underlying funds with higher fees.
A Fund’s portfolio manager(s) also may have other potential conflicts of interest in managing the Fund, and the description above is not a complete description of every conflict that could exist in managing the Fund and other accounts. Many of the potential conflicts of interest to which the Investment Manager’s portfolio managers are subject are essentially the same or similar to the potential conflicts of interest related to the investment management activities of the Investment Manager and its affiliates.
In addition, a portfolio manager’s responsibilities may include working as a securities analyst. This dual role may give rise to conflicts with respect to making investment decisions for accounts that he/she manages versus communicating his/her analyses to other portfolio managers concerning securities that he/she follows as an analyst.
Structure of Compensation
Columbia Management: Portfolio manager direct compensation is typically comprised of a base salary, and an annual incentive award that is paid either in the form of a cash bonus if the size of the award is under a specified threshold, or, if the size of the award is over a specified threshold, the award is paid in a combination of a cash bonus, an equity incentive award, and deferred compensation. Equity incentive awards are made in the form of Ameriprise Financial restricted stock or, for more senior employees, both Ameriprise Financial restricted stock and stock options. The investment return credited on deferred compensation is based on the performance of specified Columbia Funds, in most cases including the Columbia Funds the portfolio manager manages.
Base salary is typically determined based on market data relevant to the employee’s position, as well as other factors including internal equity. Base salaries are reviewed annually, and increases are typically given as promotional increases, internal equity adjustments, or market adjustments.
Under the Columbia Management annual incentive plan for investment professionals, awards are discretionary, and the amount of incentive awards for investment team members is variable based on (1) an evaluation of the investment performance of the investment team of which the investment professional is a member, reflecting the performance (and client experience) of the funds or accounts the investment professional manages and, if applicable, reflecting the individual’s work as an investment research analyst, (2) the results of a peer and/or management review of the individual, taking into account attributes such as team participation, investment process followed, communications, and leadership, and (3) the amount of aggregate funding of the plan determined by senior management of Columbia Threadneedle Investments and Ameriprise Financial, which takes into account Columbia Threadneedle Investments revenues and profitability, as well as Ameriprise Financial profitability, historical plan funding levels and other factors. Columbia Threadneedle Investments revenues and profitability are largely determined by assets under management. In determining the allocation of incentive
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compensation to investment teams, the amount of assets and related revenues managed by the team is also considered, alongside investment performance. Individual awards are subject to a comprehensive risk adjustment review process to ensure proper reflection in remuneration of adherence to our controls and Code of Conduct.
Investment performance for a fund or other account is measured using a scorecard that compares account performance against benchmarks, custom indexes and/or peer groups. Account performance may also be compared to unaffiliated passively managed ETFs, taking into consideration the management fees of comparable passively managed ETFs, when available and as determined by the Investment Manager. Consideration is given to relative performance over the one-, three- and five-year periods, with the largest weighting on the three-year comparison. For individuals and teams that manage multiple strategies and accounts, relative asset size is a key determinant in calculating the aggregate score, with weighting typically proportionate to actual assets. For investment leaders who have group management responsibilities, another factor in their evaluation is an assessment of the group’s overall investment performance. Exceptions to this general approach to bonuses exist for certain teams and individuals.
Equity incentive awards are designed to align participants’ interests with those of the shareholders of Ameriprise Financial. Equity incentive awards vest over multiple years, so they help retain employees.
Deferred compensation awards are designed to align participants’ interests with the investors in the Columbia Funds and other accounts they manage. The value of the deferral account is based on the performance of Columbia Funds. Employees have the option of selecting from various Columbia Funds for their deferral account, however portfolio managers must (other than by strict exception) allocate a minimum of 25% of their incentive awarded through the deferral program to the Columbia Fund(s) they manage. Deferrals vest over multiple years, so they help retain employees.
For all employees the benefit programs generally are the same and are competitive within the financial services industry. Employees participate in a wide variety of plans, including options in Medical, Dental, Vision, Health Care and Dependent Spending Accounts, Life Insurance, Long Term Disability Insurance, 401(k), and a cash balance pension plan.
Columbia Management – Tech Team: Portfolio manager compensation is typically comprised of (i) a base salary and (ii) an annual cash bonus. The annual cash bonus, and in most instances the base salary, are paid from a team compensation pool that is based on fees and performance of the accounts managed by the portfolio management team, which include mutual funds, wrap accounts, institutional portfolios and hedge funds.
The percentage of management fees on mutual funds that fund the bonus pool is based on the short term (typically one-year) and long-term (typically three-year and five-year) performance of those accounts in relation to the relevant peer group universe.
The pool is also funded by a percentage of the management fees on long-only institutional separate accounts, that percentage being based on the source of the account in question, and by a fixed percentage of management fees on hedge funds and separately managed accounts that follow a hedge fund mandate.
The percentage of performance fees on hedge funds and separately managed accounts that follow a hedge fund mandate that fund the bonus pool is based on the absolute level of each hedge fund’s current year investment return.
For all employees, the benefit programs generally are the same and are competitive within the financial services industry. Employees participate in a wide variety of plans, including options in Medical, Dental, Vision, Health Care and Dependent Spending Accounts, Life Insurance, Long Term Disability Insurance, 401(k), and a cash balance pension plan.
The Administrator
BNY Mellon (which is also the Transfer Agent and Custodian) serves as administrator to each Fund. The Administrator is located at 240 Greenwich Street, New York, New York, 10286.
Services Provided. The Administrator provides each Fund with all required general administrative services, including, without limitation, clerical and general back office services; bookkeeping, internal accounting and secretarial services; the calculation of NAV; and the preparation and filing of reports, assistance with updates to registration statements, and other materials required to be filed or furnished by a Fund under federal and state securities laws.
Administrative Services Fees. Under the Administrative Services Agreement, the Administrator is entitled to receive a fee for its administrative services, as well as certain reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses of the Administrator. Such compensation is calculated daily and paid monthly. Fees for these services are paid for by the Investment Manager on behalf of the Funds pursuant to the Unified Fee. The total combined administrative services fees (including transfer agency fees) were paid by the Investment Manager on behalf of each Fund to the Administrator and Transfer Agent for the last three fiscal periods, where applicable, pursuant to the Unified Fee arrangement.
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The Distributor
ALPS Distributors, Inc. is the Distributor for the Funds and is located at 1290 Broadway, Suite 1000, Denver, CO 80203. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the 1934 Act and a member of FINRA.
Shares are continuously offered for sale by each Trust through the Distributor only in Creation Units, as described in this SAI and the prospectuses for the Funds. The Distributor does not maintain a secondary market in shares of the Funds. The Distributor acts as an agent for each Trust. The Distributor will deliver a prospectus to persons purchasing Shares in Creation Units and will maintain records of both orders placed with it and confirmations of acceptance furnished by it. The Distributor has no role in determining the investments or investment policies of the Funds.
The Distribution Agreement became effective with respect to each Fund after its approval by the Board, and, after an initial two-year period, continues from year to year, provided that such continuation of the Distribution Agreement is specifically approved at least annually by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees. The Distribution Agreement terminates automatically in the event of its assignment, and is terminable with respect to each Trust at any time without penalty by the Trust, by vote of the Board or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the relevant Fund, or by the Distributor on 60 days’ written notice.
Distribution and/or Servicing Plans
The Board has adopted a Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. In accordance with the Distribution Plan, a Fund is authorized to pay an amount up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets each year for certain distribution and/or service-related activities. In addition, if the payment of investment advisory services fees by a Fund is deemed to be indirect financing by the Fund of the distribution of its shares, such payment is authorized by the Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan specifically recognizes that the Investment Manager and other persons may use investment advisory services fee revenue, as well as past profits or other resources, to pay for expenses incurred in connection with providing services intended to result in the sale of Shares. The Investment Manager and such other persons, as well as their affiliates, may pay amounts to third parties for distribution or marketing services on behalf of a Fund.
No fees are currently paid by any Fund under its Distribution Plan, and there are no current plans to impose such fees. In the event such fees were to be charged, over time they would increase the cost of an investment in a Fund.
Other Services Provided
The Transfer Agent
BNY Mellon is the transfer agent for the Funds. The Transfer Agent is located at 240 Greenwich Street, New York, New York, 10286. As Transfer Agent, BNY Mellon has agreed to: (1) perform and facilitate purchases and redemptions of Creation Units of each Fund, (2) make dividend and other distributions on Shares of each Fund, (3) record the issuance of Shares and maintain records of outstanding Shares of each Fund, (4) maintain certain accounts, (5) make and transmit periodic reports to a Fund and its other service providers, and (6) otherwise perform the customary services of a transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent. As compensation for its services, each Fund pays the Transfer Agent a monthly fee per Fund and asset-based fees. The Funds also pay certain reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses of the Transfer Agent.
For Funds that pay a Unified Fee to the Investment Manager, fees for these services are paid for by the Investment Manager on behalf of the Funds pursuant to the Unified Fee.
The Custodian
BNY Mellon is the custodian for the Funds. The Custodian is located at 240 Greenwich Street, New York, New York, 10286. As Custodian, BNY Mellon has agreed to: (1) make receipts and disbursements of money on behalf of the Fund, (2) collect and receive all income and other payments and distributions on account of the Fund’s portfolio investments, (3) respond to correspondence from shareholders, brokers and others relating to its duties; and (4) make periodic reports to the Fund concerning the Fund’s operations. BNY Mellon does not exercise any supervisory function over the purchase and sale of Fund investments. As compensation for its services, each Fund pays the Custodian an annual asset-based fee, certain transaction charges and additional global custody fees.
For the Funds that pay a Unified Fee to the Investment Manager, fees for these services are paid for by the Investment Manager on behalf of the Funds pursuant to the Unified Fee.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
PwC, which is located at 45 South Seventh Street, Suite 3400, Minneapolis, MN 55402, is the Funds' independent registered public accounting firm. The financial statements contained in each Fund’s annual report were audited by PwC. The Board has selected PwC as the independent registered public accounting firm to audit the Funds' books and review their tax returns for their respective fiscal years.
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The Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm and the audited financial statements included in the annual report to shareholders of each Fund incorporated by reference into the Funds' prospectuses and this SAI have been so incorporated in reliance upon the report of the independent registered public accounting firm, given on its authority as an expert in auditing and accounting. No other parts of the annual or semiannual reports to shareholders are incorporated by reference herein.
Counsel
Ropes & Gray LLP, located at Prudential Tower, 800 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02199, serves as legal counsel to the Trusts. Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP, located at 1177 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, serves as counsel to the Independent Trustees of the Trusts.
Expense Limitations
The Investment Manager and certain of its affiliates have agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse certain expenses, subject to certain exclusions described in a Fund’s prospectus, so that certain Funds’ net operating expenses, after giving effect to fees waived/expenses reimbursed and any balance credits and/or overdraft charges from the Fund’s custodian, do not exceed specified rates for specified time periods, also as described in a Fund’s prospectus.
The table below shows the total Fund level expenses reimbursed by the Investment Manager and its affiliates for the last three fiscal periods. The table is organized by fiscal year end.
Expenses Reimbursed
| |
Amounts Reimbursed | ||
| |
2023 |
2022 |
2021 |
| For Funds with fiscal period ending March 31 | |||
| EM Core ex-China ETF |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
| India Consumer ETF |
15,895 |
16,614 |
40,924 |
| Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF |
2,033 |
2,594 |
2,727 |
| For Funds with fiscal period ending October 31 | |||
| Diversified Fixed Income Allocation ETF |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| International Equity Income ETF |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Multi-Sector Municipal Income ETF |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Research Enhanced Core ETF |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Research Enhanced Value ETF |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF |
0 |
0(a) |
N/A |
| Short Duration Bond ETF |
798 |
0 |
0(b) |
| U.S. Equity Income ETF |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| For Funds with fiscal period ending December 31 | |||
| Research Enhanced Real Estate ETF |
0(c) |
N/A |
N/A |
(a)
For the period from March 29, 2022 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2022.
(b)
For the period from September 21, 2021 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2021.
(c)
For the period from April 26, 2023 (commencement of operations) to December 31, 2023.
Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and Its Affiliates —
Certain Conflicts of Interest
Certain Conflicts of Interest
As described above in the Investment Management and Other Services section of this SAI, and in the More Information About the Fund – Primary Service Providers section of each Fund's prospectus, the Investment Manager, an affiliate of Ameriprise Financial, receives compensation from the Funds for the various services it provides to the Funds. Additional information as to the specific terms regarding such compensation is set forth in these affiliated service providers’ contracts with the Funds, each of which typically is included as an exhibit to Part C of each Fund's registration statement.
In many instances, the compensation paid to the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates for the services they provide to the Funds is based, in some manner, on the size of the Funds' assets under management. As the size of the Funds' assets under management grows, so does the amount of compensation paid to the Investment Manager and, as the case may be, other Ameriprise Financial affiliates for providing services to the Funds. This relationship between Fund assets and any
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affiliated service provider compensation may create economic and other conflicts of interests of which Fund investors should be aware. These potential conflicts of interest, as well as additional ones, are discussed in detail below and also are addressed in other disclosure materials, including the Funds' prospectuses. Many of these conflicts of interest also are highlighted in account documentation and other disclosure materials of Ameriprise Financial affiliates that make available or offer the Columbia Funds as investments in connection with their respective products and services. In addition, Parts 1A and 2A of the Investment Manager’s Form ADV, which it must file with the SEC as an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, provide information about the Investment Manager’s business, assets under management, affiliates and potential conflicts of interest. Parts 1A and 2A of the Investment Manager’s Form ADV are available online through the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
Additional actual or potential conflicts of interest and certain investment activity limitations that could affect the Funds may arise from the financial services activities of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including, for example, the investment advisory/management services provided for clients and customers other than the Funds. Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates are engaged in a wide range of financial activities beyond the fund-related activities of the Investment Manager, including, among others, broker-dealer (sales and trading), asset management, insurance and other financial activities. The broad range of financial services activities of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates may involve multiple advisory, transactional, lending, financial and other interests in securities and other instruments, and in companies, that may be bought, sold or held by the Funds. The following describes certain actual and potential conflicts of interest that may be presented.
Actual and Potential Conflicts of Interest Related to the Investment Advisory/Management Activities of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates in Connection With Other Funds, Advised/Managed Funds and Accounts
The Investment Manager, Ameriprise Financial and other affiliates of Ameriprise Financial may advise or manage funds and accounts other than the Funds. In this regard, Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates may provide investment advisory/management and other services to other advised/managed funds and accounts that are similar to those provided to the Funds. The Investment Manager and Ameriprise Financial’s other investment adviser affiliates (including, for example, Columbia Wanger Asset Management, LLC, Columbia Cent CLO Advisers, LLC, Lionstone Partners, LLC, Pyrford International Limited, Thames River Capital LLP and Threadneedle International Limited) will give investment advice to and make investment decisions for advised/managed funds and accounts, including the Funds, as they believe to be in that fund’s and/or account’s best interests, consistent with their fiduciary duties. The Funds and the other advised/managed funds and accounts of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates are separately and potentially divergently managed, and there is no assurance that any investment advice Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates give to other advised/managed funds and accounts will also be given simultaneously or otherwise to the Funds.
Columbia Management serves as investment adviser to registered open-end and closed-end funds and other separate accounts with investment programs that are substantially similar to that of the Funds (“Comparable Accounts”). The Funds may have substantially similar investment portfolios as these Comparable Accounts, and the Funds’ portfolio holdings, which will form the basis of the Funds’ net asset value on each Business Day, will be disclosed before the opening of trading that day. At the time of the Funds’ disclosure of their portfolio holdings, the Comparable Accounts may have unexecuted portfolio transactions outstanding or be in the process of implementing changes to their portfolios. In order to prevent the disclosure of the Funds’ portfolio holdings from signaling or providing information to the market about upcoming transactions for the Comparable Accounts, the Investment Manager may, from time to time, delay implementing portfolio changes in a security for a Fund or delay allocating investment opportunities to a Fund until such time as the Comparable Accounts have completed their purchase or sale orders for that security. For example, if a purchase or sale of a security in the Comparable Accounts requires several days to implement, a Fund may be delayed in engaging in its purchase or sale of the same security until the last day that trading in the security is completed for the Comparable Accounts. However, if a purchase or sale of securities for Comparable Accounts is expected to be completed in a single trading day, a Fund and the Comparable Accounts would generally trade together. As a result, portfolio decisions may not be made for the Funds concurrently with the portfolio decision for the Comparable Accounts, notwithstanding that the Funds and the Comparable Accounts have substantially similar objectives, policies, strategies, and risks, or that an investment opportunity may be appropriate for both a Fund and the Comparable Accounts. By the time a portfolio decision is implemented for a Fund, the price for the security may be different than the price at the time the decision is made for the Comparable Accounts, and due to the Comparable Accounts’ transactions in the security or other market movements, the price for the security may be less favorable for a Fund.
A variety of other actual and potential conflicts of interest may arise from the advisory relationships of the Investment Manager, Ameriprise Financial and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates with other clients and customers. Advice given to the Funds and/or investment decisions made for the Funds by the Investment Manager or other Ameriprise Financial affiliates may differ from, or may conflict with, advice given to and/or investment decisions made by the Investment Manager, Ameriprise Financial and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates for other advised/managed funds and accounts. As a result, the performance of the Funds may differ from the performance of other funds or accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager, Ameriprise
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Financial or other Ameriprise Financial affiliates. Similarly, a position taken by Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including the Investment Manager, on behalf of other funds or accounts may be contrary to a position taken on behalf of the Funds. Moreover, Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including the Investment Manager, may take a position on behalf of other advised/managed funds and accounts, or for their own proprietary accounts, that is adverse to companies or other issuers in which the Funds are invested. Also, the Investment Manager may take a position on behalf of certain Funds that is adverse to that of certain other Funds or accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager, Ameriprise Financial or other Ameriprise Financial affiliates. For example, certain Funds may hold equity securities of a company while certain other Funds or accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager, Ameriprise Financial or other Ameriprise Financial affiliates may hold debt securities of the same company – certain Funds may even own different debt instruments of the same issuer, where certain Funds own subordinated (junior) debt of an issuer and certain other Funds own senior debt of the same issuer, which presents a conflict of interest to the Investment Manager because junior debt is less of a priority than senior debt in terms of repayments. Senior debt is often secured and is more likely to be paid back while subordinated debt is not secured and is more of a risk. If the portfolio company were to experience financial difficulties, it might be in the best interest of certain Funds for the company to reorganize while the interests of certain other Funds or accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager, Ameriprise Financial or other Ameriprise Financial affiliates might be better served by the liquidation of the company. Conflicts are magnified with respect to issuers that become insolvent. It is possible that in connection with an insolvency, bankruptcy, reorganization, or similar proceeding, certain Funds will be limited (by applicable law, courts or otherwise) in the positions or actions it will be permitted to take due to other interests held or actions or positions taken by certain other Funds or accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager, Ameriprise Financial or other Ameriprise Financial affiliates. Certain Funds may invest in offerings of securities the proceeds of which may be used to repay debt obligations held in by certain other Funds or accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager, Ameriprise Financial or other Ameriprise Financial affiliates. The latter’s interest in having the debt repaid creates a conflict of interest. These types of conflicts of interest could arise as the result of circumstances that cannot be generally foreseen within the broad range of investment advisory/management activities in which Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates engage. The Investment Manager has adopted policies and procedures designed to address these types of conflicts of interest among the Funds and other Funds and accounts advised by the Investment Manager, Ameriprise Financial and other affiliates of Ameriprise Financial.
Investment transactions made on behalf of other funds or accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager, Ameriprise Financial or other Ameriprise Financial affiliates also may have a negative effect on the value, price or investment strategies of the Funds. For example, this could occur if another advised/managed fund or account implements an investment decision ahead of, or at the same time as, the Funds and causes the Funds to experience less favorable trading results than they otherwise would have experienced based on market liquidity factors. In addition, the other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager, Ameriprise Financial and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates, including the other Columbia Funds and accounts of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, may have the same or very similar investment objective and strategies as the Funds. In this situation, the allocation of, and competition for, investment opportunities among the Funds and other funds and/or accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager, Ameriprise Financial or other Ameriprise Financial affiliates may create conflicts of interest especially where, for example, limited investment availability is involved. The Investment Manager has adopted policies and procedures designed to address the allocation of investment opportunities among the Funds and other funds and accounts advised by the Investment Manager, Ameriprise Financial and other affiliates of Ameriprise Financial. For more information, see Investment Management and Other Services – The Investment Manager – Portfolio Managers – Potential Conflicts of Interests.
Sharing of Information among Advised/Managed Accounts
Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including the Investment Manager, also may possess information that could be material to the management of a Fund and may not be able to, or may determine not to, share that information with the Fund, even though the information might be beneficial to the Fund. This information may include actual knowledge regarding the particular investments and transactions of other advised/managed funds and accounts, as well as proprietary investment, trading and other market research, analytical and technical models, and new investment techniques, strategies and opportunities. Depending on the context, Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates generally will have no obligation to share any such information with the Funds. In general, employees of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including the portfolio managers of the Investment Manager, will make investment decisions without regard to information otherwise known by other employees of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, and generally will have no obligation to access any such information and may, in some instances, not be able to access such information because of legal and regulatory constraints or the internal policies and procedures of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates. For example, if the Investment Manager or another Ameriprise Financial affiliate, or their respective employees, come into possession of non-public information regarding another advised/managed fund or account, they may be prohibited by legal and regulatory constraints, or internal policies and procedures, from using that information in connection with transactions made on behalf of the Funds. For more information, see Investment Management and Other Services – The Investment Manager – Portfolio Managers – Potential Conflicts of Interests.
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Soft Dollar Benefits
Certain products and services, commonly referred to as “soft dollar services” (including, to the extent permitted by law, research reports, economic and financial data, financial publications, proxy analysis, computer databases and other research-oriented materials), that the Investment Manager may receive in connection with brokerage services provided to a Fund may have the inadvertent effect of disproportionately benefiting other advised/managed funds or accounts. This could happen because of the relative amount of brokerage services provided to a Fund as compared to other advised/managed funds or accounts, as well as the relative compensation paid by a Fund. It is possible that the Investment Manager or an investment subadviser subject to the recent revisions to the EU’s Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) will cause a Fund to pay for research services with soft dollars in circumstances where it may not use soft dollars with respect to other advised/managed funds or accounts, although those other advised/managed funds or accounts might nonetheless benefit from those research services.
Services Provided to Other Advised/Managed Accounts
Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including the Investment Manager, also may act as an investment adviser, investment manager, administrator, transfer agent, custodian, trustee, broker-dealer, agent, or in another capacity, for advised/managed funds and accounts other than the Funds, and may receive compensation for acting in such capacity. This compensation that the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates receive could be greater than the compensation Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates receive for acting in the same or similar capacity for the Funds. In addition, the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates may receive other benefits, including enhancement of new or existing business relationships. This compensation and/or the benefits that Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates may receive from other advised/managed funds and accounts and other relationships could potentially create incentives to favor other advised/managed funds and accounts over the Funds. Trades made by Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates for the Funds may be, but are not required to be, aggregated with trades made for other funds and accounts advised/managed by the Investment Manager and other Ameriprise Financial affiliates. If trades are aggregated among the Funds and those other funds and accounts, the various prices of the securities being traded may be averaged, which could have the potential effect of disadvantaging the Funds as compared to the other funds and accounts with which trades were aggregated.
Proxy Voting
The Investment Manager has adopted proxy voting policies and procedures that are designed to provide that all proxy voting is done in the best economic interests of its clients, including the Funds, without regard to any resulting benefit or detriment to the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates, including Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates. Although the Investment Manager endeavors to make all proxy voting decisions in the interests of client(s) on whose behalf it is voting the proxies, the Investment Manager’s proxy voting decisions with respect to a Fund’s portfolio securities may or may not benefit Ameriprise Financial or other affiliates of the Investment Manager or other advised/managed funds and accounts, and/or clients, of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates. For more information about the Funds' proxy voting policies and procedures, see Investment Management and Other Services – Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures.
Certain Trading Activities
The directors/trustees, officers and employees of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates may buy and sell securities or other investments for their own accounts, and in doing so may take a position that is adverse to the Funds. In order to reduce the possibility that such personal investment activities of the directors/trustees, officers and employees of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates will materially adversely affect the Funds, Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates have adopted policies and procedures, and the Funds, the Board and the Investment Manager have each adopted a Code of Ethics that addresses such personal investment activities. For more information, see Investment Management and Other Services – Codes of Ethics.
Affiliate Transactions
Subject to applicable legal and regulatory requirements, a Fund may enter into transactions in which Ameriprise Financial and/or its affiliates, or companies that are deemed to be affiliates of a Fund because of, among other factors, their or their affiliates’ ownership or control of shares of the Fund, may have an interest that potentially conflicts with the interests of the Fund. For example, an affiliate of Ameriprise Financial may sell securities to a Fund from an offering in which it is an underwriter or that it owns as a dealer, subject to applicable legal and regulatory requirements. Applicable legal and regulatory requirements also may prevent a Fund from engaging in transactions with an affiliate of the Fund, which may include Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, or from participating in an investment opportunity in which an affiliate of a Fund participates.
Certain Investment Limitations
Regulatory and other restrictions may limit a Fund’s investment activities in various ways. For example, certain securities may be subject to ownership limitations due to regulatory limits on investments in certain industries (such as, for example, banking and insurance) and markets (such as emerging or international markets), or certain transactions (such as those involving certain derivatives or other instruments) or mechanisms imposed by certain issuers (such as, among others, poison pills). Certain of
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these restrictions may impose limits on the aggregate amount of investments that may be made by affiliated investors in the aggregate or in individual issuers. In these circumstances, the Investment Manager may be prevented from acquiring securities for a Fund (that it might otherwise prefer to acquire) if the acquisition would cause the Fund and its affiliated investors to exceed an applicable limit. These types of regulatory and other applicable limits are complex and vary significantly in different contexts including, among others, from country to country, industry to industry and issuer to issuer. The Investment Manager has policies and procedures designed to monitor and interpret these limits. Nonetheless, given the complexity of these limits, the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates may inadvertently breach these limits, and a Fund may therefore be required to sell securities that it might otherwise prefer to hold in order to comply with such limits. In addition, aggregate ownership limitations could cause performance dispersion among funds and accounts managed by the Investment Manager with similar investment objectives and strategies and portfolio management teams, including accounts that seek to track an index. For example, if further purchases in an issuer are restricted due to regulatory or other reasons, a portfolio manager would not be able to acquire securities or other assets of an issuer for a new Fund that may already be held by other funds and accounts with the same/similar investment objectives and strategies that are managed by the same portfolio management team. The Investment Manager may also choose to limit purchases in an issuer to a certain threshold for risk management purposes. If the holdings of the Investment Manager’s affiliates are included in that limitation, a Fund may be more limited in its ability to purchase a particular security or other asset than if the holdings of the Investment Manager’s affiliates had been excluded from the limitation. At certain times, a Fund may be restricted in its investment activities because of relationships that an affiliate of the Fund, which may include Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, may have with the issuers of securities. This could happen, for example, if a Fund desired to buy a security issued by a company for which Ameriprise Financial or an affiliate serves as underwriter. A Fund may also be limited in certain investments because Ameriprise Financial, a financial holding company, is subject to certain banking regulatory requirements which may in some cases apply to the Investment Manager’s investments for the funds and accounts, including the Funds, it manages. Also, Ameriprise Financial issues various securities from time to time, including common stock. With the exception of Funds passively managed to track an unaffiliated index in which an Ameriprise Financial security is included, the Funds do not invest in Ameriprise Financial securities. Therefore, actively managed Funds and passively managed funds that seek to track an affiliated index will not hold any Ameriprise Financial securities even if such securities are included in an index used by the Fund for performance comparison and/or tracking purposes. Accordingly, the performance of such Funds versus their index will likely differ. In any of these scenarios, a Fund’s inability to participate (or participate further) in a particular investment, despite a portfolio manager’s desire to so participate, may negatively impact Fund performance. The internal policies and procedures of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates covering these types of restrictions and addressing similar issues also may at times restrict a Fund’s investment activities. See also About Fund Investments – Certain Investment Activity Limits.
Actual and Potential Conflicts of Interest Related to Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates’ Non-Advisory Relationships with Clients and Customers other than the Funds
The financial relationships that Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates may have with companies and other entities in which a Fund may invest can give rise to actual and potential conflicts of interest. Subject to applicable legal and regulatory requirements, a Fund may invest (a) in the securities of Ameriprise Financial and/or its affiliates and/or in companies in which Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates have an equity, debt or other interest, and/or (b) in the securities of companies held by other Columbia Funds. The purchase, holding and sale of such securities by a Fund may enhance the profitability and the business interests of Ameriprise Financial and/or its affiliates and/or other Columbia Funds. There also may be limitations as to the sharing with the Investment Manager of information derived from the non-investment advisory/management activities of Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates because of legal and regulatory constraints and internal policies and procedures (such as information barriers and ethical walls). Because of these limitations, Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates generally will not share information derived from its non-investment advisory/management activities with the Investment Manager.
Actual and Potential Conflicts of Interest Related to Ameriprise Financial Affiliates’ Marketing and Use of the Columbia Funds as Investment Options
Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates also provide a variety of products and services that, in some manner, may utilize the Columbia Funds as investment options. For example, the Columbia Funds may be offered as investments in connection with brokerage and other securities products offered by Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, and may be utilized as investments in connection with fiduciary, investment management and other accounts offered by affiliates of Ameriprise Financial, as well as for other Columbia Funds structured as “funds-of-funds.” The use of the Columbia Funds in connection with other products and services offered by Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates may introduce economic and other conflicts of interest. These conflicts of interest are highlighted in account documentation and other disclosure materials for the other products and services offered by Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates.
Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates, including the Investment Manager, may, subject to applicable legal and regulatory requirements, make payments to their affiliates in connection with the promotion and sale of the Funds' shares, in addition to the sales-related and other compensation that these parties may receive from the Funds, if any. As a general matter, personnel of
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Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates do not receive compensation in connection with their sales or use of the Funds that is greater than that paid in connection with their sales of other comparable products and services. Nonetheless, because the compensation that the Investment Manager and other affiliates of Ameriprise Financial may receive for providing services to the Funds is generally based on the Funds' assets under management and those assets will grow as shares of the Funds are sold, potential conflicts of interest may exist.
Actual or Potential Conflicts of Interest Related to Affiliated Indexes
The Investment Manager and its affiliates may develop, own and operate indexes (each, an Affiliated Index) based on investment and trading strategies developed by the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates (Affiliated Index Strategies). Some of the ETFs for which Columbia Management acts as investment adviser (the Affiliated Index ETFs) seek to track the performance of the Affiliated Indexes. The Investment Manager and/or its affiliates may, from time to time, manage other funds or accounts that invest in these Affiliated Index ETFs. In the future, the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates may manage client accounts that track the same Affiliated Indexes used by the Affiliated Index ETFs or which are based on the same, or substantially similar, Affiliated Index Strategies that are used in the operation of the Affiliated Indexes and the Affiliated Index ETFs. The operation of the Affiliated Indexes, the Affiliated Index ETFs and other accounts managed in this manner may give rise to potential conflicts of interest.
For example, any accounts managed by the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates that seek to track the same Affiliated Indexes may engage in purchases and sales of securities at different times. These differences may result in certain accounts having more favorable performance relative to that of the Affiliated Index or other accounts that seek to track the Affiliated Index. Other potential conflicts include (i) the potential for unauthorized access to Affiliated Index information, allowing Affiliated Index changes that benefit the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates or other accounts managed by the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates and not the clients in the accounts seeking to track the Affiliated Index, and (ii) the manipulation of Affiliated Index pricing to present the performance of accounts seeking to track the Affiliated Index, or the firm’s tracking ability, in a preferential light.
The Investment Manager has adopted policies and procedures that are designed to address potential conflicts that may arise in connection with the operation of the Affiliated Indexes, the Affiliated Index ETFs and other accounts.
To the extent it is intended that an account managed by the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates seeks to track an Affiliated Index, the account may not match (performance or holdings), and may vary substantially from, such index for any period of time. An account that seeks to track an index may purchase, hold and sell securities at times when another client would not do so. The Investment Manager and its affiliates do not guarantee that any tracking error targets will be achieved. Accounts managed by the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates that seek to track an index may be negatively impacted by errors in the index, either as a result of calculation errors, inaccurate data sources or otherwise. The Investment Manager and its affiliates do not guarantee the timeliness, accuracy and/or completeness of an index and are not responsible for errors, omissions or interruptions in the index (including when the Investment Manager or an affiliate acts as the index provider) or the calculation thereof (including when the Investment Manager or an affiliate acts as the calculation agent).
The Investment Manager and its affiliates are not obligated to license the Affiliated Indexes to clients or other third-parties.
Actual or Potential Conflicts of Interest Related to Affiliated Funds Investing in a Fund
The Investment Manager or an affiliate serves as investment adviser to funds using the Columbia brand (Columbia Funds), including those that are structured as “fund-of-funds”, and provides asset-allocation services to (i) shareholders by investing in shares of other Columbia Funds (collectively referred to in this section as Underlying Funds), and (ii) discretionary managed accounts (collectively referred to as affiliated products) that invest exclusively in Underlying Funds. These affiliated products, individually or collectively, may own a significant percentage of the outstanding shares of one or more Underlying Funds, and the Investment Manager seeks to balance potential conflicts of interest between the affiliated products and the Underlying Funds in which they invest. The affiliated products’ investment in the Underlying Funds may have the effect of creating economies of scale, possibly resulting in lower expense ratios for the Underlying Funds, because the affiliated products may own substantial portions of the shares of Underlying Funds. However, redemption of Underlying Fund shares by one or more affiliated products could cause the expense ratio of an Underlying Fund to increase, as its fixed costs would be spread over a smaller asset base. Because of large positions of certain affiliated products, the Underlying Funds may experience relatively large inflows and outflows of cash due to affiliated products’ purchases and sales of Underlying Fund shares. Although the Investment Manager or its affiliate may seek to minimize the impact of these transactions where possible, for example, by structuring them over a reasonable period of time or through other measures, Underlying Funds may experience increased expenses as they buy and sell portfolio securities to manage the cash flow effect related to these transactions. Further, when the Investment Manager or its affiliate structures transactions over a reasonable period of time in order to manage the potential impact of the buy and sell decisions for the affiliated products, those affiliated products, including funds-of-funds, may pay more or less (for purchase activity), or receive more or less (for redemption activity), for shares of the Underlying Funds than if the transactions were
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executed in one transaction. In addition, substantial redemptions by affiliated products within a short period of time could require the Underlying Fund to liquidate positions more rapidly than would otherwise be desirable, which may have the effect of reducing or eliminating potential gain or causing it to realize a loss. In order to meet such redemptions, an Underlying Fund may be forced to sell its liquid (or more liquid) positions, leaving the Underlying Fund holding, post-redemption, a relatively larger position in illiquid investments (i.e., any investment that a Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment) or less liquid securities. Substantial redemptions may also adversely affect the ability of the Underlying Fund to implement its investment strategy. The Investment Manager or its affiliate also has a conflict of interest in determining the allocation of affiliated products’ assets among the Underlying Funds, as it earns different fees from the various Underlying Funds.
Codes of Ethics
The Funds, the Investment Manager and the Distributor have adopted Codes of Ethics pursuant to the requirements of the 1940 Act, including Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. These Codes of Ethics permit personnel subject to the Codes of Ethics to invest in securities, including securities that may be bought or held by the Funds. These Codes of Ethics are included as exhibits to Part C of the Funds' registration statement. These Codes of Ethics are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, and copies of these Codes of Ethics may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request to publicinfo@sec.gov.
Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
General. The Funds have delegated to the Investment Manager the responsibility to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities held by the Funds, including Funds managed by subadvisers. In deciding to delegate this responsibility to the Investment Manager, the Board reviewed the policies adopted by the Investment Manager. These included the procedures that the Investment Manager follows when a vote presents a conflict between the interests of the Funds and their shareholders and the Investment Manager and its affiliates.
The Investment Manager’s policy is to vote all proxies for Fund securities in a manner considered by the Investment Manager to be in the best economic interests of its clients, including the Funds, without regard to any benefit or detriment to the Investment Manager, its employees or its affiliates. The best economic interests of clients is defined for this purpose as the interest of enhancing or protecting the value of client accounts, considered as a group rather than individually, as the Investment Manager determines in its discretion. The Investment Manager endeavors to vote all proxies of which it becomes aware prior to the vote deadline; provided, however, that in certain circumstances the Investment Manager may refrain from voting securities. For instance, the Investment Manager may refrain from voting foreign securities if it determines that the costs of voting outweigh the expected benefits of voting and typically will not vote securities if voting would impose trading restrictions.
The Board may, in its discretion, vote proxies for the Funds. For instance, the Board may determine to vote on matters that may present a material conflict of interest to the Investment Manager. In addition, the Board may instruct the Investment Manager to vote in accordance with guidelines approved by the Board.
Oversight. The operation of the Investment Manager’s proxy voting policy and procedures is overseen by a group of representatives from the Investment Manager and its advisory affiliates. Oversight of the Investment Manager’s proxy voting is also provided by a committee within the Investment Manager comprised of portfolio managers and research analysts. The Board reviews on an annual basis, or more frequently if determined appropriate, the Investment Manager’s administration of the proxy voting process.
Corporate Governance and Proxy Voting Guidelines (the Guidelines). The Investment Manager has adopted the Guidelines, which set out voting stances on key issues and the broad principles shaping its approach, as well as the types of related voting action the Investment Manager may take. The Guidelines also provide indicative examples of key guidelines used in any given region, which illustrate the standards against which voting decisions are considered. The Investment Manager has developed voting stances that align with the Guidelines and will generally vote in accordance with such voting stances. The Investment Manager may determine to vote differently from the voting stances on particular proposals in the event it determines that doing so is in the clients’ best economic interests. The Investment Manager may consider the voting recommendations of analysts, portfolio managers, subadvisers and information obtained from outside resources, including one or more third party research providers. When proposals are not covered by the voting stances or a voting determination must be made on a case-by-case basis, a portfolio manager or analyst will make the voting determination based on his or her determination of the clients’ best economic interests.
Addressing Conflicts of Interest. The Investment Manager seeks to address potential material conflicts of interest by voting in accordance with predetermined voting stances. In addition, if the Investment Manager determines that a material conflict of interest exists, the Investment Manager will invoke one or more of the following conflict management practices: (i) causing the
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proxies to be voted in accordance with the recommendations of an independent third party (which may be the Investment Manager’s proxy voting administrator or research provider); (ii) causing the proxies to be delegated to an independent third party (which may be the Investment Manager’s proxy voting administrator or research provider); and (iii) in infrequent cases, forwarding the proxies to an Independent Trustee authorized to vote the proxies for the Funds. A member of a governing body responsible for overseeing proxy voting is prohibited from voting on any proposal for which he or she has a conflict of interest by reason of a direct relationship with the issuer or other party affected by a given proposal. Persons making recommendations are required to disclose any relationship with a party making a proposal or other matter known to the person that would create a potential conflict of interest.
Voting Proxies of Affiliated Underlying Funds. Certain Funds may invest in shares of other Columbia Funds (referred to in this context as “underlying funds”) and may own substantial portions of these underlying funds. If such Funds are in a master-feeder structure, the feeder fund will either seek instructions from its shareholders with regard to the voting of proxies with respect to the master fund’s shares and vote such proxies in accordance with such instructions or vote the shares held by it in the same proportion as the vote of all other master fund shareholders. With respect to Funds that hold shares of underlying funds other than in a master-feeder structure, the holding Funds will typically vote proxies of the underlying funds in the same proportion as the vote of all other holders of the underlying fund’s shares, unless the Board otherwise instructs.
Proxy Voting Agents. The Investment Manager has retained Institutional Shareholder Services Inc., a third-party vendor, as its proxy voting administrator to implement its proxy voting process and to provide recordkeeping and vote disclosure services. Typically, Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. populates ballots for issuers deemed to present potential material conflicts of interest in accordance with predetermined voting stances, as described above under Addressing Conflicts of Interest. The Investment Manager has retained both Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. and Glass Lewis & Company, LLC to provide proxy research services.
Additional Information. Information regarding how the Columbia Funds (except certain Columbia Funds that do not invest in voting securities) voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve month period ended June 30 will be available by August 31 of this year free of charge: (i) through the Columbia Funds’ website at columbiathreadneedleus.com/etfs and/or (ii) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. For a copy of the Guidelines in effect on the date of this SAI, see Appendix B to this SAI.
Organization and Management of Wholly-Owned Subsidiaries
While India Consumer ETF (for purposes of this section, referred to as the “Fund”) has invested a portion of its assets, within the limitations of Subchapter M and Section 817(h) of the Code, as applicable, in EG Shares India Consumer Mauritius (previously defined as the “Subsidiary”) – a structure that enabled the Fund to obtain certain benefits under a tax treaty between Mauritius and India – the Fund expects, over time, to eliminate its investment in the Subsidiary in light of changes to such tax treaty. As such, the Fund expects to correspondingly increase its direct investments in common shares traded on Indian exchanges, ADRs and GDRs. The Subsidiary invests at least 90% of its assets in Indian securities. The Subsidiary is incorporated as a Global Business Company under the laws of Mauritius and has been issued a Category 1 License by the Financial Services Commission of Mauritius, whose registered office is located at Suite 450, 4th Floor, Barkly Wharf, Le Caudan Waterfront, Port Louis, Mauritius. In issuing this License, the Financial Services Commission of Mauritius does not vouch for the financial soundness of the Subsidiary or for the correctness of any statements made or opinions expressed with regard to it. Investors in the Subsidiary are not protected by any statutory compensation arrangements in Mauritius in the event of the Subsidiary’s failure.
The Subsidiary has qualified as an ‘‘Expert Fund’’ under the Regulations of the Securities Act 2005 of the Republic of Mauritius (the “Securities Act of 2005”). These Regulations provide that only ‘‘Expert Investors’’ may invest in an Expert Fund. An ‘‘Expert Investor’’ means an investor that makes an initial investment for its own account of not less than U.S. $100,000, or is a ‘‘sophisticated investor’’ as defined in the Securities Act of 2005 or any similarly defined investor in any other securities legislation.
The Subsidiary is overseen by its own board of directors and is not registered under the 1940 Act. The Fund, as the sole shareholder of the Subsidiary, does not have all of the protections offered by the 1940 Act to shareholders of investment companies registered under the 1940 Act. However, the Fund’s Board maintains oversight responsibility for investment activities of the Subsidiary as if the Subsidiary’s investments were held directly by the Fund. The Investment Manager is responsible for the Subsidiary’s day-to-day business pursuant to its separate agreement with, or in respect of, the Subsidiary. The following individuals serve as directors of the Subsidiary. The year set forth beneath Length of Service in the table below is the year in which the director was first appointed or elected as director to the Subsidiary of the above mentioned Fund or a predecessor thereof.
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| Name, address, year of birth |
Position held with Subsidiary and length of service |
Principal occupation during past five years |
| Ravi Chandiran Cunnoosamy Suite 450, 4th Floor, Barkly Wharf East, Le Caudan Waterfront, Port Louis, Mauritius Born 1971 |
Director since February 2014 |
Business Manager, Trust and Agency Services of Deutsche Bank since 2011 |
| Shahed Ahmad Hoolash Suite 450, 4th Floor, Barkly Wharf East, Le Caudan Waterfront, Port Louis, Mauritius Born 1977 |
Director since March 2010 |
Head of Corporate Services, Deutsche International Trust Corporation (Mauritius) Limited since 2013; Head of Transaction Management and Client Services, Deutsche International Trust Corporation (Mauritius) Limited (2007 - 2013) |
The Subsidiary has entered into a separate investment management services agreement for the provision of advisory services with the Investment Manager. Under this agreement, the Investment Manager provides the Subsidiary with the same type of investment advisory services as are provided to the Fund. The fees paid to the Investment Manager under the Investment Management Services Agreement, as described in the Investment Management and Other Services – The Investment Manager – Investment Management Services Agreement Fee Rates section above, provide compensation to the Investment Manager for the services provided to the Subsidiary.
The Subsidiary has entered into separate contracts for the provision of administrative services with Deutsche International Trust Corporation (Mauritius) Limited, and for the provision of custody services with the same Custodian who provide those services to the Fund except that Deutsche Bank AG, Mumbai acts as subcustodian for the Subsidiary. The Subsidiary has also entered into arrangements with an independent registered public accounting firm located in Mauritius, to serve as the Subsidiary’s independent registered public accounting firm. The Subsidiary bears the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the services that it receives pursuant to each of these separate agreements and arrangements. The Fund expects that the expenses borne by the Subsidiary will not be material in relation of the value of the Fund’s assets.
For purposes of adhering to the Fund’s compliance policies and procedures, the Investment Manager treats the assets of the Subsidiary as if the assets were held directly by the Fund. The Chief Compliance Officer of the Fund makes periodic reports to the Fund’s Board regarding the management and operations of the Subsidiary.
The financial information of the Subsidiary is consolidated into the Fund’s financial statements, as contained within the Fund’s annual and semiannual reports provided to shareholders.
Please refer to the section titled Taxation – The Subsidiary for information about certain tax considerations relating to the Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary.
By investing in the Subsidiary, the Fund is indirectly exposed to the risks associated with the Subsidiary’s investments. The derivatives and other investments held by the Subsidiary are subject to the same risks that would apply to similar investments if held directly by the Fund. The Subsidiary is subject to the same principal risks to which the Fund is subject (as described in the Fund’s prospectus). There can be no assurance that the investment objective of the Subsidiary will be achieved. The Subsidiary is not registered under the 1940 Act and, except as otherwise noted, is not subject to the investor protections of the 1940 Act. However, the Fund wholly owns and controls the Subsidiary, and the Fund and the Subsidiary are both managed by the Investment Manager, making it unlikely that the Subsidiary will take action contrary to the interests of the Fund and its shareholders. The Fund’s Board has oversight responsibility for the investment activities of the Fund, including its investment in the Subsidiary, and the Fund’s role as sole shareholder of the Subsidiary. In managing the Subsidiary’s investment portfolio, the Investment Manager manages the Subsidiary’s portfolio in accordance with the Fund’s investment policies and restrictions.
The Investment Manager and any subadviser, if applicable, as it relates to the Subsidiary, complies with provisions of the 1940 Act relating to investment advisory contracts under Section 15 as an investment adviser to the Fund under Section 2(a)(20) of the 1940 Act. The Fund complies with the provisions of the 1940 Act, including those relating to investment policies (Section 8) and capital structure and leverage (Section 18) on an aggregate basis with the Subsidiary, and the Subsidiary complies with the provisions relating to affiliated transactions and custody (Section 17).
Changes in the laws of the United States and/or Mauritius, under which the Fund and the Subsidiary, respectively, are organized, including such as described in the Fund’s prospectus under Principal Risks, could result in the inability of the Fund and/or the Subsidiary to operate as intended and could adversely affect the Fund and its shareholders.
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Mauritius Anti-Money Laundering Regulations. To ensure compliance with the Financial Intelligence and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2002 and the Code on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (PMLTF Code) issued by the Financial Services Commission of Mauritius, the Subsidiary or its agents require every applicant for shares (such as the Fund) to provide certain information/documents for the purpose of verifying the identity of the applicant, sources of funds and obtain confirmation that the application monies do not represent, directly or indirectly, the proceeds of any crime. The request for information may be reduced where an applicant is a regulated financial services business based in the Republic of Mauritius or in an equivalent jurisdiction (i.e., subject to the supervision of a public authority) or in the case of public companies listed on Recognized Stock/Investment Exchanges, as set out in the PMLTF Code.
In the event of delay or failure by the applicant to produce any information required for verification purposes, the Subsidiary may refuse to accept the application and the subscription monies relating thereto or may refuse to process a redemption request until proper information has been provided. The Subsidiary reserves the right to request such information as may be necessary in order to verify the identity of the Fund and the owner of the account to which the redemption proceeds from the Subsidiary will be paid. Redemption proceeds from the Subsidiary will not be paid to a third-party account.
The Fund must acknowledge that its Subsidiary shall be held harmless against loss arising as a result of a failure to process an application for Subsidiary shares or redemption request if such information and documentation as requested by the Subsidiary has not been provided by the Fund.
The Fund, as the sole shareholder of its Subsidiary, will satisfy all applicable requirements under the PMLTF Code in order to purchase and redeem shares of its Subsidiary.
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FUND GOVERNANCE
Board of Trustees and Officers
The Board oversees the Funds' operations and appoints officers who are responsible for day-to-day business decisions based on policies set by the Board. The following table provides basic biographical information about the Funds' Trustees as of the date of this SAI, including their principal occupations during the past five years, although specific titles for individuals may have varied over the period. The year set forth beneath Length of Service in the table below is the year in which the Trustee was first appointed or elected as Trustee to any Fund currently in the Columbia Funds Complex or a predecessor thereof. Under current Board policy, each Trustee generally serves until December 31 of the year such Trustee turns seventy-five (75).
Trustees
Independent Trustees
| Name, Address, Year of Birth |
Position Held with the Columbia Funds and Length of Service |
Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years and Other Relevant Professional Experience |
Number of Funds in the Columbia Funds Complex* Overseen |
Other Directorships Held by Trustee During the Past Five Years and Other Relevant Board Experience |
Committee Assignments |
| George S. Batejan c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, 290 Congress Street Boston, MA 02210 1954 |
Trustee since 2017 |
Executive Vice President, Global Head of Technology and Operations, Janus Capital Group, Inc., 2010-2016 |
161 |
Former Chairman of the Board, NICSA (National Investment Company Services Association) (Executive Committee, Nominating Committee and Governance Committee), 2014- 2016; former Director, Intech Investment Management, 2011- 2016; former Board Member, Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce, 2015-2016; former Advisory Board Member, University of Colorado Business School, 2015-2018; former Board Member, Chase Bank International, 1993- 1994 |
Compliance, Contracts, Investment Review Committee |
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| Name, Address, Year of Birth |
Position Held with the Columbia Funds and Length of Service |
Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years and Other Relevant Professional Experience |
Number of Funds in the Columbia Funds Complex* Overseen |
Other Directorships Held by Trustee During the Past Five Years and Other Relevant Board Experience |
Committee Assignments |
| Kathleen Blatz c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, 290 Congress Street Boston, MA 02210 1954 |
Trustee since 2006 |
Attorney, specializing in arbitration and mediation; Trustee of Gerald Rauenhorst 1982 Trusts, since 2020; Chief Justice, Minnesota Supreme Court, 1998-2006; Associate Justice, Minnesota Supreme Court, 1996-1998; Fourth Judicial District Court Judge, Hennepin County, 1994- 1996; Attorney in private practice and public service, 1984-1993; State Representative, Minnesota House of Representatives, 1979-1993, which included service on the Tax and Financial Institutions and Insurance Committees; Member and Interim Chair, Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, January-July 2017; Interim President and Chief Executive Officer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota (health care insurance), February-July 2018, April- October 2021 |
161 |
Former Trustee, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, 2009- 2021 (Chair of the Business Development Committee, 2014- 2017; Chair of the Governance Committee, 2017-2019); former Member and Chair of the Board, Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, January 2017- July 2017; former Director, Robina Foundation, 2009-2020 (Chair, 2014-2020); Director, Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation, since 2021 |
Compliance, Contracts, Investment Review Committee |
| Pamela G. Carlton c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, 290 Congress Street Boston, MA 02210 1954 |
Chair since 2023; Trustee since 2007 |
President, Springboard- Partners in Cross Cultural Leadership (consulting company), since 2003; Managing Director of US Equity Research, JP Morgan Chase, 1999-2003; Director of US Equity Research, Chase Asset Management, 1996- 1999; Co-Director Latin America Research, 1993-1996, COO Global Research, 1992-1996, Co-Director of US Research, 1991-1992, Investment Banker, 1982-1991, Morgan Stanley; Attorney, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, 1980-1982 |
161 |
Trustee, New York Presbyterian Hospital Board, since 1996; Director, DR Bank (Audit Committee, since 2017 and Audit Committee Chair since November 2023); Director, Evercore Inc. (Audit Committee, Nominating and Governance Committee) (financial services company), since 2019; Director, Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. (Chair, Nominating and Governance Committee), since 2021; the Governing Council of the Independent Directors Council (IDC), since 2021 |
Contracts, Board Governance, Investment Review Committee |
| Janet Langford Carrig c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, 290 Congress Street Boston, MA 02210 1957 |
Trustee since 1996 |
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, ConocoPhillips (independent energy company), September 2007-October 2018 |
161 |
Director, EQT Corporation (natural gas producer), since 2019; former Director, Whiting Petroleum Corporation (independent oil and gas company), 2020- 2022 |
Contracts, Board Governance, Investment Review Committee |
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| Name, Address, Year of Birth |
Position Held with the Columbia Funds and Length of Service |
Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years and Other Relevant Professional Experience |
Number of Funds in the Columbia Funds Complex* Overseen |
Other Directorships Held by Trustee During the Past Five Years and Other Relevant Board Experience |
Committee Assignments |
| J. Kevin Connaughton c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, 290 Congress Street Boston, MA 02210 1964 |
Trustee since 2020 |
CEO and President, RhodeWay Financial (non-profit financial planning firm), since December 2022; Member, FINRA National Adjudicatory Council, January 2020-December 2023; Adjunct Professor of Finance, Bentley University, January 2018-April 2023; Consultant to Independent Trustees of CFVIT and CFST I from March 2016 to June 2020 with respect to CFVIT and to December 2020 with respect to CFST I; Managing Director and General Manager of Mutual Fund Products, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, May 2010- February 2015; President, Columbia Funds, 2008-2015; and senior officer of Columbia Funds and affiliated funds, 2003-2015 |
159 |
Former Director, The Autism Project, March 2015-December 2021; former Member of the Investment Committee, St. Michael’s College, November 2015- February 2020; former Trustee, St. Michael’s College, June 2017- September 2019; former Trustee, New Century Portfolios (former mutual fund complex), January 2015-December 2017 |
Audit, Contracts, Investment Review Committee |
| Olive M. Darragh c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, 290 Congress Street Boston, MA 02210 1962 |
Trustee since 2020 |
Managing Director of Darragh Inc. (strategy and talent management consulting firm), since 2010; Founder and CEO, Zolio, Inc. (investment management talent identification platform), since 2004; Consultant to Independent Trustees of CFVIT and CFST I from June 2019 to June 2020 with respect to CFVIT and to December 2020 with respect to CFST I; Partner, Tudor Investments, 2004- 2010; Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company (consulting), 1990-2004; Touche Ross CPA, 1985-1988 |
159 |
Treasurer, Edinburgh University US Trust Board, since January 2023; Member, HBS Community Action Partners Board, since September 2022; former Director, University of Edinburgh Business School (Member of US Board), 2004-2019; former Director, Boston Public Library Foundation, 2008-2017 |
Contracts, Investment Review Committee |
| Patricia M. Flynn c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, 290 Congress Street Boston, MA 02210 1950 |
Trustee since 2004 |
Professor Emeritus of Economics and Management, Bentley University, since 2023; Professor of Economics and Management, Bentley University, 1976-2023; Dean, McCallum Graduate School of Business, Bentley University, 1992-2002 |
161 |
Former Trustee, MA Taxpayers Foundation, 1997-2022; former Director, The MA Business Roundtable, 2003-2019; former Chairperson, Innovation Index Advisory Committee, MA Technology Collaborative, 1997- 2020 |
Audit, Contracts, Investment Review Committee |
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| Name, Address, Year of Birth |
Position Held with the Columbia Funds and Length of Service |
Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years and Other Relevant Professional Experience |
Number of Funds in the Columbia Funds Complex* Overseen |
Other Directorships Held by Trustee During the Past Five Years and Other Relevant Board Experience |
Committee Assignments |
| Brian J. Gallagher c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, 290 Congress Street Boston, MA 02210 1954 |
Trustee since 2017 |
Retired; Partner with Deloitte & Touche LLP and its predecessors, 1977-2016 |
161 |
Trustee, Catholic Schools Foundation, since 2004 |
Audit, Contracts, Investment Review Committee |
| Douglas A. Hacker c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, 290 Congress Street Boston, MA 02210 1955 |
Trustee since 1996 |
Independent business executive, since May 2006; Executive Vice President – Strategy of United Airlines, December 2002-May 2006; President of UAL Loyalty Services (airline marketing company), September 2001- December 2002; Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of United Airlines, July 1999-September 2001 |
161 |
Director, SpartanNash Company (food distributor), since November 2013 (Chair of the Board since May 2021); Director, Aircastle Limited (aircraft leasing), since August 2006 (Chair of Audit Committee); former Director, Nash Finch Company (food distributor), 2005-2013; former Director, SeaCube Container Leasing Ltd. (container leasing), 2010-2013; and former Director, Travelport Worldwide Limited (travel information technology), 2014-2019 |
Audit, Contracts, Board Governance, Investment Review Committee |
| Nancy T. Lukitsh c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, 290 Congress Street Boston, MA 02210 1956 |
Trustee since 2011 |
Senior Vice President, Partner and Director of Marketing, Wellington Management Company, LLP (investment adviser), 1997-2010; Chair, Wellington Management Portfolios (commingled non- U.S. investment pools), 2007 -2010; Director, Wellington Trust Company, NA and other Wellington affiliates, 1997- 2010 |
159 |
None |
Compliance, Contracts, Board Governance, Investment Review Committee |
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| Name, Address, Year of Birth |
Position Held with the Columbia Funds and Length of Service |
Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years and Other Relevant Professional Experience |
Number of Funds in the Columbia Funds Complex* Overseen |
Other Directorships Held by Trustee During the Past Five Years and Other Relevant Board Experience |
Committee Assignments |
| David M. Moffett c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, 290 Congress Street Boston, MA 02210 1952 |
Trustee since 2011 |
Retired; former Chief Executive Officer of Freddie Mac and Chief Financial Officer of U.S. Bank |
161 |
Director, CSX Corporation (transportation suppliers); Director, PayPal Holdings Inc. (payment and data processing services); former Director, eBay Inc. (online trading community), 2007- 2015; and former Director, CIT Bank, CIT Group Inc. (commercial and consumer finance), 2010-2016; former Senior Adviser to The Carlyle Group (financial services), March 2008- September 2008; former Governance Consultant to Bridgewater Associates (investment company), January 2013- December 2015 |
Audit, Contracts, Investment Review Committee |
| Catherine James Paglia c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, 290 Congress Street Boston, MA 02210 1952 |
Trustee since 2004 |
Director, Enterprise Asset Management, Inc. (private real estate and asset management company), since September 1998; Managing Director and Partner, Interlaken Capital, Inc., 1989-1997; Vice President, 1982-1985, Principal, 1985-1987, Managing Director, 1987- 1989, Morgan Stanley; Vice President, Investment Banking, 1980-1982, Associate, Investment Banking, 1976- 1980, Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc. |
161 |
Director, Valmont Industries, Inc. (irrigation systems manufacturer), since 2012; Trustee, Carleton College (on the Investment Committee), since 1987; Trustee, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (on the Investment Committee), since 2009 |
Compliance, Contracts, Board Governance, Investment Review Committee |
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| Name, Address, Year of Birth |
Position Held with the Columbia Funds and Length of Service |
Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years and Other Relevant Professional Experience |
Number of Funds in the Columbia Funds Complex* Overseen |
Other Directorships Held by Trustee During the Past Five Years and Other Relevant Board Experience |
Committee Assignments |
| Natalie A. Trunow c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, 290 Congress Street Boston, MA 02210 1967 |
Trustee since 2020 |
Chief Executive Officer, Millennial Portfolio Solutions LLC (asset management and consulting services) January 2016-January 2021; Non- executive Member of the Investment Committee and Valuation Committee, Sarona Asset Management Inc. (private equity firm) since September 2019; Advisor, Horizon Investments (asset management and consulting services), August 2018- January 2022; Advisor, Paradigm Asset Management, November 2016-January 2022; Consultant to Independent Trustees of CFVIT and CFST I from September 2016 to June 2020 with respect to CFVIT and to December 2020 with respect to CFST I; Director of Investments/Consultant, Casey Family Programs, April 2016-November 2016; Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer, Calvert Investments, August 2008- January 2016; Section Head and Portfolio Manager, General Motors Asset Management, June 1997-August 2008 |
159 |
Independent Director, (Investment Committee), Health Services for Children with Special Needs, Inc., 2010-2021; Independent Director, (Executive Committee and Chair, Audit Committee), Consumer Credit Counseling Services (formerly Guidewell Financial Solutions), since 2016; Independent Director (Investment Committee), Sarona Asset Management, since 2019 |
Compliance, Contracts, Investment Review Committee |
| Sandra L. Yeager c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, 290 Congress Street Boston, MA 02210 1964 |
Trustee since 2017 |
Retired; President and founder, Hanoverian Capital, LLC (SEC registered investment advisor firm), 2008-2016; Managing Director, DuPont Capital, 2006- 2008; Managing Director, Morgan Stanley Investment Management, 2004-2006; Senior Vice President, Alliance Bernstein, 1990-2004 |
161 |
Former Director, NAPE (National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity) Education Foundation, October 2016-October 2020; Advisory Board, Jennersville YMCA, June 2022-June 2023 |
Audit, Contracts, Investment Review Committee |
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Interested Trustee Affiliated with Investment Manager**
| Name, Address, Year of Birth |
Position Held with the Columbia Funds and Length of Service |
Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years and Other Relevant Professional Experience |
Number of Funds in the Columbia Funds Complex* Overseen |
Other Directorships Held by Trustee During the Past Five Years and Other Relevant Board Experience |
Committee Assignments |
| Daniel J. Beckman c/o Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC 290 Congress Street Boston, MA 02210 1962 |
Trustee since November 2021 and President since June 2021 |
President and Principal Executive Officer of the Columbia Funds, since June 2021; Vice President, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, since April 2015; formerly, Vice President – Head of North America Product, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, April 2015 – December 2023; President and Principal Executive Officer, Columbia Acorn/Wanger Funds, since July 2021 |
161 |
Director, Ameriprise Trust Company, since October 2016; Director, Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc., since November 2018; Board of Governors, Columbia Wanger Asset Management, LLC, since January 2022 |
None |
*
The term “Columbia Funds Complex” as used herein includes Columbia Seligman Premium Technology Growth Fund, Tri-Continental Corporation and each series of Columbia Funds Series Trust (CFST), Columbia Funds Series Trust I (CFST I), Columbia Funds Series Trust II (CFST II), Columbia ETF Trust I (CET I), Columbia ETF Trust II (CET II), Columbia Funds Variable Insurance Trust (CFVIT) and Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II (CFVST II). Messrs. Batejan, Beckman, Gallagher, Hacker and Moffett and Mses. Blatz, Carlton, Carrig, Flynn, Paglia and Yeager serve as directors of Columbia Seligman Premium Technology Growth Fund and Tri-Continental Corporation.
**
Interested person (as defined under the 1940 Act) by reason of being an officer, director, security holder and/or employee of the Investment Manager or Ameriprise Financial.
The Officers
The Board has appointed officers who are responsible for day-to-day business decisions based on policies it has established. The officers serve at the pleasure of the Board. The following table provides basic information about the Officers of the Trusts as of the date of this SAI, including principal occupations during the past five years, although their specific titles may have varied over the period. In addition to Mr. Beckman, who is the President and Principal Executive Officer, the Funds' other officers are:
Fund Officers
| Name, Address and Year of Birth |
Position and Year First Appointed to Position for any Fund in the Columbia Funds Complex or a Predecessor Thereof |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years |
| Michael G. Clarke 290 Congress Street Boston, MA 02210 1969 |
Chief Financial Officer and Principal Financial Officer (2009); Senior Vice President (2019) and Treasurer and Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer) (2024) for CFST, CFST I, CFST II, CFVIT and CFVST II |
Senior Vice President and North America Head of Operations & Investor Services, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, since June 2023 (previously Senior Vice President and Head of Global Operations & Investor Services, March 2022 - June 2023, Vice President, Head of North America Operations, and Co- Head of Global Operations, June 2019 - February 2022 and Vice President – Accounting and Tax, May 2010 - May 2019); senior officer of Columbia Funds and affiliated funds, since 2002. Director, Ameriprise Trust Company, since June 2023. |
| Marybeth Pilat 290 Congress Street Boston, MA 02210 1968 |
Treasurer and Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer) and Principal Financial Officer (2020) for CET I and CET II; Assistant Treasurer, CFST, CFST I, CFST II, CFVIT and CFVST II |
Vice President – Product Pricing and Administration, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, since May 2017. |
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| Name, Address and Year of Birth |
Position and Year First Appointed to Position for any Fund in the Columbia Funds Complex or a Predecessor Thereof |
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years |
| William F. Truscott 290 Congress Street Boston, MA 02210 1960 |
Senior Vice President (2001) |
Formerly, Trustee/Director of Columbia Funds Complex or legacy funds, November 2001 - January 1, 2021; Chief Executive Officer, Global Asset Management, Ameriprise Financial, Inc., since September 2012; Chairman of the Board and President, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, since July 2004 and February 2012, respectively; Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc., since November 2008 and February 2012, respectively; Chairman of the Board and Director, TAM UK International Holdings Limited, since July 2021; formerly Chairman of the Board and Director, Threadneedle Asset Management Holdings, Sàrl, March 2013 – December 2022 and December 2008 – December 2022, respectively; senior executive of various entities affiliated with Columbia Threadneedle Investments. |
| Christopher O. Petersen 5228 Ameriprise Financial Center Minneapolis, MN 55474 1970 |
Senior Vice President and Assistant Secretary (2021) |
Formerly, Trustee/Director of funds within the Columbia Funds Complex, July 1, 2020 - November 22, 2021; Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, Ameriprise Financial, Inc., since September 2021 (previously Vice President and Lead Chief Counsel, January 2015 - September 2021); formerly, President and Principal Executive Officer of the Columbia Funds, 2015 - 2021; officer of Columbia Funds and affiliated funds, since 2007. |
| Thomas P. McGuire 290 Congress Street Boston, MA 02210 1972 |
Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer (2012) |
Vice President – Asset Management Compliance, Ameriprise Financial, Inc., since May 2010; Chief Compliance Officer, Columbia Acorn/Wanger Funds, since December 2015; formerly, Chief Compliance Officer, Ameriprise Certificate Company, September 2010 - September 2020. |
| Ryan C. Larrenaga 290 Congress Street Boston, MA 02210 1970 |
Senior Vice President (2017), Chief Legal Officer (2017) and Secretary (2015) |
Vice President and Chief Counsel, Ameriprise Financial, Inc. since August 2018 (previously Vice President and Group Counsel, August 2011 - August 2018); Chief Legal Officer, Columbia Acorn/Wanger Funds, since September 2020; officer of Columbia Funds and affiliated funds since 2005. |
| Michael E. DeFao 290 Congress Street Boston, MA 02210 1968 |
Vice President (2011) and Assistant Secretary (2010) |
Vice President and Chief Counsel, Ameriprise Financial, Inc., since May 2010; Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Assistant Secretary, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, since October 2021 (previously Vice President and Assistant Secretary, May 2010 - September 2021). |
| Lyn Kephart-Strong 5903 Ameriprise Financial Center Minneapolis, MN 55474 1960 |
Vice President (2015) |
Vice President, Global Investment Operations Services, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, since 2010; Director (since January 2007) and President (since October 2014), Columbia Management Investment Services Corp.; Director (since December 2017) and President (since January 2017), Ameriprise Trust Company. |
Responsibilities of the Board with respect to Fund Management
The Board consists of Trustees who have varied experience and skills. The Board is chaired by an Independent Trustee who has significant additional responsibilities compared to the other Trustees, including, among other things: overseeing the setting of the agenda for Board meetings, communicating and meeting with Board members between Board and committee meetings on Fund-related matters, with the Funds' Chief Compliance Officer, counsel to the Independent Trustees, and representatives of the Funds' service providers. The Board reviews its leadership structure periodically and believes that its structure is appropriate, in light of the nature and number of Funds comprising the Trusts, to enable the Board to exercise its oversight of the Funds and the other investment companies overseen by the Trustees. In particular, the Board believes that having an Independent Trustee serve as the chair of the Board and having other Independent Trustees serve as chairs of each committee promotes independence from the Investment Manager in overseeing the setting of agendas and conducting of meetings. With respect to Mr. Beckman, the Trustees have concluded that having a senior officer of the Investment Manager serve as a Trustee benefits Fund shareholders by facilitating communication between the Independent Trustees and the senior management of the Investment Manager, and by assisting efforts to align the interests of the Investment Manager more closely with those of Fund shareholders. The Board has
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several standing committees, which are an integral part of each Fund’s overall governance and risk oversight structure. The Board believes that its committee structure makes the oversight process more efficient and more effective by allowing, among other things, smaller groups of Trustees to bring increased focus to matters within the purview of each committee. The roles of each committee are more fully described in the section Committees of the Board below.
The Board initially approved investment management services agreements and other contracts with the Investment Manager and its affiliates and other service providers. The Board monitors the level and quality of services provided under such contracts. Annually, the Board evaluates the services received under the investment management and distribution contracts by reviewing, among other things, reports covering investment performance, expenses, shareholder services, marketing, and the Investment Manager’s profitability.
The Investment Manager provides the Funds with investment advisory services, and is responsible for day-to-day administration of the Funds and management of the risks that arise from the Funds' investments and operations. The Board provides oversight of the services provided by the Investment Manager, including risk management services. Various committees of the Board provide oversight of the Investment Manager’s risk management services with respect to the particular activities within the committee’s purview. In the course of providing oversight, the Board and the committees receive a wide range of reports with respect to the Funds' activities, including reports regarding each Fund’s investment portfolio, the compliance of the Funds with applicable laws, and the Funds' financial accounting and reporting. The Board and the relevant committees meet periodically with officers of the Funds and the Investment Manager and with representatives of various Fund service providers. In addition, the Board oversees processes that are in place addressing compliance with applicable rules, regulations and investment policies and address possible conflicts of interest. The Board and certain committees also meet regularly with the Funds' Chief Compliance Officer to receive reports regarding the compliance of the Funds and the Investment Manager with the federal securities laws and their internal compliance policies and procedures. In addition, the Board meets periodically with the portfolio managers of the Funds to receive reports regarding the management of the Funds.
The Board also oversees the Funds' liquidity risk through, among other things, receiving periodic reporting and presentations by investment and other personnel of the Investment Manager. Additionally, as required by Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act, the Funds have implemented a written liquidity risk management program and related procedures (the Liquidity Program), designed to assess and manage the Funds' liquidity risk. The Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, approved the designation of a liquidity risk management program administrator (the Liquidity Program Administrator) who is responsible for administering the Liquidity Program. The Board reviews, no less frequently than annually, a written report prepared by the Liquidity Program Administrator that addresses the operation of the Liquidity Program and assesses its adequacy and effectiveness of implementation.
The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the Funds can be identified in advance; that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks; that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as various investment-related risks) in seeking to achieve the Funds' investment objectives; and that the processes and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board's risk management oversight is subject to substantial limitations.
Trustee Biographical Information and Qualifications
The following provides an overview of the considerations that led the Board to conclude that each individual serving as a Trustee should so serve. Generally, no one factor was decisive in the selection of an individual to join the Board. Among the factors the Board considered when concluding that an individual should serve on the Board were the following: (i) the individual’s business and professional experience and accomplishments; (ii) the individual’s ability to work effectively with the other Trustees; (iii) the individual’s prior experience, if any, serving on the boards of public companies (including, where relevant, other investment companies) and other complex enterprises and organizations; and (iv) how the individual’s skills, experience and attributes would contribute to an appropriate mix of relevant skills and experience on the Board.
In respect of each current Trustee, the individual’s substantial professional accomplishments and experience, including in fields related to the operations of the Funds, were a significant factor in the determination that, in light of the business and structure of the Trusts, the individual should serve as a Trustee. Following is a summary of each Trustee’s particular professional experience and additional considerations that contributed to the Board’s conclusion that an individual should serve as a Trustee:
George S. Batejan – Mr. Batejan has over 40 years’ experience in the financial services industry, including service as a former Executive Vice President and Global Head of Technology and Operations of Janus Capital Group, Inc. He has also served as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Evergreen Investments, Inc., Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of OppenheimerFunds, Inc., and Head of International Property and Casualty Operations and Systems/Senior Vice President of American International Group. Mr. Batejan is an 18-year veteran of Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A. where he progressed to Private Banking Vice President and Division Executive of the Americas’ Service Delivery Group. He has also served on numerous corporate and non-profit boards. Mr. Batejan has also served as Chair of the National
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Investment Company Service Association (NICSA). Additionally, Mr. Batejan has managed operational units supporting the mutual fund business. These functions include fund accounting, fund treasury, fund tax, transfer agent, trade processing and settlement, proxy voting, corporate actions, operational risk, business continuity, and cyber security. He was also a member of the Ethics Committee, Global Risk Committee, and Cyber Security Committee of a major investment manager.
Daniel J. Beckman – Mr. Beckman has significant experience in the financial services industry and with investment companies. Mr. Beckman has served as President of the Columbia Funds since 2021, as President and Principal Executive Officer of the Columbia Acorn/Wanger Funds since July 2021, and as an officer of the Columbia Funds and affiliated funds since 2020. He served as Vice President and Head of North America Product for the Investment Manager from April 2015 to December 2023. In this role, he led a team of professionals to drive product strategy, development and management, with the goal of ensuring that the current and future needs of the Investment Manager’s customer base are met across the institutional and intermediary channels. He serves as a director of Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc., since November 2018. He also serves as a board member of Columbia Wanger Asset Management, LLC, an affiliate of the Investment Manager, since January 2022.
Kathleen Blatz – Ms. Blatz has had a successful legal and judicial career, including serving for eight years as Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. Prior to being a judge, she practiced law and also served in the Minnesota House of Representatives having been elected to eight terms. While in the legislature she served on various committees, including the Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee and the Tax Committee. Since retiring from the Bench, she has been appointed as an arbitrator on many cases involving business to business disputes, including some pertaining to shareholder rights issues. She also has been appointed to two Special Litigation Committees by boards of Fortune 500 companies to investigate issues relating to cyber-security and stock options. She served on the Board of Directors of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota from 2009 to 2021 and was appointed Interim President and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota in February 2018 and again in April 2021. She serves as Trustee of Gerald Rauenhorst 1982 Trusts, since 2020.
Pamela G. Carlton – Ms. Carlton has over 20 years’ experience in the investment banking industry, as a former Managing Director of JP Morgan Chase and a 14-year veteran of Morgan Stanley Investment Banking and Equity Research. She is currently the President of Springboard Partners in Cross Cultural Leadership, a consulting firm that she founded. Ms. Carlton serves on the Board of Directors of Evercore Inc., a public investment bank; Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc., a publicly traded investment trust; and a community bank. In addition, she serves on the Board of Trustees of New York Presbyterian Hospital where she is on the Executive Committee and chairs the People Committee, and in 2021 was elected to the Governing Council of the Independent Directors Council which represents independent directors and trustees serving on the boards of mutual funds, closed-end funds, exchange-traded funds and other registered investment companies.
Janet Langford Carrig – Ms. Carrig was Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for ConocoPhillips. Prior to joining ConocoPhillips, Ms. Carrig held senior legal and leadership roles in other large corporations and law firms, including as a partner at the law firms Sidley & Austin and Zelle, Hoffman, Voelbel, Mason and Gette. She serves as Director of EQT Corporation. Ms. Carrig has previously served on the board of directors for another public company and various industry groups and non-profit organizations.
J. Kevin Connaughton – Mr. Connaughton has significant executive and board experience with financial services and investment companies. Mr. Connaughton served as a senior officer of certain Columbia funds from 2003 through 2015. He served as the managing director and general manager of mutual fund products for the Investment Manager from 2010 through 2015. Mr. Connaughton served on the FINRA National Adjudicatory Council from January 2020 to December 2015. He has previously served on the Board of Directors of a separate fund group, the Transfer Agent, three offshore groups of funds managed by the Investment Manager and/or affiliates, and the investment committee for a small college endowment. He served on the Board of Directors of The Autism Project from March 2015 to December 2021. Mr. Connaughton served as an adjunct professor of Finance at Bentley University from January 2018 to April 2023. He is currently the CEO, President, and Board Chairman of RhodeWay Financial, a nonprofit organization providing no cost financial planning and literacy services.
Olive M. Darragh – Ms. Darragh has extensive experience in the investment management industry. She currently serves as Managing Director of Darragh Inc., a strategy and talent management consulting firm that works with investment organizations. Previously, Ms. Darragh was a Partner at Tudor Investments responsible for Strategy and Talent Management. Prior to that, she was a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, where she co-founded and led the firm’s global Investment Management practice. Ms. Darragh has experience serving on other boards of directors and is a Certified Public Accountant. Ms. Darragh also founded and runs Zolio Inc., an investment management talent identification platform and is a visiting professor at the University of Edinburgh Business School.
Patricia M. Flynn – Dr. Flynn is a Professor Emeritus of Economics and Management at Bentley University, where she previously served as Professor of Economics and Management and Dean of the McCallum Graduate School of Business. Her research and teaching focus on technology-based economic development, corporate governance and women in business, which she has also written on extensively. She has served on numerous corporate and non-profit boards, including Boston Fed Bancorp Inc., U.S. Trust and The Federal Savings Bank.
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Brian J. Gallagher – Mr. Gallagher has 40 years of experience in the financial services industry, including 30 years of service as an audit partner in the financial services practice at Deloitte & Touche LLP. During his tenure at Deloitte, Mr. Gallagher served as the Industry Professional Practice Director for the Investment Management Audit Practice, and oversaw the development of the firm’s audit approach for clients in the industry, consulted on technical issues, and interacted with standard setters and regulators. He also has experience on boards of directors of non-profit organizations.
Douglas A. Hacker – Mr. Hacker has extensive executive experience, having served in various executive roles with United Airlines and more recently as an independent business executive. Mr. Hacker also has experience on other boards of directors. As former chief financial officer of United Airlines, Mr. Hacker has significant experience in accounting and financial management, including in a public company setting.
Nancy T. Lukitsh – Ms. Lukitsh has extensive executive experience in the financial services industries, particularly with respect to the marketing of investment products, having served as Senior Vice President, Partner and Director of Marketing for Wellington Management Company, LLP. Ms. Lukitsh has previously served as Chair of Wellington Management Portfolios (commingled investment pools designed for non-U.S. institutional investors) and as a director of other Wellington affiliates. In addition, she has previously served on the boards of directors of various non-profit organizations. She is also a Chartered Financial Analyst.
David M. Moffett – Mr. Moffett has extensive executive and board of director experience, including serving on audit committees for public companies. Mr. Moffett was selected as CEO when the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation was placed under conservatorship in 2008, and served as a consultant to its interim chief executive officer and the board of directors until 2009. Formerly, Mr. Moffett was the CFO of a large U.S. bank holding company where his responsibilities included trust and wealth management.
Catherine James Paglia – Ms. Paglia has been a Director of Enterprise Asset Management, Inc., a real estate and asset management company, for over 15 years. She previously spent eight years as Vice President, Principal and Managing Director at Morgan Stanley, 10 years as a Managing Director of Interlaken Capital and served as Chief Financial Officer of two public companies. She also has experience on other boards of directors of public and non-profit organizations.
Natalie A. Trunow – Ms. Trunow has extensive executive experience in financial services and with investment companies, including service as Chief Executive Officer at Millennial Portfolio Solutions LLC (asset management and consulting services), as a non-executive member of the Investment Committee of Sarona Asset Management Inc. (a private equity firm), as Director of Investments at Casey Family Programs Foundation, as Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer at Calvert Investments, and as Section Head and Portfolio Manager responsible for alternative and traditional funds at General Motors Asset Management. Ms. Trunow’s responsibilities as Senior Vice President and Chief Investment officer at Calvert Investments included oversight responsibilities for public and private equity investments, in-house and sub-advised funds, asset allocation funds, balanced funds, and volatility-managed funds, and investing portfolios. Ms. Trunow also currently serves on the boards of for-profit and non-profit organizations.
Sandra L. Yeager – Ms. Yeager has over 26 years of experience in the financial services industry. In August of 2008, she founded Hanoverian Capital, LLC, an investment boutique specializing in international equities for institutional clients, where she served as President and Chief Investment Officer through December 2016. Prior to that, Ms. Yeager served as Head of International Equities for DuPont Capital and Head of Global Equity Research for Morgan Stanley Investment Management, where she led a team of thirty people. Ms. Yeager began her investment career at AllianceBernstein as an equity analyst and advanced to become a global portfolio manager for institutional and mutual fund clients.
Committees of the Board
The Board has organized the following standing committees to facilitate its work: Board Governance Committee, Compliance Committee, Contracts Committee, Investment Review Committee and Audit Committee. These committees are comprised solely of Independent Trustees. For each committee, the Board has adopted a written charter setting forth each committee's responsibilities. The table above, providing background on each Trustee, also includes their respective committee assignments. The duties of these committees are described below. Each committee was reconstituted effective January 1, 2024.
Ms. Carlton, as Chair of the Board, acts as point of contact between the Independent Trustees and the Investment Manager between Board meetings in respect of general matters.
Board Governance Committee. Recommends to the Board the size, structure and composition of the Board and its committees; the compensation to be paid to members of the Board; and a process for evaluating the Board’s performance. The committee also reviews candidates for Board membership, including candidates recommended by shareholders. The committee also makes
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recommendations to the Board regarding responsibilities and duties of the Board, oversees proxy voting and supports the work of the Board Chair in relation to furthering the interests of the Funds and other funds in the Columbia Funds Complex overseen by the Board and their shareholders.
To be considered as a candidate for Trustee, recommendations must include a curriculum vitae and be mailed to the attention of the Chair of the Board, Columbia Funds Complex, 290 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210. To be timely for consideration by the committee, the submission, including all required information, must be submitted in writing by the date disclosed in a Fund’s proxy statement soliciting proxies to be voted at a meeting of shareholders, if such a meeting is held (mutual funds, including ETFs, are not required to hold annual shareholder meetings). The committee will consider only one candidate submitted by such a shareholder or group for nomination for election at a meeting of shareholders. The committee will not consider self-nominated candidates or candidates nominated by members of a candidate’s family, including such candidate’s spouse, children, parents, uncles, aunts, grandparents, nieces and nephews.
Recommendations for candidates will be evaluated in light of whether the number of Trustees of the Trusts is expected to be increased and anticipated vacancies. There may be times when the committee is not recruiting new Trustees. In that case, shareholder recommendations will be maintained on file pending the active recruitment of Trustees.
The committee may take into account a wide variety of factors in considering trustee candidates, including (but not limited to): (i) the candidate’s knowledge in matters relating to the investment company industry; (ii) any experience possessed by the candidate as a director or senior officer of other public or private companies; (iii) the candidate’s educational background; (iv) the candidate’s reputation for high ethical standards and personal and professional integrity; (v) any specific financial, technical or other expertise possessed by the candidate, and the extent to which such expertise would complement the Board’s existing mix of skills and qualifications; (vi) the candidate’s perceived ability to contribute to the ongoing functions of the Board, including the candidate’s ability and commitment to attend meetings regularly, work collaboratively with other members of the Board and carry out his or her duties in the best interests of the Funds; (vii) the candidate’s ability to qualify as an independent trustee; and (viii) such other criteria as the committee determines to be relevant in light of the existing composition of the Board and any anticipated vacancies or other factors. For candidates to serve as Independent Trustees, independence from the Funds' investment adviser, its affiliates and other principal service providers is critical, as is an independent and questioning mindset. In each case, the committee will evaluate whether a candidate is an “interested person” under the 1940 Act. The committee also considers whether a prospective candidate’s workload would be consistent with regular attendance at Board meetings and would allow him or her to be available for service on Board committees, and devote the additional time and effort necessary to stay apprised of Board matters and the rapidly changing regulatory environment in which the Funds operate.
The committee may use any process it deems appropriate for identifying and evaluating candidates for service as a Trustee, which may include, without limitation, personal interviews, background checks, written submissions by the candidates, third party references and the use of consultants, including professional recruiting firms. The committee will evaluate nominees for a particular vacancy using the same process regardless of whether the nominee is submitted by a shareholder or identified by some other means. Members of the Board Governance Committee (and/or the Board) also meet personally with each nominee to evaluate the candidate’s ability to work effectively with other members of the Board, while also exercising independent judgment.
On an annual basis, the Board conducts a self-evaluation that considers, among other matters, the contributions of individual Trustees, whether the Board has an appropriate size and the right mix of characteristics, experiences and skills, and whether the age distribution and diversity among the Trustees is appropriate. The Board and the committee also considers the same factors when identifying prospective trustee candidates. Although the Board does not have a formal diversity policy, the Board endeavors to comprise itself of members with a broad mix of professional and personal backgrounds. Thus, the committee and the Board accorded particular weight to the individual professional background of each Independent Trustee.
Compliance Committee. Supports the Funds' maintenance of a strong compliance program by providing a forum for Independent Trustees to consider compliance matters impacting the Funds or their key service providers; developing and implementing, in coordination with the Chief Compliance Officer, a process for the review and consideration of compliance reports that are provided to the Board; and providing a designated forum for the Funds' Chief Compliance Officer to meet with Independent Trustees on a regular basis to discuss compliance matters.
Contracts Committee. Reviews and oversees the contractual relationships with service providers. Receives and analyzes reports covering the level and quality of services provided under contracts with the Funds and advises the Board regarding actions taken on these contracts during the annual review process. Reviews and considers, on behalf of all Trustees, the Funds' investment advisory, subadvisory (if any), administrative services and principal underwriting contracts to assists the Trustees in fulfilling their responsibilities relating to the Board’s evaluation and consideration of these arrangements.
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Investment Review Committee. Reviews and oversees the management of the Funds' assets. Considers investment management policies and strategies; investment performance; risk management techniques; and securities trading practices and reports areas of concern to the Board. Each Independent Trustee also serves on the Investment Review Committee (the IRC) and an IRC subcommittee. Each IRC subcommittee is responsible for monitoring, on an ongoing basis, a select group of Columbia Funds overseen by the Board and gives particular consideration to such matters as each Fund’s adherence to its investment mandates, historical performance, changes in investment processes and personnel, and any proposed changes to investment objectives. Investment personnel who manage the Funds attend IRC and IRC subcommittee meetings from time to time to assist the IRC in its review of the Funds.
Audit Committee. Oversees the accounting and financial reporting processes of the Funds and internal controls over financial reporting. Oversees the quality and integrity of the Funds' financial statements and independent audits as well as the Funds' compliance with legal and regulatory requirements relating to the Funds' accounting and financial reporting, internal controls over financial reporting and independent audits. The Audit Committee also makes recommendations regarding the selection of the Funds' independent registered public accounting firm (i.e., independent auditors) and reviews and evaluates the qualifications, independence and performance of the auditor. The Audit Committee oversees the Funds' risks by, among other things, meeting with the Funds' internal auditors, establishing procedures for the confidential, anonymous submission by employees of concerns about accounting or audit matters, and overseeing the Funds' Disclosure Controls and Procedures. The Audit Committee acts as a liaison between the independent auditors and the full Board and must prepare an Audit Committee report. The Audit Committee reviews Fund valuation matters as it deems appropriate and consistent with the Columbia Funds Board’s responsibilities in this regard.
The table below shows the number of times each historical committee that oversaw the Funds met during the indicated fiscal years. The table is organized by fiscal year end.
Committee Meetings
| Fiscal Period |
Audit Committee |
Compliance Committee |
Contracts Committee |
Board Governance Committee |
Investment Review Committee |
| For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023 |
4 |
4 |
6 |
7 |
5 |
| For the fiscal year ending October 31, 2023 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
5 |
| For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Trustee Investment Policy
Effective January 2021, the Board has a policy that each Independent Trustee is to invest in shares of one or more of the Columbia Funds overseen by the Independent Trustees (including investments made pursuant to the Deferred Compensation Plan) in an amount determined by the Board taking into consideration the total base annual compensation paid to an Independent Trustee from the Columbia Fund Complex.
Effective January 2021, the Board has a policy that each Independent Trustee is to invest in shares of one or more of the Columbia Funds overseen by the Independent Trustees (including investments made pursuant to the Deferred Compensation Plan) in an amount determined by the Board taking into consideration the total base annual compensation paid to an Independent Trustee from the Columbia Fund Complex.
Beneficial Equity Ownership
The tables below show, for each Trustee, the aggregate value of all investments in equity securities of all Funds in the Columbia Funds Complex overseen by the Trustee, including notional amounts through the Deferred Compensation Plan, where noted, stated as one of the following ranges: A = $0; B = $1-$10,000; C = $10,001-$50,000; D = $50,001-$100,000; and E = over $100,000. The information is provided as of December 31, 2023.
The tables only include ownership of Columbia Funds overseen by the Trustees; the Trustees and Officers may own shares of other Columbia Funds they do not oversee.
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Independent Trustee Ownership
| |
Batejan |
Blatz |
Carlton |
Carrig |
Connaughton |
Darragh |
Flynn |
| Diversified Fixed Income Allocation ETF |
A |
A |
A |
A |
D |
A |
A |
| EM Core ex-China ETF |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
| India Consumer ETF |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
| International Equity Income ETF |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
| Multi-Sector Municipal Income ETF |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
| Research Enhanced Core ETF |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
| Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF |
D |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
| Research Enhanced Real Estate ETF |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
| Research Enhanced Value ETF |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
| Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF |
A |
A |
A |
A |
C |
A |
A |
| Short Duration Bond ETF |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
| U.S. Equity Income ETF |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
| Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Funds in the Columbia Funds Complex Overseen by the Trustee |
E(a) |
E |
E(a) |
E(a) |
E |
E(a) |
E(a) |
(a)
Includes the value of compensation payable under a Deferred Compensation Plan that is determined as if the amounts deferred had been invested, as of the date of deferral, in shares of one or more Funds in the Columbia Funds Complex overseen by the Trustee as specified by the Trustee.
| |
Gallagher |
Hacker |
Lukitsh |
Moffett |
Paglia |
Trunow |
Yeager |
| Diversified Fixed Income Allocation ETF |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
| EM Core ex-China ETF |
A |
A |
A |
A |
C |
A |
A |
| India Consumer ETF |
A |
A |
A |
A |
C |
A |
A |
| International Equity Income ETF |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
| Multi-Sector Municipal Income ETF |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
| Research Enhanced Core ETF |
A |
A |
A |
A |
C |
A |
A |
| Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
| Research Enhanced Real Estate ETF |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
| Research Enhanced Value ETF |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
| Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF |
A |
A |
A |
A |
C |
A |
A |
| Short Duration Bond ETF |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
| U.S. Equity Income ETF |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
A |
| Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Funds in the Columbia Funds Complex Overseen by the Trustee |
E(a) |
E |
E |
E(a) |
E(a) |
E(a) |
E(a) |
(a)
Includes the value of compensation payable under a Deferred Compensation Plan that is determined as if the amounts deferred had been invested, as of the date of deferral, in shares of one or more Funds in the Columbia Funds Complex overseen by the Trustee as specified by
the Trustee.
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Interested Trustee Ownership
| |
Beckman |
| Diversified Fixed Income Allocation ETF |
B |
| EM Core ex-China ETF |
A |
| India Consumer ETF |
A |
| International Equity Income ETF |
C |
| Multi-Sector Municipal Income ETF |
A |
| Research Enhanced Core ETF |
C |
| Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF |
A |
| Research Enhanced Real Estate ETF |
A |
| Research Enhanced Value ETF |
C |
| Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF |
C |
| Short Duration Bond ETF |
A |
| U.S. Equity Income ETF |
C |
| Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Funds in the Columbia Funds Complex Overseen by the Trustee |
E(a) |
(a)
With respect to Mr. Beckman, this amount includes compensation payable under a Deferred Compensation Plan administered by Ameriprise Financial.
Compensation
Total compensation. The following table shows the total compensation paid to Independent Trustees for their services from all the Funds in the Columbia Funds Complex overseen by the Trustee for the period ended December 31, 2023.
Mr. Beckman is not compensated for his services on the Board.
| Trustees |
Amount Deferred from Total Compensation(b) | |
| George S. Batejan |
$469,000 |
$23,450 |
| Kathleen Blatz |
$481,000 |
$0 |
| Pamela G. Carlton |
$560,000 |
$0 |
| Janet Langford Carrig |
$484,000 |
$484,000 |
| J. Kevin Connaughton |
$489,000 |
$0 |
| Olive M. Darragh |
$474,000 |
$94,800 |
| Patricia M. Flynn |
$451,000 |
$0 |
| Brian J. Gallagher |
$499,000 |
$249,500 |
| Douglas A. Hacker |
$466,000 |
$0 |
| Nancy T. Lukitsh |
$471,000 |
$0 |
| David M. Moffett |
$456,000 |
$0 |
| Catherine James Paglia |
$466,000 |
$0 |
| Natalie A. Trunow |
$456,000 |
$228,000 |
| Sandra L. Yeager |
$484,000 |
$242,000 |
(a)
Includes any portion of cash compensation Trustees elected to defer during the fiscal period.
(b)
The Trustees may elect to defer a portion of the total cash compensation payable. Additional information regarding the Deferred Compensation Plan is described below.
In addition to the above compensation, all Independent Trustees receive reimbursements for reasonable expenses related to their attendance at meetings of the Board or standing committees, which are not included in the amounts shown.
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Independent Trustees did not accrue any pension or retirement benefits as part of Fund expenses, nor will they receive any annual benefits upon retirement.
Deferred Compensation Plan
Under the terms of the Deferred Fee Agreement (the Deferred Compensation Plan), each eligible Trustee may elect, on an annual basis, to defer receipt of all or a portion of compensation payable to him or her for service as a Trustee for that calendar year (expressly, a Trustee may elect to defer his/her annual retainer, his/her attendance fees, or both components, which together comprise total compensation for service). Fees deferred by a Trustee are credited to a book reserve account (the Deferral Account) established by the Columbia Funds, the value of which is derived from the rate of return of one or more Columbia Funds selected by the Trustee (with accruals to the Deferral Account beginning at such time as a Trustee’s fund elections having been established, and proceeds for service having been paid into such account, and terminating at such time as when proceeds become payable to such Trustee under the Deferred Compensation Plan). Trustees may change their fund elections only in accordance with the provisions of the Deferred Compensation Plan.
Distributions from a Trustee’s Deferral Account will be paid either in a lump sum or in annual installments. Payments made in annual installments are disbursed over a period of up to ten years, following such time as a Trustee may qualify to receive such payments. If a deferring Trustee dies prior to or after the commencement of the disbursement of amounts accrued in his/her Deferral Account, the balance of the account will be distributed to his/her designated beneficiary either in lump sum or in annual payments as established by such Trustee himself/herself, his/her beneficiary or his/her estate. Amounts payable under the Deferred Compensation Plan are not funded or secured in any way, and each deferring Trustee has the status of a general unsecured creditor of the Columbia Fund(s) from which compensation has been deferred.
Compensation from each Fund. The following table shows the compensation paid to Independent Trustees from each Fund during its last fiscal year (or period), as well as the amount deferred from each Fund, which is included in the total. The table is organized by fiscal year end.
| Fund |
Aggregate Compensation from Fund Independent Trustees | |||||||
| Batejan(a) |
Blatz |
Carlton(b) |
Carrig(c) |
Connaughton |
Darragh(d) |
Flynn(e) |
Gallagher(f) | |
| For Funds with fiscal period ending March 31 | ||||||||
| EM Core ex-China ETF |
$1,025 |
$990 |
$1,099 |
$1,083 |
$1,089 |
$1,057 |
$973 |
$1,052 |
| Amount Deferred |
$51 |
$0 |
$79 |
$1,083 |
$0 |
$445 |
$0 |
$526 |
| India Consumer ETF |
$991 |
$956 |
$1,061 |
$1,047 |
$1,053 |
$1,022 |
$941 |
$1,016 |
| Amount Deferred |
$50 |
$0 |
$78 |
$1,047 |
$0 |
$434 |
$0 |
$508 |
| Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF |
$1,011 |
$976 |
$1,082 |
$1,068 |
$1,074 |
$1,043 |
$960 |
$1,036 |
| Amount Deferred |
$51 |
$0 |
$79 |
$1,068 |
$0 |
$443 |
$0 |
$518 |
| For Funds with fiscal period ending October 31 | ||||||||
| Diversified Fixed Income Allocation ETF |
$1,378 |
$1,407 |
$1,647 |
$1,443 |
$1,484 |
$1,422 |
$1,342 |
$1,475 |
| Amount Deferred |
$69 |
$0 |
$31 |
$1,443 |
$0 |
$370 |
$0 |
$738 |
| Multi-Sector Municipal Income ETF |
$1,191 |
$1,217 |
$1,423 |
$1,243 |
$1,284 |
$1,230 |
$1,161 |
$1,276 |
| Amount Deferred |
$60 |
$0 |
$23 |
$1,243 |
$0 |
$310 |
$0 |
$638 |
| Research Enhanced Core ETF |
$1,024 |
$1,048 |
$1,224 |
$1,070 |
$1,105 |
$1,057 |
$999 |
$1,098 |
| Amount Deferred |
$51 |
$0 |
$20 |
$1,070 |
$0 |
$266 |
$0 |
$549 |
| Research Enhanced Value ETF |
$917 |
$937 |
$1,096 |
$959 |
$989 |
$947 |
$894 |
$983 |
| Amount Deferred |
$46 |
$0 |
$19 |
$959 |
$0 |
$241 |
$0 |
$491 |
| International Equity Income ETF |
$904 |
$923 |
$1,079 |
$944 |
$974 |
$933 |
$880 |
$968 |
| Amount Deferred |
$45 |
$0 |
$19 |
$944 |
$0 |
$238 |
$0 |
$484 |
| U.S. Equity Income ETF |
$943 |
$963 |
$1,126 |
$985 |
$1,016 |
$973 |
$919 |
$1,010 |
| Amount Deferred |
$47 |
$0 |
$19 |
$985 |
$0 |
$248 |
$0 |
$505 |
| Short Duration Bond ETF |
$946 |
$967 |
$1,130 |
$989 |
$1,020 |
$977 |
$922 |
$1,013 |
| Amount Deferred |
$47 |
$0 |
$20 |
$989 |
$0 |
$249 |
$0 |
$507 |
| Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF |
$916 |
$936 |
$1,094 |
$957 |
$987 |
$945 |
$892 |
$981 |
| Amount Deferred |
$46 |
$0 |
$19 |
$957 |
$0 |
$241 |
$0 |
$490 |
| For Funds with fiscal period ending December 31 | ||||||||
| Research Enhanced Real Estate ETF |
$607 |
$629 |
$723 |
$629 |
$646 |
$626 |
$589 |
$646 |
| Amount Deferred |
$30 |
$0 |
$0 |
$629 |
$0 |
$125 |
$0 |
$323 |
(a)
As of March 31, 2024, the value of Mr. Batejan’s account under the Deferred Compensation Plan was $65,076.
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(b)
As of March 31, 2024, the value of Ms. Carlton’s account under the Deferred Compensation Plan was $1,504,574.
(c)
As of March 31, 2024, the value of Ms. Carrig’s account under the Deferred Compensation Plan was $6,381,629.
(d)
As of March 31, 2024, the value of Ms. Darragh’s account under the Deferred Compensation Plan was $632,462.
(e)
As of March 31, 2024, the value of Ms. Flynn’s account under the Deferred Compensation Plan was $3,799,637.
(f)
As of March 31, 2024, the value of Mr. Gallagher’s account under the Deferred Compensation Plan was $1,491,432.
(a)
As of March 31, 2024, the value of Mr. Moffett’s account under the Deferred Compensation Plan was $5,018,353.
(b)
As of March 31, 2024, the value of Ms. Paglia’s account under the Deferred Compensation Plan was $6,387,075.
(c)
As of March 31, 2024, the value of Ms. Shaw’s account under the Deferred Compensation Plan was $4,447,464. Ms. Shaw served as Trustee until December 31, 2022, and stopped receiving compensation from the Funds and the Columbia Funds Complex as of such date.
(d)
As of March 31, 2024, the value of Ms. Trunow’s account under the Deferred Compensation Plan was $1,707,862.
(e)
As of March 31, 2024, the value of Ms. Yeager’s account under the Deferred Compensation Plan was $1,476,541.
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BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND RELATED PRACTICES
General Brokerage Policy, Brokerage Transactions and Broker Selection
Subject to policies established by the Board, as well as the terms of the Investment Management Services Agreement, the Investment Manager and/or any investment subadviser is/are responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities and other instruments and assets for a Fund, for the selection of broker-dealers, for the execution of a Fund’s transactions and for the allocation of brokerage commissions in connection with such transactions. To the extent portfolio changes are not implemented through in-kind transactions for purchases/redemptions of Creation Units, Columbia Management will execute brokerage transactions for a Fund, and a Fund may incur brokerage commissions, which will particularly be the case during the early stages of the Funds’ development or in the case of transactions involving realized losses. Also, a Fund may accept cash as part or all of an In-Kind Creation or Redemption Basket, in which case Columbia Management may need to execute brokerage transactions for a Fund. The Investment Manager effects transactions for the Fund consistent with its duty to seek best execution of client (including Fund) orders under the circumstances of the particular transaction. Purchases and sales of securities on a securities exchange are effected through broker-dealers who charge negotiated commissions for their services. Orders may be directed to any broker-dealer to the extent and in the manner permitted by applicable law and by the policies and procedures of the Investment Manager or any investment subadvisers executing such transactions.
In the over-the-counter market, securities generally are traded on a “net” basis with dealers acting as principals for their own accounts without stated commissions, although the price of a security usually includes a profit to the dealer. In underwritten offerings, securities are bought at a fixed price that includes an amount of compensation to the underwriter, generally referred to as the underwriter’s “concession” or “discount.” On occasion, certain money market instruments may be bought directly from an issuer, in which case no commissions or discounts are paid.
The Investment Manager effects security transactions for the Funds consistent with its duty to seek best execution of client (including the Funds) orders under the circumstances of the particular transaction, which may result in a Fund paying a brokerage commission in excess of what another broker-dealer might have charged for effecting the same transaction. In seeking such execution, the Investment Manager will use its best judgment in evaluating the terms of a transaction, and will give consideration to various relevant factors, including, without limitation, the size and type of the transaction, the nature and character of the market for the security or other instrument or asset, the confidentiality, speed and certainty of effective execution required for the transaction, the general execution and operational capabilities of the broker-dealer, the reputation, reliability, experience and financial condition of the broker-dealer, the value and quality of the services rendered by the broker-dealer in this instance and other transactions and the reasonableness of the spread or commission, if any. Reports on brokerage commissions are provided at least annually to the Board. Research services received from broker-dealers supplement the Investment Manager’s own research and may include the following types of information: statistical and background information on industry groups and individual companies; forecasts and interpretations with respect to U.S. and foreign economies, securities, markets, specific industry groups and individual companies; information on political developments; Fund management strategies; performance information on securities and other instruments and assets and information concerning prices of same; and information supplied by specialized services to the Investment Manager and to the Board with respect to the performance, investment activities and fees and expenses of other funds. Such information may be communicated electronically, orally or in written form.
Broker-dealers may, from time to time, arrange meetings with management of issuers and provide access to consultants who supply research information. The outside research is useful to the Investment Manager since, in certain instances, the broker-dealers utilized by the Investment Manager may follow a different universe of issuers and other matters than those that the Investment Manager’s staff follow. In addition, this research provides the Investment Manager with a different perspective on investment matters, even if the securities research obtained relates to issuers followed by the Investment Manager.
Investment managers subject to MiFID II, which may include certain investment subadvisers to the Funds, may not receive investment research from brokers unless the investment manager pays for such research directly from its own resources, or from a separate, dedicated account paid for with client funds with client permission (or a combination of these methods). MiFID II limits the use of soft dollars by investment subadvisers located in the EU and in certain circumstances may result in the Investment Manager or investment subadvisers reducing the use of soft dollars with respect to certain groups of clients, which may or may not include the Funds.
Research services that are provided to the Investment Manager by broker-dealers are available for the benefit of all accounts managed or advised by the Investment Manager. In some cases, the research services are available only from the broker-dealer providing such services. In other cases, the research services may be obtainable from alternative sources. Broker-dealer research typically supplements rather than replaces the Investment Manager’s own research, tending to improve the quality of its investment advice. However, to the extent that the Investment Manager would have bought any such research services had such services not been provided by broker-dealers, the expenses of such services to the Investment Manager could be considered to
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125
have been reduced accordingly. Certain research services furnished by broker-dealers may be useful to the clients of the Investment Manager other than the Fund or Funds whose trading through a broker-dealer generated the research services. Conversely, any research services received by the Investment Manager through the placement of transactions of other clients may be of value to the Investment Manager in fulfilling its obligations to the Funds. The Investment Manager is of the opinion that this material is beneficial in supplementing its research and analysis; and, therefore, it may benefit the Funds by improving the quality of the Investment Manager’s investment advice. The advisory fees paid by the Funds are not reduced because the Investment Manager receives such services.
Unless prohibited by applicable law, Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act, provides a “safe harbor” for the Investment Manager to obtain research used in investment decision-making and brokerage services with client commissions. As a result, broker-dealers typically provide services including research and execution of transactions. The research provided can be either broker-dealer proprietary research (created and provided by a broker-dealer, including tangible research products as well as access to analysts and traders) or third party research (created by a third party but provided by a broker-dealer). The Investment Manager uses broker-dealers who provide both types of research products and services, as well as brokerage products and services, in exchange for commissions generated by transactions in the client accounts (including the Funds), also known as “soft dollars” or client commission arrangements.
Under Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act, the Investment Manager shall not be “deemed to have acted unlawfully or to have breached its fiduciary duty” solely because under certain circumstances it has caused the account to pay a higher commission than the lowest available. To obtain the benefit of Section 28(e), the Investment Manager must make a good faith determination that the commissions paid are “reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by such member, broker, or dealer, viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or his overall responsibilities with respect to the accounts as to which he exercises investment discretion.” Accordingly, the price to a Fund in any transaction may be less favorable than that available from another broker-dealer if the difference is reasonably justified by other aspects of the brokerage and research services offered. Generally, the Investment Manager may execute trades through a broker-dealer, which subsequently makes payment to a research-producing broker-dealer at the Investment Manager’s direction, retaining a predetermined portion of the commissions for execution. The Investment Manager determines the amount of the payments through a broker research evaluation process. This compensation method, sometimes referred to as a “commission sharing arrangement” allows the Investment Manager to more selectively obtain research from one broker-dealer while seeking the execution services of another, preferred execution broker-dealer. Such commission sharing arrangements do not obligate the Investment Manager to generate a specified level of commissions with the executing broker-dealers. The Board reviews the Investment Manager’s soft dollar practices at least annually.
The Investment Manager does not consider sales of shares of the Funds as a factor in the selection of broker-dealers through which to execute securities transactions on behalf of the Funds. On a periodic basis, the Investment Manager makes a comprehensive review of the broker-dealers and the overall reasonableness of their commissions, and evaluates execution, operational efficiency, and research services. Certain limited reviews are also conducted by an independent third-party evaluator.
Commission rates are established pursuant to negotiations with broker-dealers based on the quality and quantity of execution services provided by broker-dealers in light of generally prevailing rates. On exchanges on which commissions are negotiated, the cost of transactions may vary among different broker-dealers. Transactions on foreign stock exchanges involve payment of brokerage commissions that generally are fixed. Transactions in both foreign and domestic over-the-counter markets generally are principal transactions with dealers, and the costs of such transactions involve dealer spreads rather than brokerage commissions. With respect to over-the-counter transactions, the Investment Manager, where possible, will deal directly with dealers who make a market in the securities involved, except in those circumstances in which better prices and execution are available elsewhere.
The Investment Manager or a subadviser, if applicable, may use step-out transactions. A “step-out” is an arrangement in which the Investment Manager or subadviser executes a trade through one broker-dealer but instructs that broker-dealer to step-out all or a part of the trade to another broker-dealer. The second broker-dealer will clear and settle, and receive commissions for, the stepped-out portion. The Investment Manager or subadviser may receive research products and services in connection with step-out transactions.
Use of Fund commissions to obtain research products and services may create potential conflicts of interest between the Investment Manager or subadviser and a Fund because it allows the Investment Manager to use the research in managing its client accounts without paying cash (“hard dollars”) out of its own assets without a commensurate reduction in its advisory fees. However, the Investment Manager and each subadviser has policies and procedures designed to mitigate these conflicts and ensure that the use of Fund commissions falls within the “safe harbor” of Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act.
Some products and services may be used for both investment decision-making and non-investment decision-making purposes (“mixed use” items). The Investment Manager and each subadviser, to the extent it has mixed use items, has procedures in place to assure that Fund commissions pay only for the investment decision-making portion of a mixed-use item.
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
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Some broker-dealers with whom the Investment Manager’s Fixed Income Department executes trades provide the Fixed Income Department with proprietary research products and services, though the Fixed Income Department does not put in place any client commission arrangements with such broker-dealers. It is the Investment Manager’s policy not to execute a fixed income trade with a broker-dealer at a lower bid/higher offer than that provided by another broker-dealer in consideration of the value of research products and services received by the Fixed Income Department.
In certain instances, there may be securities that are suitable for a Fund as well as for one or more of the other clients of the Investment Manager. Investment decisions for the Funds and for the Investment Manager’s other clients are made with the goal of achieving their respective investment objectives. A particular security may be bought or sold for only one client even though it may be held by, or bought or sold for, other clients. Likewise, a particular security may be bought for one or more clients when one or more other clients are selling that same security. Some simultaneous transactions are inevitable when a number of accounts receive investment advice from the same investment adviser, particularly when the same security is suitable for the investment objectives of more than one client. When two or more clients are engaged simultaneously in the purchase or sale of the same security, the securities are allocated among clients in a manner believed to be equitable to each. In some cases, this policy could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security in a particular transaction that may affect the Funds.
The Investment Manager operates several trading desks in different geographic locations that support different portfolio management teams managing a variety of accounts and products, including the Investment Manager’s portfolio management teams supporting the Funds. The equity and fixed income trading desks are functionally and operationally integrated to operate as one global desk. While the trading desks operate in several locations, the desks operate under the same oversight and reporting lines and are generally conducted under similar policies and procedures. In addition, certain fixed income portfolio managers currently have the authority to execute trades themselves in limited circumstances.
As the Investment Manager seeks to enhance its investment capabilities and services to its clients, including the Funds, the Investment Manager may engage certain of its investment advisory affiliates (Participating Affiliates) around the world to provide a variety of services. For example, the Investment Manager may engage Participating Affiliates and their personnel to provide (jointly or in coordination with the Investment Manager) services relating to client relations, investment monitoring, account administration, trading and discretionary investment management (including portfolio management and risk management) to certain accounts the Investment Manager manages, including the Funds, other pooled vehicles and separately managed accounts. In some circumstances, a Participating Affiliate may delegate responsibility for providing those services to another Participating Affiliate. In addition, the Investment Manager may provide certain similar services to its Participating Affiliates for accounts they manage.
The Investment Manager believes that harnessing the collective expertise of the firm and its Participating Affiliates will benefit its clients. In this regard, the Investment Manager has certain portfolio management and client servicing teams at both the firm and at Participating Affiliates (through subadvisory or other intercompany arrangements) operating jointly to provide a better client experience. These joint teams use expanded and shared capabilities, including the sharing of research and other information by investment personnel (e.g., portfolio managers and analysts) relating to economic perspectives, market analysis and equity and fixed income securities analysis.
Participating Affiliates may provide certain advisory and trading-related services to certain of the Investment Manager’s accounts, including the Funds. The Investment Manager may also provide similar services to certain accounts of Participating Affiliates. The Investment Manager believes that local trading in certain local markets will benefit its clients, including the Funds. However, such services may result in potential conflicts of interest to such accounts.
The Investment Manager has portfolio management teams in its multiple geographic locations that may share research information regarding leveraged loans. The Investment Manager operates separate and independent trading desks in these locations for the purpose of purchasing and selling leveraged loans. As a result, the Investment Manager does not aggregate orders in leveraged loans across portfolio management teams. For example, funds and other client accounts being managed by these portfolio management teams may purchase and sell the same leveraged loan in the secondary market on the same day at different times and at different prices. There is also the potential for a particular account or group of accounts, including a Fund, to forego an opportunity or to receive a different allocation (either larger or smaller) than might otherwise be obtained if the Investment Manager were to aggregate trades in leveraged loans across the portfolio management teams. Although the Investment Manager does not aggregate orders in leveraged loans across its portfolio management teams in the multiple geographic locations, it operates in this structure subject to its duty to seek best execution.
The Funds may participate, if and when practicable, in bidding for the purchase of portfolio securities directly from an issuer in order to take advantage of the lower purchase price available to members of a bidding group. A Fund will engage in this practice, however, only when the Investment Manager, in its sole discretion, believes such practice to be otherwise in such Fund’s interests.
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
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The Funds will not execute portfolio transactions through, or buy or sell portfolio securities from or to the Investment Manager and its affiliates acting as principal (including repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements), except to the extent permitted by applicable law, regulation or order. However, the Investment Manager is authorized to allocate buy and sell orders for portfolio securities to certain broker-dealers and financial institutions, including, in the case of agency transactions, broker-dealers and financial institutions that are affiliated with Ameriprise Financial. To the extent that a Fund executes any securities trades with an affiliate of Ameriprise Financial, such Fund does so in conformity with Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act and the procedures that such Fund has adopted pursuant to the rule. In this regard, for each transaction, the Board will determine that the transaction is effected in accordance with the Funds’ Rule 17e-1 procedures, which require: (i) the transaction resulted in prices for and execution of securities transactions at least as favorable to the particular Fund as those likely to be derived from a non-affiliated qualified broker-dealer; (ii) the affiliated broker-dealer charged the Fund commission rates consistent with those charged by the affiliated broker-dealer in similar transactions to clients comparable to the Fund and that are not affiliated with the broker-dealer in question; and (iii) the fees, commissions or other remuneration paid by the Fund did not exceed 2% of the sales price of the securities if the sale was effected in connection with a secondary distribution, or 1% of the purchase or sale price of such securities if effected in other than a secondary distribution.
Certain affiliates of Ameriprise Financial may have deposit, loan or commercial banking relationships with the corporate users of facilities financed by industrial development revenue bonds or private activity bonds bought by certain of the Funds. Ameriprise Financial or certain of its affiliates may serve as trustee, custodian, tender agent, guarantor, placement agent, underwriter, or in some other capacity, with respect to certain issues of securities. Under certain circumstances, a Fund may buy securities from a member of an underwriting syndicate in which an affiliate of Ameriprise Financial is a member. The Funds have adopted procedures pursuant to Rule 10f-3 under the 1940 Act, and intend to comply with the requirements of Rule 10f-3, in connection with any purchases of securities that may be subject to Rule 10f-3.
Given the breadth of the Investment Manager’s investment management activities, investment decisions for the Funds are not always made independently from those other investment companies and accounts advised or managed by the Investment Manager. To the extent permitted by law, when a purchase or sale of the same security is made at substantially the same time on behalf of one or more of the Funds and another investment portfolio, investment company or account, the Investment Manager may aggregate the securities to be sold or bought for the Funds with those to be sold or bought for other investment portfolios, investment companies or accounts in executing transactions, and such transactions will generally be averaged as to price and available investments allocated as to amount in a manner which the Investment Manager believes to be equitable to the Funds and such other investment portfolio, investment company or account. In some instances, this investment procedure may adversely affect the price paid or received by a Fund or the size of the position obtained or sold by the Fund.
See Investment Management and Other Services – Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates – Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information about these and other conflicts of interest.
Brokerage Commissions
The following charts reflect the amounts of brokerage commissions paid by the Funds for the three most recently completed fiscal years. In certain instances, the Funds may pay brokerage commissions to broker-dealers that are affiliates of Ameriprise Financial. As indicated above, all such transactions involving the payment of brokerage commissions to affiliates are done in compliance with Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act.
Aggregate Brokerage Commissions Paid by the Funds
The following chart reflects the aggregate amount of brokerage commissions paid by the Funds for the three most recently completed fiscal years. The table is organized by fiscal year end.
Total Brokerage Commissions
| |
Total Brokerage Commissions | ||
| Fund |
2023 |
2022 |
2021 |
| For Funds with fiscal period ending March 31 | |||
| EM Core ex-China ETF |
$36,484 |
$19,373 |
$4,397 |
| India Consumer ETF |
12,208 |
24,012 |
12,279 |
| Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF |
28,840 |
45,911 |
48,802 |
| For Funds with fiscal period ending October 31 | |||
| Diversified Fixed Income Allocation ETF |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| International Equity Income ETF |
4,923 |
4,856 |
2,521 |
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
128
| |
Total Brokerage Commissions | ||
| Fund |
2023 |
2022 |
2021 |
| Multi-Sector Municipal Income ETF |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
| Research Enhanced Core ETF |
15,365 |
4,825 |
7,483 |
| Research Enhanced Value ETF |
4,621 |
3,313 |
1,145 |
| Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF |
3,563 |
1,269(a) |
N/A |
| Short Duration Bond ETF |
0 |
0 |
0(b) |
| U.S. Equity Income ETF |
9,382 |
14,504 |
1,821 |
| For Funds with fiscal period ending December 31 | |||
| Research Enhanced Real Estate ETF |
34(c) |
N/A |
N/A |
(a)
For the period from March 29, 2022 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2022.
(b)
For the period from September 21, 2021 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2021.
(c)
For the period from April 26, 2023 (commencement of operations) to December 31, 2023.
For EM Core ex-China ETF, differences in the amount of brokerage commissions paid by the Fund in 2023 relative to 2021 were primarily the result of increased shareholder purchase activity and assets in the Fund.
For India Consumer ETF, differences in the amount of brokerage commissions paid by the Fund in 2023 relative to 2022 were primarily the result of decreased shareholder purchase activity and assets in the Fund.
For International Equity Income ETF, differences in the amount of brokerage commissions paid by the Fund in 2023 relative to 2021 were primarily the result of shareholder purchase and redemption activity in the Fund.
For Research Enhanced Core ETF, differences in the amount of brokerage commissions paid by the Fund in 2023 relative to each of 2022 and 2021 were primarily the result of increased market volatility, as well as shareholder purchase and redemption activity in the Fund.
For Research Enhanced Value ETF, differences in the amount of brokerage commissions paid by the Fund in 2023 relative to 2021 were primarily the result of increased market volatility, as well as shareholder purchase and redemption activity in the Fund.
For Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF, differences in the amount of brokerage commissions paid by the Fund in 2023 relative to 2022 were primarily the result of increased market volatility as well as shareholder purchase and redemption activity in the Fund.
For U.S. Equity Income ETF, differences in the amount of brokerage commissions paid by the Fund in 2023 relative to 2021 were primarily the result of shareholder purchase and redemption activity in the Fund.
There are a number of reasons why Index Funds may show significant variation in brokerage commissions from year-to-year. Some indexes may have significant turnover as a result of rebalances and reconstitutions. The tables also show commissions for creations and redemptions that were processed as custom orders, for which the commission amounts were ultimately reimbursed by the Authorized Participant involved in the transaction. Funds that have experienced a significant change in assets under management over the last year may also show a commensurate change in brokerage commissions. Any or all of these factors may have contributed to significant changes in brokerage commissions.
Brokerage Commissions Paid to Brokers Affiliated with the Investment Manager
Affiliates of the Investment Manager may engage in brokerage and other securities transactions on behalf of a Fund according to procedures adopted by the Board and to the extent consistent with applicable provisions of the federal securities laws. Subject to approval by the Board, the same conditions apply to transactions with broker-dealer affiliates of any Fund subadviser. The Investment Manager will use an affiliate only if (i) the Investment Manager determines that the Fund will receive prices and executions at least as favorable, under the circumstances, as those offered by qualified independent brokers performing similar brokerage and other services for the Fund and (ii) the affiliate charges the Fund commission rates consistent with those the affiliate charges comparable unaffiliated customers in similar transactions and if such use is consistent with terms of the Investment Management Services Agreement.
No brokerage commissions were paid by the Funds in the last three fiscal periods to brokers affiliated with the Funds' Investment Manager or any subadvisers.
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
129
Directed Brokerage
The Funds or the Investment Manager, through an agreement or understanding with a broker-dealer, or otherwise through an internal allocation procedure, may direct, subject to applicable legal requirements, the Funds' brokerage transactions to a broker-dealer because of the research services it provides the Funds or the Investment Manager.
Reported numbers include third party soft dollar commissions and portfolio manager directed commissions directed for research. The Investment Manager also receives proprietary research from brokers, but these amounts have not been included in the table.
During each Fund’s last fiscal year (or period), the Funds directed certain brokerage transactions and paid related commissions in the amounts as follows:
Brokerage Directed for Research
| |
Brokerage directed for research | |
| Fund |
Amount of Transactions |
Amount of Commissions Imputed or Paid |
| For Funds with fiscal period ending March 31 | ||
| EM Core ex-China ETF |
$0 |
$0 |
| India Consumer ETF |
0 |
0 |
| Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF |
0 |
0 |
| For Funds with fiscal period ending October 31 | ||
| Diversified Fixed Income Allocation ETF |
0 |
0 |
| International Equity Income ETF |
0 |
0 |
| Multi-Sector Municipal Income ETF |
0 |
0 |
| Research Enhanced Core ETF |
0 |
0 |
| Research Enhanced Value ETF |
0 |
0 |
| Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF |
4,962,315 |
1,227 |
| Short Duration Bond ETF |
0 |
0 |
| U.S. Equity Income ETF |
0 |
0 |
| For Funds with fiscal period ending December 31 | ||
| Research Enhanced Real Estate ETF(a) |
0 |
0 |
(a)
For the period from April 26, 2023 (commencement of operations) to December 31, 2023.
Securities of Regular Broker-Dealers
In certain cases, the Funds, as part of their principal investment strategies, or otherwise as a permissible investment, will invest in the common stock or debt obligations of the regular broker-dealers that the Investment Manager uses to transact brokerage for the Funds.
As of each Fund’s last fiscal year (or period) end, the Funds owned securities of their “regular brokers or dealers” or their parents, as defined in Rule 10b-1 under the 1940 Act, as shown in the table below:
Investments in Securities of Regular Brokers or Dealers
| Fund |
Issuer |
Value of securities owned at end of fiscal period |
| For Funds with fiscal period ending March 31, 2023 | ||
| EM Core ex-China ETF |
None |
N/A |
| India Consumer ETF |
None |
N/A |
| Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF |
None |
N/A |
| For Funds with fiscal period ending October 31, 2023 | ||
| Diversified Fixed Income Allocation ETF |
Barclays PLC |
$641,225 |
| Citigroup Global Markets |
$466,310 | |
| Morgan Stanley |
$491,776 | |
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
130
| Fund |
Issuer |
Value of securities owned at end of fiscal period |
| International Equity Income ETF |
None |
N/A |
| Multi-Sector Municipal Income ETF |
None |
N/A |
| Research Enhanced Core ETF |
Citigroup Global Markets |
$1,078,353 |
| Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The) |
$1,367,156 | |
| J.P. Morgan Securities LLC |
$5,546,269 | |
| Morgan Stanley |
$1,173,346 | |
| Virtu Americas LLC |
$22,983 | |
| Wells Fargo Securities, LLC |
$2,062,234 | |
| Research Enhanced Value ETF |
Citigroup Global Markets |
$184,537 |
| Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The) |
$233,780 | |
| J.P. Morgan Securities LLC |
$899,301 | |
| Morgan Stanley |
$200,846 | |
| Virtu Americas LLC |
$3,975 | |
| Wells Fargo Securities, LLC |
$352,959 | |
| Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF |
None |
N/A |
| Short Duration Bond ETF |
Barclays Plc |
$190,864 |
| Citigroup, Inc. |
$186,767 | |
| Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The) |
$78,905 | |
| Morgan Stanley |
$117,248 | |
| U.S. Equity Income ETF |
None |
N/A |
| For Funds with fiscal period ending December 31, 2023 | ||
| Research Enhanced Real Estate ETF |
None |
N/A |
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
131
OTHER PRACTICES
Portfolio Turnover
A change in the securities held by a Fund is known as “portfolio turnover.” High portfolio turnover involves correspondingly greater expenses to the Fund, including brokerage commissions or dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of securities and reinvestments in other securities. Such sales may also result in adverse tax consequences to a Fund’s shareholders. The trading costs and tax effects associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect a Fund’s performance. For each Fund’s portfolio turnover rate, see the Fees and Expenses of the Fund — Portfolio Turnover section in the prospectus for that Fund.
In any particular year, market conditions may result in higher portfolio turnover rates. The rate of a Fund’s turnover may vary significantly from time to time depending on, among other factors, economic, market and other conditions.
See below for an explanation of any significant variation in a Fund’s portfolio turnover rates over the two most recently completed fiscal years:
For U.S. Equity Income ETF, during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2023, the Fund experienced a lower rate of portfolio turnover than during the previous fiscal year due to the index change that the ETFs underwent in October of 2022.
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings Information
Index Funds and Non-Indexed Funds
On each Business Day, prior to the opening of regular trading on the Fund’s primary listing exchange, Index Funds and Non-Indexed Funds disclose on their website (columbiathreadneedleus.com/etfs) their portfolio holdings that will form the basis of the Fund’s next NAV per share calculation. In addition, certain information may also be made available to certain parties as further described below.
Semi-Transparent Funds
Semi-Transparent Funds operate pursuant to an exemptive order from the SEC and are not required to publicly disclose their complete portfolio holdings each Business Day. Semi-Transparent Funds disclose their complete portfolio holdings on their website (columbiathreadneedleus.com/etfs) as of month-end approximately, but no earlier than, 15 calendar days after such month-end pursuant to such SEC exemptive order. The Board and the Investment Manager believe that the investment ideas of the Investment Manager and any subadviser with respect to portfolio management of a Semi-Transparent Fund should seek to benefit the Semi-Transparent Fund and its shareholders, and do not want to afford speculators an opportunity to profit by anticipating Semi-Transparent Fund trading strategies. However, the Board also believes that selective disclosure of a Semi-Transparent Fund’s portfolio holdings can, under appropriate circumstances, be made for purposes beneficial to the Semi-Transparent Fund and its shareholders or for other purposes under conditions that are designed to protect the interests of the Semi-Transparent Fund and its shareholders. The Board has therefore adopted policies and procedures relating to disclosure of the Semi-Transparent Funds’ portfolio securities. These policies and procedures are intended to protect the confidentiality of Semi-Transparent Fund portfolio holdings information and generally prohibit the release of such information until such information is made available to the general public, unless such persons have been authorized to receive such information on a selective basis, as described below. It is the policy of the Semi-Transparent Funds not to provide or permit others to provide portfolio holdings on a selective basis, and the Investment Manager does not intend to selectively disclose portfolio holdings or expect that such holdings information will be selectively disclosed, except where necessary for the Semi-Transparent Fund’s operation or where there are other legitimate business purposes for doing so and, in any case, where conditions are met that are designed to protect the interests of the Semi-Transparent Fund and its shareholders. Although the Investment Manager seeks to limit the selective disclosure of portfolio holdings information and such selective disclosure is monitored under the Semi-Transparent Fund’s compliance program for conformity with the policies and procedures, there can be no assurance that these policies will protect the Semi-Transparent Fund from the potential misuse of holdings information by individuals or firms in possession of that information. Under no circumstances may the Investment Manager, its affiliates or any employee thereof receive any consideration or compensation for disclosing such holdings information. Semi-Transparent Funds and each person acting on behalf of such a Fund will comply with the requirements of Regulation Fair Disclosure.
The Semi-Transparent Funds’ policies and procedures provide that no disclosures of the Semi-Transparent Funds’ portfolio holdings may be made prior to the portfolio holdings information being made available to the general public unless (i) the Semi-Transparent Funds have a legitimate business purpose for making such disclosure, (ii) the Semi-Transparent Funds or their authorized agents authorize such non-public disclosure of information, and (iii) the party receiving the non-public information enters into an appropriate confidentiality agreement or is otherwise subject to a confidentiality obligation.
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
132
In determining the existence of a legitimate business purpose for the Semi-Transparent Funds making portfolio disclosures, the following factors, among others, are considered: (i) any prior disclosure must be consistent with the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws and the fiduciary duties of the Investment Manager; (ii) any conflicts of interest between the interests of Semi-Transparent Fund shareholders, on the one hand, and those of the Investment Manager or any affiliated person of the Semi-Transparent Fund or the Investment Manager on the other; and (iii) any prior disclosure to a third party, although subject to a confidentiality agreement, would not make conduct lawful that is otherwise unlawful.
Semi-Transparent Fund complete portfolio holdings may be disclosed between and among the following persons (collectively, Affiliates and Agents) for legitimate business purposes within the scope of their official duties and responsibilities, subject to Fund policies and procedures designed to prevent the misuse of inside information, by agreement, or under applicable laws, rules, and regulations: (1) persons who are subject to the Code of Ethics or policies and procedures designed to prevent the misuse of inside information; (2) an investment adviser, distributor, administrator, transfer agent, or custodian to the Fund; (3) an accounting firm, an auditing firm, outside legal counsel, or IIV calculation agent retained by the Investment Manager or its affiliates, or the Fund; (4) an investment adviser to whom complete portfolio holdings are disclosed for due diligence purposes when the adviser is in merger or acquisition talks with the Investment Manager or its parent company; and (5) a newly hired subadviser to whom complete portfolio holdings are disclosed prior to the time it commences its duties.
The frequency with which complete portfolio holdings may be disclosed between and among Affiliates and Agents, and the length of the lag, if any, between the date of the information and the date on which the information is disclosed between and among the Affiliates and Agents, is determined by such Affiliates and Agents based on the facts and circumstances, including, without limitation, the nature of the portfolio holdings information to be disclosed, the risk of harm to the Semi-Transparent Funds and their shareholders, and the legitimate business purposes served by such disclosure. The frequency of disclosure between and among Affiliates and Agents varies and may be as frequent as daily, with no lag. Any disclosure of Semi-Transparent Fund complete portfolio holdings to any Affiliates and Agents as previously described may also include a list of the other investment positions that make up the Semi-Transparent Fund, such as cash investments and derivatives.
The Board has adopted policies to ensure that the Semi-Transparent Fund’s portfolio holdings information is only disclosed in accordance with these policies. Before any selective disclosure of portfolio holdings information is permitted, the person seeking to disclose such holdings information must submit a written request to the Portfolio Holdings Committee (PHC). The PHC, which is chaired by the Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer, is comprised of members from the Investment Manager’s legal department and compliance department, and the Funds’ President. The PHC is authorized by the Board to perform an initial review of requests for disclosure of holdings information to evaluate whether there is a legitimate business purpose for selective disclosure, whether selective disclosure is in the best interests of the Semi-Transparent Fund and its shareholders, to consider any potential conflicts of interest between the Semi-Transparent Fund, the Investment Manager, and its affiliates, and to safeguard against improper use of holdings information. Factors considered in this analysis are whether the recipient has agreed to or has a duty to keep the holdings information confidential and whether risks have been mitigated such that the recipient has agreed or has a duty to use the holdings information only as necessary to effectuate the purpose for which selective disclosure may be authorized. Before portfolio holdings may be selectively disclosed, requests approved by the PHC must also be authorized by the Funds’ President, Chief Compliance Officer or General Counsel/Chief Legal Officer or their respective designees. On at least an annual basis, the PHC reviews the approved recipients of selective disclosure and may require a resubmission of the request, in order to re-authorize certain ongoing arrangements. These procedures are intended to be reasonably designed to protect the confidentiality of Semi-Transparent Fund holdings information and to prohibit their release to individual investors, institutional investors, financial intermediaries, and other parties, until such holdings information is made public or unless such persons have been authorized to receive such holdings information on a selective basis, as set forth above.
Ongoing Portfolio Holdings Disclosure Arrangements
Semi-Transparent Funds currently have ongoing arrangements with certain approved recipients with respect to the disclosure of portfolio holdings information prior to such information being made public. Portfolio holdings information disclosed to such recipients is current as of the time of its disclosure, is disclosed to each recipient solely for purposes consistent with the services described below and has been authorized in accordance with the Funds' policies and procedures. No compensation or consideration is received in exchange for this information. In addition to the daily information provided to a Semi-Transparent Fund’s custodians, subcustodians, Investment Manager and subadvisers, as applicable, the following disclosure arrangements are in place:
| Identity of Recipient |
|
Conditions/restrictions on use of information |
|
Frequency of Disclosure |
| Recipients under arrangements with the Funds or Investment Manager: |
|
| ||
| Abel Noser |
|
Used for evaluating and assessing trading activity, execution and practices. |
|
Quarterly |
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
133
| Identity of Recipient |
|
Conditions/restrictions on use of information |
|
Frequency of Disclosure |
| Allvue Systems Company |
|
Used for front office trading, bank loan analytics, and compliance. |
|
Daily |
| Axioma Inc. |
|
Used as a hosted risk analytics platform designed for research, portfolio holdings, investment oversight and strategy development. |
|
Daily |
| Bank of New York Mellon |
|
Used as the accounting system of record for ETFs. |
|
Daily |
| BlackRock, Inc. |
|
Used for front office trading and analytics, back office settlements, portfolio accounting and reconciliations, collateral management, portfolio risk oversight, compliance mandate monitoring and portfolio performance calculations. |
|
Daily |
| Bloomberg Finance L.P. |
|
Used for portfolio analytics, statistical analysis and independent research. Used for executing cleared swaps electronically. Used for executing fixed income trades. Used for evaluating and assessing trading activity, execution and practices in respect of market abuse regulatory requirements. |
|
Daily |
| Bolger, Inc. |
|
Used for commercial printing. |
|
As Needed |
| Bond Connect Company Limited |
|
Used for executing Chinese fixed income trades. |
|
Ad Hoc |
| Boston Investors Communications Group, LLC |
|
Used for writing services that require disclosing portfolio holdings in advance of their dissemination to the general public. |
|
As Needed |
| Capital Markets Services Group |
|
Used for intraday post-trade information when equity exposures (either via futures or options trades) are modified beyond certain limits for certain Funds. |
|
As Needed |
| Castine LLC |
|
Used for facilitating the evaluation of commission rates and providing flexible commission reporting. |
|
Daily |
| Catapult ME, Inc. |
|
Used for commercial printing. |
|
As Needed |
| Citigroup, Inc. |
|
Used for mortgage decision support. |
|
Daily |
| Compliance Solutions Strategies LLC |
|
Used for reporting returns and analytics to client facing materials. Used for data storage and as a transformation solution to support Enhanced Client Regulatory Reporting and Fund Detail reporting. Used as a form reporting solution to support the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive and Money Market Funds Regulation quarterly reporting obligations. Used as a data dissemination service to support the dissemination of industry standard templates to entities authorized by Columbia Threadneedle Investments. |
|
Monthly or Quarterly |
| Deloitte Haskins & Sells, LLP |
|
Used for calculating foreign capital gains tax accruals irrespective of the tax lot relief method. |
|
Weekly |
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
134
| Identity of Recipient |
|
Conditions/restrictions on use of information |
|
Frequency of Disclosure |
| Donnelley Financial Solutions |
|
Used for providing EDGAR filing and typesetting services, and printing of prospectuses, factsheets, annual and semi-annual reports. |
|
As Needed |
| DS Graphics, Inc. |
|
Used for printing of prospectuses, factsheets, annual and semi-annual reports. |
|
As Needed |
| Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation |
|
Used for providing trade allocation and acceptance services. |
|
Daily |
| Elevation Exhibits & Events |
|
Used for trade show exhibits. |
|
As Needed |
| Equifax, Inc. |
|
Used for ensuring Columbia Management does not violate the Office of Foreign Assets Control sanction requirements. |
|
Daily |
| Ernst & Young, LLP |
|
Used for analyzing passive foreign investment company investments. |
|
Monthly |
| FactSet Research Systems, Inc. |
|
Used for calculating portfolio performance attribution, portfolio analytics, data for fundamental research, and general market news and analysis. Used for executing equity and convertible trades. |
|
Daily |
| Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. |
|
Used as a portfolio accounting system. |
|
Daily |
| FMR LLC |
|
Used for advertising review. |
|
Daily |
| Harte-Hanks, Inc. |
|
Used for printing of prospectuses, factsheets, annual and semi-annual reports. |
|
As Needed |
| ICE Data Indices, LLC |
|
Used for calculation and dissemination of ETF IIVs. |
|
Daily |
| Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. |
|
Used for proxy voting administration and research on proxy matters. |
|
Daily |
| Intex Solutions Inc. |
|
Used for providing mortgage analytics. |
|
As Needed |
| Investment Company Institute |
|
Disclosure of Form N-PORT data. |
|
As Needed |
| Investortools, Inc. |
|
Used for municipal bond analytics, research, and decision support. |
|
As Needed |
| JDP Marketing Services |
|
Used for writing Columbia Funds shareholder reports, quarterly fund commentaries and communications, including shareholder letters and management’s discussion of Columbia Funds’ performance. |
|
As Needed |
| John Roberts, Inc. |
|
Used for commercial printing. |
|
As Needed |
| Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP |
|
Used for monitoring eligibility to participate in global litigation matters. |
|
Monthly |
| Kynex, Inc. |
|
Used for providing portfolio attribution reports for Convertible Securities Fund. Used for portfolio analytics. |
|
Daily |
| MarketAxess |
|
Used for executing fixed income trades. |
|
Daily |
| Merrill Corporation |
|
Used for printing of prospectuses, factsheets, annual and semi-annual reports. |
|
As Needed |
| Morningstar Investment Services, LLC |
|
Used for independent research and ranking of funds. Used for statistical analysis. |
|
As Needed |
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| Identity of Recipient |
|
Conditions/restrictions on use of information |
|
Frequency of Disclosure |
| R. R. Donnelley & Sons Co. |
|
Used for printing of prospectuses, factsheets, annual and semi-annual reports. Used for commercial printing. |
|
As Needed |
| Refinitiv |
|
Used for executing foreign currency exchange orders. Used for executing fixed income trades. |
|
Daily |
| RegEd, Inc. |
|
Used for reviewing external and certain internal communications prior to dissemination. |
|
Daily |
| SIX Group Services Ltd. |
|
Used as a trade repository authorized by the Swiss regulator to submit holdings supporting the SIX Financial Market Infrastructure Act derivative reporting requirement. |
|
Daily |
| S.W.I.F.T. Scrl. |
|
Used for sending trade messages via SWIFT to custodian. |
|
Daily |
| Taylor Impressions |
|
Used for commercial printing. |
|
As Needed |
| TC ICAP |
|
Used for executing equity and fixed income trades. |
|
Daily |
| Thomson Reuters Corp. |
|
Used for statistical analysis. |
|
As Needed |
| Trepp, Inc. |
|
Used for insights about commercial mortgage-backed securities mortgage bonds. |
|
Daily |
| Trumid Holdings, LLC |
|
Used for executing fixed income trades. |
|
Ad Hoc |
| Virtu Financial |
|
Used for executing equity trades. |
|
Daily |
| Visions, Inc. |
|
Used for commercial printing. |
|
As Needed |
| Wilshire Associates, Inc. |
|
Used for providing performance attribution reporting. |
|
Daily |
In addition, for all Funds, portfolio holdings information may be provided from time to time to the Funds’ counsel, counsel to the Independent Trustees and the Funds’ independent auditors in connection with the services they provide to the Funds or the Trustees. Portfolio holdings information may also be provided to affiliates of the Investment Manager to monitor risks and various holdings limitations that must be aggregated with affiliated funds and accounts, among other purposes. The Investment Manager and any subadvisers use a variety of broker-dealers and other agents to effect securities transactions on behalf of the Funds. These broker-dealers may become aware of the Funds’ intentions, transactions and positions in performing their functions.
In addition, for all Funds, certain information may also be made available to certain parties:
Communications of Data Files: A Fund makes available through the facilities of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC), prior to the opening of trading on each business day, for Index Funds and Non-Indexed Funds, a list of such Fund’s holdings (generally pro-rata) and for Semi-Transparent Funds, their Tracking Basket, that Authorized Participants could deliver to a Fund to settle purchases of a Fund (i.e., Fund Deposit) or that Authorized Participants would receive from a Fund to settle Fund Redemptions. These files are applicable for the next trading day and are provided to the NSCC. Certain explanatory information regarding the files may also be released to Authorized Participants and liquidity providers, but is only done so after the files are made available through the NSCC.
Communications with Authorized Participants and Liquidity Providers: Certain employees of the Investment Manager are responsible for interacting with Authorized Participants and liquidity providers with respect to discussing custom basket proposals as described under Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Shares – Transactions in Creation Units – Custom Baskets, in this SAI. As part of these discussions, these employees may discuss with an Authorized Participant or liquidity provider the securities a Fund is willing to accept for a creation, and securities that a Fund will provide in the case of a redemption. These employees of the Investment Manager may also discuss portfolio holdings-related information with broker/dealers, in connection with settling a Fund’s transactions, as may be necessary to conduct business in the ordinary course in a manner consistent with the disclosure in the Funds’ current registration statements.
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Communications with Listing Exchanges: From time to time, the Investment Manager may discuss portfolio holdings information with the applicable primary listing exchange for a Fund as needed to meet the exchange listing standards.
Communications with Other Portfolio Managers: Certain information may be provided to portfolio managers of affiliated funds that invest a significant percentage of their assets in shares of an underlying Fund as necessary to manage the investing fund’s investment objective and strategy.
Third-Party Service Providers: Certain portfolio holdings information may be disclosed to Fund Trustees and their counsel, outside counsel for the Funds, auditors and to certain third-party service providers (i.e., fund administrator, custodian, proxy voting service, IIV calculation agent) for which a non-disclosure, confidentiality agreement or other obligation is in place with such service providers, as may be necessary to conduct business in the ordinary course in a manner consistent with applicable policies, agreements with the Funds, the terms of the current registration statements and federal securities laws and regulations thereunder. The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer or his delegate may authorize disclosure of portfolio holdings information pursuant to the above policy and procedures, subject to restrictions on selective disclosure imposed by applicable law.
The Funds also disclose portfolio holdings information as required by federal, state or international securities laws, and may disclose portfolio holdings information in response to requests by governmental authorities, or in connection with litigation or potential litigation, or a restructuring of a holding, where such disclosure is necessary to participate or explore participation in a restructuring of the holding (e.g., as part of a bondholder group). The Funds may also disclose portfolio holdings information to the issuer of a holding, pursuant to a request of the issuer or any other party who is duly authorized by the issuer.
Portfolio holdings of Funds owned solely by the Investment Manager or its affiliates are not disclosed on the website. A complete schedule of each Fund’s portfolio holdings is available semiannually and annually in shareholder reports filed on Form N-CSR and after the first and third fiscal quarters, in regulatory filings on Form N-PORT. These shareholder reports and regulatory filings are filed with the SEC in accordance with federal securities laws. Shareholders may obtain each Fund’s Form N-CSR and N-PORT filings on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
Payments to Financial Intermediaries
From time to time, the Investment Manager or its affiliates, from its own resources and not as an expense of the Fund, typically provides additional compensation to certain financial intermediaries that sell or arrange for the sale of shares of the Funds to the extent not prohibited by laws or the rules of any self-regulatory agency, such as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Such compensation provided by the Investment Manager or its affiliates includes financial assistance to financial intermediaries that enable the Investment Manager or its affiliates to participate in and/or present at financial intermediary- sponsored conferences or seminars, sales or training programs for invited registered representatives and other financial intermediary employees, financial intermediary entertainment and other financial intermediary-sponsored events, and travel expenses, including lodging incurred by registered representatives and other employees in connection with prospecting, retention and due diligence trips. The Investment Manager or its affiliates makes payments for entertainment events it deems appropriate, subject to the Investment Manager’s or its affiliates’ internal guidelines and applicable law. These payments may vary depending upon the nature of the event. Your financial intermediary may charge you fees or commissions. You should consult with your financial intermediary and review carefully any disclosure your financial intermediary provides regarding its services and compensation. Depending on the financial arrangement in place at any particular time, a financial intermediary and its financial consultants may have a financial incentive for recommending a particular fund, including the Funds over other funds. See Investment Management and Other Services—Other Roles and Relationships of Ameriprise Financial and its Affiliates— Certain Conflicts of Interest for more information.
The Investment Manager or its affiliates, from its own resources and not as an expense of the Fund, may also enter into contractual arrangements with financial intermediaries relating to one or more of the following categories: the collection and provision of data regarding the sale of Fund shares; support services relating to Semi-Transparent Funds, which may include brokerage platform support and technology, shareholder communications, educational support, reporting and similar services; and programs to defray or reduce “ticket” charges imposed by a financial intermediary and/or onboarding fees to establish a Fund on a financial intermediary’s platform (collectively Contractual Arrangements).
Payments for Contractual Arrangements vary by intermediary, may be in the form of a fixed dollar amount and/or a percentage of assets of the Fund attributable to such financial intermediary, and are expected to range from $150,000 to $475,000 in the case of fixed dollar amounts and/or between 0.01% and 0.15% in the case of a percentage of assets of the Fund attributable to a financial intermediary. Payments to a financial intermediary may be for one or more of the aforementioned categories of Contractual Arrangements.
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As of the date of this SAI, the financial intermediaries receiving payments for Contractual Arrangements include: Charles Schwab & Co, Inc., Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, LPL Financial LLC, National Financial Services LLC, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC and UBS Financial Services Inc. The Investment Manager or its affiliates may enter into similar arrangements with other financial intermediaries from time to time. Therefore, the preceding list is subject to change at any time without notice.
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CAPITAL STOCK AND OTHER SECURITIES
Description of the Trusts' Shares
The Trusts may issue an unlimited number of full Shares of beneficial interest of each Fund, with a par value of $0.00000001 for CET I and without par value for CET II, and divide or combine the Shares of any series into a greater or lesser number of Shares of that Fund without thereby changing the proportionate beneficial interests in that Fund. Each Share represents an equal proportionate interest in the assets and liabilities of the Fund and has identical voting, dividend, redemption, liquidation and other rights and preferences as the other Shares of the Fund.
If a Fund does not grow to a size to permit it to be economically viable, the Fund may cease operations. In such an event, shareholders may be required to liquidate or transfer their Shares at an inopportune time and shareholders may lose money on their investment.
Restrictions on Holding or Disposing of Shares
Shares are redeemable only as described in the prospectus. The Funds may be terminated by reorganization into another open-end fund or by liquidation and distribution of their assets. Unless terminated by reorganization or liquidation, the Funds will continue indefinitely.
Shareholder Liability
CET I. The Trust is organized as a business trust under Massachusetts law. Under Massachusetts law, shareholders could, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. However, the Trust’s Declaration of Trust disclaims any shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Funds and the Trust and requires that notice of such disclaimer be given in each agreement, obligation, or instrument entered into or executed by a Fund or the Trustees. The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out of Fund property for all loss and expense of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of a Fund. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances (which are considered remote) in which a Fund would be unable to meet its obligations and the disclaimer was inoperative. The risk of a Fund incurring financial loss on account of another series of the Trust is also believed to be remote, because it would be limited to circumstances in which the disclaimer was inoperative and the other series of the Trust was unable to meet its obligations.
CET II. The Trust is organized under Delaware law. The Declaration of Trust of the Trust disclaims liability of the shareholders or the officers of the Trust for acts or obligations of the Trust which are binding only on the assets and property of the Trust. The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out of a Fund’s property for all loss and expense of a Fund’s shareholders being held personally liable solely by reason of his or her being or having been a shareholder and not because of his or her acts or omissions or for some other reason. The risk of a Trust shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which a Fund itself would not be able to meet the Trust’s obligations and this risk should be considered remote. The risk of a Fund incurring financial loss on account of another series of the Trust also is believed to be remote, because it would be limited to circumstances in which the disclaimer was inoperative and the other series of the Trust was unable to meet its obligations.
Dividend Rights
The shareholders of a Fund are entitled to receive any dividends or other distributions declared for the Fund. No shares have priority or preference over any other shares of the Funds with respect to distributions. Distributions will be made from the assets of the Funds, and will be paid pro rata to all shareholders of each Fund according to the number of shares of each Fund held by shareholders on the record date.
Voting Rights and Shareholder Meetings
Shareholders have the power to vote only as expressly granted under the 1940 Act or under Delaware statutory trust law (in the case of CET II) or Massachusetts business trust law (in the case of CET I). With the exception of CET II, each whole share (or fractional share) outstanding on the record date shall be entitled to a number of votes on any matter on which it is entitled to vote equal to the net asset value of the share (or fractional share) in U.S. dollars determined at the close of business on the record date (for example, a share having a net asset value of $10.50 would be entitled to 10.5 votes). For CET II, each share shall be entitled to one vote for each full share, and a fractional vote for each fractional share.
Shareholders have no independent right to vote on any matter, including the creation, operation, dissolution or termination of the Trust. Shareholders have the right to vote on other matters only as the Board authorizes. Currently, the 1940 Act requires that shareholders have the right to vote, under certain circumstances, to: (i) elect Trustees; (ii) approve investment advisory agreements; (iii) approve a change in subclassification of a Fund; (iv) approve any change in fundamental investment policies; (v) approve a distribution plan under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act; and (vi) to terminate the independent accountant. With
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respect to matters that affect one class but not another, shareholders vote as a class; for example, the approval of a distribution plan applicable to that class is voted on by holders of that class of shares. Subject to the foregoing, all shares of a Trust have equal voting rights and will be voted in the aggregate, and not by Fund, except where voting by Fund is required by law or where the matter involved only affects one Fund. For example, a change in a Fund’s fundamental investment policy affects only one Fund and would be voted upon only by shareholders of the Fund involved. Additionally, approval of an investment advisory agreement or, if shareholder approval is required under exemptive relief, investment subadvisory agreement, since it only affects one Fund, is a matter to be determined separately by each Fund. Approval by the shareholders of one Fund is effective as to that Fund whether or not sufficient votes are received from the shareholders of the other series to approve the proposal as to those Funds. Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each whole share held on matters on which they are entitled to vote. Fund shareholders do not have cumulative voting rights. The Trust is not required to hold, and has no present intention of holding, annual meetings of shareholders. Special meetings may be called for certain purposes.
Liquidation Rights
In the event of the liquidation or dissolution of a Trust or a Fund, all shares have equal rights and shareholders of a Fund are entitled to a proportionate share of the assets of the Fund that are available for distribution and to a distribution of any general assets not attributable to a particular Fund that are available for distribution in such manner and on such basis as the Board may determine.
Preemptive Rights
There are no preemptive rights associated with Fund shares.
Conduct of the Trusts' Business
Forum Selection. Each Trust’s Bylaws provide that the sole and exclusive forums for any shareholder (including a beneficial owner of shares) to bring (i) any action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Trust, (ii) any action asserting a claim for breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any Trustee, officer or employee, if any, of the Trust to the Trust or the Trust’s shareholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against the Trust or any of its Trustees, officers or employees arising pursuant to any provision of the statutory or common law of the state in which the Trust is organized or any federal securities law, in each case as amended from time to time, or the Trust’s Trust Instrument or Bylaws, or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine shall be within the federal or state courts in the state in which the Trust is organized. See About the Trusts section.
This forum selection provision may limit a shareholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that the shareholder finds favorable for disputes with a Trust and/or any of its Trustees, officers, employees or service providers. If a court were to find the forum selection provision contained in the Bylaws to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, the Trust may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions.
Derivative and Direct Claims of Shareholders. Each Trust’s Bylaws and Declaration of Trust contain provisions regarding derivative and direct claims of shareholders. As used in the Bylaws, a “direct” shareholder claim refers to (i) a claim based upon alleged violations of a shareholder’s individual rights independent of any harm to the Trust, including a shareholder’s voting rights under the Bylaws; rights to receive a dividend payment as may be declared from time to time; rights to inspect books and records; or other similar rights personal to the shareholder and independent of any harm to the Trust; and (ii) a claim for which a direct shareholder action is provided under the U.S. federal securities laws such as, for example, a claim under Section 36(b) of the 1940 Act. Any other claim asserted by a shareholder, including without limitation any claims purporting to be brought on behalf of the Trust or involving any alleged harm to the Trust, is considered a “derivative” claim as used in the Bylaws.
A shareholder may not bring or maintain any court action or other proceeding asserting a derivative claim or any claim asserted on behalf of the Trust or involving any alleged harm to the Trust without first making demand on the Trustees requesting the Trustees to bring or maintain such action, proceeding or claim. With respect to CET I, such demand shall not be excused under any circumstances, including claims of alleged interest on the part of the Trustees, unless the shareholder makes a specific showing that irreparable nonmonetary injury to the Trust would otherwise result. With respect to CET II, such demand shall only be excused if a majority of the Board, or a majority of any committee established to consider the merits of such action, has a material personal financial interest in the action at issue.
The Trustees of each Trust shall consider any such derivative demand or request within 90 days of its receipt by the Trust or inform claimants within such time that further review and consideration is required, in which case the Trustees shall have an additional 120 days to respond. In their sole discretion, the Trustees may submit the matter to a vote of shareholders of the Trust or of any series or class of shares, as appropriate. Any decision by the Trustees to settle or to authorize (or not to settle or to authorize) such derivative court action, proceeding or claim, or to submit the matter to a vote of shareholders, shall be binding upon the shareholder seeking authorization.
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Any person purchasing or otherwise holding any interest in shares of beneficial interest of the Trust will be deemed to have notice of and consented to the foregoing provisions. These provisions may limit a shareholder’s ability to bring a claim against the Trustees, officers or other employees of the Trust and/or its service providers.
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Purchase, Redemption and Pricing of Shares
Transacting in Creation Units
Each Fund sells and redeems Shares in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load, at the NAV next determined after receipt of an order in proper form on any Business Day. No Fund will issue fractional Creation Units.
To purchase or redeem any Creation Units from a Fund, you must be, or transact through, an Authorized Participant. In order to be an Authorized Participant, you must be either a broker-dealer or other participant (Participating Party) in the Continuous Net Settlement System (Clearing Process) of the NSCC or a participant in DTC with access to the DTC system (DTC Participant), and you must execute an agreement (Participant Agreement) with the Distributor, and accepted by the Transfer Agent, that governs transactions in the Fund’s Creation Units.
Transactions by an Authorized Participant that is a Participating Party using the NSCC system are referred to as transactions “through the Clearing Process.” Transactions by an Authorized Participant that is a DTC Participant using the DTC system are referred to as transactions “outside the Clearing Process.”
Investors who are not Authorized Participants but want to transact in Creation Units may contact the Distributor for the names of Authorized Participants. Investors should be aware that their broker may not be an Authorized Participant and, therefore, may need to place any order to purchase or redeem Creation Units through another broker or Participating Party that is an Authorized Participant, which may result in additional charges.
Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by electronic order entry system, telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement. Market disruptions, electronic and telephone or other communication failures may impede the transmission of orders.
How the Semi-Transparent Funds Differ from ETFs that Disclose their Portfolio Holdings Daily
A Semi-Transparent Fund is an actively managed ETF that operates pursuant to an SEC exemptive order. In many respects, Semi-Transparent Funds operate similarly to other ETFs. For example, Shares of the Semi-Transparent Funds are generally purchased and redeemed in Creation Unit aggregations through Authorized Participants, Shares are listed and traded on a stock exchange, and individual investors can purchase or sell shares in less than Creation Unit sizes and for cash in the secondary market through a financial intermediary. Shares are issued or redeemed by the Fund at NAV per share only in Creation Units. Shares trade on the secondary market, which is where most retail investors will buy and sell shares.
Semi-Transparent Fund’s Tracking Basket Structure
The following does not apply to Index Funds or Non-Indexed Funds. The Semi-Transparent Funds have some unique features that differentiate them from most other ETFs. Semi-Transparent Funds do not disclose their complete portfolio holdings each Business Day. Instead, they disclose other information to the market that is designed to facilitate arbitrage opportunities in their Shares to maintain efficient secondary market trading of Shares. On each Business Day before the commencement of trading in Semi-Transparent Fund Shares on the Exchange, a Semi-Transparent Fund publishes on its website a Tracking Basket that is designed to closely track the daily performance of the Semi-Transparent Fund. The Tracking Basket is comprised of Strategy Components (select recently disclosed portfolio holdings and/or select securities from the universe from which the Fund’s investments are selected), Representative ETFs (liquid ETFs that convey information about the types of instruments (that are not otherwise fully represented by the Strategy Components) in which the Semi-Transparent Fund invests), and cash and cash equivalents. Representative ETFs are selected for inclusion in the Tracking Basket such that, when aggregated with the other Tracking Basket components, the Tracking Basket corresponds to the Semi-Transparent Fund’s overall holdings exposure. Representative ETFs may constitute no more than 50% of the Tracking Basket’s assets on each Business Day at the time that the Tracking Basket is published. In addition, a Semi-Transparent Fund’s Creation Units generally can be purchased or redeemed in-kind in exchange for the Strategy Components included in the Semi-Transparent Fund’s Tracking Basket, together with an amount of cash corresponding to the value of the Representative ETFs and cash and cash equivalents that form the remainder of the Tracking Basket.
The Tracking Basket is constructed utilizing a third-party optimization process to minimize daily deviations in return of the Tracking Basket relative to the Semi-Transparent Fund and is used to facilitate the creation/redemption process and arbitrage. The Tracking Basket is typically expected to be rebalanced on schedule with the public disclosure of the Semi-Transparent Fund’s holdings; however, a new Tracking Basket may be generated as frequently as daily. In determining whether to rebalance the Tracking Basket, the Investment Manager will consider various factors, including liquidity of the securities in the Tracking Basket, the Tracking Basket Tracking Error relative to the Semi-Transparent Fund, and the cost to create and trade the Tracking Basket.
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Semi-Transparent Fund Tracking Basket Weight Overlap
In addition to disclosure of the Tracking Basket, Semi-Transparent Funds publish a Tracking Basket Weight Overlap on their website each Business Day before the commencement of trading in Semi-Transparent Fund Shares on the Exchange. The Tracking Basket Weight Overlap is the percentage weight overlap between the holdings of the prior day’s Tracking Basket compared to the holdings of the Semi-Transparent Fund that formed the basis for the Semi-Transparent Fund’s calculation of NAV at the end of the prior Business Day. It is calculated by taking the lesser weight of each asset held in common between the Semi-Transparent Fund’s portfolio and the Tracking Basket, and adding the totals. The Tracking Basket Weight Overlap is intended to provide investors with an understanding of the degree to which the Tracking Basket and the Semi-Transparent Fund’s portfolio overlap and help investors evaluate the risk that the performance of the Tracking Basket may deviate from the performance of the portfolio holdings of the Semi-Transparent Fund.
Investors can access information about a Semi-Transparent Fund’s Tracking Basket and Tracking Basket Weight Overlap each Business Day at columbiathreadneedleus.com/etfs.
Custom Baskets
Creation and Redemption baskets may differ and each Fund may accept “custom baskets.” A custom basket may include any of the following: (i) a basket that is composed of a non-representative selection of a Fund’s portfolio holdings (or Tracking Basket in the case of Semi-Transparent Funds); (ii) a representative basket that is different from the initial basket used in transactions on the same business day; or (iii) a basket that is negotiated with and/or contains (in the case of Index Funds and Non-Indexed Funds only), bespoke cash substitutions for a single Authorized Participant on the same business day. Each Fund has adopted policies and procedures that govern the construction and acceptance of custom baskets. A custom order may be placed when, for example, an Authorized Participant cannot transact in a security or other instrument in the In-Kind Creation or Redemption Basket and therefore has additional cash included in a Fund Deposit or Fund Redemption in lieu of such security or instrument. Such policies and procedures provide the parameters for the construction and acceptance of custom baskets that are designed in the best interests of a Fund and its shareholders, establish processes for revisions to, or deviations from, such parameters, and specify the titles and roles of the employees of the Investment Manager who are required to review each custom basket for compliance. In addition, when constructing custom baskets for redemptions, the tax efficiency of a Fund may be taken into account. The policies and procedures distinguish among different types of custom baskets that may be used and impose different requirements for different types of custom baskets in order to seek to mitigate against potential risks of conflicts and/or overreaching by an Authorized Participant.
Purchasing Creation Units
Fund Deposit. The consideration for a Creation Unit of a Fund is the Fund Deposit. The Fund Deposit will consist of the In-Kind Creation Basket (which is the Tracking Basket in the case of Semi-Transparent Funds) and Cash Component, or a Cash Component that includes an all cash payment (“Cash Value”). A Fund Deposit consisting of cash, including Cash Value, may be subject to a variable charge, as explained below. In the case of Semi-Transparent Funds, Creation Units generally can be purchased in-kind in exchange for the Strategy Components included in the Semi-Transparent Fund’s Tracking Basket, together with the Cash Component, which is an amount of cash corresponding to the value of the Representative ETFs and cash and cash equivalents that form the remainder of the Tracking Basket.
In addition to the In-Kind Creation Basket, a purchaser will typically pay to a Fund a Balancing Amount reflecting the difference, if any, between the NAV of a Creation Unit and the market value of the securities or other instruments in the In-Kind Creation Basket. If the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the market value of the securities or other instruments in the In-Kind Creation Basket, the purchaser pays the Balancing Amount to the Fund. By contrast, if the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the market value of the securities or other instruments in the In-Kind Creation Basket, the Fund pays the Balancing Amount to the purchaser. The Balancing Amount ensures that the consideration paid by a purchaser for a Creation Unit is exactly equal to the value of the Creation Unit.
BNY Mellon, in a portfolio composition file sent via the NSCC, makes available on each Business Day, immediately prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), a list of the names and the required number of Shares of each security in the In-Kind Creation Basket to be included in the current Fund Deposit for each Fund (for Index Funds and Non-Indexed Funds, based on information about the Fund’s portfolio at the end of the previous Business Day, and for Semi-Transparent Funds, based on the constituents of the Tracking Basket). BNY Mellon, through the NSCC, also makes available on each Business Day, the estimated Cash Component or Cash Value, effective through and including the previous Business Day.
The In-Kind Creation Basket is applicable for purchases of Creation Units of the Funds until such time as the next-announced In-Kind Creation Basket is made available. Each Fund reserves the right to accept a nonconforming (i.e., custom) Fund Deposit, under certain circumstances. In addition, the composition of the In-Kind Creation Basket may change as, among other things, corporate actions and investment decisions by Columbia Management and/or any investment subadviser(s) are implemented for the Fund’s portfolio. For Index Funds, in recognition of longer settlement periods for emerging market securities, the Investment
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Manager may at times engage in rebalancing trades, or the composition of the In-Kind Creation Basket may at times change, in advance of anticipated adjustments to the weighting or composition of the Index. All questions as to the composition of the In-Kind Creation Basket and the validity, form, eligibility, and acceptance for deposit of any securities shall be determined by the Fund, and the Fund’s determination shall be final and binding.
Order Cut-Off Time. For an order involving a Creation Unit to be effectuated at the Fund’s NAV on a particular day, it must be received by the Transfer Agent by or before the deadline for such order (“Order Cut-Off Time”). All Creation Unit purchase orders are approved by the Distributor. The Order Cut-Off Time for creation and redemption orders for Index Funds and Non-Indexed Funds is generally expected to be 4:00 p.m. Eastern time for In-Kind Creation and Redemption Baskets, and 2:00 p.m. Eastern time for Cash Value transactions, while the Order Cut-Off Time for all creation and redemption orders for Semi-Transparent Funds is generally two hours prior to close of trading on the Exchange (which is generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trusts may, but are not required to, permit orders until 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, or until the market close (in the event an Exchange closes early). Custom orders typically clear outside the Clearing Process and, therefore, like other orders outside the Clearing Process, may need to be transmitted early on the relevant Business Day to be effectuated at that day’s NAV. Custom orders may be required to be received by the Transfer Agent by 3:00 p.m. Eastern time (generally two hours prior to close of trading on the Exchange in the case of Semi-Transparent Funds) to be effectuated based on the Fund’s NAV on that Business Day. All such orders must be approved by the Distributor in accordance with the Participation Agreement.
On days when the Exchange or bond markets close earlier than normal (such as the day before a holiday), the Order Cut-Off Time for Index Funds and Non-Indexed Funds is expected to track the Exchange closing and be similarly earlier than normal (generally two hours earlier in the case of Semi-Transparent Funds). Persons placing or effectuating custom orders and/or orders involving Cash Value should be mindful of time deadlines imposed by the Trusts, the Participant Agreement, and intermediaries, such as DTC and/or the Federal Reserve Bank wire system, which may impact the successful processing of such orders to ensure that cash, securities and other instruments are transferred by the Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date for all Funds.
Placement of Creation Orders. All purchase orders must be placed by or through an Authorized Participant. In-kind (portions of) purchase orders will be processed through the Clearing Process when it is available. The Clearing Process is an enhanced clearing process that is available only for certain securities and only to DTC participants that are also participants in the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC. In-kind (portions of) purchase orders not subject to the Clearing Process will go through a manual clearing process run by DTC. Fund Deposits that include government securities must be delivered through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system. Fund Deposits that include cash may be delivered through the Clearing Process or the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system. Certain orders for the Funds may be made, or may be required to be made, outside the Clearing Process. In-kind deposits of securities for such orders must be delivered through the Federal Reserve System (for government securities) or through DTC (for corporate securities).
Orders Using Clearing Process. In connection with creation orders made through the Clearing Process, the Distributor transmits on behalf of the Authorized Participant, such trade instructions as are necessary to affect the creation order. Pursuant to such trade instructions, the Authorized Participant agrees to deliver the requisite Fund Deposit to the Trust, together with such additional information as may be required by the Distributor. An order to create Creation Units through the Clearing Process is deemed received by the Transfer Agent on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received by the Distributor by the Order Cut-Off Time on such Transmittal Date and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. In the case of the Foreign Funds, an order to create Creation Units through the Clearing Process may be accepted by the Transfer Agent on a T-1 basis (i.e., one Business Day before Transmittal Date) if (i) such order is received by the Distributor by 5:30 p.m. Eastern time on T-1 and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. All orders are approved by the Distributor. Cash Components will be delivered using either the Clearing Process or the Federal Reserve System, as described below.
Orders Outside Clearing Process. Fund Deposits made outside the Clearing Process must state that the DTC Participant is not using the Clearing Process and that the creation of Creation Units will instead be effected through a transfer of securities, other instruments and cash directly through DTC. With respect to such orders, the Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the DTC Participant on the Transmittal Date in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of securities and other instruments in the In-Kind Creation Basket (whether standard or custom) through DTC to the relevant Trust account by 11:00 a.m. Eastern time (the “DTC Cut-Off Time”) of the Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date. The amount of cash equal to the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than 12:00 p.m. Eastern time on the Settlement Date. The delivery of (corporate) securities through DTC must occur by 3:00 p.m. Eastern time on the Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date. The delivery of (government) securities through the Federal Reserve System must occur by 3:00 p.m. Eastern time on the Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date.
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An order to create Creation Units outside the Clearing Process is deemed received by the Distributor on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received by the Transfer Agent by the Order Cut-Off Time on such Transmittal Date and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. In the case of the Foreign Funds, an order to create Creation Units outside the Clearing Process may be accepted by the Transfer Agent on a T-1 basis (i.e., one Business Day before trade date) if (i) such order is received by the Distributor by the Order Cut-Off Time on a T-1 basis (essentially following the conditions above, in this paragraph, on a T-1 basis) and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. All orders are approved by the Distributor. If the Custodian does not receive both the required In-Kind Creation Basket by the DTC Cut-Off Time and the Cash Component by the appointed time, such order may be canceled. Upon written notice to the Distributor, a canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day using a Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then-current In-Kind Creation Basket and Cash Component. The delivery of Creation Units so created will occur no later than the second Business Day following the day on which the order is deemed received by the Distributor.
Creation Units may be created in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable In-Kind Creation Basket, provided that the purchaser tenders an initial deposit consisting of any available securities or other instruments in the In-Kind Creation Basket and cash equal to the sum of the Cash Component and at least 105% of the market value of the In-Kind Creation Basket securities not delivered (“Additional Cash Deposit”). Such initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of the Creation Unit on the date the order is placed. The order shall be deemed to be received on the Transmittal Date provided that it is placed in proper form prior to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time on such date (generally two hours prior to close of trading on the Exchange in the case of Semi-Transparent Funds), and federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited with the Custodian by the DTC Cut-Off Time the following Business Day. If the order is not placed in proper form by such times or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received by the DTC Cut-Off Time the next Business Day, then the order will be canceled or deemed unreceived and the Authorized Participant effectuating such transaction will be liable to the Fund for any losses resulting therefrom.
To the extent securities or other instruments in the In-Kind Creation Basket remain undelivered, pending delivery of such securities or other instruments additional cash will be required to be deposited with the Trust as necessary to maintain an Additional Cash Deposit equal to at least 105% of the daily marked to market value of the missing securities. To the extent that either such securities are still not received by 1:00 p.m. Eastern time on the second Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor or a marked-to-market payment is not made within one Business Day following notification to the purchaser and/or Authorized Participant that such a payment is required, the Trust may use the cash on deposit to purchase the missing securities or other instruments, and the Authorized Participant effectuating such transaction will be liable to the Fund for any costs incurred therein or losses resulting therefrom, including any Transaction Fee, any amount by which the actual purchase price of the missing securities or other instruments exceeds the Additional Cash Deposit or the market value of such securities or other instruments on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Distributor, as well as brokerage and related transaction costs. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing securities and other instruments have been received by the Trust. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the second Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor.
For each of the Foreign Funds and any other Fund holding non-U.S. investments, when a purchase order is placed, the Distributor will inform the Investment Manager and the Custodian. The Custodian shall cause local sub-custodians of the applicable Fund to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant shall deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, the Fund Deposit “free of payment,” with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust, in accordance with the terms and conditions applicable to such account in such jurisdiction. If applicable, the sub-custodian(s) will confirm to the Custodian that the required Fund Deposits have been delivered and the Custodian will notify the Investment Manager and Distributor. The Authorized Participant must also make available to the Custodian no later than 12:00 noon Eastern time or earlier in the event that the relevant Exchange or the relevant bond markets close early, by the second Business Day after the order is deemed received, through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system, immediately available or same day funds in U.S. dollars estimated by the Trust to be sufficient to pay the Balancing Amount next determined after acceptance of the purchase order, together with any applicable Transaction Fees. For Foreign Funds and any other Fund holding non-U.S. investments, the Custodian will make available through the NSCC on each Business Day, the list of the names and the required number of shares of each In-Kind Creation Basket to be included in the current Fund Deposit.
Acceptance of Orders for Creation Units. Provided that such action does not result in a suspension of sales of creation units in contravention of Rule 6c-11, the Trust reserves the right to reject a purchase order for a Creation Unit transmitted to it by the Transfer Agent in respect of a Fund if: (i) the order is not in proper form; (ii) the investor(s), upon obtaining the Shares, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of a Fund; (iii) the securities delivered do not conform to the In-Kind Creation Basket for the relevant date; (iv) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; or (v) in the event that circumstances that are outside the control of the Trust, Custodian, Distributor and Investment Manager make it practically impossible to process creation orders. Examples of such circumstances include acts of God, public service or utility
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problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Investment Manager, the Distributor, DTC, NSCC, the Custodian or sub-custodian or any other participant in the creation process, and similar extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify the Authorized Participant of its rejection or revocation of the order. The Trust, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall any of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.
Cancellations. In the event an order is cancelled, the Authorized Participant will be responsible for reimbursing the Fund for all costs associated with cancelling the order, including costs for repositioning the portfolio, provided the Authorized Participant shall not be responsible for such costs if the order was cancelled for reasons outside the Authorized Participant’s control or the Authorized Participant was not otherwise responsible or at fault for such cancellation. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such cancelled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day, with a newly constituted Fund Deposit to reflect the next calculated NAV.
Transaction Fees
To compensate a Trust for costs incurred in connection with creation and redemption transactions, investors may be required to pay a Transaction Fee, per order, as shown in the table and further described below.
The Investment Manager, subject to the approval of the Board, may adjust or waive the Transaction Fee from time to time. Investors will also be responsible for the costs associated with transferring the securities or other instruments in the In-Kind Creation and Redemption Baskets, respectively, to and from the account of a Trust. Further, investors who, directly or indirectly, use the services of a broker or other financial intermediary to compose a Creation Unit in addition to an Authorized Participant to effect a transaction in Creation Units may be charged an additional fee for such services.
| Fund |
Standard Transaction Fee |
Maximum Transaction Fee |
Variable Charge |
| Diversified Fixed Income Allocation ETF |
$500 |
$2,000 |
Up to 2% |
| EM Core ex-China ETF |
$2,000 |
$2,000 |
None |
| India Consumer ETF |
$1,000 |
$1,000 |
Fixed $425 (Redemptions Only) |
| International Equity Income ETF |
$2,000 |
$8,000 |
None |
| Multi-Sector Municipal Income ETF |
$500 |
$2,000 |
Up to 2% |
| Research Enhanced Core ETF |
$900 |
$2,000 |
None |
| Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF |
$1,000 |
$1,000 |
None |
| Research Enhanced Real Estate ETF |
$500 |
$2,000 |
None |
| Research Enhanced Value ETF |
$650 |
$2,000 |
None |
| Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF |
$500 |
$2,000 |
None |
| Short Duration Bond ETF |
$500 |
$2,000 |
Up to 2% |
| U.S. Equity Income ETF |
$500 |
$2,000 |
None |
For CET I Equity Funds. The Standard Transaction Fee is fixed for all creation and redemption transactions through the Clearing Process on a Business Day, regardless of the number of transactions effectuated that day. A higher Transaction Fee (up to the Maximum Transaction Fee disclosed in the table above) may be imposed for (i) transactions outside the Clearing Process and (ii) transactions effectuated wholly or partly in cash, including custom orders, to offset brokerage and other transaction costs thereby imposed on the Trust.
For CET I Fixed Income Funds. The Standard Transaction Fee (of $500) applies to in-kind purchases of the Fund effected through the Clearing Process on any business day, regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased or redeemed that day (assuming, in the case of multiple orders on the same day, that the orders are received at or near the same time). A higher Transaction Fee (up to the Maximum Transaction Fee disclosed in the table above) may apply to creation and redemption transactions that occur outside the Clearing Process, regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased or redeemed that day (assuming, in the case of multiple orders on the same day, that the orders are received at or near the same time). In each instance the Transaction Fee will be determined without regard to whether the in-kind securities tendered (or received) consist of those in the In-Kind Creation (or Redemption) Basket.
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As noted in the table above for Funds with a variable charge, Fund Deposits consisting of a Cash Value will be subject to a variable charge of up to 2% of the Cash Value ($425 in the case of redemptions from India Consumer ETF) in addition to the Standard Transaction Fee. With cash received from the variable charge, the Investment Manager will purchase the necessary securities for the Fund’s portfolio and return any unused portion thereof to the investor. The variable charge does not apply to creation and redemption transactions involving only an In-Kind Creation Basket/In-Kind Redemption Basket.
For CET II. The Standard Transaction Fee is fixed regardless of whether or not the creation or redemption transaction is in-kind or cash value, through or outside the Clearing Process.
Redeeming Creation Units
Fund Redemptions. Fund Shares may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by a Fund through the Transfer Agent and only on a Business Day. Absent certain circumstances, a Fund will not redeem Shares in amounts less than Creation Unit aggregations. The redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of the In-Kind Redemption Basket (which is the Tracking Basket in the case of Semi-Transparent Funds) and a Cash Redemption Amount, which consists of a Balancing Amount and a Transaction Fee or, in certain circumstances, a Cash Redemption Amount that includes an all cash payment, or Cash Value, in all instances equal to the value of a Creation Unit. In the case of Semi-Transparent Funds, Creation Units generally can be redeemed in-kind in exchange for the Strategy Components included in the Semi-Transparent Fund’s Tracking Basket, together with the Cash Component, which is an amount of cash corresponding to the value of the Representative ETFs and cash and cash equivalents that form the remainder of the Tracking Basket. Beneficial owners must accumulate enough Shares in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit and such Shares must be held in the account of a single Authorized Participant in order to have such Shares redeemed by the Fund.
There can be no assurance that there will be sufficient liquidity in Shares in the secondary market to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. In addition, investors may incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a Creation Unit.
The Balancing Amount reflects the difference, if any, between the NAV of a Creation Unit and the market value of the securities or other instruments in the In-Kind Redemption Basket. If the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the market value of the securities or other instruments in the In-Kind Redemption Basket, the Fund pays the Balancing Amount to the redeeming investor. By contrast, if the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the market value of the securities or other instruments in the In-Kind Redemption Basket, the redeeming investor pays the Balancing Amount to the Fund.
If different from the In-Kind Creation Basket, the composition of the In-Kind Redemption Basket will be available on the NSCC bulletin board each day the NYSE is open for business; otherwise, the In-Kind Creation Basket posted on NSCC may be assumed to be the In-Kind Redemption Basket, too. BNY Mellon, in a portfolio composition file sent via the NSCC, makes available prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time) on each Business Day, the identity of the portfolio securities or other instruments in the current In-Kind Redemption Basket (subject to possible amendment or correction). The In-Kind Redemption Basket on a particular Business Day may not be identical to the In-Kind Creation Basket for that day. A Fund may honor a redemption request with a nonconforming or “custom” In-Kind Redemption Basket, under certain circumstances.
In lieu of In-Kind Redemption Basket and Balancing Amount, Creation Units may be redeemed solely in cash in an amount equal to the NAV of a Creation Unit, which amount is referred to as the Cash Value. Such redemptions may be subject to a variable charge, as explained under Transaction Fees above. BNY Mellon will publish, on a daily basis, information about the Cash Value of a Creation Unit.
The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed: (i) for any period during which the NYSE is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (ii) for any period during which trading on the NYSE is suspended or restricted; (iii) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares or determination of the Fund’s NAV is not reasonably practicable or for any period during which it is not reasonably practicable for a Fund to fairly to determine the value of its net assets; (iv) for any period during which the SEC by order permits for the protection of shareholders of a Fund; or (v) for up to fifteen (15) calendar days for any of the Foreign Funds and any Fund holding non-U.S. investments during an international local holiday.
Placement of Redemption Orders. Redemptions must be placed to the Transfer Agent through an Authorized Participant. In addition, redemption orders must be processed either through the DTC process or the Clearing Process. Certain orders for the Funds may be made, or may be required to be made, outside the Clearing Process.
Placement of Redemption Orders Using Clearing Process. Orders to redeem Creation Units through the Clearing Process are deemed received by the Trust on the Transmittal Date if (i) such order is received by the Transfer Agent not later than the Order Cut-Off Time on such Transmittal Date, and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. In the case of the Foreign Funds, an order to redeem Creation Units through the Clearing Process may be accepted by the Transfer Agent, and approved by the Distributor, on a T-1 basis (i.e., one Business Day before Transmittal Date) if (i) such
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order is received by the Transfer Agent after market close but before 5:30 p.m. Eastern time on T-1 and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. Orders deemed received will be effectuated based on the NAV of the Fund as next determined. An order to redeem Creation Units using the Clearing Process made in proper form but received by the Trust after the Order Cut-Off Time (in the case of Foreign Funds, 5:30 p.m. Eastern time on T-1) will be deemed received on the next Business Day and will be affected at the NAV next determined on such next Business Day. The applicable In-Kind Redemption Basket and the Cash Redemption Amount will generally be transferred to the investor by the second Business Day following the date on which such request for redemption is deemed received. Due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries, however, the delivery of the In-Kind Redemption Basket may take longer than two Business Days after the date on which such request for redemption is deemed received. In such cases, the local market settlement procedures will not commence until the end of the local holiday periods. The delivery of the Cash Redemption Amount may also take longer than two Business Days after the date on which such request for redemption is deemed received due to, for example, delays by foreign countries repatriating cash proceeds to the Funds in connection with sale of the Funds’ portfolio securities traded on a foreign exchange. With respect to foreign securities, each Fund may pay redemption proceeds more than seven (but no more than fifteen) calendar days after the Fund’s shares are tendered for redemption as a result of local market holidays.
In connection with taking delivery of the In-Kind Redemption Basket upon redemption of Shares, a redeeming Authorized Participant must maintain appropriate security arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody provider in each jurisdiction in which any of the in-kind securities are customarily traded, to which account the In-Kind Redemption Basket will be delivered.
Placement of Redemption Orders Outside Clearing Process. Orders to redeem Creation Units outside the Clearing Process must state that the DTC Participant is not using the Clearing Process and that redemption of Creation Units will instead be affected through transfer of Fund Shares directly through DTC. Such orders are deemed received by the Trust on the Transmittal Date if: (i) such order is received by the Transfer Agent not later than the Order Cut-Off Time on the Transmittal Date; (ii) such order is accompanied or followed by the delivery of both (a) the Creation Unit(s), which delivery must be made through DTC to the Custodian no later than the DTC Cut-Off Time on the Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date and (b) the Cash Redemption Amount by 12:00 p.m., Eastern time on the Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date; and (iii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. In the case of the Foreign Funds, an order to redeem Creation Units outside the Clearing Process may be accepted by the Transfer Agent, and approved by the Distributor, on a T-1 basis (i.e., one Business Day before Transmittal Date) if (i) such order is received by the Distributor by the Order Cut-Off Time on a T-1 basis (essentially following the conditions above, in this paragraph, on T-1) and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. After the Trust has deemed such an order received, the Trust will initiate procedures to transfer, and expect to deliver, the requisite In-Kind Redemption Basket and/or any Cash Redemption Amount owed to the redeeming party by the second Business Day following the Transmittal Date on which such redemption order is deemed received by the Trust.
In the event that the Authorized Participant has submitted a redemption request in proper form but is unable to transfer all or part of the Creation Units to be redeemed to the Transfer Agent, the Transfer Agent may nonetheless accept the redemption request in reliance on the undertaking by the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing Shares as soon as possible. Such undertaking shall be secured by the Authorized Participant’s delivery and maintenance of collateral consisting of cash having a value (marked-to-market daily) at least equal to 105% of the value of the missing Shares, which the Investment Manager may change from time to time.
The current procedures for collateralization of missing Shares require, among other things, that any cash collateral shall be in the form of U.S. dollars in immediately-available funds and shall be held by the Custodian and marked-to-market daily, and that the fees of the Custodian and any relevant sub-custodians in respect of the delivery, maintenance and redelivery of the cash collateral shall be payable by the Authorized Participant. The Authorized Participant’s agreement will permit the Trust, on behalf of the relevant Fund, to purchase the missing Shares at any time and will subject the Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Trust of purchasing such Shares and the value of the collateral.
The calculation of the value of the In-Kind Redemption Basket and the Cash Redemption Amount to be delivered/received upon redemption will be made by the Custodian computed on the Business Day on which a redemption order is deemed received by the Trust. Therefore, if a redemption order in proper form is submitted to the Transfer Agent by a DTC Participant or an Authorized Participant with the ability to transact through the Federal Reserve System, as applicable, not later than Order Cut-Off Time on the Transmittal Date, and the requisite number of Shares of the Fund are delivered to the Custodian prior to the DTC Cut-Off-Time, then the value of the In-Kind Redemption Basket and the Cash Redemption Amount to be delivered/received will be determined by the Custodian on such Transmittal Date. If, however, either: (i) the requisite number of Shares of the relevant Fund are not delivered by the DTC Cut-Off-Time, as described above, or (ii) the redemption order is not submitted in proper form, then the redemption order will not be deemed received as of the Transmittal Date. In such case, the
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value of the In-Kind Redemption Basket and the Cash Redemption Amount to be delivered/received will be computed on the Business Day that such order is deemed received by the Trust (i.e., the Business Day on which the Fund Shares of the relevant Fund are delivered through DTC to the Custodian by the DTC Cut-Off-Time pursuant to a properly submitted redemption order).
If it is not possible to effect deliveries of the securities or other instruments in the In-Kind Redemption Basket, the Trust may, in its discretion, exercise its option to redeem such Fund Shares in cash, and the redeeming beneficial owner will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that the Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its Fund Shares based on the NAV of Shares of the relevant Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a Transaction Fee, including any applicable variable charges, as explained under Transaction Fees above).
Redemptions of Fund Shares for the In-Kind Redemption Basket will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and the Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific securities or other instruments in the In-Kind Redemption Basket upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the securities in the In-Kind Redemption Basket under such laws. An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security or other instrument included in the In-Kind Redemption Basket applicable to the redemption of a Creation Unit may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming beneficial owner of the Fund Shares to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment, beneficial ownership of Shares or delivery instructions.
Legal Restrictions on Transactions in Certain Securities. An investor subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security required to be deposited in connection with the purchase of a Creation Unit may, at the Fund’s discretion, be permitted to deposit an equivalent amount of cash in substitution for any security which would otherwise be included in the In-Kind Creation Basket applicable to the purchase of a Creation Unit.
Creations and redemptions of shares will be subject to applicable federal and state securities laws, including that securities accepted for deposit and securities used to satisfy redemption requests are sold in transactions that would be exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act). The Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that an investor could not lawfully purchase or the Fund could not lawfully deliver specific securities under such laws or the local laws of a jurisdiction in which the Fund invests. An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in an In-Kind Redemption Basket may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. An Authorized Participant or redeeming investor for which it is acting that is not a qualified institutional buyer (QIB) as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act will not be able to receive, as part of a redemption, restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A.
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance
The Funds are required to comply with various anti-money laundering laws and regulations. Shares of the Funds may only be purchased or redeemed in Creation Units by broker dealer firms that have entered into an Authorized Participant agreement with the Distributor. The Authorized Participants may offer shares of the Funds to investors, who then are required to comply with the various anti-money laundering laws and regulations. The Authorized Participants may request additional required information from Fund investors to verify their identity.
The Funds have delegated aspects of their anti-money laundering compliance to the Distributor. The Distributor permits federal examiners, such as the SEC, to obtain information and records relating to the Distributor’s anti-money laundering duties as they relate to the Funds, and to inspect the Distributor for purposes of the Funds’ Anti-Money laundering program.
Offering Price
The share price of each Fund is based on each Fund’s net asset value (NAV) per share, which is calculated as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE, usually at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, on each day the Fund is open for business. If the NYSE is scheduled to close early, the NAV per share of each class of shares of each Fund shall be determined as of the time of the NYSE’s scheduled close. Each Fund will not treat an intraday unscheduled disruption in NYSE trading or intraday unscheduled closing of the NYSE as a close of regular trading on the NYSE and will price its shares as of the regularly scheduled closing time for that day (typically, 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the NAV of Fund shares may be determined at such other time or times (in addition to or in lieu of the time set forth above) as the Fund’s Board may approve or ratify. The Funds do not value their shares on days that the NYSE is closed. The Exchange is generally open Monday through Friday and is closed for weekends and the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
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The value of each Fund’s portfolio securities is determined in accordance with the Trust’s valuation procedures, which are approved by the Board. Except as described below under “Fair Valuation of Portfolio Securities,” the Fund’s portfolio securities are typically valued using the following methodologies, certain of which may represent fair values, rather than market quotations:
Equity Securities. Equity securities listed on an exchange are valued at the closing price or last trade on their primary exchange at the close of business of the New York Stock Exchange. Securities with a closing price not readily available or not listed on any exchange are valued at the mean between the closing bid and asked prices. Listed preferred stocks convertible into common stocks will be fair valued. Shares of other open-end investment companies (other than ETFs) are valued at the latest net asset value reported by those companies as of the valuation time.
Fixed Income Securities. Debt securities (including convertible securities) with remaining maturities in excess of 60 days are valued based on prices obtained from a pricing service. If pricing information is unavailable from a pricing service or is not believed to be reflective of market value, then a security may be valued at a bid quote from a broker-dealer, or, if a bid quote from a broker-dealer is not available, at fair value as determined by the Investment Manager. Debt securities with remaining maturities of 60 days or less are valued on the basis of amortized cost. Under this method of valuation, the security is initially valued at cost on the date of purchase or, in the case of securities purchased with more than 60 days remaining to maturity, the market value on the 61st day prior to maturity. Thereafter the fund assumes a constant proportionate amortization in value until maturity of any discount or premium, regardless of the impact of fluctuating interest rates on the market value of the security. If the amortized cost value of such securities is not reflective of market value, then the valuation process for debt securities with remaining maturities in excess of 60 days will be applied. Short-term variable rate demand notes are typically valued at par value. Newly issued debt securities may be valued at purchase price for up to two days following purchase or at fair value if the purchase price is not believed to be reflective of market value.
Futures, Options and Other Derivatives. Futures and options on futures are valued based on the settlement price as determined by their principal exchange or, in the absence of settlement price, at the mean of the closing bid and ask. Listed options are valued at the mean of the closing bid and asked prices. If market quotations are not readily available, futures and options are fair valued. Customized derivative products are valued at a price provided by a pricing service or, if such a price is unavailable, a broker quote or at a price derived from an internal valuation model.
Repurchase and Reverse Repurchase Agreements. Repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements are generally valued at a price equal to the amount of cash invested in the repurchase agreement, or borrowed in the reverse repurchase agreement, respectively, at the time of valuation.
Bank Loans. Bank loans purchased in the primary market are typically valued at acquisition cost for up to two days, and are then valued using a market quotation from a pricing service or quote from a broker-dealer, or if such quotes are unavailable, fair value. Bank loans trading in the secondary market are fair valued unless readily available market quotations are available.
Private Placement Securities. Private placement securities are fair valued, typically with pricing inputs such as prices from broker-dealers or using internal analysis and any issuer-provided financial information.
Foreign Currencies. Foreign currencies, securities denominated in foreign currencies and payables/receivables denominated in foreign currencies are valued in U.S. dollars utilizing spot exchange rates at the close of regular trading on London’s exchange (typically 11:00 a.m. Eastern (U.S.) time). Forward foreign currency contracts are valued in U.S. dollars utilizing the applicable forward currency exchange rate as of the close of regular trading on London’s exchange (typically 11:00 a.m. Eastern (U.S.) time).
Fair Valuation of Portfolio Securities. In the event that (i) market quotations are not readily available, such as when trading is halted or securities are not actively traded; (ii) market quotations are not reflective of market value (i.e., such prices or values are deemed unreliable in the judgment of the Investment Manager); or (iii) a significant event has been recognized in relation to a security or class of securities that is not reflected in market quotations, such as when an event impacting a foreign security occurs after the closing of the security’s foreign exchange but before the closing of the NYSE, a fair value for each such security is determined by the Investment Manager in accordance with valuation procedures approved by the Board. The fair value of a security is likely to be different from the quoted or published price and fair value determinations often require significant judgment.
In general, any relevant factors may be taken into account in determining fair value, including but not limited to the following, among others: the fundamental analytical data relating to the security; the value of other financial instruments, including derivative securities traded on other markets or among dealers; trading volumes on markets, exchanges, or among dealers; values of baskets of securities traded on other markets, exchanges, or among dealers; changes in interest rates; observations from financial institutions; government actions or pronouncements; other news events; information as to any transactions or offers
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with respect to the security; price and extent of public trading in similar securities of the issuer or comparable companies; nature and expected duration of the event, if any, giving rise to the valuation issue; pricing history; the relative size of the position in the portfolio; internal models; and other relevant information.
With respect to securities traded on foreign markets, relevant factors may include, but not be limited to, the following: the value of foreign securities traded on other foreign markets; ADR and/or GDR trading; closed-end fund trading; foreign currency exchange activity and prices; and the trading of financial products that are tied to baskets of foreign securities, such as certain exchange-traded index funds. With respect to the Foreign Funds, a systematic independent fair value pricing service may assist in the fair valuation process for foreign securities in order to adjust for possible changes in value that may occur between the close of the foreign exchange and the time at which a Fund’s NAV is determined. Although the use of this service is intended to decrease opportunities for time zone arbitrage transactions, there can be no assurance that it will successfully decrease arbitrage opportunities.
Additional Information Concerning Shares
Book Entry Only System
DTC acts as securities depositary for Shares. Shares are registered in the name of the DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Certificates generally will not be issued for Shares.
Beneficial owners are not entitled to have Shares registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of certificates in definitive form and are not considered the registered holder thereof. Accordingly, each beneficial owner must rely on the procedures of DTC to exercise any rights as a holder of Shares.
The Trusts will not make the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service available for use by beneficial owners for reinvestment of their cash proceeds but certain brokers may make a dividend reinvestment service available to their clients. Brokers offering such services may require investors to adhere to specific procedures and timetables in order to participate. Investors interested in such a service should contact their broker for availability and other necessary details.
Distribution of Shares
In connection with each Fund’s launch, each Fund was seeded through the sale of one or more Creation Units by each Fund to one or more initial investors. Initial investors participating in the seeding may be Authorized Participants, a lead market maker or other third party investor or an affiliate of each Fund or the Investment Manager, including other Columbia Funds. Each such initial investor may sell some or all of the shares underlying the Creation Unit(s) held by them pursuant to the registration statement for each Fund (each, a “Selling Shareholder”), which shares have been registered to permit the resale from time to time after purchase. Each Fund will not receive any of the proceeds from the resale by the Selling Shareholders of these shares. Selling Shareholders may sell shares owned by them directly or through broker-dealers, in accordance with applicable law, on any national securities exchange on which the shares may be listed or quoted at the time of sale, through trading systems, in the over-the-counter market or in transactions other than on these exchanges or systems at fixed prices, at prevailing market prices at the time of the sale, at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or at negotiated prices. These sales may be effected through brokerage transactions, privately negotiated trades, block sales, entry into options or other derivatives transactions or through any other means authorized by applicable law. Selling Shareholders may redeem the shares held in Creation Unit size by them through an Authorized Participant. Any Selling Shareholder and any broker-dealer or agents participating in the distribution of shares may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the 1933 Act, in connection with such sales. Any Selling Shareholder and any other person participating in such distribution will be subject to applicable provisions of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.
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TAXATION
The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Funds’ prospectuses entitled Distributions and Taxes. The prospectuses generally describe the U.S. federal income tax treatment of distributions by the Funds. This section of the SAI provides additional information concerning U.S. federal income and other 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 changes with retroactive effect. Except as specifically set forth below, the following discussion does not address any state, local or foreign tax matters. The Funds may or may not invest in all of the securities or other instruments described in this Taxation section. Please see the Funds' prospectuses for information about a Fund's investments, as well as each Fund’s semiannual and annual shareholder reports.
A shareholder’s tax treatment may vary depending upon his or her particular situation. This discussion applies only to shareholders holding Fund shares as capital assets within the meaning of the Code. Except as otherwise noted, it may not apply to certain types of shareholders who may be subject to special rules, such as insurance companies, tax-exempt organizations, shareholders holding Fund shares through tax-advantaged accounts (such as 401(k) Plan Accounts or Individual Retirement Accounts, variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance contracts), financial institutions, broker-dealers, entities that are not organized under the laws of the United States or a political subdivision thereof, persons who are neither citizens nor residents of the United States, shareholders holding Fund shares as part of a hedge, straddle, or conversion transaction, shareholders who are subject to the U.S. federal alternative minimum tax, trusts, estates, pass-through entities or investors in such entities, “controlled foreign corporations,” “passive foreign investment companies,” persons eligible for benefits under an income tax treaty to which the United States is a party, or persons otherwise subject to special treatment under the Code.
The Trust has not requested and will not request an advance ruling from the IRS as to the U.S. federal income tax matters described below. The IRS could adopt positions contrary to those discussed below and such positions could be sustained. In addition, the following discussion and the discussions in the prospectuses address only some of the U.S. federal income tax considerations generally affecting investments in the Funds. Prospective shareholders are urged to consult with their own tax advisors and financial planners regarding the U.S. federal tax consequences of an investment in a Fund, the application of state, local, or foreign laws, and the effect of any possible changes in applicable tax laws on their investment in the Funds.
Qualification as a Regulated Investment Company
It is intended that each Fund qualify as a “regulated investment company” under Subchapter M of Subtitle A, Chapter 1 of the Code. Each Fund will be treated as a separate entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Thus, the provisions of the Code applicable to regulated investment companies generally will apply separately to each Fund, even though each Fund is a series of the Trust. Furthermore, each Fund will separately determine its income, gains, losses, and expenses for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
In order to qualify for the special tax treatment accorded regulated investment companies and their shareholders under the Code, each Fund must, among other things, derive at least 90% of its gross income each taxable year generally from (i) dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income attributable to its business of investing in such stock, securities or foreign currencies (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) and (ii) net income derived from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership, as defined below. In general, for purposes of this 90% gross income requirement, income derived from a partnership (other than a qualified publicly traded 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 regulated investment company. However, 100% of the net income derived from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership (generally, defined as a partnership (x) the interests in which are traded on an established securities market or readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof, and (y) that derives less than 90% of its gross income from the qualifying income described in clause (i) above) will be treated as qualifying income. In general, such entities will be treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes if they meet the passive income requirement under Section 7704(c)(2) of the Code. Certain of a Fund’s investments in master limited partnerships (MLPs) and ETFs, if any, may qualify as interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships. In addition, although in general the passive loss rules do not apply to a regulated investment company, such rules do apply to a regulated investment company with respect to items attributable to an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership.
Each Fund must also 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 regulated investment companies, and (B) other securities, of any one issuer (other than those described in clause (A)) to the extent such securities do not exceed 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and are not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is invested in, including through corporations in which the Fund owns a 20% or more voting stock interest, the securities of any one issuer
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(other than those described in clause (i)(A)), the securities (other than securities of other regulated investment companies) 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.
In addition, for purposes of meeting this diversification requirement, the term “outstanding voting securities of such issuer” includes the equity securities of a qualified publicly traded partnership and in the case of a Fund’s investments in loan participations, the Fund shall treat both the financial intermediary and the issuer of the underlying loan as an issuer. The qualifying income and diversification requirements described above may limit the extent to which a Fund can engage in certain derivative transactions, as well as the extent to which it can invest in MLPs and certain commodity-linked ETFs.
In addition, each Fund generally must distribute to its shareholders at least 90% of its investment company taxable income for the taxable year, which generally includes its ordinary income and the excess of any net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss, and at least 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income (if any) for the taxable year.
If a Fund qualifies as a regulated investment company that is accorded special tax treatment, it generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on any of the investment company taxable income and net capital gain (i.e., the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) it distributes to its shareholders. Each Fund generally intends to distribute, at least annually, substantially all of its investment company taxable income (computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction) and its net capital gain. However, no assurance can be given that a Fund will not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation. Any investment company taxable income or net capital gain retained by a Fund will be subject to tax at the corporate rate.
If a Fund retains any net capital gain, it will be subject to a tax at the corporate rate on the amount retained, but may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a timely notice to its shareholders, who (i) will be 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) will be 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 to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the tax basis of shares owned by a shareholder of a Fund will be increased by an amount equal under current law 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.
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 regulated investment company generally may elect to treat part or all of any post-October capital loss (defined as any net capital loss attributable to the portion, if any, 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 such portion, if any, 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, if any, of the taxable year after October 31 and its (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.
In order to comply with the distribution requirements described above applicable to regulated investment companies, a Fund generally must make the distributions in the same taxable year that it realizes the income and gain, although in certain circumstances, a Fund may make the distributions in the following taxable year in respect of income and gains from the prior taxable year. Shareholders generally are taxed on any distributions from a Fund in the year they are actually distributed. If a 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, however, the Fund and its shareholders will be treated as if the Fund paid the distribution on December 31 of the earlier year.
If a Fund were to fail to meet the income, diversification or distribution tests described above, the Fund could in some cases cure such failure including by paying a fund-level tax or 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 were otherwise to fail to qualify and be eligible for treatment as a regulated investment company accorded special tax treatment under the Code, it would be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation without any deduction for its distributions to shareholders. In this case, all distributions from the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits (including any distributions of its net tax-exempt income and net long-term capital gains) to its shareholders would be taxable to shareholders as dividend income. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a regulated investment company.
Excise Tax
If a Fund fails to distribute by December 31 of each calendar year at least the sum of 98% of its ordinary income for that year (excluding capital gains and losses) and 98.2% of its capital gain net income (adjusted for net ordinary losses) for the 1-year period ending on October 31 of that year (or November 30 or December 31 of that year if the Fund is permitted to elect and so elects), and any of its ordinary income and capital gain net income from previous years that were not distributed during such
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years, the Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax on the undistributed amounts. For these purposes, ordinary gains and losses from the sale, exchange, or other taxable disposition of property that would be properly taken into account after October 31 of a calendar year (or November 30 if the Fund makes the election described above) are generally treated as arising on January 1 of the following calendar year; in the case of a Fund with a December 31 year end that makes the election described above, no such gains or losses will be so treated. For purposes of the excise tax, a Fund will be treated as having distributed any amount on which it has been subject to corporate income tax in the taxable year ending within the calendar year. Each Fund generally intends to actually distribute or be deemed to have distributed substantially all of its ordinary income and capital gain net income, if any, by the end of each calendar year and, thus, expects not to be subject to the excise tax. However, no assurance can be given that a Fund will not be subject to the excise tax. Moreover, a Fund reserves the right to pay an excise tax rather than make an additional distribution when circumstances warrant (for example, if the amount of excise tax to be paid is deemed de minimis by a Fund).
Capital Loss Carryovers
Capital losses in excess of capital gains (net capital losses) are not permitted to be deducted against a Fund’s net investment income. Instead, potentially subject to certain limitations, a 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.
Capital loss carry forwards are reduced to the extent they offset current-year net realized capital gains, whether the Fund retains or distributes such gains. A Fund may carry net capital losses forward to one or more subsequent taxable years without expiration; any such carryover losses will retain their character as short-term or long-term. The Fund must apply such carryforwards first against gains of the same character.
Capital gains that are offset by carried forward capital losses are not subject to fund-level U.S. federal income taxation, regardless of whether they are distributed to shareholders. Accordingly, the Funds do not expect to distribute any capital gains so offset. The Funds cannot carry back or carry forward any net operating losses (defined as deductions and ordinary losses in excess of ordinary income).
| Fund |
Total Capital Loss Carryovers |
Amount not Expiring | |
| Short-term |
Long-term | ||
| For Funds with fiscal period ending March 31 | |||
| EM Core ex-China ETF |
$4,539,920 |
$3,222,020 |
$1,317,900 |
| Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF |
$222,280,563 |
$5,070,768 |
$217,209,795 |
| For Funds with fiscal period ending October 31 | |||
| Diversified Fixed Income Allocation ETF |
$90,401,307 |
$54,663,601 |
$35,737,706 |
| International Equity Income ETF |
$694,434 |
$0 |
$694,434 |
| Multi-Sector Municipal Income ETF |
$3,743,459 |
$1,837,742 |
$1,905,717 |
| Research Enhanced Core ETF |
$1,609,773 |
$1,399,574 |
$210,199 |
| Research Enhanced Value ETF |
$2,017,333 |
$1,398,321 |
$619,012 |
| Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF |
$232,838 |
$232,838 |
$0 |
| Short Duration Bond ETF |
$2,223,127 |
$1,703,787 |
$519,340 |
| U.S. Equity Income ETF |
$708,673 |
$419,408 |
$289,265 |
Equalization Accounting
Each Fund may use the so-called “equalization method” of accounting to allocate a portion of its “accumulated earnings and profits,” which generally equals a Fund’s undistributed net investment income and realized capital gains, with certain adjustments, to redemption proceeds. This method permits a Fund to achieve more balanced distributions for both continuing and redeeming shareholders. Although using this method generally will not affect a Fund’s total returns, it may reduce the amount of income and gains that the Fund would otherwise distribute to continuing shareholders by reducing the effect of redemptions of Fund shares on Fund distributions to shareholders. The IRS has not sanctioned the particular equalization method used by the Funds, and thus a Fund’s use of this method may be subject to IRS scrutiny.
Taxation of Fund Investments
In general, realized gains or losses on the sale of securities held by a Fund will be treated as capital gains or losses, and long-term capital gains or losses if the Fund has held or is deemed to have held the securities for more than one year at the time of disposition.
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For U.S. federal income tax purposes, debt securities purchased by the Funds may be treated as having original issue discount (OID) (generally a debt obligation with an issue price less than its stated principal amount, such as a zero-coupon bond), which is generally treated as interest for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If a Fund purchases a debt obligation with OID, which exceeds a de minimis amount, the Fund may be required to annually include in its income a portion of the OID as ordinary income, even though the Fund will not receive cash payments for such discount until maturity or disposition of the obligation, and depending on market conditions and the credit quality of the bond, might not ever receive cash for such discount. OID on tax-exempt bonds is generally not subject to U.S. federal income tax (but may be subject to the U.S. federal alternative minimum tax or “AMT,” as that term is defined below). Inflation-protected bonds generally can be expected to produce OID income as their principal amounts are adjusted upward for inflation.
Debt securities may be purchased by a Fund at a discount which exceeds the original issue discount remaining on the securities, if any, at the time a Fund purchased the securities. This additional discount represents market discount for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Generally, market discount is accrued on a daily basis. In general, gains recognized on the disposition of (or the receipt of any partial payment of principal on) a debt obligation (including a municipal obligation) purchased by a Fund at a market discount (other than a de minimis market discount), generally at a price less than its principal amount, will be treated as ordinary income to the extent of the portion of market discount which accrued, but was not previously recognized pursuant to an available election, during the term that the Fund held the debt obligation.
A Fund generally will be required to make distributions to shareholders representing the OID or market discount (if an election is made by the Fund to include market discount over the holding period of the applicable debt obligation) on debt securities that is currently includible in income, even though the cash representing such income may not have been received by the Fund, and depending on market conditions and the credit quality of the bond, might not ever be received. Cash to pay such distributions may be obtained from borrowing or from sales proceeds of securities held by a Fund which the Fund otherwise might have continued to hold; obtaining such cash might be disadvantageous for the Fund. In addition, payment-in-kind securities similarly will give rise to income which is required to be distributed and is taxable even though a Fund receives no cash interest payment on the security during the year. A portion of the interest paid or accrued on certain high-yield discount obligations (such as high-yield corporate debt securities) may not (and interest paid on debt obligations owned by a Fund that are considered for tax purposes to be payable in the equity of the issuer or a related party will not) be deductible to the issuer, possibly affecting the cash flow of the issuer.
If a Fund invests in debt obligations that are in the lowest rating categories or are unrated, including debt obligations of issuers not currently paying interest or who are in default, special tax issues may exist for the Fund. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as: (1) whether a Fund should recognize market discount on a debt obligation and, if so, (2) the amount of market discount the Fund should recognize, (3) when a Fund may cease to accrue interest, OID or market discount, (4) when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless securities and (5) how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income. These and other related issues will be addressed by a 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 and eligibility for treatment as a regulated investment company and does not become subject to U.S. federal income or excise tax.
Very generally, when a 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 if the Fund elected to amortize bond premium. In the case of a taxable bond, if a 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 interest 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, a Fund is permitted to deduct any remaining premium allocable to a prior period. In the case of a tax-exempt bond, tax rules require a Fund to reduce its tax basis and the tax-exempt interest available for exempt-interest dividends to shareholders by the amount of the amortized premium.
If an option granted by a Fund is sold, lapses or is otherwise terminated through a closing transaction, such as a repurchase by the Fund of the option from its holder, the Fund generally will realize a short-term capital gain or loss, depending on whether the premium income is greater or less than the amount paid by the Fund in the closing transaction, unless the option is subject to Section 1256 of the Code, described below. Some capital losses realized by a Fund in the sale, exchange, exercise or other disposition of an option may be deferred if they result from a position that is part of a “straddle,” discussed below. If securities are sold by a Fund pursuant to the exercise of a covered call option granted by it, the Fund generally will add the premium received to the sale proceeds of the securities delivered in determining the amount of gain or loss on the sale. If securities are purchased by a Fund pursuant to the exercise of a put option granted by it, the Fund generally will subtract the premium received from its cost basis in the securities purchased.
Some regulated futures contracts, foreign currency contracts, and non-equity, listed options that may be used by a Fund will be deemed “Section 1256 contracts.” A Fund will be required to “mark to market” any such contracts held at the end of the taxable year by treating them as if they had been sold on the last day of that year at market value. Sixty percent of any net gain or loss
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realized on all dispositions of Section 1256 contracts, including deemed dispositions under the “mark-to-market” rule, generally will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, and the remaining forty percent will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss, although certain foreign currency gains and losses from such contracts may be treated as entirely ordinary income or loss as described below. These provisions may require a Fund to recognize income or gains without a concurrent receipt of cash. Transactions that qualify as designated hedges are exempt from the mark-to-market rule and the “60%/40%” rule and may require the Fund to defer the recognition of losses on certain futures contracts, foreign currency contracts, and non-equity options.
Foreign exchange gains and losses realized by a Fund in connection with certain transactions involving foreign currency-denominated debt securities, certain options, futures contracts, forward contracts and similar instruments relating to foreign currencies, or payables or receivables denominated in a foreign currency are subject to Section 988 of the Code, which generally causes such gains and losses to be treated as ordinary income or loss and may affect the amount and timing of recognition of the Fund’s income. Under future U.S. Treasury Regulations, any such transactions that are not directly related to a Fund’s investments in stock or securities (or its options contracts or futures contracts with respect to stock or securities) may have to be limited in order to enable the Fund to satisfy the 90% qualifying income test described above. If the net foreign exchange loss exceeds a Fund’s net investment company taxable income (computed without regard to such loss) for a taxable year, the resulting ordinary loss for such year will not be available as a carryover and thus cannot be deducted by the Fund or its shareholders in future years.
Offsetting positions held by a Fund involving certain derivative instruments, such as forward, futures and options contracts, may be considered, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, to constitute “straddles.” “Straddles” are defined to include “offsetting positions” in actively traded personal property. The tax treatment of “straddles” is governed by Section 1092 of the Code which, in certain circumstances, overrides or modifies the provisions of Section 1256. If a Fund is treated as entering into a “straddle” and at least one (but not all) of the Fund’s positions in derivative contracts comprising a part of such straddle is governed by Section 1256 of the Code, described above, then such straddle could be characterized as a “mixed straddle.” A Fund may make one or more elections with respect to “mixed straddles.” Depending upon which election is made, if any, the results with respect to a Fund may differ. Generally, to the extent the straddle rules apply to positions established by a Fund, losses realized by the Fund may be deferred to the extent of unrealized gain in any offsetting positions. Moreover, as a result of the straddle rules, short-term capital loss on straddle positions may be recharacterized as long-term capital loss, and long-term capital gain may be characterized as short-term capital gain. In addition, the existence of a straddle may affect the holding period of the offsetting positions. As a result, the straddle rules could cause distributions that would otherwise constitute “qualified dividend income” or qualify for the dividends-received deduction to fail to satisfy the applicable holding period requirements (as described below). Furthermore, the Fund may be required to capitalize, rather than deduct currently, any interest expense and carrying charges applicable to a position that is part of a straddle, including any interest on indebtedness incurred or continued to purchase or carry any positions that are part of a straddle. The application of the straddle rules to certain offsetting Fund positions can therefore affect the amount, timing, and character of distributions to shareholders, and may result in significant differences from the amount, timing and character of distributions that would have been made by the Fund if it had not entered into offsetting positions in respect of certain of its portfolio securities.
If a Fund enters into a “constructive sale” of any appreciated financial position in stock, a partnership interest, or certain debt instruments, the Fund will be treated as if it had sold and immediately repurchased the property and must recognize gain (but not loss) with respect to that position. A constructive sale of an appreciated financial position occurs when a Fund enters into certain offsetting transactions with respect to the same or substantially identical property, including, but not limited to: (i) a short sale; (ii) an offsetting notional principal contract; (iii) a futures or forward contract; or (iv) other transactions identified in future U.S. Treasury Regulations. The character of the gain from constructive sales will depend upon a Fund’s holding period in the appreciated financial position. Losses realized from a sale of a position that was previously the subject of a constructive sale will be recognized when the position is subsequently disposed of. The character of such losses will depend upon a Fund’s holding period in the position beginning with the date the constructive sale was deemed to have occurred and the application of various loss deferral provisions in the Code. Constructive sale treatment does not apply to certain closed transactions, including if such a transaction is closed on or before the 30th day after the close of the Fund’s taxable year and the Fund holds the appreciated financial position unhedged throughout the 60-day period beginning with the day such transaction was closed.
The amount of long-term capital gain a Fund may recognize from certain derivative transactions with respect to interests in certain pass-through entities is limited under the Code’s constructive ownership rules. The amount of long-term capital gain is limited to the amount of such gain the Fund would have had if the Fund directly invested in the pass-through entity during the term of the derivative contract. Any gain in excess of this amount is treated as ordinary income. An interest charge is imposed on the amount of gain that is treated as ordinary income.
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If a Fund makes a distribution of income received by the Fund in lieu of dividends (a “substitute payment”) with respect to securities on loan pursuant to a securities lending transaction, such income will not constitute qualified dividend income to individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporate shareholders. Similar consequences may apply to repurchase and other derivative transactions. Similarly, to the extent that the Funds make distributions of income received by such Fund in lieu of tax-exempt interest with respect to securities on loan, such distributions will not constitute exempt-interest dividends (defined below) to shareholders.
In addition, a Fund’s transactions in securities and certain types of derivatives (e.g., options, futures contracts, forward contracts and swap agreements) may be subject to other special tax rules, such as the “wash sale” rules or the short-sale rules, the effect of which may be to accelerate income to the Fund, defer losses to the Fund, cause adjustments in the holding periods of the Fund’s securities, convert long-term capital gains into short-term capital gains, and/or convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders.
Certain of a Fund’s investments in derivative instruments and foreign currency-denominated instruments, as well as any of its foreign currency transactions and hedging activities, are likely to produce a difference between its book income and its taxable income. If a Fund’s book income exceeds the sum of its taxable income and net tax-exempt income (if any), 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. If a Fund’s book income is less than the sum of its taxable income and net tax-exempt income (if any), the Fund could be required to make distributions exceeding book income to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company that is accorded special tax treatment.
Rules governing the U.S. federal income tax aspects of derivatives, including swap agreements and certain commodity-linked investments, are not entirely clear in certain respects. Accordingly, while each Fund intends to account for such transactions in a manner it deems to be appropriate, an adverse determination or future guidance by the IRS with respect to these rules (which determination or guidance could be retroactive) may affect whether a Fund has made sufficient distributions, and otherwise satisfied the relevant requirements to maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company and avoid fund-level tax. Certain requirements that must be met under the Code in order for a Fund to qualify as a regulated investment company may limit the extent to which a Fund will be able to engage in certain derivatives.
Any investment by a Fund in equity securities of a REIT 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 a Fund from a REIT generally will not constitute qualified dividend income and will not qualify for the dividends-received deduction. Distributions by a 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 a regulated investment company from REITs, to the extent such dividends are properly reported as such by the regulated investment company 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 regulated investment company 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. A Fund is permitted to report such part of its dividends as section 199A dividends as are eligible, but is not required to do so.
A Fund may invest directly or indirectly in residual interests in REMICs or equity interests in taxable mortgage pools (TMPs). Under an IRS notice, and U.S. Treasury Regulations that have yet to be issued but may apply retroactively, a portion of a Fund’s income (including income allocated to the Fund from a REIT, a regulated investment company or other pass-through entity) that is attributable to a residual interest in a REMIC or an equity interest in a TMP (referred to in the Code as an “excess inclusion”) will be subject to U.S. federal income tax in all events. This notice also provides, and the regulations are expected to provide, that excess inclusion income of a regulated investment company, such as a Fund, will be allocated to shareholders of the regulated investment company in proportion to the dividends received by such shareholders, with the same consequences as if the shareholders held the related interest directly. As a result, the Fund may not be a suitable investment for certain tax-exempt shareholders, as noted under Tax-Exempt Shareholders below.
In general, excess inclusion income allocated to shareholders (i) cannot be offset by net operating losses (subject to a limited exception for certain thrift institutions), (ii) will constitute unrelated business taxable income (UBTI) to entities (including a qualified pension plan, an individual retirement account, a 401(k) plan, a Keogh plan or certain other tax-exempt entities) subject to tax on UBTI, thereby potentially requiring such an entity that is allocated excess inclusion income, and otherwise might not be required to file a tax return, to file a tax return and pay tax on such income, and (iii) in the case of a foreign shareholder, will not qualify for any reduction in U.S. federal withholding tax.
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Some amounts received by a Fund from its investments in MLPs will likely be treated as returns of capital because of accelerated deductions available with respect to the activities of MLPs. On the disposition of an investment in such an MLP, the Fund will likely realize taxable income in excess of economic gain from that asset (or, in later periods, if a Fund does not dispose of the MLP, the Fund will likely realize taxable income in excess of cash flow received by the Fund from the MLP), and the Fund must take such income into account in determining whether the Fund has satisfied its regulated investment company distribution requirements. The Fund may have to borrow or liquidate securities to satisfy its distribution requirements and meet its redemption requests, even though investment considerations might otherwise make it undesirable for the Fund to borrow money or sell securities at the time. In addition, distributions attributable to gain from the sale of MLPs that are characterized as ordinary income under the Code’s recapture provisions will be taxable to Fund shareholders as ordinary income. Subject to any future regulatory guidance to the contrary, any Fund distribution of income attributable to qualified publicly traded partnership income from a Fund’s investment in an MLP, will evidently not qualify for the deduction that could be available to a non-corporate shareholder were the shareholder to own such MLP directly.
As noted above, certain of the ETFs and MLPs in which a Fund may invest qualify as qualified publicly traded partnerships. In such cases, the net income derived from such investments will constitute qualifying income for purposes of the 90% gross income requirement described earlier for qualification as a regulated investment company. If, however, such a vehicle were to fail to qualify as a qualified publicly traded partnership in a particular year, a Fund’s investment in that vehicle would be treated as an investment in a publicly traded partnership subject to taxation as a corporation, which would reduce the amount of income available for distribution by the vehicle to the Fund, and could adversely affect the Fund’s qualification for the asset diversification test, and thus could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to qualify as a regulated investment company for a particular year. In addition, as described above, the diversification requirement for regulated investment company qualification will limit a Fund’s investments in one or more vehicles that are qualified publicly traded partnerships to 25% of the Fund’s total assets as of the end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year.
“Passive foreign investment companies” (PFICs) are generally defined as foreign corporations where at least 75% of their gross income for their taxable year is income from passive sources (such as certain interest, dividends, rents and royalties, or capital gains) or at least 50% of their assets on average produce or are held for the production of such passive income. If a Fund acquires any equity interest in a PFIC, the Fund could be subject to U.S. federal income tax and interest charges on “excess distributions” received from the PFIC or on gain from the sale of such equity interest in the PFIC, even if all income or gain actually received by the Fund is timely distributed to its shareholders. Excess distributions and gain from the sale of interests in PFICs may be characterized as ordinary income even though, absent the application of PFIC rules, these amounts may otherwise have been classified as capital gain.
A Fund will not be permitted to pass through to its shareholders any credit or deduction for these special taxes and interest charges incurred with respect to a PFIC. Elections may be available that would ameliorate these adverse tax consequences, but such elections would require a Fund to include its share of the PFIC’s income and net capital gains annually, regardless of whether it receives any distribution from the PFIC (in the case of a “QEF election”), or to mark the gains (and to a limited extent losses) in its interests in the PFIC “to the market” as though the Fund had sold and repurchased such interests on the last day of the Fund’s taxable year, treating such gains and losses as ordinary income and loss (in the case of a “mark-to-market election”). The QEF and mark-to-market elections may require a Fund to recognize taxable income or gain without the concurrent 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 a Fund to liquidate other investments prematurely to meet the minimum distribution requirements described above, which also may accelerate the recognition of gain and adversely affect the Fund’s total return. Each Fund may attempt to limit and/or manage its holdings in PFICs to minimize tax liability and/or maximize returns from these investments but there can be no assurance that it will be able to do so. Moreover, because it is not always possible to identify a PFIC, a Fund may incur the tax and interest charges described above in some instances. Dividends paid by a foreign corporation that, for its taxable year in which the dividend is paid or the preceding taxable year, is a PFIC will not be eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income, as defined below.
A U.S. person, including a Fund, who owns (directly or indirectly) 10% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of a foreign corporation or 10% or more of the total value of shares of all classes of stock of a foreign corporation is a “U.S. Shareholder” for purposes of the controlled foreign corporation (CFC) provisions of the Code. Generally, a CFC is a foreign corporation that is owned (directly, indirectly, or constructively determined by reference to complex ownership attribution rules under the Code) more than 50% (measured by voting power or value) by U.S. Shareholders. If the Fund is a U.S. Shareholder, such Fund will be required to include in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes all of a CFC’s “subpart F income,” whether or not such income is actually distributed by the CFC. Subpart F income generally includes net gains from the disposition of stocks or securities, receipts with respect to securities loans, net gains from transactions (including futures, forward, and similar transactions) in commodities, and net payments received with respect to equity swaps and similar derivatives. Subpart F income is treated as ordinary income, regardless of the character of the CFC’s underlying income. Net losses incurred by a CFC during a tax year do not flow through to the Fund and thus will not be available to offset income or
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capital gain generated from the Fund’s other investments. In addition, net losses incurred by a CFC during a tax year generally cannot be carried forward by the CFC to offset gains realized by it in subsequent taxable years. The Subsidiary may be required to sell investments in order to make cash payments to the Fund, including at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. Please refer to the section entitled Taxation – The Subsidiary for further information.
In addition to the investments described above, prospective shareholders should be aware that other investments made by a Fund may involve complex tax rules that may result in income or gain recognition by the Fund without corresponding current cash receipts. Although each Fund seeks to avoid significant noncash income, such noncash income could be recognized by a Fund, in which case the Fund may distribute cash derived from other sources in order to meet the minimum distribution requirements described above. In this regard, a Fund could be required at times to liquidate investments prematurely in order to satisfy its minimum distribution requirements, which may accelerate the recognition of gain and adversely affect the Fund’s total return.
Taxation of Distributions
Except for exempt-interest dividends (defined below) paid by a Fund, distributions paid out of a Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, whether paid in cash or reinvested in the Fund, generally are deemed to be taxable distributions and must be reported by each shareholder who is required to file a U.S. federal income tax return. Dividends and distributions on a Fund’s shares are generally 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 dividends and distributions may economically represent a return of a particular shareholder’s investment. Such distributions are likely to occur in respect of shares purchased at a time when the Fund’s net asset value reflects either unrealized gains, or realized but undistributed income or gains. Such realized income and gains may be required to be distributed even when the Fund’s net asset value also reflects unrealized losses. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, a Fund’s earnings and profits, described above, are determined at the end of the Fund’s taxable year. Distributions in excess of a Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will first be treated as a return of capital up to the amount of a shareholder’s tax basis in his or her Fund shares and then as capital gain. A return of capital is not taxable, but it reduces a shareholder’s tax basis in his or her Fund shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of his or her shares. A Fund may make distributions in excess of its earnings and profits to a limited extent, from time to time.
For U.S. federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income (except for exempt-interest dividends and qualified dividend income, each defined below) are generally taxable as ordinary income, and distributions of net gains from the sale of investments that a Fund owned (or is deemed to have owned) for one year or less will be taxable as ordinary income. Distributions properly reported by a Fund as capital gain dividends (Capital Gain Dividends) will be taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gain (to the extent such distributions do not exceed the Fund’s actual net long-term capital gain for the taxable year), regardless of how long a shareholder has held Fund shares, and do not qualify as dividends for purposes of the dividends-received deduction or as qualified dividend income (defined below). Each Fund will report Capital Gain Dividends, if any, in written statements furnished to its shareholders. Certain events may require a Fund to sell significant amounts of appreciated securities, and make large Capital Gain Dividends relative to the Fund’s NAV. Such events may include portfolio rebalancing or fund mergers. A Fund generally provides estimates of expected Capital Gain Dividends (if any) prior to the distribution on columbiathreadneedleus.com/etfs.
Regulations under Section 1061 of the Code provide special rules for certain capital gain dividends paid by regulated investment companies that are specifically designated by the regulated investment company for purposes of Section 1061. The Funds are not required to make such designations for purposes of Section 1061, and generally do not intend to make such designations.
Dividends reported by a Fund as qualified dividend income are generally taxed at long-term capital gain tax rates for individual shareholders. In general, “qualified dividend income” is income attributable to dividends received by a Fund from certain domestic and foreign corporations, as long as certain holding period and other requirements are met by the Fund with respect to the dividend-paying corporation’s stock and by the Fund's shareholders with respect to the Fund’s shares. If 95% or more of a Fund’s gross income (excluding net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) constitutes qualified dividend income, all of its distributions (other than Capital Gain Dividends) will be generally treated as qualified dividend income in the hands of individual shareholders, as long as they have owned their Fund shares for at least 61 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the Fund’s ex-dividend date (or, in the case of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date) and meet certain other requirements specified in the Code. In general, if less than 95% of a Fund’s gross income is attributable to qualified dividend income, then only the portion of the Fund’s distributions that is attributable to qualified dividend income and reported as such in a timely manner will be so treated in the hands of individual shareholders who meet the aforementioned holding period requirements. The rules regarding the qualification of Fund distributions as qualified dividend income are complex, including the holding period requirements. Individual Fund shareholders therefore are urged to consult their own tax advisors and financial planners. Fixed income funds typically do not distribute significant amounts of qualified dividend income.
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The Code generally imposes a 3.8% net investment income tax on certain high-income individuals, trusts and estates. For individuals, the 3.8% tax applies to the lesser of (1) the amount (if any) by which the taxpayer’s modified adjusted gross income exceeds certain threshold amounts or (2) the taxpayer’s “net investment income.” For this purpose, “net investment income” generally includes, among other things, (i) distributions paid by a Fund of net investment income (other than exempt-interest dividends) and capital gains as described above, and (ii) any net gain recognized on the sale, redemption or other taxable disposition of Fund shares. Certain details of the implementation of the tax remain subject to future guidance. Shareholders are advised to consult their tax advisors regarding the possible implications of this additional tax on their investment in a Fund.
Some states will not tax distributions made to individual shareholders that are attributable to interest a Fund earns on direct obligations of the U.S. Government if the Fund meets the state’s minimum investment or reporting requirements, if any. Investments in GNMA or FNMA securities, bankers’ acceptances, commercial paper, and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities generally do not qualify for tax-free treatment. This exemption may not apply to corporate shareholders.
Sales of Fund Shares
Generally, if a shareholder sells his or her Fund shares, he or she generally will realize a taxable capital gain or loss on the difference between the amount received for the shares and his or her tax basis in the shares. This gain or loss will be long-term capital gain or loss if he or she has held (or is deemed to have held) such Fund shares for more than one year at the time of the sale, and short-term capital gain or loss otherwise. If a shareholder realizes a loss on a disposition of Fund shares, the loss generally will be disallowed under the “wash sale” rules to the extent that he or she purchases (including through the reinvestment of dividends) substantially identical shares within the 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition. Any disallowed loss generally will be reflected in an adjustment to the tax basis of the purchased shares.
If a shareholder receives a Capital Gain Dividend or is deemed to receive a distribution of long-term capital gain with respect to any Fund share and such Fund share is held or treated as held for six months or less, then (unless otherwise disallowed) any loss on the sale of that Fund share will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of the Capital Gain Dividend or deemed long-term capital gain distribution. If Fund shares are sold at a loss after being held for six months or less, the loss will generally be disallowed to the extent of any exempt-interest dividends (defined below) received on those shares.
The preceding discussion, Sales of Fund Shares, applies to retail investors selling shares of a Fund on secondary markets through a broker. Shareholders redeeming large blocks of shares (creation units) directly from a Fund should consult their tax advisors, as the tax consequences may vary.
Foreign Taxes
Amounts realized by a Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such countries. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If more than 50% of the value of a Fund’s total assets at the close of its taxable year consists of securities of foreign corporations, the Fund will be eligible to file an annual election with the IRS pursuant to which the Fund may pass through to its shareholders on a pro rata basis foreign income and similar taxes paid by the Fund with respect to foreign securities that the Fund has held for at least the minimum holding periods specified in the Code and such taxes may be claimed, subject to certain limitations, either as a tax credit or deduction by the shareholders.
EM Core ex-China ETF, India Consumer ETF, International Equity Income ETF and Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF, are expected to qualify for the election; however, even if a Fund qualifies for the election for any year, it may determine not to make the election for such year. If a Fund does not so qualify or qualifies but does not so elect, then shareholders will not be entitled to claim a credit or deduction with respect to foreign taxes paid by or withheld from payments to the Fund. A Fund will notify its shareholders in written statements if it has elected for the foreign taxes paid by it to “pass through” for that year.
EM Core ex-China ETF, India Consumer ETF, International Equity Income ETF and Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF, are expected to qualify for the election; however, even if a Fund qualifies for the election for any year, it may determine not to make the election for such year. If a Fund does not so qualify or qualifies but does not so elect, then shareholders will not be entitled to claim a credit or deduction with respect to foreign taxes paid by or withheld from payments to the Fund. A Fund will notify its shareholders in written statements if it has elected for the foreign taxes paid by it to “pass through” for that year.
In general, if a Fund makes the election, the Fund itself will not be permitted to claim a credit or deduction for foreign taxes paid in that year, and the Fund’s dividends-paid deduction will be increased by the amount of foreign taxes paid that year. Fund shareholders generally shall include their proportionate share of the foreign taxes paid by the Fund in their gross income and treat that amount as paid by them for the purpose of the foreign tax credit or deduction, provided that any applicable holding period and other requirements have been met. If a shareholder claims a credit for foreign taxes paid, in general, the credit will be subject to certain limits. A deduction for foreign taxes paid may be claimed only by shareholders that itemize their deductions. Shareholders that are not subject to U.S. federal income tax, and those who invest in the Fund through tax-exempt accounts (including those who invest through IRAs or other tax-advantaged retirement plans), generally will receive no benefit from any tax credit or deduction passed through by the Fund.
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Special Tax Considerations Pertaining to Tax-Exempt Funds
If, at the close of each quarter of a regulated investment company’s taxable year, at least 50% of the value of its total assets consists of obligations the interest on which is exempt from U.S. federal income tax under Section 103(a) of the Code, then the regulated investment company may qualify to pay “exempt-interest dividends” and pass through to its shareholders the tax-exempt character of its income from such obligations. Certain of the Funds intend to so qualify and are designed to provide shareholders with a high level of income in the form of exempt-interest dividends, which are generally exempt from U.S. federal income tax (each such qualifying Fund, a Tax-Exempt Fund).
Distributions by a Tax-Exempt Fund, other than those attributable to interest on the Tax-Exempt Fund’s tax-exempt obligations and properly reported as exempt-interest dividends, will be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income or long-term capital gain or, in some cases, could constitute a return of capital to shareholders. See Taxation of Distributions above. Each Tax-Exempt Fund will notify its shareholders in written statements of the portion of the distributions for the taxable year that constitutes exempt-interest dividends. The percentage of a shareholder’s income reported as tax-exempt for any particular distribution may be substantially different from the percentage of the Tax-Exempt Fund’s income that was tax-exempt during the period covered by the distribution. The deductibility of interest paid or accrued on indebtedness incurred by a shareholder to purchase or carry shares of a Tax-Exempt Fund may be limited. The portion of such interest that is non-deductible generally equals the amount of such interest times the ratio of a Tax-Exempt Fund’s exempt-interest dividends received by the shareholder to all of the Tax-Exempt Fund’s dividends received by the shareholder (excluding Capital Gain Dividends and any capital gains required to be included in the shareholder’s long-term capital gains in respect of capital gains retained by the Tax-Exempt Fund, as described earlier). For example, shareholders who hold shares of a Tax-Exempt Fund in a margin account may not be able to deduct some or all margin interest incurred in that account. Also, shareholders who pledge shares of a Tax-Exempt Fund as security or collateral for a loan may not be able to deduct some or all interest on the loan.
Although exempt-interest dividends are generally exempt from U.S. federal income tax, there may not be a similar exemption under the laws of a particular state or local taxing jurisdiction. Thus, exempt-interest dividends may be subject to state and local taxes.
You should consult your tax advisor to discuss the tax consequences of your investment in a Tax-Exempt Fund. Tax-exempt interest on certain “private activity bonds” has been designated as a “tax preference item” and must be added back to taxable income for purposes of calculating U.S. federal alternative minimum tax (AMT). To the extent that a Tax-Exempt Fund invests in certain private activity bonds, its shareholders will be required to report that portion of the Tax-Exempt Fund’s distributions attributable to income from the bonds as a tax preference item in determining their U.S. federal AMT, if any. Shareholders will be notified of the tax status of distributions made by a Tax-Exempt Fund. Persons who may be “substantial users” (or “related persons” of substantial users) of facilities financed by private activity bonds should consult their tax advisors before purchasing shares in a Tax-Exempt Fund. Shareholders with questions or concerns about the U.S. federal AMT should consult their own tax advisors.
Ordinarily, a Tax-Exempt Fund relies on an opinion from the issuer’s bond counsel that interest on the issuer’s obligation will be exempt from U.S. federal income taxation. However, no assurance can be given that the IRS will not successfully challenge such exemption, which could cause interest on the obligation to be taxable and could jeopardize a Tax-Exempt Fund’s ability to pay exempt-interest dividends. Similar challenges may occur as to state-specific exemptions. Also, from time to time legislation may be introduced or litigation may arise that would change the treatment of exempt-interest dividends. Such litigation or legislation may have the effect of raising the state or other taxes payable by shareholders on such dividends. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors for the current law on exempt-interest dividends.
A shareholder who receives Social Security or railroad retirement benefits should consult his or her tax advisor to determine what effect, if any, an investment in a Tax-Exempt Fund may have on the U.S. federal taxation of such benefits. Exempt-interest dividends are included in income for purposes of determining the amount of benefits that are taxable.
Backup Withholding
A percentage of all distributions (including exempt-interest dividends) paid or credited to a Fund shareholder will generally be withheld and remitted to the U.S. Treasury if (1) the shareholder fails to provide a correct “taxpayer identification number” (TIN) or has not certified to such shareholder’s broker that withholding does not apply or (2) the IRS notifies such shareholder’s broker that the shareholder’s TIN is incorrect or the shareholder is otherwise subject to backup withholding. This backup withholding is not an additional tax imposed on the shareholder. The shareholder may apply amounts required to be withheld as a credit against his or her future U.S. federal income tax liability, provided that the required information is furnished to the IRS. If a shareholder fails to furnish a valid TIN upon request, the shareholder can also be subject to IRS penalties.
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Tax-Deferred Plans
The shares of a Fund may be available for a variety of tax-deferred retirement and other tax-advantaged plans and accounts. Prospective investors should contact their tax advisors and financial planners regarding the tax consequences to them of holding Fund shares through such plans and/or accounts.
Corporate Shareholders
Subject to limitations and other rules, a corporate shareholder of a Fund may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction on Fund distributions attributable to dividends received by the Fund from domestic corporations, which, if received directly by the corporate shareholder, would qualify for such a deduction. For eligible corporate shareholders, the dividends-received deduction may be subject to certain reductions, and a distribution by a Fund attributable to dividends of a domestic corporation will be eligible for the deduction only if certain holding period and other requirements are met. These requirements are complex; therefore, corporate shareholders of the Funds are urged to consult their own tax advisors and financial planners.
As discussed above, a portion of the interest paid or accrued on certain high-yield discount obligations that a Fund may own may not be deductible to the issuer. If a portion of the interest paid or accrued on these obligations is not deductible, that portion will be treated as a dividend. In such cases, if the issuer of the obligation is a domestic corporation, dividend payments by a Fund may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction to the extent of the dividend portion of such interest.
Foreign Shareholders
For purposes of this discussion, “foreign shareholders” generally include: (i) nonresident alien individuals, (ii) foreign trusts (i.e., a trust other than a trust with respect to which a U.S. court is able to exercise primary supervision over administration of that trust and one or more U.S. persons have authority to control substantial decisions of that trust), (iii) foreign estates (i.e., the income of which is not subject to U.S. tax regardless of source), and (iv) foreign corporations.
Distributions by a Fund made to foreign shareholders that are not “U.S. persons” within the meaning of the Code properly reported by a Fund as (1) Capital Gain Dividends, (2) short-term capital gain dividends, (3) interest-related dividends or (4) exempt-interest dividends, each as defined above or 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.
A Fund is permitted to 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. The foreign shareholder's broker or intermediary may withhold even if a Fund reports all or a portion of a payment as a short-term capital gain or interest-related dividend. Foreign shareholders should contact their brokers or intermediaries regarding the application of these rules to their accounts.
Distributions by a Fund to foreign shareholders other than Capital Gain Dividends, short-term capital gain dividends, exempt-interest dividends, and interest-related dividends (e.g., dividends attributable to foreign-source dividend and interest income, or to short-term capital gains or U.S. source interest income to which the exception from withholding description above does not apply) are generally subject to U.S. federal income tax withheld at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate).
In general, a foreign shareholder is not subject to U.S. federal income tax and withholding on gains (and is not allowed a deduction for losses) realized on the disposition of shares of a 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 disposition 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).
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Special rules apply if a 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.
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 are generally 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. A Fund that holds, directly or indirectly, significant interests in REITs, may be a USRPHC. Interests in: (i) domestically controlled QIEs, including REITs and RICs that are QIEs, (ii) not-greater-than 10% interests in publicly traded classes of stock in REITs, and (iii) 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 a Fund is a QIE.
If an interest in a Fund were a USRPI, the shareholder's broker would be required to withhold U.S. tax on the proceeds of a share sale or 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 sale or redemption.
Moreover, if a Fund were a USRPHC or, very generally, had been one in the last five years, a broker 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 tax year. Such withholding generally is not required if the Fund is a domestically controlled QIE.
If a Fund is a QIE, under a special “look through” rule, any distributions by the Fund to a greater-than-5% foreign shareholder (including, in certain cases, distributions made by the Fund in redemption of its shares) that are 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 will retain their character as gains realized from USRPIs in the hands of the Fund’s foreign shareholders and will be subject to U.S. tax withholding. In addition, such distributions could result in the foreign shareholder being required to file a U.S. income 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 a Fund. For purposes of this “look through” rule, beginning with the 2021 taxable year, the Fund is required to report Fund distributions attributable to USRPI from the Fund’s investments in REITs on forms 1099-DIV.
Foreign shareholders of a Fund may also be subject to “wash sale” rules to prevent the avoidance of the foregoing tax-filing and payment obligations discussed above through the sale and repurchase of Fund shares.
Foreign shareholders should consult their tax advisors and their brokers or intermediaries concerning the application of these rules to their investment in a Fund.
Foreign shareholders with respect to whom income from a 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 a 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 applicable certification requirements relating to its foreign status (including, in general, furnishing to the shareholder's broker or intermediary the applicable IRS form in the W-8 series, or a substitute form. Foreign shareholders should consult their tax advisors in this regard.
Special rules (including withholding and reporting requirements) apply to foreign partnerships and those holding Fund shares through foreign partnerships. In addition, additional considerations may apply to foreign trusts and foreign estates. Investors holding Fund shares through foreign entities should consult their tax advisors about their particular situation.
A beneficial holder of shares who is a foreign person 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.
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Tax-Exempt Shareholders
Each Fund serves to “block” (that is, prevent the attribution to shareholders of) UBTI from being realized by tax-exempt shareholders. Notwithstanding this “blocking” effect, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment in a Fund if shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Section 514(b) of the Code. For tax years beginning after 2017, entities subject to UBTI are required to calculate UBTI separately for each unrelated trade or business, which may limit their ability to offset gains and losses from multiple unrelated trades or businesses.
It is possible that a tax-exempt shareholder will also recognize UBTI if a Fund recognizes excess inclusion income (as described above) derived from direct or indirect investments in residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs) or equity interests in taxable mortgage pools (TMPs).
In addition, special tax consequences apply to charitable remainder trusts (CRTs) that invest in regulated investment companies 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 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 solely as a result of investing in a Fund to the extent that it 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 a Fund and the Fund 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 U.S. federal corporate income tax rate. The extent to which the IRS guidance remains applicable in light of the December 2006 legislation is unclear. To the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, each 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. Each Fund has not yet determined whether such an election will be made. CRTs are urged to consult their tax advisors concerning the consequences of investing in a Fund.
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 a 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 their broker or intermediary, regarding the applicability to them of this reporting requirement.
Other Reporting and Withholding Requirements
Sections 1471-1474 of the Code, and the U.S. Treasury Regulations and IRS guidance issued thereunder (collectively, FATCA), generally require brokers to obtain information sufficient to identify the status of each of their foreign entity clients under FATCA or under an applicable intergovernmental agreement (an IGA) between the United States and a foreign government, as described more fully below. If a shareholder of a Fund fails to provide the requested information or otherwise fails to comply with FATCA or an IGA, the shareholder’s broker is generally required to withhold under FATCA at a rate of 30% with respect to that shareholder on the Fund’s ordinary dividends. 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 a Fund is subject to FATCA withholding, the shareholder’s broker 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., short-term capital gain dividends, exempt-interest dividends, and interest-related dividends).
Payments to a shareholder will generally not be subject to FATCA withholding if the shareholder provides the broker with such certifications, waivers or other documentation or information as the broker requires, including, to the extent required, with regard to such shareholder’s direct and indirect owners, to establish the shareholder’s FATCA status and otherwise to comply with these rules. In order to avoid withholding, a shareholder that is a “foreign financial institution” (FFI) must either (i) become a “participating FFI” by entering into a valid U.S. tax compliance agreement with the IRS, (ii) qualify for an exception from the requirement to enter into such an agreement, for example by becoming a “deemed-compliant FFI,” or (iii) be covered by an applicable IGA between the United States and a non-U.S. government to implement FATCA and improve international tax compliance. In any of these cases, the investing FFI generally will be required to provide its broker with appropriate identifiers, certifications or documentation concerning its status.
A broker may disclose the information that it receives from (or concerning) the Fund’s shareholders to the IRS, non-U.S. taxing authorities or other parties as necessary to comply with applicable IGAs or other applicable law or regulation.
Prospective investors are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the applicability of FATCA and any other reporting requirements with respect to the prospective investor’s own situation, including investments through an intermediary.
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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 holders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a regulated investment company are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all regulated investment companies. 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.
Authorized Participants Purchasing and Redeeming in Creation Units
An Authorized Participant that exchanges equity securities for one or more Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or a loss on the exchange. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between (i) the market value of the Creation Unit(s) at the time and, (ii) the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus (or minus) the Cash Component paid (or received). A person who redeems one or more Creation Units for equity securities will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Unit(s) and, (ii) the aggregate market value of the securities received plus (or minus) the Cash Component received (or paid). The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Unit(s) cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Persons exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisors with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible. If you purchase or redeem Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how many shares you purchased or sold and at what price. Authorized Participants who are dealers in securities are subject to the tax rules applicable to dealers, which may result in tax consequences to such Authorized Participants different from those set forth above.
Substantial Share Purchases by Authorized Participants
A Fund has the right to reject an order for a purchase of shares of the Fund if the purchaser (or group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, such Fund would have a basis in the securities exchanged for creation units different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Fund also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination.
The Subsidiary
While India Consumer ETF (for purposes of this section, the Fund) has conducted investment activities in India through a Subsidiary, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Fund – a structure that enabled the Fund to obtain certain benefits under a tax treaty between Mauritius and India – the Fund expects, over time, to eliminate its investment in the Subsidiary in light of changes to such tax treaty. As such, the Fund expects to correspondingly increase its direct investments in common shares traded on Indian exchanges, ADRs and GDRs. The Subsidiary has elected to be treated as a disregarded entity for United States federal income tax purposes. A disregarded entity is a separate legal entity that is treated as part of its owner for such tax purposes. Accordingly, all items of income, deduction, gain and loss from securities held in the Subsidiary are currently included in the Fund’s taxable income and distributions by the Subsidiary to the Fund are disregarded for U.S. tax purposes.
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CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
Management Ownership
As of April 30, 2024, the Trustees and Officers of the Trusts, as a group, beneficially owned less than 1% of the outstanding voting securities of each Fund.
Principal Shareholders and Control Persons
The tables below identify the names, address and ownership percentage of each person who owns of record or is known by the Trusts to own beneficially 5% or more of any class of a Fund’s outstanding shares (Principal Holders) or 25% or more of a Fund’s outstanding shares (Control Persons). A shareholder who beneficially owns more than 25% of a Fund’s shares is presumed to “control” the Fund, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, and may have a significant impact on matters submitted to a shareholder vote. A shareholder who beneficially owns more than 50% of a Fund’s outstanding shares may be able to approve proposals, or prevent approval of proposals, without regard to votes by other Fund shareholders. Additional information about Control Persons, if any, is provided following the tables. The information provided for each Fund is as of a date no more than 30 days prior to the date of filing a post-effective amendment to the applicable Trust’s registration statement with respect to such Fund.
Except as otherwise indicated, the information below is as of June 30, 2023.
EM Core ex-China ETF:
India Consumer ETF:
| Name and Address |
Percentage |
| CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC. 2423 E LINCOLN DRIVE PHOENIX, AZ 85016-1215 |
27.54% |
| MORGAN STANLEY SMITH BARNEY LLC 1300 THAMES ST 6TH FLOOR BALTIMORE, MD 21231 |
17.05% |
| NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC 499 WASHINGTON BLVD. JERSEY CITY, NJ 07310 |
9.16% |
| AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INVESTMENT SERVICES 690 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CENTER MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55474 |
5.69% |
| PERSHING LLC ONE PERSHING PLAZA JERSEY CITY, NJ 07399 |
5.21% |
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Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF:
Except as otherwise indicated, the information below is as of January 31, 2024.
Diversified Fixed Income Allocation ETF:
| Name and Address |
Percentage |
| JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION 4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER BROOKLYN, NY 11245 |
36.34% |
| AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INVESTMENT SERVICES 690 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CENTER MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55474 |
22.54% |
| CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC. 2423 E LINCOLN DRIVE PHOENIX, AZ 85016-1215 |
13.52% |
| MORGAN STANLEY SMITH BARNEY LLC 1300 THAMES ST 6TH FLOOR BALTIMORE, MD 21231 |
6.03% |
International Equity Income ETF(a):
| Name and Address |
Percentage |
| LPL FINANCIAL LLC 1055 LPL WAY FORT MILL, SC 29715 |
29.19% |
| NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC 499 WASHINGTON BLVD. JERSEY CITY, NJ 07310 |
14.27% |
| BOFA SECURITIES, INC. 4804 DEER LAKE DR E JACKSONVILLE, FL 32246 |
14.12% |
| CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC. 2423 E LINCOLN DRIVE PHOENIX, AZ 85016-1215 |
13.90% |
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Multi-Sector Municipal Income ETF:
| Name and Address |
Percentage |
| AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INVESTMENT SERVICES 690 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CENTER MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55474 |
34.70% |
| CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC. 2423 E LINCOLN DRIVE PHOENIX, AZ 85016-1215 |
12.68% |
| WELLS FARGO CLEARING SERVICES LLC 2801 MARKET STREET ST. LOUIS, MO 63103 |
11.25% |
| NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC 499 WASHINGTON BLVD. JERSEY CITY, NJ 07310 |
9.20% |
| MORGAN STANLEY SMITH BARNEY LLC 1300 THAMES ST 6TH FLOOR BALTIMORE, MD 21231 |
5.33% |
Research Enhanced Core ETF:
| Name and Address |
Percentage |
| LPL FINANCIAL LLC 1055 LPL WAY FORT MILL, SC 29715 |
20.70% |
| BOFA SECURITIES, INC. 4804 DEER LAKE DR E JACKSONVILLE, FL 32246 |
16.28% |
| NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC 499 WASHINGTON BLVD. JERSEY CITY, NJ 07310 |
15.68% |
| JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION 4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER BROOKLYN, NY 11245 |
10.99% |
| AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INVESTMENT SERVICES 690 AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL CENTER MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55474 |
10.62% |
| CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC. 2423 E LINCOLN DRIVE PHOENIX, AZ 85016-1215 |
8.97% |
| PERSHING LLC ONE PERSHING PLAZA JERSEY CITY, NJ 07399 |
6.49% |
Research Enhanced Value ETF:
| Name and Address |
Percentage |
| LPL FINANCIAL LLC 1055 LPL WAY FORT MILL, SC 29715 |
31.67% |
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Seligman Semiconductor and Technology ETF:
| Name and Address |
Percentage |
| JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION 4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER BROOKLYN, NY 11245 |
46.60% |
| CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC. 2423 E LINCOLN DRIVE PHOENIX, AZ 85016-1215 |
39.58% |
Short Duration Bond ETF:
| Name and Address |
Percentage |
| JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION 4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER BROOKLYN, NY 11245 |
89.18% |
U.S. Equity Income ETF(a):
Except as otherwise indicated, the information below is as of March 31, 2024.
Research Enhanced Real Estate ETF:
| Name and Address |
Percentage |
| JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION 4 CHASE METROTECH CENTER BROOKLYN, NY 11245 |
64.38% |
| WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC 1525 WEST W.T. HARRIS BLVD, 1B1 CHARLOTTE, NC 28262 |
18.62% |
| BOFA SECURITIES, INC. 4804 DEER LAKE DR E JACKSONVILLE, FL 32246 |
9.20% |
| CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC. 2423 E LINCOLN DRIVE PHOENIX, AZ 85016-1215 |
5.26% |
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(a) Information provided for International Equity Income ETF and U.S. Equity Income ETF is as of April 30, 2024.
American Enterprise Investment Services Inc., a Minnesota corporation, is a subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial, Inc.
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., a California corporation, is a subsidiary of The Charles Schwab Corporation.
JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, a national banking association organized under the laws of the United States, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase & Co.
LPL Financial LLC, a California limited liability company, is a subsidiary of LPL Financial Holdings, Inc.
SEI Private Trust Company is a limited-purpose federal savings association and a wholly owned subsidiary of SEI Investments Company.
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INFORMATION REGARDING PENDING AND SETTLED LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Ameriprise Financial and certain of its affiliates are involved in the normal course of business in legal proceedings which include regulatory inquiries, arbitration and litigation, including class actions concerning matters arising in connection with the conduct of their activities as part of a diversified financial services firm. Ameriprise Financial believes that the Funds are not currently the subject of, and that neither Ameriprise Financial nor any of its affiliates are the subject of, any pending legal, arbitration or regulatory proceedings that are likely to have a material adverse effect on the Funds or the ability of Ameriprise Financial or its affiliates to perform under their contracts with the Funds. Ameriprise Financial is required to make quarterly (10-Q), annual (10-K) and, as necessary, 8-K filings with the SEC on legal and regulatory matters that relate to Ameriprise Financial and its affiliates. Copies of these filings may be obtained by accessing the SEC website at www.sec.gov.
There can be no assurance that these matters, or the adverse publicity associated with them, will not result in increased Fund redemptions, reduced sale of Fund shares or other adverse consequences to the Funds. Further, although we believe proceedings are not likely to have a material adverse effect on the Funds or the ability of Ameriprise Financial or its affiliates to perform under their contracts with the Funds, these proceedings are subject to uncertainties and, as such, we are unable to estimate the possible loss or range of loss that may result. An adverse outcome in one or more of these proceedings could result in adverse judgments, settlements, fines, penalties or other relief that could have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial condition or results of operations of Ameriprise Financial or one or more of its affiliates that provide services to the Funds.
NO PERSON HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR TO MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS NOT CONTAINED IN THE PROSPECTUS OR IN THIS STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, WHICH THE PROSPECTUS INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE, IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING MADE BY THE PROSPECTUS AND, IF GIVEN OR MADE, SUCH INFORMATION OR PRESENTATIONS MUST NOT BE RELIED UPON AS HAVING BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE TRUST(S). THIS STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFERING BY THE TRUST(S) IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH AN OFFERING MAY NOT LAWFULLY BE MADE.
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Other Information
Index Provider Information
Bloomberg, as defined below, is not affiliated with the Trusts, Investment Manager, Administrator, Custodian, Distributor, Transfer Agent or any of their respective affiliates. The Investment Manager has entered into a license agreement with Bloomberg pursuant to which the Investment Manager pays a fee to use the Bloomberg indexes noted below. The Investment Manager sub-licenses rights to these indexes to the Funds at no charge.
For Diversified Fixed Income Allocation ETF, Multi-Sector Municipal Income ETF, and Short Duration Bond ETF:
“BLOOMBERG®” is a trademark and service mark of Bloomberg Finance L.P. BARCLAYS® is a trademark and service mark of Barclays Bank Plc, used under license. Bloomberg Finance L.P. and its affiliates, including Bloomberg Index Services Limited (“BISL”) (collectively, “Bloomberg”), or Bloomberg’s licensors own all proprietary rights in the Fund’s Index.
Neither Barclays Bank PLC, Barclays Capital Inc., nor any affiliate (collectively “Barclays”) nor Bloomberg is the issuer or producer of the Fund and neither Bloomberg nor Barclays has any responsibilities, obligations or duties to investors in the Fund. The Fund’s Index is licensed for use by the Investment Manager as the Investment Manager of the Fund. The only relationship of Bloomberg and Barclays with the Investment Manager in respect of the Fund’s Index is the licensing of the Fund’s Index, which is determined, composed and calculated by BISL, or any successor thereto, without regard to the Issuer or the Fund or the owners of the Fund.
Investors in the Fund neither acquire any interest in the Fund’s Index nor enter into any relationship of any kind whatsoever with Bloomberg or Barclays upon making an investment in the Fund. The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Bloomberg or Barclays. Neither Bloomberg nor Barclays makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, regarding the advisability of investing in the Fund or the advisability of investing in securities generally or the ability of the Fund’s Index to track corresponding or relative market performance. Neither Bloomberg nor Barclays has passed on the legality or suitability of the Fund with respect to any person or entity. Neither Bloomberg nor Barclays is responsible for or has participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of the Fund to be issued. Neither Bloomberg nor Barclays has any obligation to take the needs of the Investment Manager or the owners of the Fund or any other third party into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the Fund’s Index. Neither Bloomberg nor Barclays has any obligation or liability in connection with administration, marketing or trading of the Fund.
The licensing agreement between Bloomberg and Barclays is solely for the benefit of Bloomberg and Barclays and not for the benefit of the owners of the Fund, investors or other third parties. In addition, the licensing agreement between the Investment Manager and Bloomberg is solely for the benefit of the Investment Manager and Bloomberg, and not for the benefit of the owners of the Fund, investors or other third parties.
NEITHER BLOOMBERG NOR BARCLAYS SHALL HAVE ANY LIABILITY TO THE ISSUER, INVESTORS OR OTHER THIRD PARTIES FOR THE QUALITY, ACCURACY AND/OR COMPLETENESS OF THE FUND’S INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN OR FOR INTERRUPTIONS IN THE DELIVERY OF THE FUND’S INDEX. NEITHER BLOOMBERG NOR BARCLAYS MAKES ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE ISSUER, THE INVESTORS OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE FUND’S INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. NEITHER BLOOMBERG NOR BARCLAYS MAKES ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EACH HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE FUND’S INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. BLOOMBERG RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THE METHODS OF CALCULATION OR PUBLICATION, OR TO CEASE THE CALCULATION OR PUBLICATION OF THE FUND’S INDEX AND NEITHER BLOOMBERG NOR BARCLAYS SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY MISCALCULATION OF OR ANY INCORRECT, DELAYED OR INTERRUPTED PUBLICATION WITH RESPECT TO ANY OF THE FUND’S INDEX. NEITHER BLOOMBERG NOR BARCLAYS SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, OR ANY LOST PROFITS, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBLITY OF SUCH, RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THE FUND’S INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN OR WITH RESPECT TO THE FUND.
None of the information supplied by Bloomberg or Barclays and used in this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the prior written permission of both Bloomberg and Barclays Capital, the investment banking division of Barclays Bank PLC. Barclays Bank PLC is registered in England No. 1026167, registered office 1 Churchill Place London E14 5HP.
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Index Starting Universe Providers and Other Related Service Providers
For Research Enhanced Core ETF and Research Enhanced Value ETF:
FTSE Russell
FTSE Russell is not affiliated with the Trusts, Investment Manager, Administrator, Custodian, Distributor, Transfer Agent or any of their respective affiliates. The Investment Manager has entered into a license agreement with FTSE Russell pursuant to which the Investment Manager pays a fee to use FTSE Russell’s indexes as starting universes for the Beta Advantage® Research Enhanced U.S. Equity Index and Beta Advantage® Research Enhanced U.S. Value Index.
FTSE Russell is not affiliated with the Trusts, Investment Manager, Administrator, Custodian, Distributor, Transfer Agent or any of their respective affiliates. The Investment Manager has entered into a license agreement with FTSE Russell pursuant to which the Investment Manager pays a fee to use FTSE Russell’s indexes as starting universes for the Beta Advantage® Research Enhanced U.S. Equity Index and Beta Advantage® Research Enhanced U.S. Value Index.
The Beta Advantage® Research Enhanced U.S. Equity Index is calculated and maintained by FTSE Russell using the Russell 1000 Index as a starting universe, and aims to reflect the performance of a Columbia Management methodology. FTSE Russell does not sponsor, endorse, sell, or promote any investment vehicle that is offered by any third party that seeks to provide an investment return based on the performance of any index. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
The Beta Advantage® Research Enhanced U.S. Value Index is calculated and maintained by FTSE Russell using the Russell 1000 Value Index as a starting universe, and aims to reflect the performance of a Columbia Management methodology. FTSE Russell does not sponsor, endorse, sell, or promote any investment vehicle that is offered by any third party that seeks to provide an investment return based on the performance of any index. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
For Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF:
Solactive AG
Solactive AG is the licensor of Beta Advantage® Research Enhanced Solactive Emerging Economies Index. Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF is not sponsored, endorsed, promoted or sold by Solactive AG in any way and Solactive AG makes no express or implied representation, guarantee or assurance with regard to: (a) the advisability in investing in Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF; (b) the quality, accuracy and/or completeness of the Beta Advantage® Research Enhanced Solactive Emerging Economies Index; and/or (c) the results obtained or to be obtained by any person or entity from the use of the Beta Advantage® Research Enhanced Solactive Emerging Economies Index. Solactive AG does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the Beta Advantage® Research Enhanced Solactive Emerging Economies Index and shall not have any liability for any errors or omissions with respect thereto. Notwithstanding Solactive AG’s obligations to the Investment Manager, as licensee of the Beta Advantage® Research Enhanced Solactive Emerging Economies Index, Solactive AG reserves the right to change the methods of calculation or publication with respect to the Beta Advantage® Research Enhanced Solactive Emerging Economies Index and Solactive AG shall not be liable for any miscalculation of or any incorrect, delayed or interrupted publication with respect to the Beta Advantage® Research Enhanced Solactive Emerging Economies Index. Solactive AG shall not be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, any loss of profits or business, or any special, incidental, punitive, indirect or consequential damages suffered or incurred as a result of the use (or inability to use) of the Beta Advantage® Research Enhanced Solactive Emerging Economies Index.
Solactive AG is the licensor of Beta Advantage® Research Enhanced Solactive Emerging Economies Index. Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF is not sponsored, endorsed, promoted or sold by Solactive AG in any way and Solactive AG makes no express or implied representation, guarantee or assurance with regard to: (a) the advisability in investing in Research Enhanced Emerging Economies ETF; (b) the quality, accuracy and/or completeness of the Beta Advantage® Research Enhanced Solactive Emerging Economies Index; and/or (c) the results obtained or to be obtained by any person or entity from the use of the Beta Advantage® Research Enhanced Solactive Emerging Economies Index. Solactive AG does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the Beta Advantage® Research Enhanced Solactive Emerging Economies Index and shall not have any liability for any errors or omissions with respect thereto. Notwithstanding Solactive AG’s obligations to the Investment Manager, as licensee of the Beta Advantage® Research Enhanced Solactive Emerging Economies Index, Solactive AG reserves the right to change the methods of calculation or publication with respect to the Beta Advantage® Research Enhanced Solactive Emerging Economies Index and Solactive AG shall not be liable for any miscalculation of or any incorrect, delayed or interrupted publication with respect to the Beta Advantage® Research Enhanced Solactive Emerging Economies Index. Solactive AG shall not be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, any loss of profits or business, or any special, incidental, punitive, indirect or consequential damages suffered or incurred as a result of the use (or inability to use) of the Beta Advantage® Research Enhanced Solactive Emerging Economies Index.
For Research Enhanced Real Estate ETF:
FTSE Russell
FTSE Russell is not affiliated with the Trusts, Investment Manager, Administrator, Custodian, Distributor, Transfer Agent or any of their respective affiliates. The Investment Manager has entered into a license agreement with FTSE Russell pursuant to which the Investment Manager pays a fee to use the FTSE Nareit All Equity REITs Index as a starting universe for the Beta Advantage® Lionstone Research Enhanced REIT Index.
FTSE Russell is not affiliated with the Trusts, Investment Manager, Administrator, Custodian, Distributor, Transfer Agent or any of their respective affiliates. The Investment Manager has entered into a license agreement with FTSE Russell pursuant to which the Investment Manager pays a fee to use the FTSE Nareit All Equity REITs Index as a starting universe for the Beta Advantage® Lionstone Research Enhanced REIT Index.
Solactive AG
Solactive AG is a service provider to the Investment Manager in connection with the Beta Advantage® Lionstone Research Enhanced REIT Index. The Beta Advantage® Lionstone Research Enhanced REIT Index is owned by the Investment Manager. Research Enhanced Real Estate ETF uses the Beta Advantage® Lionstone Research Enhanced REIT Index pursuant to a licensing agreement with the Investment Manager. The Beta Advantage® Lionstone Research Enhanced REIT Index is maintained by Solactive AG, an unaffiliated third-party entity, which also acts as the calculation agent for the Beta Advantage® Lionstone Research Enhanced REIT Index and has responsibility for calculating the intra-day value of the Beta Advantage® Lionstone Research Enhanced REIT Index.
Solactive AG is a service provider to the Investment Manager in connection with the Beta Advantage® Lionstone Research Enhanced REIT Index. The Beta Advantage® Lionstone Research Enhanced REIT Index is owned by the Investment Manager. Research Enhanced Real Estate ETF uses the Beta Advantage® Lionstone Research Enhanced REIT Index pursuant to a licensing agreement with the Investment Manager. The Beta Advantage® Lionstone Research Enhanced REIT Index is maintained by Solactive AG, an unaffiliated third-party entity, which also acts as the calculation agent for the Beta Advantage® Lionstone Research Enhanced REIT Index and has responsibility for calculating the intra-day value of the Beta Advantage® Lionstone Research Enhanced REIT Index.
The value of the Beta Advantage® Lionstone Research Enhanced REIT Index will be disseminated under the following
ticker: BAREIT. Neither the Investment Manager nor its licensors guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the Beta Advantage® Lionstone Research Enhanced REIT Index or any data included therein, and neither the Investment Manager nor its licensors shall have any liability for any errors, omissions or interruptions therein. The Investment Manager and its licensors make no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by the Funds, owners of the shares of the Funds, or any other person or entity from the use of the Beta Advantage® Lionstone Research Enhanced REIT Index or any data included therein. The Investment Manager and its licensors make no express or implied warranties, and expressly disclaim all warranties of
ticker: BAREIT. Neither the Investment Manager nor its licensors guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the Beta Advantage® Lionstone Research Enhanced REIT Index or any data included therein, and neither the Investment Manager nor its licensors shall have any liability for any errors, omissions or interruptions therein. The Investment Manager and its licensors make no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by the Funds, owners of the shares of the Funds, or any other person or entity from the use of the Beta Advantage® Lionstone Research Enhanced REIT Index or any data included therein. The Investment Manager and its licensors make no express or implied warranties, and expressly disclaim all warranties of
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
173
merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to the Beta Advantage® Lionstone Research Enhanced REIT Index or any data included therein. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Investment Manager and its licensors have any liability for any special, punitive, direct, indirect or consequential damages (including lost profits) arising out of matters relating to the use of the Beta Advantage® Lionstone Research Enhanced REIT Index, even if notified of the possibility of such damages.
The Fund is not sponsored, promoted, sold or supported in any other manner by Solactive AG.
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
174
APPENDIX A — DESCRIPTION OF CREDIT RATINGS
The ratings of S&P Global Ratings, Moody’s, Fitch, DBRS, and KBRA represent their opinions as to quality. These ratings are not absolute standards of quality and are not recommendations to purchase, sell or hold a security. Issuers and issues are subject to risks that are not evaluated by the rating agencies. When a security is not rated by one of these agencies, it is designated as Not Rated. Securities designated as Not Rated do not necessarily indicate low credit quality, and for such securities the Investment Manager evaluates the credit quality.
The following ratings descriptions, which were derived as of March 20, 2024 from the particular credit rating agency’s website, identify the date such descriptions were then last updated by such credit rating agency.
The following ratings descriptions, which were derived as of March 20, 2024 from the particular credit rating agency’s website, identify the date such descriptions were then last updated by such credit rating agency.
S&P’s Ratings last updated on June 9, 2023
Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings*
An obligation rated ‘AAA’ has the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is extremely strong.
An obligation rated ‘AA’ differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is very strong.
An obligation rated ‘A’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is still strong.
An obligation rated ‘BBB’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
Obligations rated ‘BB’, ‘B’, ‘CCC’, ‘CC’, and ‘C’ are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. ‘BB’ indicates the least degree of speculation and ‘C’ the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposure to adverse conditions.
An obligation rated ‘BB’ is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
An obligation rated ‘B’ is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated ‘BB’, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
An obligation rated ‘CCC’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
An obligation rated ‘CC’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The ‘CC’ rating is used when a default has not yet occurred but S&P Global Ratings expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.
An obligation rated ‘C’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared with obligations that are rated higher.
An obligation rated ‘D’ is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within the next five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or the next 30 calendar days. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to ‘D’ if it is subject to a distressed debt restructuring.
*Ratings from ‘AA’ to ‘CCC’ may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the rating categories.
Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings
A short-term obligation rated ‘A-1’ is rated in the highest category by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on these obligations is extremely strong.
A short-term obligation rated ‘A-2’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is satisfactory.
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
A-1
A short-term obligation rated ‘A-3’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken an obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
A short-term obligation rated ‘B’ is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.
A short-term obligation rated ‘C’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
A short-term obligation rated ‘D’ is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to ‘D’ if it is subject to a distressed debt restructuring.
Municipal Short-Term Note Ratings
SP-1 Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.
SP-2 Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.
SP-3 Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.
D ‘D’ is assigned upon failure to pay the note when due, completion of a distressed debt restructuring, or the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions.
Moody’s Ratings last updated on November 9, 2023
Global Long-Term Rating Scale
Aaa – Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.
Aa – Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.
A – Obligations rated A are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.
Baa – Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.
Ba – Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.
B – Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.
Caa – Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.
Ca – Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.
C – Obligations rated C are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.
Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category. Additionally, a “(hyb)” indicator is appended to all ratings of hybrid securities issued by banks, insurers, finance companies, and securities firms.*
* By their terms, hybrid securities allow for the omission of scheduled dividends, interest, or principal payments, which can potentially result in impairment if such an omission occurs. Hybrid securities may also be subject to contractually allowable write-downs of principal that could result in impairment. Together with the hybrid indicator, the long-term obligation rating assigned to a hybrid security is an expression of the relative credit risk associated with that security.
Global Short-Term Rating Scale
P-1 – Ratings of Prime-1 reflect a superior ability to repay short-term obligations.
P-2 – Ratings of Prime-2 reflect a strong ability to repay short-term obligations.
P-3 – Ratings of Prime-3 reflect an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.
NP – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
A-2
US Municipal Short-Term Debt and Demand Obligation Ratings
MIG Scale
MIG 1 – This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.
MIG 2 – This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.
MIG 3 – This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.
SG – This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.
VMIG Scale
VMIG 1 – This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections.
VMIG 2 – This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections.
VMIG 3 – This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections.
SG – This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have a sufficiently strong short-term rating or may lack the structural or legal protections.
For variable rate demand obligations, Moody’s typically assigns a VMIG rating if the frequency of the payment obligation is less than every three years. If the frequency of the payment obligation is less than three years, but the obligation is payable only with remarketing proceeds, the VMIG short-term rating is not assigned and it is denoted as “NR”.
Fitch’s Ratings last updated on April 24, 2023
Corporate Finance Obligations – Long-Term Rating Scales
AAA: Highest Credit Quality.
‘AAA’ ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.
‘AAA’ ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.
AA: Very High Credit Quality.
‘AA’ ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
‘AA’ ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
A: High Credit Quality.
‘A’ ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.
‘A’ ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.
BBB: Good Credit Quality.
‘BBB’ ratings indicate that expectations of credit risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.
‘BBB’ ratings indicate that expectations of credit risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.
BB: Speculative.
‘BB’ ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to credit risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met.
‘BB’ ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to credit risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met.
B: Highly Speculative.
‘B’ ratings indicate that material credit risk is present.
‘B’ ratings indicate that material credit risk is present.
CCC: Substantial Credit Risk.
‘CCC’ ratings indicate that substantial credit risk is present.
‘CCC’ ratings indicate that substantial credit risk is present.
CC: Very High Levels of Credit Risk.
‘CC’ ratings indicate very high levels of credit risk.
‘CC’ ratings indicate very high levels of credit risk.
C: Exceptionally High Levels of Credit Risk.
‘C’ indicates exceptionally high levels of credit risk.
‘C’ indicates exceptionally high levels of credit risk.
Ratings in the categories of ‘CCC’, ‘CC’ and ‘C’ can also relate to obligations or issuers that are in default. In this case, the rating does not opine on default risk but reflects the recovery expectation only.
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
A-3
Corporate Finance defaulted obligations typically are not assigned ‘RD’ or ‘D’ ratings but are instead rated in the ‘CCC’ to ‘C’ rating categories, depending on their recovery prospects and other relevant characteristics. This approach better aligns obligations that have comparable overall expected loss but varying vulnerability to default and loss.
Short-Term Ratings Assigned to Issuers and Obligations
F1: Highest Short-Term Credit Quality
Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added "+" to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.
Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added "+" to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.
F2: Good Short-Term Credit Quality
Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.
Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.
F3: Fair Short-Term Credit Quality
The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.
The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.
B: Speculative Short-Term Credit Quality
Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
C: High Short-Term Default Risk
Default is a real possibility.
Default is a real possibility.
RD: Restricted Default
Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Typically applicable to entity ratings only.
Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Typically applicable to entity ratings only.
D: Default
Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.
Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.
The table below reflects typical relationships between the long-term rating and the short-term rating.
| Long-Term Rating |
Short-Term Rating |
| AAA |
F1+ |
| AA+ |
F1+ |
| AA |
F1+ |
| AA– |
F1+ |
| A+ |
F1 or F1+ |
| A |
F1 or F1+ |
| A– |
F2 or F1 |
| BBB+ |
F2 or F1 |
| BBB |
F3 or F2 |
| BBB– |
F3 |
| BB+ |
B |
| BB |
B |
| BB– |
B |
| B+ |
B |
| B |
B |
| B– |
B |
| CCC+ / CCC / CCC– |
C |
| CC |
C |
| C |
C |
| RD / D |
RD / D |
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
A-4
DBRS’s Ratings last updated on May 15, 2023
Long-Term Obligations Scale
All rating categories from AA to CCC contain the subcategories (high) and (low). The absence of either a (high) or (low) designation indicates the credit rating is in the middle of the category.
AAA
Highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is exceptionally high and unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.
Highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is exceptionally high and unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.
AA
Superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered high. Credit quality differs from AAA only to a small degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.
Superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered high. Credit quality differs from AAA only to a small degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.
A
Good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is substantial, but of lesser credit quality than AA. May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.
Good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is substantial, but of lesser credit quality than AA. May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.
BBB
Adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.
Adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.
BB
Speculative, non-investment-grade credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is uncertain. Vulnerable to future events.
Speculative, non-investment-grade credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is uncertain. Vulnerable to future events.
B
Highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet financial obligations.
Highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet financial obligations.
CCC / CC / C
Very highly speculative credit quality. In danger of defaulting on financial obligations. There is little difference between these three categories, although CC and C ratings are normally applied to obligations that are seen as highly likely to default, or subordinated to obligations rated in the CCC to B range. Obligations in respect of which default has not technically taken place but is considered inevitable may be rated in the C category.
Very highly speculative credit quality. In danger of defaulting on financial obligations. There is little difference between these three categories, although CC and C ratings are normally applied to obligations that are seen as highly likely to default, or subordinated to obligations rated in the CCC to B range. Obligations in respect of which default has not technically taken place but is considered inevitable may be rated in the C category.
D
When the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to D may occur. Morningstar DBRS may also use SD (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange”. See the Default Definition document on dbrsmorningstar.com under Understanding Ratings for more information.
When the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to D may occur. Morningstar DBRS may also use SD (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange”. See the Default Definition document on dbrsmorningstar.com under Understanding Ratings for more information.
Commercial Paper and Short-Term Debt Rating Scale
The R-1 and R-2 rating categories are further denoted by the subcategories (high), (middle), and (low).
R-1 (high)
Highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is exceptionally high. Unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.
Highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is exceptionally high. Unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.
R-1 (middle)
Superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is very high. Differs from R-1 (high) by a relatively modest degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.
Superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is very high. Differs from R-1 (high) by a relatively modest degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.
R-1 (low)
Good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is substantial. Overall strength is not as favorable as higher rating categories. May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.
Good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is substantial. Overall strength is not as favorable as higher rating categories. May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.
R-2 (high)
Upper end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.
Upper end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.
R-2 (middle)
Adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events or may be exposed to other factors that could reduce credit quality.
Adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events or may be exposed to other factors that could reduce credit quality.
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
A-5
R-2 (low)
Lower end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events. A number of challenges are present that could affect the issuer’s ability to meet such obligations.
Lower end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events. A number of challenges are present that could affect the issuer’s ability to meet such obligations.
R-3
Lowest end of adequate credit quality. There is capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due. May be vulnerable to future events and the certainty of meeting such obligations could be impacted by a variety of developments.
Lowest end of adequate credit quality. There is capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due. May be vulnerable to future events and the certainty of meeting such obligations could be impacted by a variety of developments.
R-4
Speculative credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is uncertain.
Speculative credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is uncertain.
R-5
Highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet short-term financial obligations as they fall due.
Highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet short-term financial obligations as they fall due.
D
When the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, or winding up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to D may occur. Morningstar DBRS may also use SD (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange”. See the Default Definition document on dbrsmorningstar.com under Understanding Ratings for more information.
When the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, or winding up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to D may occur. Morningstar DBRS may also use SD (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange”. See the Default Definition document on dbrsmorningstar.com under Understanding Ratings for more information.
KBRA’s Ratings, derived from the credit rating agency’s website as of March 20, 2024
Long-Term Credit Rating Scale
AAA: Determined to have almost no risk of loss due to credit-related events. Assigned only to the very highest quality obligors and obligations able to survive extremely challenging economic events.
AA: Determined to have minimal risk of loss due to credit-related events. Such obligors and obligations are deemed very high quality.
A: Determined to be of high quality with a small risk of loss due to credit-related events. Issuers and obligations in this category are expected to weather difficult times with low credit losses.
BBB: Determined to be of medium quality with some risk of loss due to credit-related events. Such issuers and obligations may experience credit losses during stressed environments.
BB: Determined to be of low quality with moderate risk of loss due to credit-related events. Such issuers and obligations have fundamental weaknesses that create moderate credit risk.
B: Determined to be of very low quality with high risk of loss due to credit-related events. These issuers and obligations contain many fundamental shortcomings that create significant credit risk.
CCC: Determined to be at substantial risk of loss due to credit-related events, near default or in default with high recovery expectations.
CC: Determined to be near default or in default with average recovery expectations.
C: Determined to be near default or in default with low recovery expectations.
D: KBRA defines default as occurring if:
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There is a missed interest payment, principal payment, or preferred dividend payment, as applicable, on a rated obligation which is unlikely to be recovered.
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The rated entity files for protection from creditors, is placed into receivership, or is closed by regulators such that a missed payment is likely to result.
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The rated entity seeks and completes a distressed exchange, where existing rated obligations are replaced by new obligations with a diminished economic value.
KBRA may append - or + modifiers to ratings in categories AA through CCC to indicate, respectively, upper and lower risk levels within the broader category.
Short-Term Credit Rating Scale
K1+: Exceptional ability to meet short-term obligations.
K1: Very strong ability to meet short-term obligations.
K2: Strong ability to meet short-term obligations.
K3: Adequate ability to meet short-term obligations.
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B: Questionable ability to meet short-term obligations.
C: Little ability to meet short-term obligations.
D: KBRA defines default as occurring if:
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There is a missed interest payment, principal payment, or preferred dividend payment, as applicable, on a rated obligation which is unlikely to be recovered.
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The rated entity files for protection from creditors, is placed into receivership, or is closed by regulators such that a missed payment is likely to result.
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The rated entity seeks and completes a distressed exchange, where existing rated obligations are replaced by new obligations with a diminished economic value.
With exceptions for certain issuers and sectors, the following correspondence between KBRA's short- and long-term ratings generally holds:
| Long-Term Rating |
Short-Term Rating |
| AAA AA+ AA AA– |
K1+ |
| A+ |
K1+ or K1 |
| A |
K1 |
| A– |
K1 or K2 |
| BBB+ |
K2 |
| BBB |
K2 or K3 |
| BBB– |
K3 |
| BB+ BB BB– B+ B B– |
B |
| CCC+ CCC CCC– CC C |
C |
| D |
D |
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
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APPENDIX B — CORPORATE GOVERNANCE GUIDELINES
Contents
| 1 Overview of key principles and approach |
B-1 |
| 2 Role, structure and operation of boards |
B-2 |
| 3 Board committees |
B-5 |
| 4 Compensation |
B-6 |
| 5 Audit, risk and control |
B-7 |
| 6 Shareholder rights |
B-8 |
| 7 Reporting |
B-9 |
| 8 Social and environmental factors |
B-11 |
| 9 Voting matters |
B-13 |
The following guidelines apply to Columbia Threadneedle Investments’ client accounts to the extent agreed upon and/or permissible including voting on behalf of reo® (Responsible Engagement Overlay) service clients, which gives investors access to our overall engagement and proxy voting service offerings.i
As an asset management business, we seek to act in the best economic interests of clients when carrying out our investment activities. Our investment clients are retail and institutional investors, including corporate pension funds.
Our voting guidelines are applied to all listed equity client portfolios. However, our institutional clients always have the right to determine how we vote their securities. We will always comply with those requests.
In addition to these guidelines, general and country-specific voting guidelines are maintained and applied within the voting process. Voting guidelines provide greater detail on resolutions that will (and will not) be supported and are drawn directly from the Corporate Governance Guidelines.
In executing votes, where companies put forward a strong case for not complying with our voting guidelines, we will take this into account and adjust our vote if we believe the company is acting in the best economic interests of shareholders (and, thus, our clients). We apply our guidelines to client portfolios in a manner that considers our clients’ respective investment objectives and best economic interests. This could result in our voting on a matter the same way (or differently) for different clients. If you wish to clarify anything in these guidelines, please email your relationship manager or the Responsible Investment team at Governance@columbiathreadneedle.com. The Responsible Investment team is responsible for and reviews this document annually.
1 Overview of key principles and approach
Well governed companies are better positioned to manage risks, identify opportunities, and deliver sustainable growth and returns for our clients. These guidelines establish a consistent philosophy and approach to corporate governance and the exercise of voting rights. The approach is based on the overarching principles of:
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An empowered and effective board and management;
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Appropriate checks and balances in company management structures;
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Effective systems of internal control and risk management covering all material risks, including environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) issues;
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A commitment to promoting throughout the company a culture of transparency and accountability that is grounded in sound business ethics;
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Compensation policies that reward the creation of long-term shareholder value through the achievement of corporate objectives; and
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A commitment to protecting the rights and interests of all.
We recognize that such principles may be expressed differently in different markets. Therefore, our voting policies take account of local practices and are applied in a pragmatic fashion that reflects an integrated understanding of local and international good practice. In all cases, we aim to achieve the same result: the preservation and enhancement of long-term shareholder value through management accountability and transparency in reporting.
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We also recognize that companies are not homogeneous and some variation in governance structures and practice is to be expected. Achieving best practice in corporate governance is a dynamic process between the board, management, and shareholders.
We encourage companies to engage in the process of shaping and meeting evolving standards of best practice. Although our voting is strongly rooted in a clear set of corporate governance principles, we approach each company’s case on its merits using our expertise, discretion, and dialogue with companies to do so. For this reason, we encourage companies to contact us with information about any governance practices and challenges unique to the company. When we do not vote with management’s or the board’s recommendations, we may choose to inform the company of our voting decision and provide comments to explain the specific concerns with the resolutions we did not support.
2 Role, structure and operation of boards
We use the term “board” to describe the board of directors and similar supervisory decision-making bodies. The board is ultimately responsible for the management of the company.
This is mainly achieved through the delegation of powers to executive management. The board should receive the report of executive management on the conduct of the business and regularly question management on these matters. However, certain matters should be reserved for the board.
The board is responsible for setting and testing strategy proposed by executive management, determining the risk appetite for the business, ensuring the independence and effectiveness of external audit, and for succession planning of both executive management and the board.
The structure, composition and operation of boards will vary from country to country and company to company. Certain elements of effective boards are universal, and these are detailed below under the following sub-headings:
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Roles and independence;
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Competence, objectivity and refreshment;
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Effective functioning of boards; and
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Communication and accountability to shareholders.
Roles and independence
The composition of the board is of the utmost importance. Boards should have meaningful representation of both executive and non-executive directors. Non-executives should be wholly independent of the company, although we recognize that, in certain cases, connected non-executives have a valuable role to play.
The role of the chair and separation of principal roles
The roles of the chair and chief executive officer (CEO) are substantively different and should be separated. We regard separation of the roles as important for securing a proper balance of authority and responsibility between executive management and the board, as well as preserving accountability within the board. If for any reason the roles are combined (e.g., over an unexpected transitional period) this should be explained and justified in the report and accounts. In all such cases, a strong senior independent non-executive director should be nominated (i.e., a lead independent director).
The roles of the chair and chief executive officer (CEO) are substantively different and should be separated. We regard separation of the roles as important for securing a proper balance of authority and responsibility between executive management and the board, as well as preserving accountability within the board. If for any reason the roles are combined (e.g., over an unexpected transitional period) this should be explained and justified in the report and accounts. In all such cases, a strong senior independent non-executive director should be nominated (i.e., a lead independent director).
Executive directors
Including executives in board meetings is essential to enhance discussion and allow independent directors to gain the fullest understanding of company operations. In markets where customary, we encourage the appointment of key executives to the board alongside the CEO and the chief financial officer (CFO). The presence of other executives provides additional company knowledge for the board and ensures the board is not solely dependent on the CEO for input relating to the company’s operations and strategies. However, the number of executive directors should not outweigh the number of independent non-executives.
Including executives in board meetings is essential to enhance discussion and allow independent directors to gain the fullest understanding of company operations. In markets where customary, we encourage the appointment of key executives to the board alongside the CEO and the chief financial officer (CFO). The presence of other executives provides additional company knowledge for the board and ensures the board is not solely dependent on the CEO for input relating to the company’s operations and strategies. However, the number of executive directors should not outweigh the number of independent non-executives.
Non-executive directors
We assess the number of directorships an individual director holds to ensure they have sufficient time and energy to perform their role as a non-executive director properly as this is a demanding role. Factors that determine the appropriate number of directorships are the size of the company, its complexity, its circumstances, other commitments that a director has and the results of board evaluation, among others. We consider that holding multiple directorships in large companies can be excessive even for a full-time non-executive director, especially when considering board committee participation. Multiple directorships should be avoided for a full-time executive. For complex companies, particularly in developed markets, we may vote against non-executive directors who hold more than five directorships.
We assess the number of directorships an individual director holds to ensure they have sufficient time and energy to perform their role as a non-executive director properly as this is a demanding role. Factors that determine the appropriate number of directorships are the size of the company, its complexity, its circumstances, other commitments that a director has and the results of board evaluation, among others. We consider that holding multiple directorships in large companies can be excessive even for a full-time non-executive director, especially when considering board committee participation. Multiple directorships should be avoided for a full-time executive. For complex companies, particularly in developed markets, we may vote against non-executive directors who hold more than five directorships.
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Proportion of non-executive directors on the board
Difficult decisions that center on the best interest of shareholders arise from open and direct interplay between boards and company executives. It is important to have enough independent non-executive directors for an adequate diversity of views and to fulfil committee membership quotas. We expect all widely-held companies to have a majority of independent directors.
Difficult decisions that center on the best interest of shareholders arise from open and direct interplay between boards and company executives. It is important to have enough independent non-executive directors for an adequate diversity of views and to fulfil committee membership quotas. We expect all widely-held companies to have a majority of independent directors.
For companies with controlling shareholders, we expect there to be a minimum of one-third of fully independent directors on the board.
Independence of non-executive directors
Independence of individual directors is valued, but a well- balanced board is valued above all. We will support non- independent directors when they bring skills, sector knowledge and other experience that justify their presence on the board, particularly where the appropriate balance of independence is maintained.
Independence of individual directors is valued, but a well- balanced board is valued above all. We will support non- independent directors when they bring skills, sector knowledge and other experience that justify their presence on the board, particularly where the appropriate balance of independence is maintained.
The criteria for the independence of directors draw on a variety of standards, including the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Principles of Corporate Governance, national corporate governance codes, listing rules, and guidance provided by the International Corporate Governance Network, among others. We favor a principles-based approach, which seeks to ensure that directors can act in the interests of the company and its shareholders. Companies should consider using the corporate governance report or annual shareholder meeting materials to explain the board evaluation process, and to justify the value that non-independent directors bring to the board.
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Not have close family ties with the company’s advisers, directors or senior employees;
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Not serve as a board committee chair if they have served on the board for a period of time that may hinder their independence of thought;
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Not hold cross-directorships or have significant links with other directors (see “Interlocking boards” below);
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Not be major shareholders or representatives of any special interest group, including government representatives in cases of state ownership or representatives of affiliated companies;
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Have no significant commercial involvement with the company as professional advisers, major suppliers or customers;
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Not be entitled to performance-related pay, stock options, pensions, or benefit from large donations to charitable causes of their choice;
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Not normally hold other directorships in companies in a closely-related industry so as to avoid potential conflicts of interest.
Interlocking boards
We seek to ensure that directors are not only independent from the company, but also of one another. We expect companies to disclose interlocking board relationships and to explain how the independence of individual directors is preserved when directors jointly serve on two or more of the same boards.ii
We seek to ensure that directors are not only independent from the company, but also of one another. We expect companies to disclose interlocking board relationships and to explain how the independence of individual directors is preserved when directors jointly serve on two or more of the same boards.ii
Extensive board service and independence
Prolonged membership on a board jeopardizes independence as directors may become close with management and overly invested in prior strategic decisions. Independence is critical to ensuring shareholders have adequate voice inside the boardroom. After a certain length of board service, directors may not be considered fully independent and it may be inappropriate for such directors to serve on committees, such as the audit committee, where absolute independence is a key requirement.
Prolonged membership on a board jeopardizes independence as directors may become close with management and overly invested in prior strategic decisions. Independence is critical to ensuring shareholders have adequate voice inside the boardroom. After a certain length of board service, directors may not be considered fully independent and it may be inappropriate for such directors to serve on committees, such as the audit committee, where absolute independence is a key requirement.
We recognize that there is no fixed time period where a director categorically loses independence. Nonetheless, we will leverage a respective country’s own regulatory requirement regarding independence where specified. In North America, we will assess whether the average board tenure of the company is significantly beyond the respective market’s average when considering the board’s overall balance.
Where the appropriate balance of independence is not met, we will analyze whether to support the re-election of long-standing directors.
Independence of employee representatives
While a number of countries have legislation mandating a certain percentage of employee representatives on the board, we do not consider these individuals to be fully independent. Hence, we expect companies domiciled in countries with mandatory co-determination (the process by which employees elect their representatives to the board) or employee representation to ensure that the board and its committees have adequate representation of truly independent directors.
While a number of countries have legislation mandating a certain percentage of employee representatives on the board, we do not consider these individuals to be fully independent. Hence, we expect companies domiciled in countries with mandatory co-determination (the process by which employees elect their representatives to the board) or employee representation to ensure that the board and its committees have adequate representation of truly independent directors.
Competence, objectivity and renewal
Diversity, competencies and perspectives
A relevant and suitably diverse mix of skills and perspectives is critical to the quality of the board and the strategic direction of the company. Companies should therefore strive to widen the pool of potential candidates for board and management roles to ensure they draw on the richest possible combination of competencies and experiences.
A relevant and suitably diverse mix of skills and perspectives is critical to the quality of the board and the strategic direction of the company. Companies should therefore strive to widen the pool of potential candidates for board and management roles to ensure they draw on the richest possible combination of competencies and experiences.
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In all cases, candidates must be selected for their ability to oversee and enhance long-term company performance. Boards should recruit members with the appropriate combination of skills and experience, and should affirm the value of individual diversity, including gender, racial, ethnic, national origin, professional background and other relevant factors that may enhance the board’s overall performance. As boards cannot be transformed overnight, we look for a statement that sets out the board’s approach to promoting diversity at the board, executive management, and companywide workforce level. We welcome disclosure of specific diversity targets set by the board and subsequent reporting on performance against these targets. Where disclosure is absent and appropriate diversity levels across gender, racial and ethnic representation have not been met, we will normally not support the re-election of nomination committee chairs or other relevant directors.
Re-election of directors
To ensure that it retains an open and critical perspective, the board should be continually refreshed. For this reason, all directors should be required to submit themselves for re-election at regular intervals. We prefer to have all directors standing for annual election to strengthen the accountability of the board to shareholders. Failing that, we encourage the chair of the board, as well as the chairs of the audit, compensation and nomination committees to stand for annual re-election to strengthen accountability for the core functions of the board. We also believe that a minimum of one-third of board members should stand for election annually.
To ensure that it retains an open and critical perspective, the board should be continually refreshed. For this reason, all directors should be required to submit themselves for re-election at regular intervals. We prefer to have all directors standing for annual election to strengthen the accountability of the board to shareholders. Failing that, we encourage the chair of the board, as well as the chairs of the audit, compensation and nomination committees to stand for annual re-election to strengthen accountability for the core functions of the board. We also believe that a minimum of one-third of board members should stand for election annually.
Nomination of directors
We strongly believe that a board nominating committee composed of a majority of independent non-executive directors is best placed to identify and put forward suitable candidates for the board. Shareholders should only put forward candidates where there is clear evidence of ineffective board oversight and unwillingness to correct the problem—or where a cumulative voting system or similar arrangement encourages direct shareholder participation in board nominations. We expect companies to put forward only one candidate for each available position as an indication that the company is clear about the value each director brings to the board. We encourage companies to specify each candidate’s qualifications, experiences and skills that are of relevance and importance to the board’s oversight of company strategy.
We strongly believe that a board nominating committee composed of a majority of independent non-executive directors is best placed to identify and put forward suitable candidates for the board. Shareholders should only put forward candidates where there is clear evidence of ineffective board oversight and unwillingness to correct the problem—or where a cumulative voting system or similar arrangement encourages direct shareholder participation in board nominations. We expect companies to put forward only one candidate for each available position as an indication that the company is clear about the value each director brings to the board. We encourage companies to specify each candidate’s qualifications, experiences and skills that are of relevance and importance to the board’s oversight of company strategy.
Balanced composition
We will consider voting against the chair or members of nominating committees who have not constructed appropriately balanced, independent boards. Indicators include: an overreliance on long-standing members; an over-reliance on affiliated directors; and a lack of appropriate diversity characteristics, including gender, race, nationality, ethnicity, etc., that reflect the nature, scope and aspirations of the business.
We will consider voting against the chair or members of nominating committees who have not constructed appropriately balanced, independent boards. Indicators include: an overreliance on long-standing members; an over-reliance on affiliated directors; and a lack of appropriate diversity characteristics, including gender, race, nationality, ethnicity, etc., that reflect the nature, scope and aspirations of the business.
Effective functioning of boards
Board size
In the case of a two-tier board structure, neither board should be large: between five and 10 members typically is appropriate. A unitary board normally should have between five and 15 members. In the case of overly large boards and in the absence of a commitment to reduce board size, we may withhold support from the nominating or corporate governance committee chair unless clear justification has been provided explaining the need for such a large board.
In the case of a two-tier board structure, neither board should be large: between five and 10 members typically is appropriate. A unitary board normally should have between five and 15 members. In the case of overly large boards and in the absence of a commitment to reduce board size, we may withhold support from the nominating or corporate governance committee chair unless clear justification has been provided explaining the need for such a large board.
Two-tier boards
We are agnostic as to the merits of a two-tier board as opposed to a unitary board, and we recognize that a two-tier board structure is the norm in many markets. At the same time, we are aware that there can be challenges in communication between a supervisory board and a management board. Where there is more than one body forming the board, companies should maintain an effective mechanism for the various elements of the board to work together and should explain how this happens. This system should ensure the most effective use is made of all individuals involved so that the company can optimize the unique skills and experiences of their directors.
We are agnostic as to the merits of a two-tier board as opposed to a unitary board, and we recognize that a two-tier board structure is the norm in many markets. At the same time, we are aware that there can be challenges in communication between a supervisory board and a management board. Where there is more than one body forming the board, companies should maintain an effective mechanism for the various elements of the board to work together and should explain how this happens. This system should ensure the most effective use is made of all individuals involved so that the company can optimize the unique skills and experiences of their directors.
Board evaluation
Board evaluations are an important tool for improving board performance. All boards should implement an evaluation process that considers the effectiveness of the entire board, its committees, the contributions made by each member, including its systems for interaction between the board and company management, areas for improvement, and behaviors and overall board culture. The nominating or governance committee may oversee the evaluation process and should report general findings and areas for improvement publicly to shareholders. Large or systemically important companies should leverage professional, independent assistance to facilitate evaluations on a periodic basis (typically every three years).
Board evaluations are an important tool for improving board performance. All boards should implement an evaluation process that considers the effectiveness of the entire board, its committees, the contributions made by each member, including its systems for interaction between the board and company management, areas for improvement, and behaviors and overall board culture. The nominating or governance committee may oversee the evaluation process and should report general findings and areas for improvement publicly to shareholders. Large or systemically important companies should leverage professional, independent assistance to facilitate evaluations on a periodic basis (typically every three years).
Board meetings & attendance
The board should meet at regular intervals to ensure effective oversight of the company. We regard six meetings per year as a minimum guidance, and often more frequent meetings are necessary.
The board should meet at regular intervals to ensure effective oversight of the company. We regard six meetings per year as a minimum guidance, and often more frequent meetings are necessary.
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We also expect directors to attend the annual general meeting (AGM), and to facilitate communication with the shareholders whom they represent. The company should disclose the attendance record of individual directors in the AGM report, as well as mechanisms for shareholders to communicate directly with the board. We may withhold support from directors with poor attendance records or boards who fail to accommodate shareholder dialogue.
Non-executive director (NED) only meetings
NEDs should meet without executive board members present on a regular basis and when circumstances demand. They should also have at least one meeting per year to hold an unconstrained discussion away from day-to-day business matters. Ideally, this should be chaired by a senior or lead independent director, although the chair may be present (provided they are a non- executive). Conversely, in the case of two-tiered boards, supervisory boards should meet with executives on a regular basis to minimize the risk that NEDs could become marginalized from the business.
NEDs should meet without executive board members present on a regular basis and when circumstances demand. They should also have at least one meeting per year to hold an unconstrained discussion away from day-to-day business matters. Ideally, this should be chaired by a senior or lead independent director, although the chair may be present (provided they are a non- executive). Conversely, in the case of two-tiered boards, supervisory boards should meet with executives on a regular basis to minimize the risk that NEDs could become marginalized from the business.
Training and mentorship
All directors should receive appropriate training when being onboarded. Ideally, the onboarding process should include assignment of a board mentor. Mentors are normally long- or medium-standing directors willing to take on the responsibility of providing ad hoc support and context for new directors.
All directors should receive appropriate training when being onboarded. Ideally, the onboarding process should include assignment of a board mentor. Mentors are normally long- or medium-standing directors willing to take on the responsibility of providing ad hoc support and context for new directors.
All directors should regularly be provided opportunities to attend conferences, classes, or webinars to upskill and remain relevant. Such offerings may be an outcome of the board evaluation process or a request from directors or management directly. We encourage companies to develop regular director training plans that include educating directors on relevant environmental, social and governance matters.
Communication and accountability
The board should proactively and regularly make itself available for consultation with shareholders. To this end, boards should appoint a senior or lead independent director to fulfil a formal liaison role with key stakeholders. This is most important in cases where the CEO also holds the chair position, has executive responsibilities or was not independent on appointment.
Where appropriate, NEDs should be prepared to discuss matters of strategy, performance, risk, capital structure, standards of operational practice, and oversight of company-specific environmental and social matters.
3 Board committees
We encourage companies to move towards fully independent audit and compensation committees, as well as a nomination committee composed of a majority of independent directors. All board committees should report on their activities annually to shareholders (see section on “Reporting” below).
Audit
The audit committee provides an important safeguard for shareholders and for other stakeholders that rely upon the integrity of the report and accounts as a basis for their investing in the company.
The audit committee provides an important safeguard for shareholders and for other stakeholders that rely upon the integrity of the report and accounts as a basis for their investing in the company.
The audit committee should consist exclusively of NEDs, all of whom should be independent, and consist of at least three individuals. At least one should have recent and relevant financial, accounting or audit experience, and all audit committee members should be financially literate. The committee should be responsible for assessing the effectiveness, independence, qualifications, expertise and resources of the external auditors (including the quality of audit) and oversee the process of review and issue of the accounts.
The audit committee should also be responsible for monitoring and approving related-party transactions and should ensure that any material related-party transactions do not disadvantage minority shareholders.
The audit committee is also responsible for publishing the annual audit report, which is essential for investors to evaluate the overall health of the business (see “Reporting” below). The audit committee report should provide meaningful disclosure on the committee’s work and the issues it has addressed. In the event of a significant restatement of accounts or material weakness in internal controls, we may not support the election of members of the audit committee who we consider have not fulfilled their duty to shareholders. We may also not support the election of these director to the boards of other unrelated companies.
Compensation
The compensation (or remuneration) committee is responsible for setting the compensation of executive directors and senior executives and should coordinate with the company’s human resources function to develop a coherent and effective compensation strategy throughout the company. As a best practice we believe that compensation committees should consist exclusively of independent non-executive directors. We encourage compensation committees to engage in direct dialogue with shareholders when developing compensation policies. (See “4. Compensation” below).
The compensation (or remuneration) committee is responsible for setting the compensation of executive directors and senior executives and should coordinate with the company’s human resources function to develop a coherent and effective compensation strategy throughout the company. As a best practice we believe that compensation committees should consist exclusively of independent non-executive directors. We encourage compensation committees to engage in direct dialogue with shareholders when developing compensation policies. (See “4. Compensation” below).
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The compensation committee must consult with other board functions to ensure that pay mechanisms are well aligned with strategic goals and the company’s appetite for risk. In particular, the compensation committee should work with the board and its committees to determine the appropriate balance in the allocation of profits to employees as incentive payment, to shareholders as dividends, and for retention or reinvestment in the business itself.
The committee’s fiduciary duty is also to ensure that the amount of payment to management is fair and appropriate. Finally, the committee should be attentive to compensation across the company to ensure management is delivering on strategic priorities, especially those that enhance shareholder returns, and managing risk effectively.
We may withhold our support from the chair and/or members of the compensation committee where there are significant concerns with the committee’s decision-making, or where issues we have identified with pay policies and practices remain unaddressed.
Nomination
A nomination committee should oversee all board and senior executive appointments. Normally it should be a committee of independent non-executive directors and the board chair. In certain instances, it may be appropriate for the committee to leverage management’s advice. Although we prefer a fully independent committee, we recognize that a non-independent director or representative of a large shareholder may be appropriate in some circumstances.
A nomination committee should oversee all board and senior executive appointments. Normally it should be a committee of independent non-executive directors and the board chair. In certain instances, it may be appropriate for the committee to leverage management’s advice. Although we prefer a fully independent committee, we recognize that a non-independent director or representative of a large shareholder may be appropriate in some circumstances.
Corporate governance
We recognize that companies may choose to have the nominating committee or a specific corporate governance committee responsible for corporate governance practices and procedures. Regardless of the structure, the committee should monitor emerging regulatory and industry standards, strive to achieve global best practice, and should consult with shareholders to understand investor expectations.
We recognize that companies may choose to have the nominating committee or a specific corporate governance committee responsible for corporate governance practices and procedures. Regardless of the structure, the committee should monitor emerging regulatory and industry standards, strive to achieve global best practice, and should consult with shareholders to understand investor expectations.
Corporate responsibility and sustainability
We believe that committees with responsibilities related to oversight of corporate social responsibility, ethics or sustainability are prudent for purposes of risk management. For large companies exposed to significant ESG risks, such committees are essential to protecting shareholder value and managing reputational risk.
We believe that committees with responsibilities related to oversight of corporate social responsibility, ethics or sustainability are prudent for purposes of risk management. For large companies exposed to significant ESG risks, such committees are essential to protecting shareholder value and managing reputational risk.
Business ethics
Whether it is through a committee such as the audit committee or a general board review, it is important that the board affirm its responsibility for reviewing internal business ethics systems, practices, and processes.
4 Compensation
Levels of compensation and other incentives should be designed to promote sustainable, long-term shareholder value creation and reflect the executives’ work and contribution to the company. No director should be involved in setting their own compensation. Given the consistent upward trend in total compensation, we expect careful usage and robust justification of benchmarks. We also wish to see comprehensive disclosure of performance targets as well as actual performance against pre-set targets. We expect justification of base pay levels awarded, and that a significant proportion of total compensation be variable and subject to appropriately challenging performance conditions. We do not set guidelines for levels of compensation beyond the principles mentioned below.
Level of pay
We expect boards to demonstrate an understanding of (and sensitivity to) the views and expectations of shareholders and other key stakeholders, such as employees, when setting executive pay.
We expect boards to demonstrate an understanding of (and sensitivity to) the views and expectations of shareholders and other key stakeholders, such as employees, when setting executive pay.
Relationship to strategy and risk
We expect companies to demonstrate the alignment of their compensation policy with their overall business strategy and planning. Performance metrics should relate to the company’s articulated strategy and risk tolerance. Targets should be constructed to align executive incentives to the interests of long-term shareholders and should not create incentives for executives to undertake short-term risks that might imperil sustainable long-term performance. We advocate for risk-related preconditions to bonus awards to ensure inappropriate incentive payments are not awarded in the event the company’s financial strength or credit quality deteriorates.
We expect companies to demonstrate the alignment of their compensation policy with their overall business strategy and planning. Performance metrics should relate to the company’s articulated strategy and risk tolerance. Targets should be constructed to align executive incentives to the interests of long-term shareholders and should not create incentives for executives to undertake short-term risks that might imperil sustainable long-term performance. We advocate for risk-related preconditions to bonus awards to ensure inappropriate incentive payments are not awarded in the event the company’s financial strength or credit quality deteriorates.
We seek appropriately detailed disclosure of board and disclosure management compensation packages (See “Compensation report” below). The purpose of the compensation report should not simply be related to compliance, rather it should be to enhance investors’ understanding of the committee’s practices, processes, and goals.
Following the award of the bonus, companies should provide a meaningful analysis in the compensation report of the extent to which relevant targets were met. The compensation report should be written in plain language and include the tax implications for the company.
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At a minimum, the compensation of all directors, including all nonexecutive and executive directors, should be disclosed individually. We look for banded disclosure of those individuals at sub-board level who make a significant contribution to the company.
Executive contracts and pensions
Prior to employment contract agreements, companies should actively consider the potential rewards concerning severance in the event of inadequate performance and clarify the performance conditions under which such severance benefits are to be payable. We encourage companies to seek mitigation in case a director has taken up employment elsewhere and to adjust the length and size of any payments accordingly. We recommend that companies make larger severance packages the subject of a shareholder vote.
Prior to employment contract agreements, companies should actively consider the potential rewards concerning severance in the event of inadequate performance and clarify the performance conditions under which such severance benefits are to be payable. We encourage companies to seek mitigation in case a director has taken up employment elsewhere and to adjust the length and size of any payments accordingly. We recommend that companies make larger severance packages the subject of a shareholder vote.
Share schemes/share compensation arrangements
We believe that strict guidelines should be observed regarding the issue, or potential issue, of shares for incentive schemes (also known as equity-based compensation plans) both as to the proportion of shares issued and to the rate at which these are issued each year. For us to accept large share schemes, the commercial drivers must outweigh the dilutive impacts. If the company is insufficiently transparent regarding the details of such schemes, we may abstain or vote against them.
We believe that strict guidelines should be observed regarding the issue, or potential issue, of shares for incentive schemes (also known as equity-based compensation plans) both as to the proportion of shares issued and to the rate at which these are issued each year. For us to accept large share schemes, the commercial drivers must outweigh the dilutive impacts. If the company is insufficiently transparent regarding the details of such schemes, we may abstain or vote against them.
Equity incentive plans
We support the principle of motivating and rewarding executives through the granting of equity incentives.
We support the principle of motivating and rewarding executives through the granting of equity incentives.
Performance targets for equity incentive plans should be clearly disclosed and challenging. We believe that the compensation committee is in the best position to determine the most appropriate performance metrics for driving the long-term business strategy. However, overall compensation packages should reflect a range of performance.
Generally, we believe executive pay plans should reflect a balance of financial, operational, and relative performance targets. We strongly believe that exceptional performance over a significant period merits an exceptional level of compensation. We oppose retesting of performance conditions and may withhold support of compensation plans where the compensation committee has used its discretion to relax any performance targets previously approved by shareholders.
We will consider one-off equity awards on a case-by-case basis in light of justification provided by the company. However, frequent use of exceptional awards raises questions over the adequacy of the overall compensation strategy and effectiveness of succession planning. We will take particular care when reviewing equity awards granted for the purposes of recruitment or retention when such awards are not linked to meaningful performance targets.
We encourage the inclusion of environmental and social factors in performance bonus payments where they could have a material impact on shareholder returns. We also expect a discussion of the process undertaken by the company to identify such factors and an explanation as to why it considers these factors to be relevant.
Holding periods, vesting and malus/clawback policies
Bonus payments and long-term incentive schemes should be structured to reward long-term growth in shareholder value and be subject to performance-vesting conditions. We encourage companies to include deferred shares as a portion of short-term bonuses. Longer-term incentive plans should be fully sharebased, and vesting periods should extend from at least three to five years or longer. We also encourage companies to require longer-term holding periods post vesting. The compensation committee should maintain a malus authority to withhold all or part of performance-based pay from executives before it has vested in cases where it deems it appropriate. The compensation committee should also have clawback authority to recover sums already paid out to executives. This might occur following a significant restatement of accounts, where previously granted awards were paid on the basis of inaccurate figures, or where the long-term outcomes of a specific strategy result in significant value destruction for shareholders.
Bonus payments and long-term incentive schemes should be structured to reward long-term growth in shareholder value and be subject to performance-vesting conditions. We encourage companies to include deferred shares as a portion of short-term bonuses. Longer-term incentive plans should be fully sharebased, and vesting periods should extend from at least three to five years or longer. We also encourage companies to require longer-term holding periods post vesting. The compensation committee should maintain a malus authority to withhold all or part of performance-based pay from executives before it has vested in cases where it deems it appropriate. The compensation committee should also have clawback authority to recover sums already paid out to executives. This might occur following a significant restatement of accounts, where previously granted awards were paid on the basis of inaccurate figures, or where the long-term outcomes of a specific strategy result in significant value destruction for shareholders.
Employee ownership
Widespread employee ownership can contribute positively to shareholder value, as it further aligns employees’ interests with those of shareholders. Such devices should not, however, be instituted as anti-takeover devices, and should be included within company-wide dilution limits.
Widespread employee ownership can contribute positively to shareholder value, as it further aligns employees’ interests with those of shareholders. Such devices should not, however, be instituted as anti-takeover devices, and should be included within company-wide dilution limits.
5 Audit, risk and control
We recommend that the independent members of the audit committee meet on a regular basis with the company’s auditors and without company management. This may enable a better flow of information between auditors and the board.
Appointment of auditors
The auditors’ performance and appointment should be reviewed periodically. Where the same firm remains as auditor for a period of time, there should be a policy of regular rotation of the lead audit partner. We believe that systematic rotation of audit firms is both desirable and in the best interests of shareholders.
The auditors’ performance and appointment should be reviewed periodically. Where the same firm remains as auditor for a period of time, there should be a policy of regular rotation of the lead audit partner. We believe that systematic rotation of audit firms is both desirable and in the best interests of shareholders.
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We expect audit quality to be the main consideration in the selection of the auditor and expect that shareholders should be given the opportunity to vote on the appointment and payment of auditors.
Auditor liability
We recognize the disproportionate risk that joint & several liability may place upon audit firms. However, we will only consider supporting arrangements to cap auditor liability in exceptional circumstances (e.g., where the risk of a catastrophic and disproportionate claim can be demonstrated).
We recognize the disproportionate risk that joint & several liability may place upon audit firms. However, we will only consider supporting arrangements to cap auditor liability in exceptional circumstances (e.g., where the risk of a catastrophic and disproportionate claim can be demonstrated).
Fees paid to a company’s auditors in addition to audit fees
Companies should disclose when auditors carry out consultancy work in addition to auditing the company and the audit committee should consider whether there is a risk that an auditor’s impartiality may be jeopardized. The range, nature and tendering process for any such non-audit work should be supervised by the audit committee, whose responsibilities in this area should be fully disclosed. Where substantial non-audit fees are paid for more than one year, we may not support the reappointment of the auditor or the payment of auditor fees in its voting at AGMs.
Companies should disclose when auditors carry out consultancy work in addition to auditing the company and the audit committee should consider whether there is a risk that an auditor’s impartiality may be jeopardized. The range, nature and tendering process for any such non-audit work should be supervised by the audit committee, whose responsibilities in this area should be fully disclosed. Where substantial non-audit fees are paid for more than one year, we may not support the reappointment of the auditor or the payment of auditor fees in its voting at AGMs.
Related-party transactions
Many companies are involved in material related-party transactions, which represent a significant risk to shareholders. This risk is mitigated in companies with fully independent audit committees whose responsibility it is to ensure that such transactions are conducted on the basis of arm’s-length valuations. We strongly encourage companies to use such committees for scrutiny, and to secure prior shareholder approval for material related-party transactions.
Many companies are involved in material related-party transactions, which represent a significant risk to shareholders. This risk is mitigated in companies with fully independent audit committees whose responsibility it is to ensure that such transactions are conducted on the basis of arm’s-length valuations. We strongly encourage companies to use such committees for scrutiny, and to secure prior shareholder approval for material related-party transactions.
In the circumstance of continued concerns, we recommend that each company disclose any shareholdings that its controlling shareholders may have in other companies or investment vehicles that have a material interest in the company.
Risk management
The board as a whole is responsible for defining a company’s risk tolerance relative to its strategy and operations—it is also responsible for monitoring the company’s performance relative to defined risks. Financial, operational, and reputational risks that are relevant to the company’s business and performance should be included in this oversight, including material ESG and ethical risks.
Depending on the size and complexity of the company, a standalone risk management committee may be warranted.
6 Shareholder rights
While the precise nature and scope of shareholder rights vary across jurisdictions and many related aspects of our expectations are touched upon in other parts of these guidelines, a number merit direct mention:
Liaison with shareholders
Board and management teams should be ready, where practicable, to engage in dialogue with shareholders based on an understanding of shared objectives. They should also be proactive in making sure important news is imparted, subject to appropriate inside information procedures, and should react helpfully to investor inquiries.
Board and management teams should be ready, where practicable, to engage in dialogue with shareholders based on an understanding of shared objectives. They should also be proactive in making sure important news is imparted, subject to appropriate inside information procedures, and should react helpfully to investor inquiries.
In investment meetings with shareholders, companies should be prepared to address relevant corporate ESG issues.
Issuance of Shares
We respect a company’s right to issue shares to raise capital. However, share issuance should be strictly limited to that which is necessary to maintain business operations and drive company strategy. We will not support requests to increase authorized share capital that exceed 50% of existing capital, unless specific justification has been provided (e.g., to complete a strategically important acquisition or undertake a necessary stock split).
We respect a company’s right to issue shares to raise capital. However, share issuance should be strictly limited to that which is necessary to maintain business operations and drive company strategy. We will not support requests to increase authorized share capital that exceed 50% of existing capital, unless specific justification has been provided (e.g., to complete a strategically important acquisition or undertake a necessary stock split).
Pre-emption Rights
We believe that pre-emptive rights for existing shareholders are essential. Shares may be issued for cash without pre-emptive rights or for compensation purposes, subject to shareholder approval. Companies should adhere to strict limits for issuing new shares as a proportion of the issued share capital. Furthermore, they should also be subject to flow rates, where appropriate.
We believe that pre-emptive rights for existing shareholders are essential. Shares may be issued for cash without pre-emptive rights or for compensation purposes, subject to shareholder approval. Companies should adhere to strict limits for issuing new shares as a proportion of the issued share capital. Furthermore, they should also be subject to flow rates, where appropriate.
Share repurchases
We expect companies to repurchase shares in the market when it is advantageous for the company and its shareholders.
We expect companies to repurchase shares in the market when it is advantageous for the company and its shareholders.
Authority to repurchase shares should be subject to shareholder approval.
Controlled companies and share classes with differential voting rights
We favor a share structure that gives all shares equal voting rights. We do not support the issue of shares with impaired or enhanced voting rights.
We favor a share structure that gives all shares equal voting rights. We do not support the issue of shares with impaired or enhanced voting rights.
Where differential voting structures exist, this structure should be transparently disclosed to the market. In the case of controlled companies, we will review any request to issue shares with enhanced voting rights to determine why these are necessary and how they will reflect the interests of minority shareholders. We support the principle of one share, one vote, and encourage
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companies to take steps to eliminate differential voting structures over time or prevent their introduction. Where there are unequal voting rights, we encourage clear and comprehensive disclosure of a timeline regarding the retirement of unequal voting structures (otherwise known as sunset provisions).
Voting caps
We oppose voting caps in principle and believe that all shares should be entitled to full voting rights irrespective of the holding period. However, we recognize the widespread use of voting caps in certain markets, and the benefits accruing to shareholders not subject to a cap. Therefore, at a minimum, we expect companies to clearly disclose any caps and encourage them not to introduce new caps while phasing out existing caps over time.
We oppose voting caps in principle and believe that all shares should be entitled to full voting rights irrespective of the holding period. However, we recognize the widespread use of voting caps in certain markets, and the benefits accruing to shareholders not subject to a cap. Therefore, at a minimum, we expect companies to clearly disclose any caps and encourage them not to introduce new caps while phasing out existing caps over time.
Mergers and acquisitions, spin-offs and other corporate restructuring
We expect boards to conduct thorough due diligence prior to pursuing any merger or acquisition and to maximize shareholder value in any deal. Where major transactions are not subject to shareholder approval, companies should consider the views of their major shareholders, subject to regulatory constraints and shareholders’ policies concerning insiders.
We expect boards to conduct thorough due diligence prior to pursuing any merger or acquisition and to maximize shareholder value in any deal. Where major transactions are not subject to shareholder approval, companies should consider the views of their major shareholders, subject to regulatory constraints and shareholders’ policies concerning insiders.
We consider the ESG risk implications of any corporate activity as part of the assessment of such activity, particularly in high-impact industries. We also expect the board to evaluate any potential ESG or ethical risks or liabilities of any business combination, including supply chains.
Poison pills
We regard artificial devices to deter bids, known as poison pills, as inappropriate and inefficient unless they are strictly controlled and very limited in duration. We believe that any control-enhancing mechanism or poison pill that entrenches management and protects the company from market pressures is not in the interests of shareholders.
We regard artificial devices to deter bids, known as poison pills, as inappropriate and inefficient unless they are strictly controlled and very limited in duration. We believe that any control-enhancing mechanism or poison pill that entrenches management and protects the company from market pressures is not in the interests of shareholders.
Pension and other similar significant corporate liabilities
Companies should be aware of, and report to shareholders on, significant liabilities such as those arising from unfunded or under-funded pension commitments. The extent of the liability should be reported, and the plans put in place to cover the deficit should also be reported within a reasonable timeframe for action. The principal assumptions used in calculating amounts should form part of this disclosure. Other significant liabilities could include specific operational or ESG risks that the company faces. The company should provide some indication of how these risks can result in “contingent liabilities.”
Companies should be aware of, and report to shareholders on, significant liabilities such as those arising from unfunded or under-funded pension commitments. The extent of the liability should be reported, and the plans put in place to cover the deficit should also be reported within a reasonable timeframe for action. The principal assumptions used in calculating amounts should form part of this disclosure. Other significant liabilities could include specific operational or ESG risks that the company faces. The company should provide some indication of how these risks can result in “contingent liabilities.”
Shareholder resolutions
We consider all shareholder resolutions that appear on the ballot and vote in accordance with our view of the long-term economic benefit to shareholders. On this basis we will typically support requests to improve board accountability, executive pay practices, ESG disclosure and climate change scenario analyses where we agree with both the broader issue highlighted as well as the implementation proposed. We also typically support shareholder proposals asking companies to report on implementation of environmental and social policies and assessments where there is reason for concern that links to financially material risks that could impact the performance of the company. We will review company and outside data and information, assess peers for benchmarking and consider the proponents’ and company’s arguments in full.
We consider all shareholder resolutions that appear on the ballot and vote in accordance with our view of the long-term economic benefit to shareholders. On this basis we will typically support requests to improve board accountability, executive pay practices, ESG disclosure and climate change scenario analyses where we agree with both the broader issue highlighted as well as the implementation proposed. We also typically support shareholder proposals asking companies to report on implementation of environmental and social policies and assessments where there is reason for concern that links to financially material risks that could impact the performance of the company. We will review company and outside data and information, assess peers for benchmarking and consider the proponents’ and company’s arguments in full.
7 Reporting
Companies should have meaningful and transparent disclosure so that investors can obtain a clear understanding of all important and relevant issues. The annual report should provide a full review of the business model and strategy; key performance indicators used to gauge how the company is progressing against its objectives; principal (material) risks and any significant factors affecting the company’s future performance, including significant ESG or ethical issues; key achievements; and standards followed during the accounting period.
In all markets, we favor reports that are:
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Comprehensive, covering the strategic direction of the business and all material issues, including any significant changes in the regulatory context and key ESG issues;
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Balanced, with even-handed treatment of both good and bad aspects of a company;
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Transparent, with narrative text that leverages plain language, and accounting notes that provide investors with a full understanding of the circumstances underlying the reported figures;
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Underpinned by Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that drive business performance, are comparable over time, and are supported by detailed information on how they are calculated;
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Consistent and joined-up with other company reporting, including the compensation policy and corporate social responsibility or sustainability reporting.
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Directors
Adequate biographical information on the directors should be provided for shareholders in advance of the AGM. This should include information about directors’ qualifications and experience, term of office, date of first appointment, level of independence, board committee memberships and other personal and professional commitments that may influence the quality of their contribution and independence (e.g., other directorships, family and social ties, and affiliations with related companies or organizations). For all newly appointed directors, we encourage disclosure of qualifications, experiences and skills that are considered by the board to be of relevance and importance to its oversight of company strategy. To this end, we encourage disclosure of a clear and concise board skills matrix in the proxy voting materials and annual report.
Adequate biographical information on the directors should be provided for shareholders in advance of the AGM. This should include information about directors’ qualifications and experience, term of office, date of first appointment, level of independence, board committee memberships and other personal and professional commitments that may influence the quality of their contribution and independence (e.g., other directorships, family and social ties, and affiliations with related companies or organizations). For all newly appointed directors, we encourage disclosure of qualifications, experiences and skills that are considered by the board to be of relevance and importance to its oversight of company strategy. To this end, we encourage disclosure of a clear and concise board skills matrix in the proxy voting materials and annual report.
Nomination committee report
The committee should report annually on its activity and the report should provide a detailed discussion of its process for identifying and appointing executive and non-executive directors, including the processes it employs to ensure board membership reflects an appropriate diversity of perspectives, experiences, gender and racial or ethnic representation as well as cultural backgrounds. Where necessary, the report should include a thorough discussion of the board’s view of the independence of certain members. The report should also include a robust description of the board evaluation process, cadence, and outcomes (including strengths and opportunities identified).
The committee should report annually on its activity and the report should provide a detailed discussion of its process for identifying and appointing executive and non-executive directors, including the processes it employs to ensure board membership reflects an appropriate diversity of perspectives, experiences, gender and racial or ethnic representation as well as cultural backgrounds. Where necessary, the report should include a thorough discussion of the board’s view of the independence of certain members. The report should also include a robust description of the board evaluation process, cadence, and outcomes (including strengths and opportunities identified).
Audit committee report
The audit committee should report on its conduct during the year and, in particular, any specific matters of judgement relating to the application of accounting principles or the scope of the audit. It should also comment on the process for ensuring the independence of the auditors and for evaluating the impact of non-audit work. The audit committee report should include a narrative description of any related-party transactions, with reference to how these might impact the interests of minority shareholders. Any qualification of the audit statement and all matters raised in the auditor’s report must be fully explained.
The audit committee should report on its conduct during the year and, in particular, any specific matters of judgement relating to the application of accounting principles or the scope of the audit. It should also comment on the process for ensuring the independence of the auditors and for evaluating the impact of non-audit work. The audit committee report should include a narrative description of any related-party transactions, with reference to how these might impact the interests of minority shareholders. Any qualification of the audit statement and all matters raised in the auditor’s report must be fully explained.
System of internal controls and risk management
If the audit committee’s remit includes risk management, the audit committee report should also address the board’s oversight of enterprise-wide risks. Either as part of the audit committee report or a standalone report, the company should explain the results of the board’s review of internal controls, including any identified (or potential) weaknesses in internal controls and how the board plans to respond to these.
If the audit committee’s remit includes risk management, the audit committee report should also address the board’s oversight of enterprise-wide risks. Either as part of the audit committee report or a standalone report, the company should explain the results of the board’s review of internal controls, including any identified (or potential) weaknesses in internal controls and how the board plans to respond to these.
Compensation report
We expect all companies to publish an annual compensation report in line with international good governance standards. Good compensation reporting outlines a company’s overall philosophy and its policies and formulas for determining annual, short- and long-term pay. We look for compensation reports to break down fixed versus variable pay and to clearly align total pay packages with long-term shareholder value. The compensation report should clearly disclose specific long-term performance targets and total potential pay-outs.
We expect all companies to publish an annual compensation report in line with international good governance standards. Good compensation reporting outlines a company’s overall philosophy and its policies and formulas for determining annual, short- and long-term pay. We look for compensation reports to break down fixed versus variable pay and to clearly align total pay packages with long-term shareholder value. The compensation report should clearly disclose specific long-term performance targets and total potential pay-outs.
If short-term performance targets cannot be disclosed due to commercial sensitivity, we expect retrospective disclosure of short- term targets and of actual performance against these targets.
We recommend that all companies put the compensation report to a shareholder vote and encourage compensation committee members to actively consult their shareholders prior to the AGM.
Sustainability reporting
We encourage companies to report on any significant ESG or ethical risks and opportunities in their annual reports including the systems in place to manage these risks. This may be supported by more detailed disclosure in a separate corporate social responsibility or sustainability report.
We encourage companies to report on any significant ESG or ethical risks and opportunities in their annual reports including the systems in place to manage these risks. This may be supported by more detailed disclosure in a separate corporate social responsibility or sustainability report.
Code of corporate governance
Companies should provide a full and clear statement of all matters relating to the application of the provisions of the relevant national code of corporate governance. The way the provisions are put into effect should be clearly discussed. Any deviations should be supported by meaningful explanations.
Companies should provide a full and clear statement of all matters relating to the application of the provisions of the relevant national code of corporate governance. The way the provisions are put into effect should be clearly discussed. Any deviations should be supported by meaningful explanations.
Code of conduct
Companies should maintain a code of conduct reflecting corporate values and promotion of ethical business practices. Such codes should address business-critical compliance issues including anti-corruption practices.
Companies should maintain a code of conduct reflecting corporate values and promotion of ethical business practices. Such codes should address business-critical compliance issues including anti-corruption practices.
Reincorporation in a tax or governance haven
Irrespective of the potential benefits a smaller tax burden may bring, we will typically vote against resolutions for a company to reincorporate in a new legal jurisdiction that offers lower legal and governance protections to shareholders. Aggressive tax strategies, even if structured legally, can pose potentially significant reputational and commercial risks for companies.
Irrespective of the potential benefits a smaller tax burden may bring, we will typically vote against resolutions for a company to reincorporate in a new legal jurisdiction that offers lower legal and governance protections to shareholders. Aggressive tax strategies, even if structured legally, can pose potentially significant reputational and commercial risks for companies.
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We expect boards to ensure the company’s approach to tax policy is both prudent and sustainable. To that end, we therefore expect companies to disclose how the board is providing such oversight. Companies should provide a suitable amount of information for investors to understand their tax practices and associated risks
Listings
Companies that are listed on an exchange should comply with the rules and listing requirements of that exchange.
Companies that are listed on an exchange should comply with the rules and listing requirements of that exchange.
Shareholder resolutions and access to the proxy statement
Shareholder resolutions represent the exercise of a key shareholder right and may encompass a wide range of issues. We encourage companies to engage in constructive dialogue with shareholders and other key stakeholders. Where engagement is unsuccessful, we support shareholders’ right to submit a shareholder proposal for consideration by all investors. In these instances, companies should behave respectfully by communicating promptly and fully with shareholders while refraining from obstructing the process. The board should provide a full and reasoned response to any shareholder proposal on the ballot. We consider all shareholder resolutions put forward and vote in accordance with our understanding of the long-term economic benefit to shareholders. We may support shareholder resolutions relating to the right to nominate or remove directors, including those related to an advisory shareholder vote on pay. We will incorporate into our decision whether a shareholder resolution is binding in nature or advisory (non-binding) in applying the above considerations.
Shareholder resolutions represent the exercise of a key shareholder right and may encompass a wide range of issues. We encourage companies to engage in constructive dialogue with shareholders and other key stakeholders. Where engagement is unsuccessful, we support shareholders’ right to submit a shareholder proposal for consideration by all investors. In these instances, companies should behave respectfully by communicating promptly and fully with shareholders while refraining from obstructing the process. The board should provide a full and reasoned response to any shareholder proposal on the ballot. We consider all shareholder resolutions put forward and vote in accordance with our understanding of the long-term economic benefit to shareholders. We may support shareholder resolutions relating to the right to nominate or remove directors, including those related to an advisory shareholder vote on pay. We will incorporate into our decision whether a shareholder resolution is binding in nature or advisory (non-binding) in applying the above considerations.
8 Social and environmental factors
Environmental and social factors can present serious risks to corporations and their ability to generate shareholder returns. A well-run company should, therefore, have formal systems to identify, assess and manage significant risks associated with financially material environmental and social factors. Companies should publicly disclose such factors on a regular basis and detail any management-related strategies and targets.
Disclosure should cover both direct operations and, where relevant, the policies applied to their supply chains. Companies should make appropriate and integrated disclosures reflecting touch points to their strategy, research and development, capital expenditures, operational performance, and commercial aspirations.
In general, we evaluate environmental and social proposals based on the relevance of the issue to the company and the desirability of the specific action requested in the proposals to advance long-term shareholder value. We recognize that some proposals may identify important company risks even if the proposal is poorly constructed. In such cases, we encourage companies to identify, mitigate and report on their respective risk management approach effectively.
Environmental and social management
Companies should determine how financially material environmental and social risks and opportunities are addressed via their core business strategy. As part of this process, companies should proactively identify, assess and manage those risks and opportunities, as well as implement robust sustainability governance frameworks to promote accountability and ensure effective oversight. We expect companies to align their disclosure of environmental and social policies, management systems and performance according to internationally accepted standards. We also expect companies to quantify impacts from environmental and social factors and set targets to mitigate and manage material sustainability risks and impacts.
Companies should determine how financially material environmental and social risks and opportunities are addressed via their core business strategy. As part of this process, companies should proactively identify, assess and manage those risks and opportunities, as well as implement robust sustainability governance frameworks to promote accountability and ensure effective oversight. We expect companies to align their disclosure of environmental and social policies, management systems and performance according to internationally accepted standards. We also expect companies to quantify impacts from environmental and social factors and set targets to mitigate and manage material sustainability risks and impacts.
We have set out our detailed thoughts for environmental and social practices in stand-alone documents available on our website.
We may withhold support from management resolutions should we deem companies’ responses to involvement in significant environmental or social controversies as insufficient, or where we have concerns about recurrent weak practices by companies in high-impact industries.
We may vote in favor of shareholder resolutions seeking improvements in reporting and/or management of environmental or social practices where we have concerns, acting in the best economic interest of our clients, or improvements are proportionate to the risks faced.
Climate change
We recognize that climate change and the global transition to a lower-carbon economy present both risks and opportunities to businesses. We are supporters of both CDP (formerly, the Carbon Disclosure Project) and the recommendations of the Taskforce on Climate Related Financial Disclosuresiii and expect to see companies report climate risks and strategy against the proper standards and frameworks. We also support company efforts to implement net zero targets; however, the company should disclose specifics as to how they will accomplish this.
We recognize that climate change and the global transition to a lower-carbon economy present both risks and opportunities to businesses. We are supporters of both CDP (formerly, the Carbon Disclosure Project) and the recommendations of the Taskforce on Climate Related Financial Disclosuresiii and expect to see companies report climate risks and strategy against the proper standards and frameworks. We also support company efforts to implement net zero targets; however, the company should disclose specifics as to how they will accomplish this.
Some companies may be exposed to business risks stemming from the effects of climate change either directly via their business operations, regulations, changing consumer demand or through supply chains. Where these are financially material risks, companies should describe how their business strategy incorporates climate risk and ensure adequate disclosure.
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Where companies in high-impact sectors—e.g., those requested to disclose to CDP Climate Change—fail to provide investment-relevant climate disclosure or do not have a robust climate change risk management strategy, we may not support management resolutions, including the report and accounts or the election of directors if we think this is in the best economic interests of our clients.
Where there are matters of concern, we may support shareholder resolutions calling on companies to improve their business planning and public disclosure in relation to climate change risks and opportunities.
We will make use of investor tools such as the Climate Action 100+ Net Zero Company Benchmark, the Transition Pathway Initiative, our own proprietary net zero tool as well as engagements we’ve conducted to identify companies that fail to follow best practice.
Biodiversity
Loss of biodiversity degrades ecosystems which underpin the Earth’s ability to provide regulating, provisioning, cultural and supporting ecosystem benefits. For companies in sectors with high biodiversity impact that fail to provide appropriate disclosure (e.g., CDP Water Security and/or Forests disclosures), we may not support management resolutions if we think this is in the best economic interests of our clients.
Loss of biodiversity degrades ecosystems which underpin the Earth’s ability to provide regulating, provisioning, cultural and supporting ecosystem benefits. For companies in sectors with high biodiversity impact that fail to provide appropriate disclosure (e.g., CDP Water Security and/or Forests disclosures), we may not support management resolutions if we think this is in the best economic interests of our clients.
Sustainability and integrated reporting
A company’s recognition and management of financially material environmental and social exposures and related disclosures provides shareholders with an additional lens through which to assess the quality, leadership, strategic focus, risk management and operational standards of practice of the business.
A company’s recognition and management of financially material environmental and social exposures and related disclosures provides shareholders with an additional lens through which to assess the quality, leadership, strategic focus, risk management and operational standards of practice of the business.
Disclosure of significant environmental and social risk factors should be included in the annual report. Certain high risk or high impact operations that are of substantial interest to investors and the public may require modular reporting alongside reporting that aggregates all company activity. We recommend disclosure in line with internationally accepted standards of best practice which enhances our understanding of a company’s ability to create and sustain value in the short, medium and long term.
Audit of social and environmental management systems
We appreciate that auditing and assurance practices for environmental and social systems require further development; nevertheless, we consider third-party auditing of sustainability reports to be best practice. We encourage companies to move towards third-party verification.
We appreciate that auditing and assurance practices for environmental and social systems require further development; nevertheless, we consider third-party auditing of sustainability reports to be best practice. We encourage companies to move towards third-party verification.
Labour practices and standards
Companies may incur significant risks because of the employment practices of their own operations and those of their suppliers and sub-contractors. Codes of conduct that address such risks and include detailed and effective procedures for their supply chain are usually in companies’ best interests.
Companies may incur significant risks because of the employment practices of their own operations and those of their suppliers and sub-contractors. Codes of conduct that address such risks and include detailed and effective procedures for their supply chain are usually in companies’ best interests.
Where there is cause for concern, we favor codes based on internationally recognized standards (e.g., core conventions of the International Labour Organization), independent monitoring or auditing of implementation, and reporting of aggregate audit results. We look for regular, public reporting on code implementation.
Human rights
Companies may incur extraordinary risks to their operations, staff, or reputation as a result of operating in conflict zones or in locations at risk of human rights abuses. Risks may also be encountered via supply chains when primary product inputs are sourced from at-risk areas. Where there is cause for concern, we support resolutions asking companies to develop and implement policies and management systems addressing human rights and security management. These policies should reflect internationally recognized standards (e.g., United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights) and should apply to suppliers and sub-contractors.
Companies may incur extraordinary risks to their operations, staff, or reputation as a result of operating in conflict zones or in locations at risk of human rights abuses. Risks may also be encountered via supply chains when primary product inputs are sourced from at-risk areas. Where there is cause for concern, we support resolutions asking companies to develop and implement policies and management systems addressing human rights and security management. These policies should reflect internationally recognized standards (e.g., United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights) and should apply to suppliers and sub-contractors.
Severe human and labor rights issues often affect the most vulnerable communities and can represent a threat to reputational and operational corporate performance. They are referenced in various international standards and conventions and are linked to existingiv or evolvingv regulations that issuers may be subject to.
We believe that effective mitigation of these issues can contribute to sustainable long-term value creation by the companies in which we choose to invest. At companies identified as being most at risk with insufficient mitigation strategies, we may not support management resolutions, including the report and accounts or election of directors if we think this is in the best economic interests of our clients.
Diversity and equal employment opportunity
Recruiting and hiring from the widest possible talent pool is in the best interests of companies, as is maintaining a diverse workforce. We support efforts to strengthen non-discrimination policies, achieve diversity objectives and address glass ceilings at all levels within organizations. We welcome disclosure of specific diversity targets and reporting on performance against these targets, as well as reporting on gender and ethnicity pay gaps within companies and plans to address these. We will look for
Recruiting and hiring from the widest possible talent pool is in the best interests of companies, as is maintaining a diverse workforce. We support efforts to strengthen non-discrimination policies, achieve diversity objectives and address glass ceilings at all levels within organizations. We welcome disclosure of specific diversity targets and reporting on performance against these targets, as well as reporting on gender and ethnicity pay gaps within companies and plans to address these. We will look for
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
B-12
disclosure of how measures to increase diversity have been applied and the management and oversight of these measures. In an environment where many industries and companies are facing shortages of skilled workers, thus increasing competition for talent, it is advisable and appropriate for company policies and practices to exceed legal requirements in order to attract and retain employees.
Political and charitable donations
Charitable and political donations should be consistent with the company’s stated sustainability strategy. (See “Reporting” above). We recommend that the board provide ultimate oversight for political donations and related activity. Furthermore, we believe that companies that undertake charitable giving should have transparent policies and undertake charitable giving programs with due regard for the interests of shareholders and key stakeholders.
Charitable and political donations should be consistent with the company’s stated sustainability strategy. (See “Reporting” above). We recommend that the board provide ultimate oversight for political donations and related activity. Furthermore, we believe that companies that undertake charitable giving should have transparent policies and undertake charitable giving programs with due regard for the interests of shareholders and key stakeholders.
Environmental stewardship
Companies should determine how key environmental risks and opportunities fit into their core business strategy. As part of this process, companies should identify, assess, and manage their environmental impacts. This may include minimizing key environmental impacts, reporting on environmental management systems and performance, and discussing related financial impacts. Areas of increasing business interest include energy use, emissions, water, waste, and the utilization of natural resources.
Companies should determine how key environmental risks and opportunities fit into their core business strategy. As part of this process, companies should identify, assess, and manage their environmental impacts. This may include minimizing key environmental impacts, reporting on environmental management systems and performance, and discussing related financial impacts. Areas of increasing business interest include energy use, emissions, water, waste, and the utilization of natural resources.
9 Voting matters
Annual general meetings
Although we supported company efforts to hold virtual-only AGMs during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, we encourage a return to physical annual meetings of the shareholders that are supplemented with a robust and accessible virtual (or hybrid) option. If the company decides to provide a hybrid meeting, shareholders joining virtually should be provided the same treatment and transparency as those attending in-person.
Although we supported company efforts to hold virtual-only AGMs during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, we encourage a return to physical annual meetings of the shareholders that are supplemented with a robust and accessible virtual (or hybrid) option. If the company decides to provide a hybrid meeting, shareholders joining virtually should be provided the same treatment and transparency as those attending in-person.
Vote disclosure
We expect companies to disclose the voting results of their general meetings, both at the meeting and on their websites. This should include a detailed breakdown of votes for and against, as well as abstentions.
We expect companies to disclose the voting results of their general meetings, both at the meeting and on their websites. This should include a detailed breakdown of votes for and against, as well as abstentions.
In the spirit of transparency, we also make available to both our institutional and retail fund customers, as well as to the public, a comprehensive record of our voting by publishing all our votes and comments on our website.vi A summary of our voting statistics can be found in our annual Stewardship report.
Shareblocking
We believe that shareblocking—the practice of preventing shares from being transferred for a fixed period prior to the vote at a company meeting—discourages shareholder participation and should be replaced with a record date. Where shareblocking exists, we will follow client policy and may be prevented from voting because of concerns about failed trade settlements and extraordinary cost to clients.
We believe that shareblocking—the practice of preventing shares from being transferred for a fixed period prior to the vote at a company meeting—discourages shareholder participation and should be replaced with a record date. Where shareblocking exists, we will follow client policy and may be prevented from voting because of concerns about failed trade settlements and extraordinary cost to clients.
Electronic voting and of use proxy advisory services
We typically exercise voting rights electronically. We currently vote using ProxyExchange, the electronic voting platform provided by Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS). We do not follow ISS vote recommendations, except as provided for in our Conflict of Interest Policy or if instructed by clients. Instead, ISS assists us though pre-populating our vote instructions in accordance with our vote policies. Our Responsible Investment team reviews a proportion of meetings based on an internal prioritization model.
We typically exercise voting rights electronically. We currently vote using ProxyExchange, the electronic voting platform provided by Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS). We do not follow ISS vote recommendations, except as provided for in our Conflict of Interest Policy or if instructed by clients. Instead, ISS assists us though pre-populating our vote instructions in accordance with our vote policies. Our Responsible Investment team reviews a proportion of meetings based on an internal prioritization model.
Position on abstentions
Our standard voting approach is to either vote for or against resolutions where these options are available to shareholders. However, there are cases where we consider abstaining to be appropriate—for example, where company practices have improved significantly but do not fully meet our expectations.
Our standard voting approach is to either vote for or against resolutions where these options are available to shareholders. However, there are cases where we consider abstaining to be appropriate—for example, where company practices have improved significantly but do not fully meet our expectations.
With respect to shareholder resolutions, we may abstain in cases where we agree with the broader issue highlighted but do not agree with the way in which the resolution prescribes change.
Additional soliciting materials
If we become aware that an issuer has filed additional soliciting materials prior to a proxy vote submission deadline, then we endeavor to review and reflect those in the application of our voting policy where: (a) the submission is published at least five days prior to our earliest client vote cut-off; and (b) the enclosed information is considered to be material towards impacting our voting position.
If we become aware that an issuer has filed additional soliciting materials prior to a proxy vote submission deadline, then we endeavor to review and reflect those in the application of our voting policy where: (a) the submission is published at least five days prior to our earliest client vote cut-off; and (b) the enclosed information is considered to be material towards impacting our voting position.
Stocklending
We observe that stock lending is a widespread market practice involving the sale and contractually pre-agreed repurchase of a stock. We believe that stock lending is an important factor in preserving the liquidity of markets and in facilitating hedging
We observe that stock lending is a widespread market practice involving the sale and contractually pre-agreed repurchase of a stock. We believe that stock lending is an important factor in preserving the liquidity of markets and in facilitating hedging
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
B-13
strategies; it can also provide investors with a significant additional return on their investments as the sale repurchase transaction may include a profit margin. Importantly, however, if the term of the instrument coincides with an annual or extraordinary general meeting, the transfer of the voting right impairs the ability of the underlying shareowner to exercise their voting rights. In rare instances, this has led to abuse, where borrowers have deliberately entered into transactions to sway the outcome of a shareholder vote without any intention of owning the stock long-term. We consider the balance struck between stock lending and voting to be a matter for individual decision-making by clients.
Record dates
We recommend that a record date be set a maximum of five working days prior to AGMs for custodians and registrars to clearly establish those shareholders eligible to vote. This will give time for all relevant formalities to be completed and serves the same purpose as shareblocking without the disruptions noted above.
We recommend that a record date be set a maximum of five working days prior to AGMs for custodians and registrars to clearly establish those shareholders eligible to vote. This will give time for all relevant formalities to be completed and serves the same purpose as shareblocking without the disruptions noted above.
Voting systems
All companies should conduct voting by poll, rather than relying on a show of hands.
All companies should conduct voting by poll, rather than relying on a show of hands.
We believe that shareholders have the right to appoint any reasonable person as proxy to vote their shares, either in person or electronically.
We encourage the introduction of electronic voting systems that are accurate and provide an effective audit trail of votes cast.
Bundled resolutions
Resolutions put to company meetings should cover single issues, or issues that are clearly interdependent. Any other practice potentially reduces the value of votes and can lead to opposition to otherwise acceptable proposals. We will normally oppose resolutions that contain such inappropriately bundled provisions.
Resolutions put to company meetings should cover single issues, or issues that are clearly interdependent. Any other practice potentially reduces the value of votes and can lead to opposition to otherwise acceptable proposals. We will normally oppose resolutions that contain such inappropriately bundled provisions.
Any other business
We expect to vote on resolutions where the content has been made clear to shareholders and is in the interests of the company and its shareholders. Where a resolution invites shareholders to vote on “any other business,” we will systematically vote against.
We expect to vote on resolutions where the content has been made clear to shareholders and is in the interests of the company and its shareholders. Where a resolution invites shareholders to vote on “any other business,” we will systematically vote against.
Political and charitable donations
We welcome the opportunity to vote on company donations if material. With respect to donations to political parties or to organizations closely associated with political parties, we believe the board is best positioned to oversee the appropriateness of such spending and should review as often as is necessary to ensure congruency with both corporate strategy and values.
We welcome the opportunity to vote on company donations if material. With respect to donations to political parties or to organizations closely associated with political parties, we believe the board is best positioned to oversee the appropriateness of such spending and should review as often as is necessary to ensure congruency with both corporate strategy and values.
Amendments to Articles
We are generally unsupportive of amendments to the articles of incorporation which limit the liability of company officers.
We are generally unsupportive of amendments to the articles of incorporation which limit the liability of company officers.
Endnotes:
i
The following guidelines do not apply to Pyrford International Ltd.
ii
Such interlocking relationships can raise concerns when there is an imbalance of power between the two directors.
iii
https://www.fsb-tcfd.org/publications/final-recommendations-report/.
iv
UK Modern Slavery Act, OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
v
EU corporate mandatory human rights due diligence, Swiss mandatory human rights DD (focus weapons), German Supply Chain Code
vi
See vote disclosure webpage here.
SAI940_10_025_(06/24)
Statement of Additional Information – June 1, 2024
B-14
PART C. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 28. Exhibits
| Exhibit Number |
Exhibit Description |
Filed Herewith or Incorporated by Reference |
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference | ||||
| Registrant that Made the Filing |
File No. of Such Registrant |
Type of Filing |
Exhibit of Document in that Filing |
Filing Date | |||
| (a)(1) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Registration Statement |
(a) |
8/16/2012 | |
| (a)(2) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Pre-Effective Amendment #1 on Form N-1A |
(a)(2) |
5/31/2016 | |
| (a)(3) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #7 on Form N-1A |
(a)(3) |
2/28/2018 | |
| (a)(4) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #10 on Form N-1A |
(a)(4) |
7/17/2018 | |
| (a)(5) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #15 on Form N-1A |
(a)(5) |
7/26/2019 | |
| (a)(6) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #20 on Form N-1A |
(a)(6) |
2/25/2021 | |
| (a)(7) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #23 on Form N-1A |
(a)(7) |
9/17/2021 | |
| (a)(8) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #23 on Form N-1A |
(a)(8) |
9/17/2021 | |
| (a)(9) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #27 on Form N-1A |
(a)(9) |
3/18/2022 | |
| (a)(10) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #28 on Form N-1A |
(a)(10) |
12/12/2022 | |
| (a)(11) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #32 on Form N-1A |
(a)(11) |
3/31/2023 | |
| (b) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #20 on Form N-1A |
(b) |
2/25/2021 | |
| (c) |
Stock Certificate: Not Applicable |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| (d)(1) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Pre-Effective Amendment #1 on Form N-1A |
(d)(1) |
5/31/2016 | |
| (d)(1)(i) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #32 on Form N-1A |
(d)(1)(i) |
3/31/2023 | |
| (e)(1) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #10 on Form N-1A |
(e)(1) |
7/17/2018 | |
| Exhibit Number |
Exhibit Description |
Filed Herewith or Incorporated by Reference |
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference | ||||
| Registrant that Made the Filing |
File No. of Such Registrant |
Type of Filing |
Exhibit of Document in that Filing |
Filing Date | |||
| (e)(1)(i) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #10 on Form N-1A |
(e)(1)(i) |
7/17/2018 | |
| (e)(1)(ii) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #15 on Form N-1A |
(e)(1)(ii) |
7/26/2019 | |
| (e)(1)(iii) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #20 on Form N-1A |
(e)(1)(iii) |
2/25/2021 | |
| (e)(1)(iv) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #23 on Form N-1A |
(e)(1)(iv) |
9/17/2021 | |
| (e)(1)(v) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #27 on Form N-1A |
(e)(1)(v) |
3/18/2022 | |
| (e)(1)(vi) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #31 on Form N-1A |
(e)(1)(vi) |
2/28/2023 | |
| (e)(1)(vii) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #32 on Form N-1A |
(e)(1)(vii) |
3/31/2023 | |
| (e)(1)(viii) |
Filed Herewith |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #37 on Form N-1A |
(e)(1)(viii) |
5/30/2024 | |
| (f) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #20 on Form N-1A |
(f) |
2/25/2021 | |
| (g)(1) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #12 on Form N-1A |
(g)(1) |
2/27/2019 | |
| Exhibit Number |
Exhibit Description |
Filed Herewith or Incorporated by Reference |
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference | ||||
| Registrant that Made the Filing |
File No. of Such Registrant |
Type of Filing |
Exhibit of Document in that Filing |
Filing Date | |||
| (g)(1)(i) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #14 on Form N-1A |
(g)(1)(i) |
5/15/2019 | |
| (g)(1)(ii) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust II |
333-155709 |
Post-Effective Amendment #109 on Form N-1A |
(g)(1)(ii) |
7/26/2019 | |
| (g)(1)(iii) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust II |
333-155709 |
Post-Effective Amendment #111 on Form N-1A |
(g)(1)(iii) |
7/28/2020 | |
| (g)(1)(iv) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #23 on Form N-1A |
(g)(1)(iv) |
9/17/2021 | |
| (g)(1)(v) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #27 on Form N-1A |
(g)(1)(v) |
3/18/2022 | |
| (g)(1)(vi) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust II |
333-155709 |
Post-Effective Amendment #115 on Form N-1A |
(g)(1)(vi) |
7/26/2023 | |
| (g)(2) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #12 on Form N-1A |
(g)(2) |
2/27/2019 | |
| (g)(2)(i) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust II |
333-155709 |
Post-Effective Amendment #109 on Form N-1A |
(g)(2)(i) |
7/26/2019 | |
| (g)(2)(ii) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust II |
333-155709 |
Post-Effective Amendment #111 on Form N-1A |
(g)(2)(ii) |
7/28/2020 | |
| (g)(2)(iii) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #23 on Form N-1A |
(g)(2)(iii) |
9/17/2021 | |
| (g)(2)(iv) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #27 on Form N-1A |
(g)(2)(iv) |
3/18/2022 | |
| Exhibit Number |
Exhibit Description |
Filed Herewith or Incorporated by Reference |
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference | ||||
| Registrant that Made the Filing |
File No. of Such Registrant |
Type of Filing |
Exhibit of Document in that Filing |
Filing Date | |||
| (g)(2)(v) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust II |
333-155709 |
Post-Effective Amendment #115 on Form N-1A |
(g)(2)(v) |
7/26/2023 | |
| (h)(1) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #12 on Form N-1A |
(h)(1) |
2/27/2019 | |
| (h)(1)(i) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #14 on Form N-1A |
(h)(1)(i) |
5/15/2019 | |
| (h)(1)(ii) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust II |
333-155709 |
Post-Effective Amendment #109 on Form N-1A |
(h)(1)(ii) |
7/26/2019 | |
| (h)(1)(iii) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust II |
333-155709 |
Post-Effective Amendment #109 on Form N-1A |
(h)(1)(iii) |
7/26/2019 | |
| (h)(1)(iv) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust II |
333-155709 |
Post-Effective Amendment #111 on Form N-1A |
(h)(1)(iv) |
7/28/2020 | |
| (h)(1)(v) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #23 on Form N-1A |
(h)(1)(v) |
9/17/2021 | |
| (h)(1)(vi) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #27 on Form N-1A |
(h)(1)(vi) |
3/18/2022 | |
| (h)(1)(vii) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust II |
333-155709 |
Post-Effective Amendment #115 on Form N-1A |
(h)(1)(vii) |
7/26/2023 | |
| (h)(1)(viii) |
Filed Herewith |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #37 on Form N-1A |
(h)(1)(viii) |
5/30/2024 | |
| Exhibit Number |
Exhibit Description |
Filed Herewith or Incorporated by Reference |
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference | ||||
| Registrant that Made the Filing |
File No. of Such Registrant |
Type of Filing |
Exhibit of Document in that Filing |
Filing Date | |||
| (h)(2) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #12 on Form N-1A |
(h)(2) |
2/27/2019 | |
| (h)(2)(i) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust II |
333-155709 |
Post-Effective Amendment #109 on Form N-1A |
(h)(2)(i) |
7/26/2019 | |
| (h)(2)(ii) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust II |
333-155709 |
Post-Effective Amendment #111 on Form N-1A |
(h)(2)(ii) |
7/28/2020 | |
| (h)(2)(iii) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #23 on Form N-1A |
(h)(2)(iii) |
9/17/2021 | |
| (h)(2)(iv) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #27 on Form N-1A |
(h)(2)(iv) |
3/18/2022 | |
| (h)(2)(v) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust II |
333-155709 |
Post-Effective Amendment #115 on Form N-1A |
(h)(2)(v) |
7/26/2023 | |
| (h)(3) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II |
333-146374 |
Post-Effective Amendment #90 on Form N-1A |
(h)(8) |
11/8/2023 | |
| (h)(4) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #5 on Form N-1A |
(h)(13) |
9/22/2017 | |
| (h)(4)(i) |
|
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #23 on Form N-1A |
(h)(6)(i) |
9/17/2021 |
| Exhibit Number |
Exhibit Description |
Filed Herewith or Incorporated by Reference |
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference | ||||
| Registrant that Made the Filing |
File No. of Such Registrant |
Type of Filing |
Exhibit of Document in that Filing |
Filing Date | |||
| (h)(5) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #17 on Form N-1A |
(h)(5) |
9/25/2019 | |
| (h)(6) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #32 on Form N-1A |
(h)(7) |
3/31/2023 | |
| (h)(7) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #25 on Form N-1A |
(h)(7) |
2/25/2022 | |
| (h)(8) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust II |
333-155709 |
Post-Effective Amendment #114 on Form N-1A |
(h)(9) |
7/27/2022 | |
| (h)(9) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust II |
333-155709 |
Post-Effective Amendment #115 on Form N-1A |
(h)(9)(ii) |
7/26/2023 | |
| (h)(10) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #34 on Form N-1A |
(h)(11) |
2/26/2024 | |
| (i)(1) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Pre-Effective Amendment #1 on Form N-1A |
(i) |
5/31/2016 | |
| (i)(2) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #5 on Form N-1A |
(i)(2) |
9/22/2017 | |
| (i)(3) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #10 on Form N-1A |
(i)(3) |
7/17/2018 | |
| (i)(4) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #15 on Form N-1A |
(i)(4) |
7/26/2019 | |
| (i)(5) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #23 on Form N-1A |
(i)(5) |
9/17/2021 | |
| (i)(6) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #27 on Form N-1A |
(i)(6) |
3/18/2022 | |
| Exhibit Number |
Exhibit Description |
Filed Herewith or Incorporated by Reference |
Information About the Filing that Includes the Document Incorporated by Reference | ||||
| Registrant that Made the Filing |
File No. of Such Registrant |
Type of Filing |
Exhibit of Document in that Filing |
Filing Date | |||
| (i)(7) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #32 on Form N-1A |
(i)(7) |
3/31/2023 | |
| (j)(1) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #34 on Form N-1A |
(j) |
2/26/2024 | |
| (j)(2) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #36 on Form N-1A |
(j)(2) |
4/24/2024 | |
| (j)(3) |
Filed Herewith |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #37 on Form N-1A |
(j)(3) |
5/30/2024 | |
| (k) |
Omitted Financial Statements: Not Applicable |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| (l) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Pre-Effective Amendment #1 on Form N-1A |
(l) |
5/31/2016 | |
| (m)(1) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Pre-Effective Amendment #1 on Form N-1A |
(m) |
5/31/2016 | |
| (m)(1)(i) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia ETF Trust I |
333-209996 |
Post-Effective Amendment #32 on Form N-1A |
(m)(1)(i) |
3/31/2023 | |
| (n) |
Not Applicable |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| (o) |
Reserved. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| (p)(1) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia Funds Variable Series Trust II |
333-146374 |
Post-Effective Amendment #68 on Form N-1A |
(p)(1) |
4/26/2019 | |
| (p)(2) |
Incorporated by Reference |
Columbia Funds Series Trust II |
333-131683 |
Post-Effective Amendment #241 on Form N-1A |
(p)(2) |
12/21/2023 | |
Item 29. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with the Registrant
None.
Item 30. Indemnification
Article Five of the Bylaws of Registrant provides that Registrant shall indemnify each of its trustees and officers (including persons who serve at Registrant's request as directors, officers or trustees of another organization in which Registrant has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise) who are not employees or officers of any investment adviser to Registrant or any affiliated person thereof and its chief compliance officer, regardless of whether such person is an employee or officer of any investment adviser to Registrant or any affiliated person thereof, and each of its other trustees and officers (including persons who serve at Registrant's request as directors, officers or trustees of another organization in which Registrant has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise) (i.e., those who are employees or officers of any investment adviser to Registrant or any affiliated person thereof) (Covered Persons), to the fullest extent authorized by applicable law against all liabilities and expenses in connection with the defense or disposition of any proceeding in which such Covered Person may be or may have been involved or with which such Covered Person may be or may have been threatened, while in office or thereafter, by reason of any alleged act or omission as a trustee or officer or by reason of his or her being or having been such a Covered Person, all as more fully set forth in the Bylaws, which are filed as an exhibit to the registration statement.
Section 17(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act) provides that no instrument pursuant to which Registrant is organized or administered shall contain any provision which protects or purports to protect any trustee or officer of Registrant against any liability to Registrant or its shareholders to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
The Registrant’s Declaration of Trust provides that nothing in the Declaration of Trust shall protect any trustee or officer against any liabilities to the Registrant or its shareholders to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office or position with or on behalf of the Registrant and the Registrant’s Bylaws provides that no indemnification will be made in violation of the provisions of the 1940 Act.
The Registrant may be party to other contracts that include indemnification provisions for the benefit of the Registrant’s trustees and officers.
The trustees and officers of the Registrant and the personnel of the Registrant’s investment adviser are insured under an errors and omissions liability insurance policy. Registrant’s investment adviser, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, maintains investment advisory professional liability insurance to insure it, for the benefit of Registrant and its non-interested trustees, against loss arising out of any effort, omission, or breach of any duty owed to Registrant or any series of Registrant by Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 (the 1933 Act) may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant by the Registrant pursuant to the Registrant’s organizational instruments or otherwise, the Registrant is aware that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and, therefore, is unenforceable.
Item 31. Business and Other Connections of the Investment Adviser
To the knowledge of the Registrant, none of the directors or officers of Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (Columbia Management), the Registrant’s investment adviser, or any subadviser to a series of the Registrant, except as set forth below, are or have been, at any time during the Registrant’s past two fiscal years, engaged in any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature.
Columbia Management, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ameriprise Financial, Inc., performs investment advisory services for the Registrant and certain other clients. Information regarding the business of Columbia Management and the directors and principal officers of Columbia Management is also included in the Form ADV filed by Columbia Management with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (File No. 801-25943), which is incorporated herein by reference. In addition to their position with Columbia Management, certain directors and officers of Columbia Management also hold various positions with, and engage in business for, Ameriprise Financial, Inc. or its other subsidiaries.
Item 32. Principal Underwriter
(a) ALPS Distributors, Inc. acts as the distributor for the Registrant and the following investment companies:
1290 Funds
1WS Credit Income Fund
abrdn ETFs Accordant ODCE Index Fund
Alpha Alternative Assets Fund
ALPS Series Trust
Alternative Credit Income Fund
Apollo Diversified Credit Fund
Apollo Diversified Real Estate Fund
AQR Funds
Axonic Alternative Income Fund
Axonic Funds
BBH Trust
Bluerock High Income Institutional Credit Fund
Bluerock Total Income+ Real Estate Fund
Brandes Investment Trust
Bridge Builder Trust
Cambria ETF Trust
Centre Funds
CION Ares Diversified Credit Fund
Columbia ETF Trust
1WS Credit Income Fund
abrdn ETFs Accordant ODCE Index Fund
Alpha Alternative Assets Fund
ALPS Series Trust
Alternative Credit Income Fund
Apollo Diversified Credit Fund
Apollo Diversified Real Estate Fund
AQR Funds
Axonic Alternative Income Fund
Axonic Funds
BBH Trust
Bluerock High Income Institutional Credit Fund
Bluerock Total Income+ Real Estate Fund
Brandes Investment Trust
Bridge Builder Trust
Cambria ETF Trust
Centre Funds
CION Ares Diversified Credit Fund
Columbia ETF Trust
Columbia ETF Trust I
Columbia ETF Trust II
CRM Mutual Fund Trust
DBX ETF Trust
Emerge ETF Trust
ETF Series Solutions (Vident Series)
Financial Investors Trust
Firsthand Funds
Flat Rock Core Income Fund
Flat Rock Opportunity Fund
FS Credit Income Fund
FS Energy Total Return Fund
FS Multi-Alternative Income Fund
FS Series Trust
FS MVP Private Markets Fund
Goehring & Rozencwajg Investment Funds
Goldman Sachs ETF Trust
Goldman Sachs ETF Trust II
Graniteshares ETF Trust
Hartford Funds Exchange-Traded Trust
Heartland Group, Inc.
IndexIQ Active ETF Trust
IndexIQ ETF Trust
Investment Managers Series Trust II (AXS-Advised Funds)
Janus Detroit Street Trust
Lattice Strategies Trust
Litman Gregory Funds Trust
Manager Directed Portfolios (Spyglass Growth Fund)
Meridian Fund, Inc.
Natixis ETF Trust
Natixis ETF Trust II
Opportunistic Credit Interval Fund
PRIMECAP Odyssey Funds
Principal Exchange-Traded Funds
RiverNorth Funds
RiverNorth Opportunities Fund, Inc.
RiverNorth/DoubleLine Strategic Opportunity Fund, Inc.
RiverNorth Opportunistic Municipal Income Fund, Inc.
RiverNorth Managed Duration Municipal Income Fund, Inc.
RiverNorth Flexible Municipal Income Fund, Inc.
RiverNorth Capital and Income Fund, Inc.
RiverNorth Flexible Municipal Income Fund II, Inc.
SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust
Sprott Funds Trust
Stone Ridge Longevity Risk Premium Fixed Income Trust
Stone Ridge Trust
Stone Ridge Trust II
Stone Ridge Trust IV
Stone Ridge Trust V
Stone Ridge Trust VIII
The Arbitrage Funds
Thrivent ETF Trust
USCF ETF Trust
Valkyrie ETF Trust II
Wasatch Funds
Columbia ETF Trust II
CRM Mutual Fund Trust
DBX ETF Trust
Emerge ETF Trust
ETF Series Solutions (Vident Series)
Financial Investors Trust
Firsthand Funds
Flat Rock Core Income Fund
Flat Rock Opportunity Fund
FS Credit Income Fund
FS Energy Total Return Fund
FS Multi-Alternative Income Fund
FS Series Trust
FS MVP Private Markets Fund
Goehring & Rozencwajg Investment Funds
Goldman Sachs ETF Trust
Goldman Sachs ETF Trust II
Graniteshares ETF Trust
Hartford Funds Exchange-Traded Trust
Heartland Group, Inc.
IndexIQ Active ETF Trust
IndexIQ ETF Trust
Janus Detroit Street Trust
Lattice Strategies Trust
Litman Gregory Funds Trust
Meridian Fund, Inc.
Natixis ETF Trust
Natixis ETF Trust II
Opportunistic Credit Interval Fund
PRIMECAP Odyssey Funds
Principal Exchange-Traded Funds
RiverNorth Funds
RiverNorth Opportunities Fund, Inc.
RiverNorth/DoubleLine Strategic Opportunity Fund, Inc.
RiverNorth Opportunistic Municipal Income Fund, Inc.
RiverNorth Managed Duration Municipal Income Fund, Inc.
RiverNorth Flexible Municipal Income Fund, Inc.
RiverNorth Capital and Income Fund, Inc.
RiverNorth Flexible Municipal Income Fund II, Inc.
SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust
Sprott Funds Trust
Stone Ridge Longevity Risk Premium Fixed Income Trust
Stone Ridge Trust
Stone Ridge Trust II
Stone Ridge Trust IV
Stone Ridge Trust V
Stone Ridge Trust VIII
The Arbitrage Funds
Thrivent ETF Trust
USCF ETF Trust
Valkyrie ETF Trust II
Wasatch Funds
WesMark Funds
Wilmington Funds
X-Square Balanced Fund
X-Square Series Trust
Wilmington Funds
X-Square Balanced Fund
X-Square Series Trust
(b) As to the best of Registrant’s knowledge, the directors and executive officers of ALPS Distributors, Inc., are as follows:
| Name and Principal Business Address* |
Position and Offices with Principal Underwriter |
Positions and Offices with Registrant |
| Stephen J. Kyllo |
President, Chief Operating Officer, Director, Chief Compliance Officer |
None |
| Brian Schell** |
Vice President and Treasurer |
None |
| Eric Parsons |
Vice President, Controller and Assistant Treasurer |
None |
| Jason White*** |
Secretary |
None |
| Richard C. Noyes |
Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Assistant Secretary |
None |
| Eric Theroff^ |
Assistant Secretary |
None |
| Adan Girard^^ |
Tax Officer |
None |
| Liza Price |
Vice President, Managing Counsel |
None |
| Jed Stahl |
Vice President, Managing Counsel |
None |
| Terence Digan |
Vice President |
None |
| James Stegall |
Vice President |
None |
| Gary Ross |
Senior Vice President |
None |
| Hilary Quinn |
Vice President |
None |
* Except as otherwise noted, the principal business address for each of the above directors and executive officers is 1290 Broadway, Suite 1000, Denver, CO 80203.
** The principal business address for Mr. Schell is 100 South Wacker Drive, 19th Floor Chicago, IL 60606.
*** The principal business address for Mr. White is 4 Times Square, New York, NY 10036.
^The principal business address for Mr. Theroff is 1055 Broadways Boulevard, Kansas City, MO 64105.
^^The principal business address for Mr. Girard is 80 Lamberton Road, Windsor, CT 06095
(c)
Not Applicable.
Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records
Persons maintaining physical possession of accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Rules thereunder include:
◾
Registrant, 290 Congress Street, Boston, MA, 02210;
◾
Registrant’s investment adviser, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, 290 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210;
◾
Registrant’s principal underwriter, ALPS Distributors, Inc., 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203; and
◾
Registrant’s administrator, fund accountant, transfer agent and custodian, The Bank of New York Mellon, 240 Greenwich Street. New York, NY 10286.
In addition, Iron Mountain Records Management is an off-site storage facility housing historical records that are no longer required to be maintained on-site. Records stored at this facility include various trading and accounting records, as well as other miscellaneous records. The address for Iron Mountain Records Management is 920 & 950 Apollo Road, Eagan, MN 55121.
Certain information on the above-referenced physical possession of accounts, books and other documents is also included in the Registrant’s filings on Form N-CEN filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission:
| Funds FYE |
N-CEN filing date |
| October 31, 2023 |
January 12, 2024 |
| December 31, 2023 |
March 13, 2024 |
Item 34. Management Services
Not Applicable.
Item 35. Undertakings
Not Applicable.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant, COLUMBIA ETF TRUST I, certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Amendment to its Registration Statement under Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and has duly caused this Amendment to its Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Boston, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on the 30th day of May, 2024.
| COLUMBIA ETF TRUST I | |
| By: |
/s/ Daniel J. Beckman |
| |
Daniel J. Beckman Trustee and President |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Amendment to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities indicated on the 30th day of May, 2024.
| Signature |
Capacity |
Signature |
Capacity |
| /s/ Daniel J. Beckman |
Trustee and President (Principal Executive Officer) |
/s/ Patricia M. Flynn* |
Trustee |
| Daniel J. Beckman |
Patricia M. Flynn | ||
| /s/ Michael G. Clarke* |
Chief Financial Officer, Principal Financial Officer and Senior Vice President |
/s/ Brian J. Gallagher* |
Trustee |
| Michael G. Clarke |
Brian J. Gallagher | ||
| /s/ Marybeth Pilat* |
Treasurer, Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer) and Principal Financial Officer |
/s/ Douglas A. Hacker* |
Trustee |
| Marybeth Pilat |
Douglas A. Hacker | ||
| /s/ Pamela G. Carlton* |
Chair of the Board |
/s/ Nancy T. Lukitsh* |
Trustee |
| Pamela G. Carlton |
Nancy T. Lukitsh | ||
| /s/ George S. Batejan* |
Trustee |
/s/ David M. Moffett* |
Trustee |
| George S. Batejan |
David M. Moffett | ||
| /s/ Kathleen A. Blatz* |
Trustee |
/s/ Catherine James Paglia* |
Trustee |
| Kathleen A. Blatz |
Catherine James Paglia | ||
| /s/ Janet Langford Carrig* |
Trustee |
/s/ Natalie A. Trunow* |
Trustee |
| Janet Langford Carrig |
Natalie A. Trunow | ||
| /s/ J. Kevin Connaughton* |
Trustee |
/s/ Sandra L. Yeager* |
Trustee |
| J. Kevin Connaughton |
Sandra L. Yeager | ||
| /s/ Olive M. Darragh* |
Trustee |
|
|
| Olive M. Darragh |
|
|
| * |
By: Name: |
/s/ Joseph D’Alessandro |
|
| Joseph D’Alessandro** Attorney-in-fact |
| ||
| ** |
Executed by Joseph D’Alessandro on behalf of Michael G. Clarke pursuant to a Power of Attorney, dated February 1, 2021, on behalf of Marybeth Pilat pursuant to a Power of Attorney, dated January 2, 2020, and on behalf of each of the Trustees pursuant to a Trustees’ Power of Attorney, dated January 1, 2023. | ||
COLUMBIA FUNDS SERIES TRUST
COLUMBIA FUNDS SERIES TRUST I
COLUMBIA FUNDS SERIES TRUST II
COLUMBIA FUNDS VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST
COLUMBIA FUNDS VARIABLE SERIES TRUST II
COLUMBIA ETF TRUST
COLUMBIA ETF TRUST I
COLUMBIA ETF TRUST II
(each a “Registrant”)
POWER OF ATTORNEY
Each of the undersigned constitutes and appoints Michael G. Clarke, Joseph D’Alessandro, Michael E. DeFao, Ryan C. Larrenaga, John M. Loder, Brian D. McCabe, Christopher O. Petersen, and Megan E. Garcy, each individually, his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent (each an “Attorney-in-Fact”) with power of substitution or resubstitution, in any and all capacities, including without limitation in the undersigned’s capacity as a trustee of each Registrant, in the furtherance of the business and affairs of each Registrant: (i) to execute any and all instruments which said Attorney-in-Fact may deem necessary or advisable or which may be required to comply with the Securities Act of 1933, the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (together the “Acts”) and any other applicable federal securities laws, or rules, regulations or requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in respect thereof, in connection with the filing and effectiveness of each Registrant’s Registration Statement regarding the registration of each Registrant or its shares of beneficial interest, and any and all amendments thereto, including without limitation any reports, forms or other filings required by the Acts or any other applicable federal securities laws, or rules, regulations or requirements of the SEC; and (ii) to execute any and all federal, state or foreign regulatory or other required filings, including all applications with regulatory authorities, state charter or organizational documents and any amendments or supplements thereto, to be executed by, on behalf of, or for the benefit of, each Registrant. The undersigned hereby grants to each Attorney-in-Fact full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing contemplated above, as fully and to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or could do in person, and hereby ratifies and confirms all that said Attorneys-in-Fact, individually or collectively, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
This Power of Attorney shall not be revoked with respect to any undersigned trustee by any subsequent power of attorney the undersigned may execute unless such subsequent power of attorney specifically refers to this Power of Attorney or specifically states that the instrument is intended to revoke all prior general powers of attorney or all prior powers of attorney (and unless otherwise required by a provision of law that cannot be waived). This Power of Attorney shall terminate automatically with respect to a Registrant if the undersigned ceases to hold the above-referenced office of the Registrant.
Dated: January 1, 2023
[REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE IS LEFT BLANK INTENTIONALLY]
| /s/ George S. Batejan |
Trustee |
/s/ Brian J. Gallagher |
Trustee |
| George S. Batejan |
Brian J. Gallagher | ||
| /s/ Daniel J. Beckman |
Trustee |
/s/ Douglas Hacker |
Trustee |
| Daniel J. Beckman |
Douglas Hacker | ||
| /s/ Kathleen A. Blatz |
Trustee |
/s/ Nancy T. Lukitsh |
Trustee |
| Kathleen A. Blatz |
Nancy T. Lukitsh | ||
| /s/ Pamela G. Carlton |
Trustee |
/s/ David M. Moffett |
Trustee |
| Pamela G. Carlton |
David M. Moffett | ||
| /s/ Janet Langford Carrig |
Trustee |
/s/ Catherine James Paglia |
Trustee |
| Janet Langford Carrig |
Catherine James Paglia | ||
| /s/ J. Kevin Connaughton |
Trustee |
/s/ Natalie A. Trunow |
Trustee |
| J. Kevin Connaughton |
Natalie A. Trunow | ||
| /s/ Olive M. Darragh |
Trustee |
/s/ Sandra L. Yeager |
Trustee |
| Olive M. Darragh |
Sandra L. Yeager | ||
| /s/ Patricia M. Flynn |
Trustee |
|
|
| Patricia M. Flynn |
|
|
COLUMBIA FUNDS SERIES TRUST
COLUMBIA FUNDS SERIES TRUST I
COLUMBIA FUNDS SERIES TRUST II
COLUMBIA FUNDS VARIABLE INSURANCE TRUST
COLUMBIA FUNDS VARIABLE SERIES TRUST II
COLUMBIA ETF TRUST
COLUMBIA ETF TRUST I
COLUMBIA ETF TRUST II
(each a “Registrant”)
POWER OF ATTORNEY
The undersigned does hereby constitute and appoint Joseph D’Alessandro, Paul B. Goucher, Ryan C. Larrenaga, Christopher O. Petersen, Michael E. DeFao and Megan E. Garcy, each individually, his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent (each an “Attorney-in-Fact”) with power of substitution or resubstitution, in any and all capacities, including without limitation in the undersigned’s capacity as Chief Financial Officer, Principal Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of each Registrant, in the furtherance of the business and affairs of each Registrant: (i) to execute any and all instruments which said Attorney-in-Fact may deem necessary or advisable or which may be required to comply with the Securities Act of 1933, the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (together the “Acts”) and any other applicable federal securities laws, or rules, regulations or requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in respect thereof, in connection with the filing and effectiveness of each Registrant’s Registration Statement regarding the registration of each Registrant or its shares of beneficial interest, and any and all amendments thereto, including without limitation any reports, forms or other filings required by the Acts or any other applicable federal securities laws, or rules, regulations or requirements of the SEC; and (ii) to execute any and all federal, state or foreign regulatory or other required filings, including all applications with regulatory authorities, state charter or organizational documents and any amendments or supplements thereto, to be executed by, on behalf of, or for the benefit of, each Registrant. The undersigned hereby grants to each Attorney-in-Fact full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing contemplated above, as fully and to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or could do in person, and hereby ratifies and confirms all that said Attorneys-in-Fact, individually or collectively, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
This Power of Attorney shall not be revoked by any subsequent power of attorney I may execute unless such subsequent power of attorney specifically refers to this Power of Attorney or specifically states that the instrument is intended to revoke all prior general powers of attorney or all prior powers of attorney (and unless otherwise required by a provision of law that cannot be waived). This Power of Attorney shall terminate automatically with respect to a Registrant if the undersigned ceases to hold the above-referenced office(s) of a Registrant.
Dated: February 1, 2021
/s/ Michael G. Clarke
Michael G. Clarke
COLUMBIA ETF Trust
COLUMBIA ETF Trust I
COLUMBIA ETF TRUST II
(each a “Registrant”)
POWER OF ATTORNEY
The undersigned does hereby constitute and appoint Michael G. Clarke, Joseph Beranek, Joseph D’Alessandro, Paul B. Goucher, Ryan C. Larrenaga, Christopher O. Petersen, Michael E. DeFao and Megan E. Garcy, each individually, her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent (each an “Attorney-in-Fact”) with power of substitution or resubstitution, in any and all capacities, including without limitation in the undersigned’s capacity as Treasurer, Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer), and Principal Financial Officer of each Registrant, in the furtherance of the business and affairs of each Registrant: (i) to execute any and all instruments which said Attorney-in-Fact may deem necessary or advisable or which may be required to comply with the Securities Act of 1933, the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (together the “Acts”) and any other applicable federal securities laws, or rules, regulations or requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in respect thereof, in connection with the filing and effectiveness of each Registrant’s Registration Statement regarding the registration of each Registrant or its shares of beneficial interest, and any and all amendments thereto, including without limitation any reports, forms or other filings required by the Acts or any other applicable federal securities laws, or rules, regulations or requirements of the SEC; and (ii) to execute any and all federal, state or foreign regulatory or other required filings, including all applications with regulatory authorities, state charter or organizational documents and any amendments or supplements thereto, to be executed by, on behalf of, or for the benefit of, each Registrant. The undersigned hereby grants to each Attorney-in-Fact full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing contemplated above, as fully and to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or could do in person, and hereby ratifies and confirms all that said Attorneys-in-Fact, individually or collectively, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
This Power of Attorney shall not be revoked by any subsequent power of attorney I may execute unless such subsequent power of attorney specifically refers to this Power of Attorney or specifically states that the instrument is intended to revoke all prior general powers of attorney or all prior powers of attorney (and unless otherwise required by a provision of law that cannot be waived). This Power of Attorney shall terminate automatically with respect to a Registrant if the undersigned ceases to hold the above-referenced office(s) of the Registrant.
Dated: January 2, 2020
/s/ Marybeth Pilat
Marybeth Pilat
Marybeth Pilat
Exhibit Index
Exhibits Related to Item 28 of Part C
| (e)(1)(viii) |
Amendment No. 8, dated June 1, 2024, to the Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and ALPS Distributors, Inc., dated April 16, 2018 |
| (h)(1)(viii) |
Amendment to the Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement (Tailored Shareholder Reports), dated May 16, 2024, between The Bank of New York Mellon, Columbia ETF Trust II and the Registrant |
| (j)(3) |
Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, dated May 29, 2024, for Columbia International Equity Income ETF and Columbia U.S. Equity Income ETF |
Exhibits Related to XBRL Interactive Data Files
| Exhibit No. |
Description |
| EX-101.INS |
XBRL Instance Document |
| EX-101.SCH |
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document |
| EX-101.CAL |
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase |
| EX-101.DEF |
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase |
| EX-101.LAB |
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Linkbase |
| EX-101.PRE |
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase |