Stuart M. Strauss, Esq.
Allison M. Fumai, Esq.
Dechert LLP
1095 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10036
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Sarah E. Cogan, Esq.
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
425 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 10017
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Title of Securities
Being Registered
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Amount Being Registered(1)
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Proposed Maximum
Offering Price
Per Unit(2)
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Proposed
Maximum Aggregate Offering Price (2) |
Amount of
Registration Fee(3) |
Common stock, $0.0001 par value per share
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1,000 shares
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$20.00
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$20,000
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$1.43
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(1) |
Includes shares that may be offered to the Underwriters pursuant to an option to cover over-allotments.
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(2) | Estimated solely for purposes of calculating the registration fee in accordance with Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act of 1933. |
(3) | Previously paid. |
Per Share
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Total(1)
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|||||||
Public Offering Price
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$
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20.00
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$
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|||||
Sales Load(2)
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$
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0.60
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$
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|||||
Proceeds, After Expenses, to the Fund(3)
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$
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19.36
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$
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(1) | The Fund has granted the underwriters an option to purchase up to additional shares of common stock at the Public Offering Price less the Sales Load within 45 days of the date of this Prospectus, solely to cover overallotments, if any. If this option is exercised in full, the total Public Offering Price, Sales Load, and Proceeds, After Expenses, to the Fund, will be $ , $ and $ , respectively. See “Underwriters.” |
(2)
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The Fund has agreed to pay distribution assistance fees to ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. ALPS Advisors, Inc. (the “Adviser”) and RiverNorth Capital Management, LLC (the “Subadviser”) (and not the Fund) have agreed to pay from their own assets a structuring fee to Wells Fargo Securities, LLC. The Adviser and the Subadviser (and not the Fund) may also pay certain other qualifying underwriters a structuring fee, sales incentive fee, or additional compensation in connection with the offering. Furthermore, the Fund has agreed to reimburse the underwriters for certain expenses in connection with this offering. See “Underwriters.”
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(3) | The Adviser and the Subadviser have agreed to bear (a) all organizational expenses of the Fund and (b) such offering expenses of the Fund (other than the sales load) that exceed $0.04 per share of the Fund’s common stock. Proceeds to the Fund are calculated after expenses paid by the Fund. See “Underwriters.” |
Wells Fargo Securities
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Prospectus Summary
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1
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Summary Of Fund Expenses
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18
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The Fund
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20
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Use Of Proceeds
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20
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Investment Objective, Strategies And Policies
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20
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Contingent Conversion Feature
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22
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Use Of Leverage
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22
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Risks
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24
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Management Of The Fund
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41
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Net Asset Value
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43
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Dividends And Distributions
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43
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Dividend Reinvestment Plan
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45
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Description Of The Common Shares
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46
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Certain Provisions Of The Fund’s Charter And Bylaws And Of Maryland Law
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47
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Repurchase Of Shares
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54
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Conversion To Open-End Fund
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54
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U.S. Federal Income Tax Matters
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55
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Underwriters
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58
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Custodian And Transfer Agent
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61
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Legal Matters
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61
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Additional Information
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61
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The Fund’s Privacy Policy
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61
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Table Of Contents For The Statement Of Additional Information
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63
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The Fund
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RiverNorth Opportunities Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”) is a Maryland corporation registered as a diversified, closed-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). An investment in the Fund may not be appropriate for all investors. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
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The Offering
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The Fund is offering shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, at $20.00 per share through a group of underwriters led by Wells Fargo Securities, LLC. The minimum purchase in this offering is 100 Common Shares ($2,000). The Fund has granted the underwriters an option to purchase up to additional Common Shares to cover overallotments. See “Underwriters.” ALPS Advisors, Inc., the investment adviser to the Fund (the “Adviser”), and RiverNorth Capital Management, LLC, the subadviser to the Fund (the “Subadviser”), have agreed to bear (1) all organizational expenses of the Fund and (2) such offering expenses of the Fund (other than the sales load) that exceed $0.04 per share of the Fund’s Common Shares. The aggregate offering expenses (other than the sales load) to be incurred by the Fund currently are estimated to be $ . Proceeds to the Fund are calculated after expenses paid by the Fund.
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Investment Objective
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The Fund’s investment objective is total return consisting of capital appreciation and current income. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
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Principal Investment Strategies
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The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by pursuing a tactical asset allocation strategy and opportunistically investing under normal circumstances in closed-end funds and exchange-traded funds (“ETFs” and collectively, “Underlying Funds”). Underlying Funds also may include business development companies (“BDCs”). All Underlying Funds will be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Subadviser has the flexibility to change the Fund’s asset allocation based on its ongoing analysis of the equity, fixed income and alternative asset markets. The Subadviser considers various quantitative and qualitative factors relating to the domestic and foreign securities markets and economies when making asset allocation and security selection decisions. While the Subadviser continuously evaluates these factors, material shifts in the Fund’s asset class exposures will typically take place over longer periods of time.
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Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 65% of its Managed Assets in closed-end funds and at least 80% of its Managed Assets in Underlying Funds. “Managed Assets” means the total assets of the Fund, including assets attributable to leverage, minus liabilities (other than debt representing leverage and any preferred stock that may be outstanding). The Underlying Funds in which the Fund invests will not include those that are advised or subadvised by the Adviser, the Subadviser or their affiliates. The Fund directly, and therefore holders of Common Shares (“Common Shareholders”) indirectly, will bear the expenses of the Underlying Funds.
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Under normal market conditions: (i) no more than 80% of the Fund’s Managed Assets will be invested in “equity” Underlying Funds; (ii) no more than 60% of the Fund’s Managed Assets will be invested in “fixed income” Underlying Funds; (iii) no more than 30% of the Fund’s Managed Assets will be invested in “global equity” Underlying Funds; (iv) no more than 15% of the Fund’s Managed Assets will be invested in “emerging market equity” Underlying Funds; (v) no more than 30% of the Fund’s Managed Assets will be invested in “high yield” (also known as “junk bond”) and “senior loan” Underlying Funds; (vi) no more than 15% of the Fund’s Managed Assets will be invested in “emerging market income” Underlying Funds; (vii) no more than 15% of the Fund’s Managed Assets will be invested in “real estate” Underlying Funds; and (viii) no more than 15% of the Fund’s Managed Assets will be invested in “energy master limited partnership” (“MLP”) Underlying Funds. Underlying Funds included in the 30% limitation applicable to investments in “global equity” Underlying Funds may include Underlying Funds that invest a portion of their assets in emerging markets securities. The Fund will also limit its investments in closed-end funds (including BDCs) that have been in operation for less than one year to no more than 10% of the Fund’s Managed Assets. The Fund will not invest in inverse ETFs and leveraged ETFs. The types of Underlying Funds referenced in this paragraph will be categorized in accordance with the fund categories established and maintained by Morningstar, Inc. The investment parameters stated above (and elsewhere in this Prospectus) apply only at the time of purchase.
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In selecting closed-end funds, the Subadviser opportunistically utilizes a combination of short-term and longer-term trading strategies to seek to derive value from the discount and premium spreads associated with closed-end funds. The Subadviser employs both a quantitative and qualitative approach in its selection of closed-end funds and has developed proprietary screening models and algorithms to trade closed-end funds. The Subadviser employs the following trading strategies, among others:
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Statistical Analysis (Mean Reversion)
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·
Using proprietary quantitative models, the Subadviser seeks to identify closed-end funds that are trading at compelling absolute and / or relative discounts.
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The Fund will attempt to capitalize on the perceived mispricing if the Subadviser believes that the discount widening is irrational and expects the discount to narrow to longer-term mean valuations.
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Corporate Actions
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The Subadviser will pursue investments in closed-end funds that have announced, or the Subadviser believes are likely to announce, certain corporate actions that may drive value for their shareholders
.
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The Subadviser has developed trading strategies that focus on closed-end fund tender offers, rights offerings, shareholder distributions, open-endings and liquidations.
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The Fund will invest in other Underlying Funds (that are not closed-end funds) to gain exposure to specific asset classes when the Subadviser believes closed-end fund discount or premium spreads are not attractive or to manage overall closed-end fund exposure in the Fund.
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Under normal circumstances, the Fund intends to maintain long positions in Underlying Funds, but may at times establish hedging positions. Hedging positions may include short sales and derivatives, such as options and swaps (“Hedging Positions”). Under normal market conditions, no more than 30% of the Fund’s Managed Assets will be in Hedging Positions. When the Fund engages in a short sale, it sells a security it does not own and, to complete the sale, borrows the same security from a broker or other institution. The Fund may benefit from a short position when the shorted security decreases in value. The Subadviser intends to use Hedging Positions to lower the Fund’s volatility but they may also be used to seek to enhance the Fund’s return. The Fund’s investments in derivatives will be included under the 65% and 80% policy noted above so long as the underlying asset of such derivatives is a closed-end fund or Underlying Fund, respectively.
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The Fund also may invest up to 20% of its Managed Assets in exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”), certain derivatives, such as options and swaps, cash and cash equivalents. Such investments will not be counted towards the Fund’s 80% policy.
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There are no limits on the Fund’s portfolio turnover, and the Fund may buy and sell securities to take advantage of potential short-term trading opportunities without regard to length of time and when the Subadviser believes investment considerations warrant such action.
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The Fund may attempt to enhance the return on the cash portion of its portfolio (and not for hedging purposes) by investing in a total return swap agreement. A total return swap agreement provides the Fund with a return based on the performance of an underlying asset, in exchange for fee payments to a counterparty based on a specific rate. The difference in the value of these income streams is recorded daily by the Fund, and is typically settled in cash at least monthly. If the underlying asset declines in value over the term of the swap, the Fund would be required to pay the dollar value of that decline plus any applicable fees to the counterparty. The Fund may use its own net asset value or any other reference asset that the Subadviser chooses as the underlying asset in a total return swap. The Fund will limit the notional amount of all total return swaps in the aggregate to 15% of the Fund’s Managed Assets. See “Investment Objective, Strategies and Policies—Principal Investment Strategies.”
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Contingent Conversion Feature
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The Fund’s Charter provides that, during calendar year 2021, the Fund will call a shareholder meeting for the purpose of voting to determine whether the Fund should convert to an open-end management investment company (such meeting date, as may be adjourned, the “Conversion Vote Date”). Such shareholder meeting may be adjourned or postponed in accordance with the By-Laws of the Fund to a date in calendar year 2021. A vote on such Conversion Vote Date to convert the Fund to an open-end management investment company under the Charter requires approval by a majority of the Fund’s total outstanding shares. A majority is defined as greater than 50% of the Fund’s total outstanding shares. If approved by shareholders on the Conversion Vote Date, the Fund will seek to convert to an open-end management investment company within 12 months of such approval. If the requisite number of votes to convert the Fund to an open-end management investment company is not obtained on the Conversion Vote Date, the Fund will continue in operation as a closed-end management investment company. See “Conversion to Open-End Fund” and “Risks—Contingent Conversion Risk” below.
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Use of Leverage
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The Fund may borrow money and/or issue preferred stock, notes or debt securities for investment purposes. These practices are known as leveraging. The Fund may use leverage through borrowings or the issuance of preferred stock, in an aggregate amount of up to 15% of the Fund’s Managed Assets immediately after such borrowings or issuance. However, the Fund is not required to decrease its use of leverage if leverage exceeds 15%, but is less than 20% of the Fund’s Managed Assets due solely to changes in market conditions. Based on market conditions at the time, the Fund may instead use such leverage in amounts that represent less than 15% of the Fund’s Managed Assets. The Subadviser will assess whether or not to engage in leverage based on its assessment of conditions in the debt and credit markets. Leverage, if used, may take the form of a borrowing or the issuance of preferred stock, although the Fund currently anticipates that leverage will initially be obtained through the use of bank borrowings or other similar term loans. The Underlying Funds that the Fund invests in may also use leverage; provided, however, it is the intention of the Fund that the Fund’s direct use of leverage and the Fund’s overall exposure to leverage utilized by all the Underlying Funds will not exceed 33 1/3% of the Fund’s Managed Assets. To the extent that the Fund’s exposure to leverage utilized by all the Underlying Funds is 33 1/3% of the Fund’s Managed Assets, the Fund intends to not utilize leverage directly. The Fund’s intention to limit leverage is contingent upon the Subadviser’s ability to adequately determine an Underlying Fund’s current amount of leverage, which may be severely limited, and ultimately unsuccessful.
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Notwithstanding the limits discussed above, the Fund may enter into derivatives or other transactions (e.g., total return swaps) that may provide leverage (other than through borrowings or the issuance of preferred stock), but which are not subject to the foregoing limitations, if the Fund earmarks or segregates liquid assets (or enters into offsetting positions) in accordance with applicable Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) regulations and interpretations to cover its obligations under those transactions and instruments. These additional transactions will not cause the Fund to pay higher advisory or administration fee rates than it would pay in the absence of such transactions. In addition, these transactions will entail additional expenses (e.g., transaction costs) which will be borne by the Fund.
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If the net rate of return on the Fund’s investments purchased with the leverage proceeds exceeds the interest or dividend rate payable on the leverage, such excess earnings will be available to pay higher dividends to holders of the Fund’s Common Shares (the “Common Shareholders”). If the net rate of return on the Fund’s investments purchased with leverage proceeds does not exceed the costs of leverage, the return to Common Shareholders will be less than if leverage had not been used. The use of leverage magnifies gains and losses to Common Shareholders. Since the holders of common stock pay all expenses related to the issuance of debt or use of leverage, any use of leverage would create a greater risk of loss for the shares of common stock than if leverage is not used. There can be no assurance that a leveraging strategy will be successful during any period in which it is employed. See “Use of Leverage” and “Risks—Leverage Risks.”
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Investment Adviser and Subadviser
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The Fund has agreed to pay the Adviser a management fee payable on a monthly basis at the annual rate of 1.00% of the Fund’s average daily Managed Assets for the services and facilities it provides. The Adviser (and not the Fund) has agreed to pay the Subadviser a subadvisory fee payable on a monthly basis at the annual rate of 0.85% of the Fund’s average daily Managed Assets for the services it provides. As a result, the Adviser and the Subadviser are paid more if the Fund uses leverage, which creates a conflict of interest for the Adviser and the Subadviser. The Subadviser will seek to manage that potential conflict by utilizing leverage only when it determines such action is in the best interests of the Fund. For more information on fees and expenses, see “Summary of Fund Expenses” and “Management of the Fund.”
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The Fund’s shareholders will indirectly bear the expenses, including the management fees, of the Underlying Funds.
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Administrator
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ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“AFS”) is the Fund’s administrator. Under an Administration, Bookkeeping and Pricing Services Agreement (the “Administration Agreement”), AFS is responsible for calculating net asset values, providing additional fund accounting and tax services, and providing fund administration and compliance-related services. AFS is entitled to receive a monthly fee at the annual rate of 0.15% of the Fund’s average daily Managed Assets. See “Summary of Fund Expenses.”
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Dividends and Distributions
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Commencing with the Fund’s first dividend, the Fund intends to implement a level distribution policy. The Fund intends to distribute to Common Shareholders regular monthly cash distributions of its net investment income. In addition, the Fund intends to distribute its net realized capital gains, if any, at least annually. The Fund expects to declare its initial monthly dividend within 30 to 45 days and pay its initial monthly dividend within approximately 60 to 75 days after the completion of this offering, depending on market conditions. At times, to maintain a stable level of distributions, the Fund may pay out less than all of its net investment income or pay out accumulated undistributed income, or return capital, in addition to current net investment income. Any distribution that is treated as a return of capital generally will reduce a shareholder’s basis in his or her shares, which may increase the capital gain or reduce the capital loss realized upon the sale of such shares. Any amounts received in excess of a shareholder’s basis are generally treated as capital gain, assuming the shares are held as capital assets.
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The Adviser has received an order granting an exemption from Section 19(b) of the 1940 Act and Rule 19b-1 thereunder to permit the Fund, subject to certain terms and conditions, to include realized long-term capital gains as a part of its regular distributions to Common Shareholders more frequently than would otherwise be permitted by the 1940 Act (generally once per taxable year). To the extent that the Adviser relies on the exemptive order, the Fund will be required to comply with the terms and conditions therein, which, among other things, requires the Fund to make certain disclosures to shareholders and prospective shareholders regarding distributions, and would require the Fund's Board of Directors to make determinations regarding the appropriateness of use of the distribution policy. Under such a distribution policy, it is possible that the Fund might distribute more than its income and net realized capital gains; therefore, distributions to shareholders may result in a return of capital. There is no assurance that the Fund will rely on the exemptive order in the future. See “Dividends and Distributions.”
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In addition to regular monthly distributions, for the first year following the completion of this offering, the Fund intends to pay quarterly distributions (each, a “Contingent Quarterly Special Distribution”) to Common Shareholders if the conditions described below have been met (the “Contingent Quarterly Special Distribution Program”). The date on which the amount of the Contingent Quarterly Special Distribution will be measured (each, a “Quarterly Special Distribution Measurement Date”) for the first Contingent Quarterly Special Distribution will be March 15, 2016
and subsequent Quarterly Special Distribution Measurement Dates will occur every three months thereafter (a “Quarterly Special Distribution Period”) on the 15th day of each such month (or, if such date is not a business day, on the first business day thereafter) during the one-year period following the completion of this offering. The aggregate amount payable for each Quarterly Special Distribution Period is expected to be equal to 50% of the amount by which the net asset value of the Fund as of the applicable Quarterly Special Distribution Measurement Date (the “Measurement NAV”) exceeds the net asset value of the Fund as of the most recent prior Quarterly Special Distribution Measurement Date for which a Contingent Quarterly Special Distribution was paid (the “Benchmark NAV”). The calculation of the Measurement NAV and the Benchmark NAV will be appropriately adjusted to reflect distributions paid or to be paid by the Fund. For purposes of calculating the Measurement NAV, the Fund will subtract from the net asset value as of the Quarterly Special Distribution Measurement Date the amount of any regular monthly distribution not reflected in the net asset value on such date but which is declared prior to or simultaneous with the declaration of the Contingent Quarterly Special Distribution during that month. In addition, for purposes of calculating the Benchmark NAV, the Fund will subtract from the NAV as of the Quarterly Special Distribution Measurement Date for the applicable prior Quarterly Special Distribution Period the amounts of any Contingent Quarterly Special Distribution and regular monthly distribution that had not been reflected in the net asset value as of such date but were declared by the end of the month in which such Quarterly Special Distribution Measurement Date occurred. For the purposes of the first Contingent Quarterly Special Distribution, the Benchmark NAV will be $19.36 per Common Share. There can be no assurance that the net asset value of the Fund will increase or any Contingent Quarterly Special Distribution will be made by the Fund. The Board of Directors will review the Contingent Quarterly Special Distribution Program from time to time and may determine to modify, suspend or cancel the program. The Fund will provide Common Shareholders with advance notice in the event of any such determination by the Board of Directors to modify, suspend or cancel the Contingent Quarterly Special Distribution Program. See “Risks—Contingent Quarterly Special Distribution Program Risk” and “U.S. Federal Income Tax Matters.” Unless an election is made to receive distributions in cash, Common Shareholders will automatically have their Contingent Quarterly Special Distributions reinvested in Common Shares through the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan (the “Plan”). See “Dividend Reinvestment Plan” for more information, including information on how to opt out of the Plan.
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Dividend Reinvestment Plan
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The Fund has a Plan commonly referred to as an “opt-out” plan. Each Common Shareholder who participates in the Plan will have all distributions of dividends and capital gains automatically reinvested in additional Common Shares. Shareholders who elect not to participate in the Plan will receive all distributions in cash. Shareholders whose Common Shares are held in the name of a broker or nominee should contact the broker or nominee to determine whether and how they may participate in the Plan. See “Dividend Reinvestment Plan” and “U.S. Federal Income Tax Matters.”
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Listing of Common Shares
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It is expected that the Common Shares will be approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), subject to notice of issuance, under the symbol “RIV.”
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Risk Considerations
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Risk is inherent in all investing.
Investing in any investment company security involves risk, including the risk that you may receive little or no return on your investment or even that you may lose part or all of your investment. Therefore, before investing in the Common Shares, you should consider the following risks as well as the other information in this Prospectus. See “Risks” below for more information about risk.
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Structural Risks:
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No Operating History
. The Fund is a diversified, closed-end management investment company with no operating history.
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Not a Complete Investment Program.
The Fund is intended for investors seeking total return consisting of capital appreciation and current income over the long-term and is not intended to be a short-term trading vehicle. An investment in the Common Shares of the Fund should not be considered a complete investment program. Each investor should take into account the Fund’s investment objective and other characteristics, as well as the investor’s other investments, when considering an investment in the Common Shares. An investment in the Fund may not be appropriate for all investors.
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Leverage Risks.
The Fund may borrow money, or issue debt or preferred stock in an aggregate amount of up to 15% of the Fund’s Managed Assets immediately after such borrowings or issuance. The Underlying Funds that the Fund invests in may also use leverage; provided, however, it is the intention of the Fund that the Fund’s direct use of leverage and the Fund’s overall exposure to leverage utilized by all the Underlying Funds will not exceed 33 1/3% of the Fund’s Managed Assets. To the extent that the Fund’s exposure to leverage utilized by all the Underlying Funds is 33 1/3% of the Fund’s Managed Assets, the Fund intends to not utilize leverage directly. The Fund’s intention to limit leverage is contingent upon the Subadviser’s ability to adequately determine an Underlying Fund’s current amount of leverage, which may be severely limited, and ultimately unsuccessful. Since Common Shareholders pay all expenses related to the issuance of debt or use of leverage, the use of leverage through borrowing of money, issuance of debt securities or the issuance of preferred stock for investment purposes creates risks for the holders of Common Shares. Leverage is a speculative technique that exposes the Fund to greater risk and increased costs than if it were not implemented. Increases and decreases in the value of the Fund’s portfolio will be magnified when the Fund uses leverage. As a result, leverage may cause greater changes in the Fund’s net asset value. The Fund will also have to pay interest on its borrowings or dividends on preferred stock, if any, which may reduce the Fund’s return. The leverage costs may be greater than the Fund’s return on the underlying investment. The Fund’s leveraging strategy may not be successful. Leverage risk would also apply to the Fund’s investments in Underlying Funds to the extent an Underlying Fund uses leverage. See “Use of Leverage” and “Risks—Leverage Risks.”
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Market Discount.
Common stock of closed-end funds frequently trades at a discount from its net asset value. This risk may be greater for investors selling their shares in a relatively short period of time after completion of the initial offering. The Fund’s Common Shares may trade at a price that is less than the initial offering price. This risk would also apply to the Fund’s investments in closed-end funds.
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Anti-Takeover Provisions.
Maryland law and the Fund’s Charter and Bylaws include provisions that could limit the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund or convert the Fund to open-end status. These provisions could deprive the holders of Common Shares of opportunities to sell their Common Shares at a premium over the then current market price of the Common Shares or at net asset value. See “Certain Provisions of the Fund’s Charter and Bylaws and of Maryland Law.” This risk would also apply to many of the Fund’s investments in closed-end funds.
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Contingent Conversion Risk.
The Fund will bear the costs associated with calling a shareholder meeting for the purpose of voting to determine whether the Fund should convert to an open-end management investment company. In the event of conversion to an open-end management investment company, the shares would cease to be listed on the NYSE or other national securities exchange, and such shares would thereafter be redeemable at the Fund’s net asset value at the option of the shareholder, rather than traded in the secondary market at market price, which, for closed-end fund shares, may at times be at a premium to the Fund’s net asset value. Any borrowings (other than borrowings from a bank) or preferred shares of the Fund would need to be repaid or redeemed upon conversion and, accordingly, a portion of the Fund’s portfolio may need to be liquidated, potentially resulting in, among other things, lower current income. In addition, open-end management investment companies may be subject to continuous asset in-flows and out-flows that can complicate portfolio management and limit the Fund’s ability to make certain types of investments. As a result, the Fund may incur increased expenses and may be required to sell portfolio securities at inopportune times in order to accommodate such flows. See “Contingent Conversion Feature.”
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Contingent Quarterly Special Distribution Program Risk.
In addition to regular monthly distributions, the Fund intends to pay quarterly distributions for a one-year period following the completion of this offering pursuant to its Contingent Quarterly Special Distribution Program. See “Dividends and Distributions.” In order to pay Contingent Quarterly Special Distributions, the Fund may have to sell portfolio investments, including at times when independent investment judgment might not dictate such action. Such sales of the Fund’s portfolio investments would result in greater brokerage commissions and other transactional expenses that are borne by the Fund, and may result in the realization of net short-term capital gains by the Fund which, when distributed to Common Shareholders, will be taxable as ordinary income.
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The Fund may be required to pay Contingent Quarterly Special Distributions that exceed its net investment income and realized capital gains. Therefore, all or a portion of a Contingent Quarterly Special Distribution may result in a return of capital, which represents a return on a Common Shareholder’s original investment in the Common Shares, and not a distribution from the Fund’s earnings and profits. Distributions that represent a return of capital should not be considered as dividend yield nor as part of the total return from an investment in the Fund. A return of capital will reduce a Common Shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in his or her Common Shares, with any amount distributed in excess of basis treated as capital gain. Although a return of capital may not be taxable, it will generally increase the Common Shareholder’s potential gain, or reduce the Common Shareholder’s potential loss, on the subsequent sale or other disposition of his or her Common Shares. It is possible that a return of capital could cause a Common Shareholder to pay a tax on capital gains with respect to Common Shares that are sold for an amount less than the price originally paid for them. See “U.S. Federal Income Tax Matters.”
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The net asset value of the Fund may fluctuate over the course of a Quarterly Special Distribution Period and, at times during such period, the Fund’s net asset value may exceed the Benchmark NAV. However, if the Measurement NAV does not exceed the Benchmark NAV on the Quarterly Special Distribution Measurement Date, no Contingent Quarterly Special Distribution will be paid. In addition, the net asset value of the Fund is reduced by regular monthly distributions paid by the Fund. There can be no assurance that there will be any increase in the net asset value of the Fund.
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The Contingent Quarterly Special Distributions will decrease the Fund’s total assets and, as a result, would have the likely effect of increasing the Fund’s expense ratio. There is no guarantee that the Fund will be able to replace the assets depleted as a result of any Contingent Quarterly Special Distributions paid to Common Shareholders and such assets used to make such distributions will not be available for investment pursuant to the Fund’s investment objective.
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There can be no assurance that the net asset value of the Fund will increase or any Contingent Quarterly Special Distribution will be made by the Fund. The Board of Directors may determine to modify, suspend or cancel the program. The overall impact of the Contingent Quarterly Special Distribution Program, or any modification, suspension or cancellation of the program, on the secondary market for the Common Shares is uncertain. Shares of closed-end funds listed for trading on a securities exchange frequently trade at a discount from net asset value, but in some cases trade at a premium. There can be no assurance that the Contingent Quarterly Special Distribution Program, or any modification, suspension or cancellation of the program, would not result in the Common Shares trading at a larger discount, or smaller premium, to net asset value than would otherwise have been the case.
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In implementing the Contingent Quarterly Special Distribution Program, the Fund will not be relying on its exemptive relief from Section 19(b) of the 1940 Act and Rule 19b-1 thereunder which would allow the Fund to distribute long-term capital gains more frequently than would otherwise be permitted under the 1940 Act. If the Fund relies on such exemptive order in the future, the Fund may be required to make an additional distribution consisting of long-term capital gains, which could have the effect of reducing the assets of the Fund available for investment, in order to comply with the applicable provisions of Section 19(b) and Rule 19b-1 thereunder.
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Investment-Related Risks:
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The risks listed below are in alphabetical order. With the exception of Underlying Fund risk (and except as otherwise noted below), the following risks apply to the direct investments the Fund may make, and generally apply to the Fund’s investments in Underlying Funds. That said, each risk described below may not apply to each Underlying Fund. Similarly, an Underlying Fund may be subject to additional or different risks than those described below.
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Asset Allocation Risks.
To the extent that the Subadviser’s asset allocation strategy may fail to produce the intended result, the Fund’s return may suffer. Additionally, the active asset allocation style of the Fund leads to changing allocations over time and represents a risk to investors who target fixed asset allocations. See “Risks—Asset Allocation Risks.”
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Convertible Securities Risks.
The Underlying Funds may invest in convertible securities. The market value of convertible securities tends to fall when prevailing interest rates rise. The value of convertible securities also tends to change whenever the market value of the underlying common or preferred stock fluctuates. Convertible securities tend to be of lower credit quality. See “Risks—Convertible Securities Risks.”
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Defensive Measures.
The Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments as a defensive measure in response to adverse market conditions or opportunistically at the discretion of the Subadviser. During these periods, the Fund may not be pursuing its investment objective. See “Risks—Defensive Measures.”
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Derivatives Risks.
The Fund and the Underlying Funds may enter into derivatives. Derivative transactions involve investment techniques and risks different from those associated with investments in Underlying Funds. Generally, a derivative is a financial contract the value of which depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate, or index, and may relate to individual debt or equity instruments, interest rates, currencies or currency exchange rates, commodities, related indexes, and other assets. Derivatives can be volatile and involve various types and degrees of risk, depending upon the characteristics of a particular derivative. Derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest, meaning that a small investment in a derivative could have a large potential impact on the performance of the Fund or an Underlying Fund. The Fund or an Underlying Fund could experience a loss if derivatives do not perform as anticipated, if they are not correlated with the performance of other investments which they are used to hedge or if the fund is unable to liquidate a position because of an illiquid secondary market. When used for speculative purposes, derivatives will produce enhanced investment exposure, which will magnify gains and losses. The Fund and the Underlying Funds also will be subject to credit risk with respect to the counterparties to the derivatives contracts purchased by such fund. If a counterparty becomes bankrupt or otherwise fails to perform its obligations under a derivative contract due to financial difficulties, the Fund or an Underlying Fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery under the derivative contract in a bankruptcy or other reorganization proceeding. The Fund or an Underlying Fund may obtain only a limited recovery or may obtain no recovery in such circumstances. See “Risks—Derivatives Risks” and “—Option and Futures Risks.
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Defaulted and Distressed Securities Risks.
The Underlying Funds may invest in defaulted and distressed securities. Legal difficulties and negotiations with creditors and other claimants are common when dealing with defaulted or distressed companies. Defaulted or distressed companies may be insolvent or in bankruptcy. In the event of a default, an Underlying Fund may incur additional expenses to seek recovery. The repayment of defaulted bonds is subject to significant uncertainties, and in some cases, there may be no recovery of repayment. Defaulted bonds might be repaid only after lengthy workout or bankruptcy proceedings, during which the issuer might not make any interest or other payments. With distressed investing, often there is a time lag between when a fund makes an investment and when an Underlying Fund realizes the value of the investment. In addition, an Underlying Fund may incur legal and other monitoring costs in protecting the value of the Underlying Fund’s claims. See “Risks—Defaulted and Distressed Securities Risks.”
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Equity Securities Risks.
The Underlying Funds may invest in equity securities. While equity securities have historically generated higher average returns than fixed income securities, equity securities have also experienced significantly more volatility in those returns. An adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of an issuer’s equity securities held by an Underlying Fund. Equity security prices fluctuate for several reasons, including changes in investors’ perceptions of the financial condition of an issuer or the general condition of the relevant stock market, or when political or economic events affecting the issuers occur. The value of an Underlying Fund’s shares will go up and down due to movement in the collective returns of the individual securities held by the Underlying Fund. Common stocks are subordinate to preferred stocks and debt in a company’s capital structure, and if a company is liquidated, the claims of secured and unsecured creditors and owners of preferred stocks take precedence over the claims of those who own common stocks. In addition, equity security prices may be particularly sensitive to rising interest rates, as the cost of capital rises and borrowing costs increase See “Risks—Equity Securities Risks.”
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Exchange-Traded Note Risks.
The Fund and the Underlying Funds may invest in ETNs, which are notes representing unsecured debt issued by an underwriting bank. ETNs are typically linked to the performance of an index plus a specified rate of interest that could be earned on cash collateral. The value of an ETN may be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying markets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer’s credit rating and economic, legal, political or geographic events that affect the referenced index. ETNs typically mature 30 years from the date of issue. There may be restrictions on a fund’s right to liquidate its investment in an ETN prior to maturity (for example, a fund may only be able to offer its ETN for repurchase by the issuer on a weekly basis), and there may be limited availability of a secondary market. See “Risks—Exchange-Traded Note Risks.”
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Fixed Income Risks.
The Underlying Funds may invest in fixed income securities. Fixed income securities increase or decrease in value based on changes in interest rates. If rates increase, the value of a fund’s fixed income securities generally declines. On the other hand, if rates fall, the value of the fixed income securities generally increases. This risk is increased in the case of issuers of high yield securities, also known as “junk bonds.” High yield securities are predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation. In typical interest rate environments, the prices of longer-term fixed income securities generally fluctuate more than the prices of shorter-term fixed income securities as interest rates change. These risks may be greater in the current market environment because certain interest rates are near historically low levels. The issuer of a fixed income security may not be able to make interest and principal payments when due. In general, lower rated fixed income securities carry a greater degree of credit risk. See “Risks—Fixed Income Risks.”
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Foreign Investing Risks.
The Underlying Funds may invest in foreign securities. Investments in foreign securities may be affected by currency controls and exchange rates; different accounting, auditing, financial reporting, and legal standards and practices; expropriation; changes in tax policy; social, political and economic instability; greater market volatility; differing securities market structures; higher transaction costs; and various administrative difficulties, such as delays in clearing and settling portfolio transactions or in receiving payment of dividends. In addition, changes in government administrations or economic or monetary policies in the United States or abroad could result in appreciation or depreciation of the Fund’s securities. These risks may be heightened in connection with investments in emerging or developing countries. To the extent that an Underlying Fund invests in depositary receipts, the Underlying Fund will be subject to many of the same risks as when investing directly in foreign securities. The effect of recent, worldwide economic instability on specific foreign markets or issuers may be difficult to predict or evaluate, and some national economies continue to show profound instability, which may in turn affect their international trading partners. See “Risks—Foreign Investing Risks.”
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Illiquid Securities Risks.
The Underlying Funds may invest in illiquid securities. It may not be possible to sell or otherwise dispose of illiquid securities both at the price and within the time period deemed desirable by the Fund. Illiquid securities also may be difficult to value. See “Risks—Illiquid Securities Risks.”
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Initial Public Offerings Risks.
The Fund and the Underlying Funds may purchase securities in initial public offerings (IPOs). Investing in IPOs has added risks because the shares are frequently volatile in price. As a result, their performance can be more volatile and they face greater risk of business failure, which could increase the volatility of an Underlying Fund’s portfolio. See “Risks—Initial Public Offerings Risks.”
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Investment and Market Risks.
An investment in Common Shares is subject to investment risk, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount invested. An investment in Common Shares represents an indirect investment in the Underlying Funds owned by the Fund. The value of the Underlying Funds, like other market investments, may move up or down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. Overall stock market risks may also affect the value of the Fund or the Underlying Funds. Factors such as domestic and foreign economic growth and market conditions, interest rate levels and political events affect the securities markets. The Common Shares at any point in time may be worth less than the original investment, even after taking into account any reinvestment of dividends and distributions.
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Legislation and Regulatory Risks
. At any time after the date of this Prospectus, legislation or additional regulations may be enacted that could negatively affect the assets of the Fund or the issuers of such assets. Changing approaches to regulation may have a negative impact on the entities and/or securities in which the Fund or an Underlying Fund invests. Legislation or regulation may also change the way in which the Fund or an Underlying Fund is regulated. New or amended regulations may be imposed by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”), the SEC, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”) or other financial regulators, other governmental regulatory authorities or self-regulatory organizations that supervise the financial markets that could adversely affect the Fund or the Underlying Funds. In particular, these agencies are empowered to promulgate a variety of new rules pursuant to recently enacted financial reform legislation in the United States. There can be no assurance that future legislation, regulation or deregulation will not have a material adverse effect on the Fund or will not impair the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective. The Fund and the Underlying Funds also may be adversely affected by changes in the enforcement or interpretation of existing statutes and rules by these govern. See “Risks—Legislation and Regulatory Risks.”
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Management Risks.
The Subadviser’s judgments about the attractiveness, value and potential appreciation of a particular asset class or individual security in which the Fund invests may prove to be incorrect and there is no guarantee that the Subadviser’s judgment will produce the desired results. Similarly, the Fund’s investments in Underlying Funds are subject to the judgment of the Underlying Funds’ managers which may prove to be incorrect. In addition, the Subadviser will have limited information as to the portfolio holdings of the Underlying Funds at any given time. This may result in the Subadviser having less ability to respond to changing market conditions. The Fund may allocate its assets so as to under-emphasize or over-emphasize ETFs or other investments under the wrong market conditions, in which case the Fund’s net asset value may be adversely affected. See “Risks—Management Risks.”
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Market Disruption and Geopolitical Risks.
The ongoing U.S. military and related action in Iraq and Afghanistan and events in the Middle East and Ukraine, as well as the continuing threat of terrorist attacks, could have significant adverse effects on the U.S. economy, the stock market and world economies and markets generally. A disruption of financial markets or other terrorist attacks could adversely affect the Fund’s or an Underlying Fund’s service providers and/or the Fund's or an Underlying Fund’s operations as well as interest rates, secondary trading, credit risk, inflation and other factors relating to the Common Shares. The Fund cannot predict the effects or likelihood of similar events in the future on the U.S. and world economies, the value of the Common Shares or the net asset value of the Fund. Assets of companies, including those held in the Fund’s portfolio, could be direct targets, or indirect casualties, of an act of terrorism. See “Risks—Market Disruption and Geopolitical Risks.”
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Master Limited Partnerships Risks.
The Underlying Funds may invest in MLPs. Investments in publicly traded MLPs, which are limited partnerships or limited liability companies taxable as partnerships, involve some risks that differ from an investment in the common stock of a corporation, including risks related to limited control and limited rights to vote on matters affecting MLPs, risks related to potential conflicts of interest between an MLP and the MLP’s general partner, cash flow risks, dilution risks and risks related to the general partner’s right to require unit-holders to sell their common units at an undesirable time or price. MLPs may derive income and gains from the exploration, development, mining or production, processing, refining, transportation (including pipelines transporting gas, oil, or products thereof), or the marketing of any mineral or natural resources. MLPs may be subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or will otherwise be less liquid than publicly traded securities. Certain MLP securities may trade in lower volumes due to their smaller capitalizations. Accordingly, those MLPs may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements and may lack sufficient market liquidity to enable an Underlying Fund to effect sales at an advantageous time or without a substantial drop in price. As a result, these investments may be difficult to dispose of at a fair price at the times when an Underlying Fund believes it is desirable to do so. MLPs are generally considered interest-rate sensitive investments. During periods of interest rate volatility, these investments may not provide attractive returns, which may adversely impact the overall performance of the Fund or an Underlying Fund. The benefit an Underlying Fund will derive from its investment in MLPs will be largely dependent on the MLPs being treated as partnerships and not as corporations for federal income tax purposes. Therefore, treatment of an MLP as a corporation for federal income tax purposes would result in a reduction in the after-tax return to an Underlying Fund, likely causing a reduction in the value of the Common Shares. See “Risks—Master Limited Partnerships Risks.”
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Micro-, Small- and Medium-Sized Company Risks.
The Underlying Funds may invest in securities without regard to market capitalization. Investments in securities of micro-, small- and medium-sized companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than larger, more established companies, because these securities typically are traded in lower volume and issuers are typically more subject to changes in earnings and future earnings prospects. These risks are intensified for investments in micro-cap companies. See “Risks—Micro-, Small- and Medium-Sized Company Risks.”
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Options and Futures Risks.
The Fund and the Underlying Funds may invest in options and futures contracts. The use of futures and options transactions entails certain special risks. In particular, the variable degree of correlation between price movements of futures contracts and price movements in the related securities position of the fund could create the possibility that losses on the hedging instrument are greater than gains in the value of the fund’s position. In addition, futures and options markets could be illiquid in some circumstances and certain over-the-counter options could have no markets. As a result, in certain markets, the fund might not be able to close out a transaction without incurring substantial losses. Although the fund’s use of futures and options transactions for hedging should tend to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged position, at the same time it will tend to limit any potential gain to the fund that might result from an increase in value of the position. There is also the risk of loss by the fund of margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of a broker with whom the Fund has an open position in a futures contract or option thereon. Finally, the daily variation margin requirements for futures contracts create a greater ongoing potential financial risk than would purchases of options, in which case the exposure is limited to the cost of the initial premium. See “Risks—Options and Futures Risks.”
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Portfolio Turnover Risks.
The Fund may engage in short-term trading to try to achieve its investment objective and may have portfolio turnover rates in excess of 100% annually. Underlying Funds also may not be limited in their portfolio trading ability. Increased portfolio turnover results in higher brokerage costs which are borne by the Fund, directly or indirectly through the investments in Underlying Funds, which may adversely affect the Fund’s performance, and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held by Common Shareholders in a taxable account. See “Risks—Portfolio Turnover Risks.”
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REIT Risks.
The Underlying Funds may invest in equity and mortgage REITs. Equity REITs invest in real estate, and mortgage REITs invest in loans secured by real estate. The value of equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the REITs, while the value of mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. Investment in REITs involves risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies, and REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are subject to interest rate risks. See “Risks—REIT Risks.”
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Securities Lending Risks.
The Underlying Funds may lose money when they loan portfolio securities if the borrower fails to return the securities and the collateral provided has declined in value and/or the Underlying Fund cannot convert the collateral to cash for any reason. See “Risks—Securities Lending Risks.”
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Securities Risks.
The value of the Fund’s Common Shares or the shares of an Underlying Fund may decrease in response to the activities and financial prospects of individual securities in the fund’s portfolio. See “Risks—Securities Risks.”
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Senior Loan Risks.
The Underlying Funds may invest in senior secured floating rate and fixed-rate loans (“Senior Loans”). There is less readily available and reliable information about most Senior Loans than is the case for many other types of instruments, including listed securities. Senior Loans are not listed on any national securities exchange or automated quotation system and as such, many Senior Loans are illiquid, meaning that the Fund or Underlying Fund may not be able to sell them quickly at a fair price. To the extent that a secondary market does exist for certain Senior Loans, the market is more volatile than for liquid, listed securities and may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods. The market for Senior Loans could be disrupted in the event of an economic downturn or a substantial increase or decrease in interest rates. Senior Loans, like most other debt obligations, are subject to the risk of default. Default in the payment of interest or principal on a Senior Loan will result in a reduction of income to the Fund, a reduction in the value of the Senior Loan and a potential decrease in the Fund’s net asset value of the Common Shares.
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Short Sale Risks.
The Fund and the Underlying Funds may engage in short sales. A short sale is a transaction in which the Fund sells a security it does not own in anticipation that the market price of that security will decline. Positions in shorted securities are speculative and more risky than long positions (purchases) in securities because the maximum sustainable loss on a security purchased is limited to the amount paid for the security plus the transaction costs, whereas there is no maximum attainable price of the shorted security. Therefore, in theory, securities sold short have unlimited risk. Short selling will also result in higher transaction costs (such as interest and dividends), and may result in higher taxes, which reduce a fund’s return. See “Risks—Short Sale Risks.”
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Structured Notes Risks.
The Underlying Funds may invest in structured notes. Structured notes are subject to a number of fixed income risks including general market risk, interest rate risk, and the risk that the issuer on the note may fail to make interest and/or principal payments when due, or may default on its obligations entirely. In addition, because the performance of structured notes tracks the performance of the underlying debt obligation, structured notes generally are subject to more risk than investing in a simple note or bond issued by the same issuer. See “Risks—Structured Notes Risks.”
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Swap Risks.
The Fund and the Underlying Funds may invest in interest rate, index, total return and currency swap agreements. All of these agreements are considered derivatives. Swaps could result in losses if interest or foreign currency exchange rates or credit quality changes are not correctly anticipated by the Subadviser or Underlying Fund manager. Total return swaps could result in losses if the reference index, security, or investments do not perform as anticipated. Total return swaps involve an enhanced risk that the issuer or counterparty will fail to perform its contractual obligations. Total return swaps may effectively add leverage to the Fund’s portfolio because the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the full notional amount of the swap. To the extent the Fund or an Underlying Fund enters into a total return swap on equity securities, the Fund or an Underlying Fund will receive the positive performance of a notional amount of such securities underlying the total return swap. In exchange, the Fund or the Underlying Fund will be obligated to pay the negative performance of such notional amount of securities. Therefore, the Fund or the Underlying Fund assumes the risk of a substantial decrease in the market value of the equity securities. The use of swaps may not always be successful; using them could lower Fund total return, their prices can be highly volatile, and the potential loss from the use of swaps can exceed the Fund’s initial investment in such instruments. Some, but not all, swaps may be cleared, in which case a central clearing counterparty stands between each buyer and seller and effectively guarantees performance of each contract, to the extent of its available resources for such purpose. As a result, the counterparty risk is now shifted from bilateral risk between the parties to the individual credit risk of the central clearing counterparty. Even in such case, there can be no assurance that a clearing house, or its members, will satisfy the clearing house’s obligations to the Fund or Underlying Fund. See “Risks—Swap Risks.”
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Underlying Fund Risks.
The Fund will incur higher and additional expenses when it invests in Underlying Funds. There is also the risk that the Fund may suffer losses due to the investment practices or operations of the Underlying Funds. To the extent that the Fund invests in one or more Underlying Funds that concentrate in a particular industry, the Fund would be vulnerable to factors affecting that industry and the concentrating Underlying Funds’ performance, and that of the Fund, may be more volatile than Underlying Funds that do not concentrate. In addition, one Underlying Fund may purchase a security that another Underlying Fund is selling.
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As the Fund will invest at least 65% of its Managed Assets in closed-end funds and at least 80% of its Managed Assets in Underlying Funds, the Fund’s performance will depend to a greater extent on the overall performance of closed-end funds, ETFs and BDCs generally, in addition to the performance of the specific Underlying Funds (and other assets) in which the Fund invests. The use of leverage by Underlying Funds magnifies gains and losses on amounts invested and increases the risks associated with investing in Underlying Funds. Further, the Underlying Funds are not subject to the Fund’s investment policies and restrictions. The Fund generally receives information regarding the portfolio holdings of Underlying Funds only when that information is made available to the public. The Fund cannot dictate how the Underlying Funds invest their assets. The Underlying Funds may invest their assets in securities and other instruments, and may use investment techniques and strategies, that are not described in this prospectus. Common Shareholders will bear two layers of fees and expenses with respect to the Fund’s investments in Underlying Funds because each of the Fund and the Underlying Fund will charge fees and incur separate expenses. In addition, subject to applicable 1940 Act limitations, the Underlying Funds themselves may purchase securities issued by registered and unregistered funds (e.g., common stock, preferred stock, auction rate preferred stock), and those investments would be subject to the risks associated with Underlying Funds and unregistered funds (including a third layer of fees and expenses, i.e., the Underlying Fund will indirectly bear fees and expenses charged by the funds in which the Underlying Fund invests, in addition to the Underlying Fund’s own fees and expenses). An Underlying Fund with positive performance may indirectly receive a performance fee from the Fund, even when the Fund’s overall returns are negative. Additionally, the Fund’s investment in an Underlying Fund may result in the Fund’s receipt of cash in excess of the Underlying Fund’s earnings; if the Fund distributes these amounts, the distributions could constitute a return of capital to Fund shareholders for federal income tax purposes. As a result of these factors, the use of the fund of funds structure by the Fund could therefore affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders.
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The Fund may invest in BDCs. BDCs generally invest in less mature U.S. private companies or thinly traded U.S. public companies which involve greater risk than well-established publicly-traded companies. While BDCs are expected to generate income in the form of dividends, certain BDCs during certain periods of time may not generate such income. The Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees and other operating expenses incurred by the BDCs and of any performance-based or incentive fees payable by the BDCs in which it invests, in addition to the expenses paid by the Fund. The use of leverage by BDCs magnifies gains and losses on amounts invested and increases the risks associated with investing in BDCs. A BDC may make investments with a larger amount of risk of volatility and loss of principal than other investment options and may also be highly speculative and aggressive.
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Index-based ETFs (and other index funds) in which the Fund may invest may not be able to replicate exactly the performance of the indices they track or benchmark due to transactions costs and other expenses of the ETFs. The Fund may also invest in actively managed ETFs that are subject to management risk as the ETF’s investment adviser will apply certain investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions. There can be no guarantee that these will produce the desired results. The shares of closed-end funds frequently trade at a discount to their net asset value. There can be no assurance that the market discount on shares of any closed-end fund purchased by the Fund will ever decrease, and it is possible that the discount may increase. Underlying Funds may not be able to match or outperform their benchmarks.
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The Fund may be restricted by provisions of the 1940 Act that generally limit the amount the Fund and its affiliates can invest in any one Underlying Fund to 3% of the Underlying Fund’s outstanding voting stock. As a result, the Fund may hold a smaller position in an Underlying Fund than if it were not subject to this restriction. In addition, to comply with provisions of the 1940 Act, in any matter upon which Underlying Fund stockholders are solicited to vote, the Subadviser may be required to vote Underlying Fund shares in the same proportion as shares held by other stockholders of the Underlying Fund. However, pursuant to exemptive orders issued by the SEC to various ETF fund sponsors, the Fund is permitted to invest in such Underlying Funds in excess of the limits set forth in the 1940 Act subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in such exemptive orders. See “Risks—Underlying Fund Risks.”
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Warrants Risks.
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 do not carry with them the right to dividends or voting rights with respect to the securities that they entitle their holder to purchase and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. As a result, 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. See “Risks—Warrants Risks.”
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Anti-Takeover Provisions in Maryland Law and the Fund’s Charter and Bylaws
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Maryland law and the Fund’s Charter and Bylaws include provisions that could limit the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund. These provisions could deprive the holders of Common Shares of opportunities to sell their Common Shares at a premium over the then current market price of the Common Shares or at net asset value. See “Certain Provisions of the Fund’s Charter and Bylaws and of Maryland Law.”
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Custodian and Transfer Agent
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State Street Bank and Trust Company will act as the Fund’s custodian. DST Systems, Inc. will act as the Fund’s transfer agent and registrar. See “Custodian and Transfer Agent.”
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Shareholder Transaction Expenses
|
|
As a Percentage of
Offering Price |
|
Sales Load
|
|
3.00%
|
|
Expenses Borne by Common Shareholders of the Fund(1)(2)
|
|
0.20%
|
|
Dividend Reinvestment Plan Fees
|
|
None(3)
|
|
|
|
As a Percentage
of Net Assets
Attributable to Common Shares (Assuming the Use of Leverage Equal to 15% of the Fund’s Total Assets)(1)(7) |
|
Annual Expenses
|
|
||
Management fee(4)
|
|
1.18%
|
|
Administration fee(4)
|
|
0.18%
|
|
Interest payments on borrowed funds(5)
|
|
0.24%
|
|
Other expenses
|
|
0.20%
|
|
Acquired fund fees and expenses(6)
|
|
1.68%
|
|
Total annual expenses(7)
|
|
3.48%
|
|
|
|
1 year
|
|
3 years
|
|
5 years
|
|
10 years
|
|
||||||||
Total Expenses Incurred
|
|
$
|
66
|
|
|
$
|
135
|
|
|
$
|
207
|
|
|
$
|
396
|
|
|
(1) | The Adviser and the Subadviser have agreed to bear (a) all organizational expenses of the Fund and (b) such offering expenses of the Fund (other than the sales load) that exceed $0.04 per share of the Fund’s Common Shares. Based on an estimated offering size of $150,000,000 (approximately 7,500,000 Common Shares), the Fund would pay a maximum of $300,000 of offering costs (or $0.04 per Common Share) and the Adviser and the Subadviser would pay all offering costs in excess of $300,000, which are currently estimated to be $486,705 (or $0.065 per Common Share). To the extent that aggregate offering expenses are less than $0.04 per Common Share, the Fund will pay up to 0.10% of the amount of the offering size up to such expense limit to ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc., an affiliate of the Adviser, as compensation for the distribution services it provides to the Fund. Proceeds to the Fund are calculated after expenses paid by the Fund. |
(2) | The Adviser and the Subadviser (and not the Fund) have agreed to pay from their own assets a structuring fee to Wells Fargo Securities, LLC. The Adviser and the Subadviser (and not the Fund) may also pay certain other qualifying underwriters a structuring fee, sales incentive fee, or additional compensation in connection with the offering. |
(3) | There will be no brokerage charges with respect to Common Shares issued directly by the Fund under the dividend reinvestment plan. You will pay brokerage charges in connection with open market purchases or if you direct the plan agent to sell your Common Shares held in a dividend reinvestment account. |
(4) | The management fee and administration fee are charged as a percentage of the Fund’s average daily Managed Assets, as opposed to net assets. With leverage, Managed Assets are greater in amount than net assets, because Managed Assets includes borrowings for investment purposes. The management fee of 1.00% of the Fund’s Managed Assets represents 1.18% of net assets attributable to Common Shares assuming the use of leverage in an amount of 15% of the Fund’s Managed Assets. |
(5) | Assumes interest expense accrued at the rate 1.35% on borrowed funds used to employ leverage, which rate is subject to change based on prevailing market conditions. Interest payments on borrowed funds also include the cost of issuing debt. |
(6) | The “Acquired fund fees and expenses” disclosed above are based on the expense ratios for the most recent fiscal year of the Underlying Funds in which the Fund anticipates investing, which may change substantially over time and, therefore, significantly affect “Acquired fund fees and expenses.” These amounts are based on the total expense ratio disclosed in each Underlying Fund’s most recent shareholder report. Some of the Underlying Funds in which the Fund intends to invest charge incentive fees based on the Underlying Funds’ performance. The 1.68% shown as “Acquired fund fees and expenses” reflects estimated operating expenses of the Underlying Funds and transaction-related fees. Certain Underlying Funds in which the Fund intends to invest generally charge a management fee of 1.00% to 2.00% and up to a 20% incentive fee on income and/or capital gains. The “Acquired fund fees and expenses” disclosed above, however, do not reflect any performance-based fees or allocations paid by the Underlying Funds that are calculated solely on the realization and/or distribution of gains, or on the sum of such gains and unrealized appreciation of assets distributed in-kind, as such fees and allocations for a particular period may be unrelated to the cost of investing in the Underlying Funds. Acquired fund fees and expenses are borne indirectly by the Fund, but they will not be reflected in the Fund’s financial statements; and the information presented in the table will differ from that presented in the Fund’s financial highlights, when available. |
(7) | The table above assumes the use of leverage in an amount equal to 15% of the Fund’s Managed Assets (or approximately 17.6% of the Fund’s net assets) and shows Fund expenses as a percentage of net assets attributable to Common Shares. For purposes of this assumption, all leverage used is in the form of borrowings. The table presented below in this footnote 7 estimates what the Fund’s annual expenses would be, stated as percentages of the Fund’s net assets attributable to Common Shares, but, unlike the table above, assumes that the Fund does not utilize leverage. In accordance with these assumptions, the Fund’s expenses would be estimated to be as follows: |
|
|
|
Percentage of
Net Assets Attributable to Common Shares (Assuming No Leverage) |
|
Annual expenses (as a percentage of net assets attributable to Common Shares)
|
||||
Management fees
|
|
|
1.00%
|
|
Administrative fees
|
|
|
0.15%
|
|
Other expenses
|
|
|
0.20%
|
|
Acquired fund fees and expenses
|
|
|
1.43%
|
|
Total annual expenses
|
|
|
2.78%
|
(8) | The example should not be considered a representation of future expenses. The example assumes that the estimated “Other expenses” set forth in the table are accurate and that all dividends and distributions are reinvested at the Common Share net asset values. Actual expenses may be greater or less than those assumed. Moreover, the Fund’s actual rate of return may be greater or less than the hypothetical 5% annual return shown in the example. |
Assumed Portfolio Return
|
-10.00
|
%
|
-5.00
|
%
|
0.00
|
%
|
5.00
|
%
|
10.00
|
%
|
||||||||||
Common Share Total Return
|
-12.00
|
%
|
-6.12
|
%
|
-0.24
|
%
|
5.64
|
%
|
11.53
|
%
|
· | a merger, consolidation or statutory share exchange of the Fund with another corporation; |
· | an issuance or transfer by the Fund (in one or a series of transactions in any 12 month period) of any securities of the Fund to any person or entity for cash, securities or other property (or combination thereof) having an aggregate fair market value of $1,000,000 or more, excluding issuances or transfers of debt securities of the Fund, sales of securities of the Fund in connection with a public offering, issuances of securities of the Fund pursuant to a dividend reinvestment plan adopted by the Fund, issuances of securities of the Fund upon the exercise of any stock subscription rights distributed by the Fund and portfolio transactions effected by the Fund in the ordinary course of business; or |
· | a sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or other disposition by the Fund (in one or a series of transactions in any 12 month period) to or with any person or entity of any assets of the Fund having an aggregate fair market value of $1,000,000 or more except for portfolio transactions (including pledges of portfolio securities in connection with borrowings) effected by the Fund in the ordinary course of its business; |
Name
|
Number of
Common Shares |
||||
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC | |||||
Total:
|
No Exercise
|
Full Exercise
|
||||||||
Per Share
|
$
|
$
|
|||||||
Total
|
$
|
$
|
Investment Restrictions
|
1
|
Investment Policies And Techniques
|
2
|
Management Of The Fund
|
24
|
Investment Adviser and Subadviser
|
24
|
Investment Advisory and Subadvisory Agreements
|
25
|
Compensation of Portfolio Managers
|
26
|
Portfolio Manager Ownership of Fund Shares
|
26
|
Conflicts of Interest
|
26
|
Other Accounts Managed
|
27
|
Administrator
|
27
|
Codes of Ethics
|
28
|
Fund Service Providers
|
28
|
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
|
28
|
Legal Counsel
|
28
|
Custodian and Transfer Agent
|
28
|
Portfolio Transactions
|
28
|
Dividends
|
29
|
Repurchase Of Shares
|
30
|
U.S. Federal Income Tax Matters
|
31
|
Fund Taxation
|
31
|
Shareholder Taxation
|
34
|
Other Taxes
|
37
|
Board Members And Officers
|
37
|
Independent Board Members
|
37
|
Interested Board Members and Officers
|
39
|
Securities Beneficially Owned
|
44
|
Proxy Voting Guidelines
|
44
|
Additional Information
|
45
|
Financial Statements And Report Of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
|
46
|
Appendix A: Proxy Voting Guidelines
|
50
|
Investment Restrictions
|
1
|
Investment Policies And Techniques
|
2
|
Management Of The Fund
|
24
|
Investment Adviser and Subadviser
|
24
|
Investment Advisory and Subadvisory Agreements
|
25
|
Compensation of Portfolio Managers
|
26
|
Portfolio Manager Ownership of Fund Shares
|
26
|
Conflicts of Interest
|
26
|
Other Accounts Managed
|
27
|
Administrator
|
27
|
Codes of Ethics
|
28
|
Fund Service Providers
|
28
|
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
|
28
|
Legal Counsel
|
28
|
Custodian and Transfer Agent
|
28
|
Portfolio Transactions
|
28
|
Dividends
|
29
|
Repurchase Of Shares
|
30
|
U.S. Federal Income Tax Matters
|
31
|
Fund Taxation
|
31
|
Shareholder Taxation
|
34
|
Other Taxes
|
37
|
Board Members And Officers
|
37
|
Independent Board Members
|
37
|
Interested Board Members and Officers
|
39
|
Securities Beneficially Owned
|
44
|
Proxy Voting Guidelines
|
44
|
Additional Information
|
45
|
Financial Statements And Report Of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
|
46
|
Appendix A: Proxy Voting Guidelines
|
50
|
Registered
Investment Companies |
Other Pooled
Investment Vehicles* |
Other Accounts
|
|||||||||||
Name
|
Number of
Accts |
Total Assets
|
Number of
Accts |
Total Assets
|
Number of
Accts |
Total Assets
|
|||||||
Patrick W. Galley
|
4
|
$2.78 billion
|
3
|
$374.5 million
|
1
|
$2.3 million
|
|||||||
Stephen O’Neill
|
4
|
$2.78 billion
|
3
|
$374.5 million
|
1
|
$2.3 million
|
Name,
Address and Year of Birth |
|
Position(s)
Held with Registrant |
|
Term of
Office and Length of Time Served |
|
Principal
Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years |
|
Number of
Portfolios in Fund Complex(1) Overseen by Director |
|
Other
Directorships(2) Held by Director During Past 5 Years |
John K. Carter
(1961) |
|
Director
|
|
Initial term expires in 2017. Has served since 2013.
|
|
Managing Partner, Global Recruiters of St. Petersburg (a financial services consulting and recruiting firm) (2012 to present); Business Unit Head, Transamerica Asset Management (2006 to 2012).
|
|
5
|
|
Director, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Transamerica Funds (120 funds) (2006 to 2012). Board Member, United Way of Tampa Bay (2011 to 2012).
|
Mr. Carter was previously an investment management attorney with experience as in-house counsel, serving with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in private practice with a large law firm. The Board feels Mr. Carter’s industry-specific experience, including as a chairman of another fund complex, as a compliance officer and as an experienced investment management attorney will be valuable to the Board.
|
Name,
Address and Year of Birth |
|
Position(s)
Held with Registrant |
|
Term of
Office(1) and Length of Time Served |
|
Principal
Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years |
|
Number of
Portfolios in Fund Complex(2) Overseen by Director |
|
Other
Directorships(3) Held by Director During Past 5 Years |
Thomas A. Carter
(1966) |
|
Chairman, Director and President
|
|
Initial term expires in 2018. Has served since 2013.
|
|
Mr. Carter joined ALPS in 1994 and is currently President and Director of the Adviser, ALPS Distributors, Inc. (“ADI”) and ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. (“APSD”) and Executive Vice President and Director of AFS and ALPS Holdings, Inc. (“AHI”). Because of his position with AHI, AFS, the Adviser, ADI, and APSD, Mr. Carter is deemed an affiliate of the Fund as defined under the 1940 Act. Before joining AFS, Mr. Carter was with Deloitte & Touche LLP, where he worked with a diverse group of clients, primarily within the financial services industry. Mr. Carter is a Certified Public Accountant and received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
|
|
32
|
|
Trustee of ALPS ETF Trust (21 funds), ALPS Variable Investment Trust (9 funds) and Principal Real Estate Income Fund (1 fund).
|
Mr. Carter joined AFS, the Fund’s administrator, in 1994 and currently serves as President of ALPS Distributors, Inc., ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc., and the Adviser. Before joining AFS and ALPS, Mr. Carter was with Deloitte & Touche LLP, where he worked with a diverse group of clients, primarily within the financial services industry. Mr. Carter is a Certified Public Accountant and received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He was selected to serve as a Director of the Fund based on his business, accounting, financial services and investment management experience.
|
Name,
Address and Year of Birth |
Position(s)
Held with Registrant |
Term of
Office(1) and Length of Time Served |
Principal
Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years |
Number of
Portfolios in Fund Complex(2) Overseen by Director |
Other
Directorships(3) Held by Director During Past 5 Years |
|||||
Abigail J. Murray
(1975) |
Secretary
|
|
Has served since 2015.
|
|
Ms. Murray joined ALPS in April 2015. She is currently Vice President and Senior Counsel of ALPS. Prior to joining ALPS, Ms. Murray was an Attorney and Managing Member at Murray & Rouvina PLC from 2014 to 2015 and an Associate with Vedder Price P.C. from 2007 to 2014. Because of her position with ALPS, Ms. Murray is deemed an affiliate of the Trust as defined under the 1940 Act. Ms. Murray is also the Secretary of The Caldwell & Orkin Funds, Inc.
|
|
N/A
|
|
N/A
|
|
Valerie Ruppel
(1976) |
Assistant Secretary
|
|
Has served since 2015.
|
|
Ms. Ruppel joined AFS in 2014 as Vice President and Senior Counsel. Ms. Ruppel served as in-house counsel at Great-West Financial from 2009 to 2014 and served as corporate paralegal at Great-West Financial from 2007 to 2009. Ms. Ruppel serves as Vice President and Secretary of Oak Associates Funds.
|
|
N/A
|
|
N/A
|
(1) | After a Trustee’s initial term, each Director is expected to serve a three-year term. |
(2) | The term “Fund Complex” means two or more registered investment companies that: |
(a) | hold themselves out to investors as related companies for purposes of investment and investor services; or |
(b) | have a common investment adviser or that have an investment adviser that is an affiliated person of the investment adviser of any of the other registered investment companies. |
(3) | The numbers enclosed in the parentheticals represent the number of funds overseen in each respective directorship held by the Director. |
Aggregate
|
Total Compensation
|
|||||||
Compensation
|
from Fund
|
|||||||
Name of Board Member
|
from Fund
|
and Fund Complex
|
||||||
Independent Board Members:
|
||||||||
John Carter
|
$
|
25,000
|
$
|
62,500
|
||||
Wayne Hutchens
|
25,000
|
25,000
|
||||||
John Oakes
|
25,000
|
62,500
|
||||||
David Swanson
|
25,000
|
62,500
|
Board Member
|
Dollar Range of Beneficial
Ownership in Fund |
Aggregate Dollar Range of
Ownership in all Funds Overseen by Board Member in the Family of Investment Companies † |
|||
Independent Board Member
:
|
|||||
John Carter
|
None | $50,001-$100,000 | |||
Wayne Hutchens
|
None | None | |||
John Oakes
|
None | $10,001-$50,000 | |||
David Swanson
|
None | None | |||
Interested Board Member
:
|
|||||
Thomas A. Carter
|
None | None | |||
Patrick W. Galley
|
None | Over $100,000 |
† | Family of Investment Companies for Messrs. John Carter, Galley and Oakes consists of the Fund and RiverNorth Funds (4 funds). Family of Investment Companies for Messrs. Thomas Carter, Hutchens and Swanson consists of the Fund. |
Assets:
|
||||
Cash
|
$
|
100,007
|
||
Deferred offering costs (See Note 3)
|
68,250
|
|||
Total Assets
|
168,257
|
|||
Liabilities:
|
||||
Accrued offering costs (See Note 3)
|
68,250
|
|||
Total Liabilities
|
68,250
|
|||
Net Assets
|
$
|
100,007
|
||
Components of Net Assets:
|
||||
Paid in capital
|
$
|
100,007
|
||
Net Assets
|
$
|
100,007
|
||
Shares of common stock outstanding, at $0.0001 par value, and 37,500,000 shares authorized
|
5,155
|
|||
Net asset value per common share
|
$
|
19.40
|
||
Offering price per share
|
$
|
20.00
|
· | when the Fund exercises voting rights, by proxy or otherwise, with respect to any investment company owned by the Fund, the Fund will either |
· | seek instruction from the Fund’s shareholders with regard to the voting of all proxies and vote in accordance with such instructions, or |
· | vote the shares held by the Fund in the same proportion as the vote of all other holders of such security. |
1. | Requiring senior executives to hold stock in a company. |
2. | Requiring stock acquired through option exercise to be held for a certain period of time. |
1.
|
Financial Statements:
|
|
Part A — None
|
||
Part B — Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
|
||
2.
|
Exhibits:
|
|
a
|
Articles of Amendment and Restatement, filed herewith.
|
|
b.
|
Bylaws, filed herewith.
|
|
c.
|
Not applicable.
|
|
d.
|
Not applicable.
|
|
e.
|
Form of Dividend Reinvestment and Cash Purchase Plan, filed herewith.
|
|
f.
|
Not applicable.
|
|
g.1
|
Form of Investment Advisory Agreement, filed herewith.
|
|
g.2
|
Form of Subadvisory Agreement, filed herewith.
|
|
h.1
|
Form of Underwriting Agreement.*
|
|
h.2
|
Form of Master Agreement Among Underwriters.*
|
|
h.3
|
Form of Master Selected Dealers Agreement.*
|
|
i.
|
Not applicable.
|
|
j.
|
Form of Custodian Agreement, filed herewith.
|
|
k.1
|
Form of Transfer Agency, Registrar and Dividend Disbursing Agency Agreement, filed herewith.
|
|
k.2
|
Form of Administrative, Bookkeeping and Pricing Services Agreement, filed herewith.
|
|
k.3
|
Form of Structuring Fee Agreement.*
|
|
k.4
|
Form of Distribution Assistance Agreement, filed herewith.
|
|
l.
|
Form of Opinion of Foley & Lardner LLP, filed herewith.
|
|
m.
|
Not applicable.
|
|
n.
|
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, filed herewith.
|
|
o.
|
Not applicable.
|
|
p.
|
Subscription Agreement, filed herewith.
|
|
q.
|
Not applicable.
|
|
r.1
|
Code of Ethics of the Fund.*
|
|
r.2
|
Code of Ethics of the Investment Manager, filed herewith.
|
|
r.3
|
Code of Ethics of the Subadviser, filed herewith.
|
|
s.
|
Powers of Attorney, filed herewith.
|
Registration fees
|
$
|
|||
listing fee
|
||||
Printing (other than certificates)
|
||||
Engraving and printing certificates
|
||||
Accounting fees and expenses
|
||||
Legal fees and expenses
|
||||
FINRA fee
|
||||
Miscellaneous
|
||||
Total
|
$
|
Title of Class
|
Number of
Record Holders |
|
Common Stock, par value, $0.0001 per share | 1 |
Name*
|
Positions with ALPS Advisors, Inc.
|
Other Business Connections
|
Type of Business
|
Edmund J. Burke
|
Director
|
President and Director, ALPS Holdings, Inc. and Director, Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., ALPS Advisors, Inc., ALPS Distributors, Inc., ALPS Fund Services, Inc. and ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc.
|
Fund Servicing
|
Thomas A. Carter
|
President, Director
|
See Trustee and Officer Table in the SAI
|
Fund Servicing
|
Jeremy O. May
|
Executive Vice President, Director
|
President and Director, ALPS Fund Services, Inc., Executive Vice President and Director, ALPS Holdings, Inc. and ALPS Distributors, Inc., and Director, ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc.
|
Fund Servicing
|
Bradley J. Swenson
|
Senior Vice President
|
Senior Vice President and CCO, ALPS Holdings, Inc., ALPS Distributors, Inc., ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. and ALPS Fund Services, Inc.
|
Fund Servicing
|
Robert J. Szydlowski
|
Senior Vice President, Chief Technology Officer
|
Senior Vice President, Chief Technology Officer, ALPS Holdings, Inc., ALPS Distributors, Inc., ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. and ALPS Fund Services, Inc.
|
Fund Servicing
|
Eric T. Parsons
|
Vice President, Controller, Assistant Treasurer
|
Vice President, Corporate Controller, ALPS Holdings, Inc., Vice President, Assistant Treasurer and Controller, ALPS Distributors, Inc., ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. and ALPS Fund Services, Inc.
|
Fund Servicing
|
Patrick Buchanan
|
Vice President, Advisory Operations
|
See Trustee and Officer Table in the SAI
|
Fund Servicing
|
Randall D. Young
|
Secretary
|
Secretary, ALPS Holdings, Inc., ALPS Distributors, Inc., ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. and ALPS Fund Services, Inc.
|
Fund Servicing
|
Gregg Wm. Givens
|
Vice President, Treasurer and Assistant Secretary
|
Vice President, Treasurer, Assistant Secretary, ALPS Distributors, Inc. and ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc., Assistant Treasurer, ALPS Holdings, Inc. and ALPS Fund Services, Inc.
|
Fund Servicing
|
Jeremy Held
|
Senior Vice President, Director of Research
|
Not Applicable
|
Not Applicable
|
William R. Parmentier, Jr.
|
Senior Vice President, Director of Research
|
Not Applicable
|
Not Applicable
|
Michael Akins
|
Senior Vice President, Index Management
|
Not Applicable
|
Not Applicable
|
Aisha J. Hunt
|
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Assistant Secretary
|
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of ALPS Holdings, Inc., ALPS Distributors, Inc., ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. and ALPS Fund Services, Inc.
|
Fund Servicing
|
Troy A. Duran
|
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
|
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer of ALPS Holdings, Inc. ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributors, Inc. and ALPS Fund Services, Inc.
|
Fund Servicing
|
Erin D. Nelson
|
Senior Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer
|
Not Applicable
|
Not Applicable
|
Abigail J. Murray
|
Vice President, Senior Counsel
|
Vice President, Senior Counsel of ALPS Fund Services, Inc.
|
Fund Servicing
|
Andrea E. Kuchli
|
Vice President, Senior Counsel
|
Vice President, Senior Counsel of ALPS Fund Services, Inc.
|
Fund Servicing
|
Mark T. Haley
|
Vice President
|
Not Applicable
|
Not Applicable
|
Wyck Brown
|
Senior Vice President
|
Not Applicable
|
Not Applicable
|
Dennis P. Emmanuel
|
Director of ETF and Closed-End Strategy
|
Not Applicable
|
Not Applicable
|
Hilary Quinn
|
Vice President
|
Vice President, ALPS Distributors, Inc., ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc. and ALPS Fund Services, Inc.
|
Fund Servicing
|
Jennifer Craig
|
Assistant Vice President
|
Assistant Vice President, ALPS Distributors, Inc. and ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc.
|
Fund Servicing
|
Douglas W. Fleming
|
Assistant Treasurer
|
Assistant Treasurer of ALPS Distributors, Inc., ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc.
, ALPS Holdings, Inc. and ALPS Fund Services, Inc.
Fund Servicing
|
Fund Servicing
|
JoEllen L. Legg
|
Vice President, Senior Counsel
|
Vice President, Assistant General Counsel of ALPS Fund Services, Inc.
Fund Servicing
|
Fund Servicing
|
* | The principal business address for each of the ALPS Advisors, Inc. representatives is: 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, Colorado, 80203. |
Name*
|
Positions with RiverNorth Capital Management, LLC
|
Other Business Connections
|
Type of Business
|
Brian H. Schmucker
|
Chief Executive Officer and Board of Managers
|
Board of Directors, RiverNorth Holdings, Co.; Board of Managers, RiverNorth Financial Holdings, LLC
|
Investments
|
Patrick W. Galley
|
Chief Investment Officer and Board of Managers
|
President and Trustee, RiverNorth Funds; Board of Directors, RiverNorth Holdings, Co.; Board of Managers, RiverNorth Financial Holdings, LLC.
|
Investments
|
Jonathan M. Mohrhardt
|
Chief Operating Officer and Board of Managers
|
Treasurer, RiverNorth Funds; Board of Directors, RiverNorth Holdings, Co.; Board of Managers, RiverNorth Financial Holdings, LLC
|
Investments
|
Marcus L. Collins
|
General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer
|
Chief Compliance Officer, RiverNorth Funds
|
Investments
|
Stephen A. O'Neill
|
Portfolio Manager
|
Portfolio Manager, RiverNorth Funds
|
Investments
|
* | The address for each of the named is 325 North LaSalle Street, Suite 645, Chicago, Illinois, 60654. |
|
RIVERNORTH OPPORTUNITIES FUND, INC.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By
|
/s/ Thomas A. Carter
|
|
|
Thomas A. Carter, President
|
/s/ Thomas A. Carter
|
|
Director, President (Principal Executive Officer)
|
|
November 25, 2015
|
Thomas A. Carter
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/ Patrick D. Buchanan
|
|
Treasurer and Chief Accounting Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)
|
|
November 25, 2015
|
Patrick D. Buchanan
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*
|
|
Director
|
|
November 25, 2015
|
John Carter
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*
|
|
Director
|
|
November 25, 2015
|
Patrick W. Galley
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*
|
|
Director
|
|
November 25, 2015
|
Wayne Hutchens
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*
|
|
Director
|
|
November 25, 2015
|
John Oakes
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*
|
|
Director
|
|
November 25, 2015
|
David M. Swanson
|
|
|
|
|
* By:
|
/s/Abigail J. Murray
|
|
|
Name: Abigail J. Murray
|
|
|
Title: Attorney in Fact
|
|
|
Date: November 25, 2015
|
|
Class I
|
|
John K. Carter
|
J. Wayne Hutchens
|
Class II
|
|
Thomas A. Carter
|
John Oakes
|
Class III
|
|
Patrick W. Galley
|
David M. Swanson
|
ATTEST:
|
RIVERNORTH OPPORTUNITIES FUND, INC. | ||||
/s/ Abigail J. Murray | By: | /s/ Thomas A. Carter | (SEAL) | ||
Abigail J. Murray
|
Thomas A. Carter
|
||||
Secretary
|
President
|
a | Articles; |
b | By-laws (the “By-Laws”); |
c. | Resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Fund selecting ALPS Advisors, Inc. as Adviser to the Fund and approving the form of this Agreement; and |
d | the Fund’s Form N-2 Registration Statement. |
ALPS ADVISORS, INC.
|
RIVERNORTH OPPORTUNITIES FUND, INC.
|
||||
By:
|
By:
|
||||
Name:
|
Name:
|
||||
Title:
|
Title:
|
1. | APPOINTMENT OF THE SUB-ADVISER |
2. | ACCEPTANCE OF APPOINTMENT |
3. | SERVICES TO BE RENDERED BY THE SUB-ADVISER |
4. | VALUATION AND COMPENSATION |
5. | LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION |
6. | REPRESENTATIONS OF THE INVESTMENT ADVISER Investment Adviser represents, warrants and agrees that: |
7. | REPRESENTATIONS OF THE SUB-ADVISER |
8. | NON-EXCLUSIVITY |
9. | SUPPLEMENTAL ARRANGEMENTS |
10. | DURATION AND TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT |
11. | AMENDMENTS TO THE AGREEMENT |
12. | ASSIGNMENT |
13. | ENTIRE AGREEMENT |
14. | HEADINGS |
15. | NOTICES |
For: | ALPS Advisors, Inc. |
For: | RiverNorth Capital Management, LLC |
16. | SEVERABILITY AND SURVIVAL |
17. | GOVERNING LAW; NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES |
18. | INTERPRETATION |
19. | CONFIDENTIALITY |
20. | COUNTERPARTS |
ALPS Advisors, Inc.
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RiverNorth Capital Management, LLC
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By:
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By:
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Name: Thomas A. Carter
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Name
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Title: President
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Title
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1) | Upon receipt of a confirmation or statement from an Underlying Transfer Agent that the Underlying Transfer Agent is holding or maintaining Underlying Shares in the name of the Custodian (or a nominee of the Custodian) for the benefit of a Portfolio, the Custodian shall identify by book-entry that the Underlying Shares are being held by it as custodian for the benefit of the Portfolio. |
2) | Upon receipt of Proper Instructions to purchase Underlying Shares for the account of a Portfolio, the Custodian shall pay out cash of the Portfolio as so directed to purchase the Underlying Shares and record the payment from the account of the Portfolio on the Custodian’s books and records. |
3) | Upon receipt of Proper Instructions for the sale or redemption of Underlying Shares for the account of a Portfolio, the Custodian shall transfer the Underlying Shares as so directed to sell or redeem the Underlying Shares, record the transfer from the account of the Portfolio on the Custodian’s books and records and, upon the Custodian’s receipt of the proceeds of the sale or redemption, record the receipt of the proceeds for the account of such Portfolio on the Custodian’s books and records. |
(i) | shall be acting in a principal capacity and not as broker, agent or fiduciary to the Fund or its Investment Advisor; |
(ii) | shall seek to profit from such foreign exchange transactions, and are entitled to retain and not disclose any such profit to the Fund or its Investment Advisor; and |
(iii) | shall enter into such foreign exchange transactions pursuant to the terms and conditions, including pricing or pricing methodology, (a) agreed with the Fund or its Investment Advisor from time to time or (b) in the case of an indirect foreign exchange service, (i) as established by SSGM and set forth in the Client Publications with respect to the particular foreign exchange execution services selected by the Fund or the Investment Advisor or (ii) as established by the sub-custodian from time to time. |
1) | Make payments to itself or others for minor expenses of handling securities or other financial assets relating to its duties under this Agreement; provided that all such payments shall be accounted for to the Fund on behalf of the Portfolio; |
2) | Surrender securities or other financial assets in temporary form for securities or other financial assets in definitive form; |
3) | Endorse for collection, in the name of the Portfolio, checks, drafts and other negotiable instruments; and |
4) | In general, attend to all non-discretionary details in connection with the sale, exchange, substitution, purchase, transfer and other dealings with the securities and other financial assets of the Portfolio except as otherwise directed by the applicable Board. |
S
ECTION
11.
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D
UTIES OF
C
USTODIAN WITH
R
ESPECT TO THE
B
OOKS OF
A
CCOUNT AND
C
ALCULATION OF
N
ET
A
SSET
V
ALUE AND
N
ET
I
NCOME
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To any Fund: | R IVER N ORTH O PPORTUNITIES F UND , I NC . |
To the Custodian: | S TATE S TREET B ANK AND T RUST C OMPANY |
YES [ ] | The Custodian is authorized to release the Fund’s name, address, and share positions. |
NO [X] | The Custodian is not authorized to release the Fund’s name, address, and share positions. |
EACH OF THE MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES AND SERIES SET FORTH ON APPENDIX A HERETO
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By:
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Name:
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Title:
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STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
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By:
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Name:
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Gunjan Kedia
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Title:
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Executive Vice President
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1. | ALPS Appointment and Duties. |
(a) | The Fund hereby appoints ALPS to provide administrative, bookkeeping and pricing services as are set forth in Appendix A , as amended from time to time, upon the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth. ALPS hereby accepts such appointment and agrees to furnish such specified services. ALPS shall for all purposes be deemed to be an independent contractor and shall, except as otherwise expressly authorized in this Agreement, have no authority to act for or represent the Fund in any way or otherwise be deemed an agent of the Fund. |
(b) | ALPS may employ or associate itself with a person or persons or organizations as ALPS believes to be desirable in the performance of its duties hereunder; provided that, in such event, the compensation of such person or persons or organizations shall be paid by and be the sole responsibility of ALPS and the Fund shall bear no cost or obligation with respect thereto; and provided further that ALPS shall not be relieved of any of its obligations under this Agreement in such event and shall be responsible for all acts of any such person or persons or organizations taken in furtherance of this Agreement to the same extent it would be for its own acts. ALPS will promptly notify the Fund of any arrangements that are covered by this paragraph. Further, any such person or organization shall be treated the same as ALPS for all purposes under this Agreement. |
2. | ALPS Compensation; Expenses . |
(a) | In consideration for the services to be performed hereunder by ALPS, the Fund shall pay ALPS the fees listed in Appendix B hereto. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, fees billed for the services to be performed by ALPS under this Agreement are based on information provided by the Fund and such fees are subject to renegotiation between the parties to the extent such information is determined to be materially different from what the Fund originally provided to ALPS. |
(b) | ALPS will bear all expenses in connection with the performance of its services under this Agreement, except as otherwise provided in Appendix B (reimbursement of out of pocket expenses) or as noted below. Subject to Section 4 hereof, other expenses incurred by the Fund shall be borne by the Fund or ALPS Advisors, Inc. (the “Adviser”), the Fund’s investment adviser, including, but not limited to: initial organization and offering expenses; litigation expenses; costs of preferred shares (if any); expenses of conducting repurchase offers for the purpose of repurchasing Fund shares; transfer agency and custodial expenses; taxes; interest; Fund director’ fees; compensation and expenses of Fund officers who are not associated with ALPS or its affiliates; brokerage fees and commissions; state and federal registration fees; advisory fees; insurance premiums; fidelity bond premiums; Fund legal and audit fees and expenses; costs of maintenance of Fund existence; printing and delivery of materials in connection with meetings of the Fund directors; printing and mailing shareholder reports, offering documents, and proxy materials; securities pricing and data services; and expenses in connection with electronic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). |
3. | Right to Receive Advice . |
(a) | Advice of the Fund . If ALPS is in doubt as to any action it should or should not take, ALPS shall request directions or advice from the Fund. |
(b) | Advice of Counsel . If ALPS is in doubt as to any question of law pertaining to any action it should or should not take, ALPS shall request advice from counsel of its own choosing and at its own expense. |
(c) | Conflicting Advice . In the event of a conflict between directions, advice or instructions ALPS receives from the Fund and the advice ALPS receives from counsel, ALPS shall inform the Fund and its counsel of the conflict and seek resolution. |
(d) | Nothing in this subsection shall excuse ALPS when an action or omission on the part of ALPS constitutes willful misfeasance, bad faith, negligence or reckless disregard by ALPS of any duties, obligations or responsibilities set forth in this Agreement. |
4. | Liability of ALPS . |
(a) | ALPS may rely upon the written advice of legal counsel for the Fund and the Fund’s independent accountants, and upon oral or written statements of the Adviser, brokers and other service providers to the Fund that are not affiliated with ALPS, reasonably believed by ALPS in good faith to be an expert in the matters upon which they are consulted and, for any actions reasonably taken in good faith reliance upon such advice or statements and without negligence, ALPS shall not be liable to anyone. |
(b) | Nothing herein contained shall be construed to protect ALPS against any liability to the Fund or its shareholders to which ALPS would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, negligence, or reckless disregard in the performance of its duties. |
(c) | Except as may otherwise be provided by applicable law, neither ALPS nor its shareholders, officers, directors, employees or agents shall be subject to, and the Fund shall indemnify and hold such persons harmless from and against, any liability for and any damages, expenses or losses incurred by reason of the inaccuracy of factual information furnished to ALPS by the Fund (other than information generated, or provided to the Fund, by an affiliate of ALPS). |
(d) | ALPS shall be obligated to exercise commercially reasonable care and diligence in the performance of its duties hereunder, to act in good faith and to use its best efforts, within reasonable limits, in performing services provided for under this Agreement. ALPS shall be liable for actual damages arising out of ALPS’ failure to perform its duties under this Agreement to the extent such damages arise out of ALPS’ willful misfeasance, bad faith, negligence or reckless disregard of such duties. |
(e) | ALPS shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relates, except for a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith, negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by it of its obligations and duties under this Agreement. |
5. | Reports . Whenever, in the course of performing its duties under this Agreement, ALPS determines, on the basis of information supplied to ALPS by the Fund or its authorized agents or information generated by ALPS or its affiliates, that a violation of applicable law has occurred or that, to its knowledge, a possible violation of applicable law may have occurred or, with the passage of time, would occur, ALPS shall promptly notify the Fund and its counsel. |
6. | Activities of ALPS . The services of ALPS under this Agreement are not to be deemed exclusive, and ALPS shall be free to render similar services to others. The Fund recognizes that from time to time directors, officers and employees of ALPS may serve as directors, officers and employees of other corporations or businesses (including other investment companies) and that such other corporations and funds may include ALPS as part of their name and that ALPS or its affiliates may enter into marketing, administrative, bookkeeping, pricing agreements or other agreements with such other corporations and funds. |
7. | Accounts and Records . ALPS shall prepare and maintain any and all accounts and records related to its services hereunder, as required by the 1940 Act or as otherwise reasonably requested by the Fund. All such accounts and records maintained by ALPS shall be the property of the Fund. Such accounts and records shall be prepared, maintained and preserved as required by the 1940 Act and other applicable securities laws, rules and regulations. Such accounts and records shall be surrendered to the Fund promptly upon receipt of written instructions from the Fund. The Fund shall have access to such accounts and records at all times during ALPS’ normal business hours. Upon the reasonable request of the Fund, copies of any such books and records shall be provided by ALPS to the Fund at the Fund’s expense. ALPS shall assist the Fund, the Fund’s independent auditors, or, upon written approval of the Fund, any regulatory body or other person, in any requested review of the Fund’s accounts and records, and reports by ALPS or its independent accountants concerning its accounting system and internal auditing controls will be open to such entities for audit or inspection upon reasonable request. |
8. | Confidential and Proprietary Information . ALPS agrees that it will, on behalf of itself and its officers and employees, treat all transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and all records and information relative to the Fund and its shareholders (past, present and future) and other information germane thereto, as confidential and as proprietary information of the Fund and agrees not to use, sell, transfer or divulge such information or records to any person for any purpose other than performance of its duties hereunder, except after prior notification to and approval in writing from the Fund, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. It may not be withheld where ALPS may be exposed to civil, regulatory or criminal proceedings for failure to comply, when requested to divulge such information by duly constituted authorities, or when so requested by the Fund. ALPS shall have in place and maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards reasonably designed to protect the security, confidentiality and integrity of, and to prevent unauthorized access to or use of records and information relating to the Fund and its past, present and future shareholders, consumers and customers. |
9. | Compliance with Rules and Regulations . ALPS shall comply -- and to the extent ALPS takes or is required to take action on behalf of the Fund hereunder shall cause the Fund to comply -- with all applicable requirements of the 1940 Act and other applicable laws, rules, regulations, orders and code of ethics, as well as all investment restrictions, policies and procedures adopted by the Fund of which ALPS has knowledge. |
10. | Representations and Warranties of ALPS . ALPS represents and warrants to the Fund that: |
(a) | It is duly organized and existing as a corporation and in good standing under the laws of the State of Colorado. |
(b) | It is empowered under applicable laws and by its Articles of Incorporation and By- laws to enter into and perform this Agreement. |
(c) | All requisite corporate proceedings have been taken to authorize it to enter into and perform this Agreement. |
(d) | It has and will continue to have access to the necessary facilities, equipment and personnel to perform its duties and obligations under this Agreement in accordance with industry standards. |
(e) | In fulfilling its duties and obligations hereunder, it will comply with the 1940 Act and any and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations, the Fund’s initial public offering registration statement and any amendments thereto and other regulatory documents, and the Fund’s compliance and other policies and procedures. |
(a) | It is a Maryland corporation duly organized and existing and in good standing under the laws of Maryland and is registered with the SEC as a closed-end, non-diversified management investment company. |
(b) | It is empowered under applicable laws and by its Articles of Incorporation and By- laws to enter into and perform this Agreement. |
(c) | The Board of Directors has duly authorized it to enter into and perform this Agreement. |
(d) | It has provided ALPS with copies of its Prospectus(es) and Statement(s) of Additional Information and will provide ALPS with any amendments or supplements thereto. |
11. | Liaison with Accountants . ALPS shall act as liaison with the Fund’s independent public accountants and shall provide account analysis, fiscal year summaries, and other audit- related schedules with respect to the services provided to the Fund. ALPS shall take all reasonable action in the performance of its duties under this Agreement to assure that the necessary information in ALPS’ control is made available to such accountants for the expression of their opinion, as required by the Fund. |
12. | Business Interruption Plan . ALPS shall maintain in effect a business interruption plan, and enter into any agreements necessary with appropriate parties making reasonable provisions for emergency use of electronic data processing equipment customary in the industry. In the event of equipment failures, ALPS shall, at no additional expense to the Fund, take commercially reasonable steps to minimize service interruptions. ALPS shall have no liability with respect to the loss of data or service interruptions caused by equipment failure provided such loss or interruption is not caused by ALPS’ own willful misfeasance, bad faith, negligence or reckless disregard of its duties or obligations under this Agreement. |
13. | Duration and Termination of this Agreement . |
(a) | Initial Term . This Agreement shall become effective as of the date first written above (the “Start Date”) and shall continue thereafter throughout the period which ends two (2) years after the Start Date (the “Initial Term”). Until the end of the Initial Term, this Agreement may be terminated without penalty only by agreement of the parties upon not less than sixty (60) days’ written notice or for cause pursuant to Section 13(c) hereof. |
(b) | Renewal Term . If not sooner terminated, this Agreement shall renew at the end of the Initial Term and shall thereafter continue for successive annual periods until terminated by the Fund or by ALPS, without penalty, upon not less than 90 days’ written notice to the other party. |
(c) | Cause . Notwithstanding anything to the contrary elsewhere in this Agreement, the Fund may terminate this Agreement for cause immediately at any time, without penalty and without default. Termination for "cause" hereunder shall mean: |
(i) | willful misfeasance, bad faith, negligence or reckless disregard on the part of ALPS in the performance of or with respect to its obligations and duties hereunder; |
(ii) | regulatory, administrative, or judicial proceedings against ALPS which result in a determination that, in rendering its services hereunder, ALPS has violated – or has caused the Fund to violate – any applicable law, rule, regulation, order or code of ethics, or any investment restriction, policy or procedure adopted by the Fund of which ALPS had knowledge; or |
(iii) | financial difficulties on the part of ALPS which are evidenced by the authorization or commencement of, or involvement by way of pleading, answer, consent, or acquiescence in, a voluntary or involuntary case under Title 11 of the United States Code, as from time to time in effect, or any applicable law other than said Title 11, of any jurisdiction relating to the liquidation or reorganization of debtors or to the modification or alteration of the rights of creditors. |
(d) | Deliveries Upon Termination . Upon termination of this Agreement, ALPS shall deliver to the Fund or as otherwise directed by the Fund (at the expense of the Fund, unless such termination is for “cause”) all records and other documents made or accumulated in the performance of its duties for the Fund hereunder. |
14. | Assignment . This Agreement shall extend to and shall be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns; provided, however, that this Agreement shall not be assignable by the Fund without the prior written consent of ALPS, or by ALPS without the prior written consent of the Fund. |
15. | Governing Law . The provisions of this Agreement shall be construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Colorado, and the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder. To the extent that the laws of the State of Colorado conflict with the 1940 Act or such rules, the latter shall control. |
16. | Limitation of Fund Liability . The obligations of the “Fund” entered into in the name or on behalf thereof by any director, representative or agent thereof are made not individually, but in such capacities, and are not binding upon any of the directors, shareholders, representatives or agents of the Fund personally, but bind only the property of the Fund, and all persons dealing with the Fund must look solely to the property of the Fund for the enforcement of any claims against the Fund. |
17. | Amendments to this Agreement . This Agreement may only be amended by the parties in writing. |
18. | Notices . All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing, shall be deemed to have been given when received or when sent by telex or facsimile, and shall be given to the following addresses (or such other addresses as to which notice is given): |
To ALPS:
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ALPS Fund Services, Inc.
1290 Broadway, Suite 1100
Denver, Colorado 80203
Attn: General Counsel
Fax: (303) 623-7850
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To the Fund:
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RiverNorth Opportunities Fund, Inc.
1290 Broadway, Suite 1100
Denver, Colorado 80203
Attn: President
Fax: (303) 623-2577
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19. | Miscellaneous . This Agreement may be executed by the parties hereto on any number of counterparts, and all of said counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument. If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby. The preceding sentence, and Sections 4, 8, 13(d), 15, 16 and 18, shall survive the termination of this Agreement. |
20. | Entire Agreement . This Agreement embodies the entire agreement and understanding among the parties and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings relating to the subject matter hereof; provided, however, that ALPS may embody in one or more separate documents its agreement, if any, with respect to delegated duties and oral instructions. |
21. | Rule 38a-1 . In order to assist the Fund in satisfying the requirements of Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act (the “Rule”), ALPS shall provide to the Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer: (i) direct access to ALPS’ relevant compliance personnel; (ii) at such times as the Fund may reasonably require, compliance reports and reports regarding any Material Compliance Matter (as defined in the Rule) regarding ALPS; and (iii) quarterly certifications that there are no Material Compliance Matters (as defined in the Rule) involving ALPS that affect or could affect the Fund. |
RIVERNORTH OPPORTUNITIES FUND, INC, a Maryland corporation
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By:
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Name:
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Thomas A. Carter
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Title:
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President
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ALPS FUND SERVICES, INC.
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By:
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Name:
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Jeremy O. May
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Title:
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President
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• | Prepare annual and semi-annual financial statements |
• | Coordinate layout and printing of annual and semi-annual reports (using standard layout templates) |
• | Prepare and file Forms N-SAR, N-CSR, N-Q and N-PX, and any other regulatory filings required to be made with the Securities and Exchange Commission that are applicable to the Fund |
• | Host annual financial/accounting audits and SEC regulatory exams |
• | In furtherance of and in no way limiting Section 9 of the Agreement, provide daily investment restriction compliance monitoring support and reporting |
• | Calculate monthly SEC standardized total return performance figures |
• | Prepare required reports for Board meetings |
• | Monitor expense ratios |
• | Maintain budget vs. actual expenses |
• | Manage invoice approval and bill payment process |
• | Assist with placement of Fidelity Bond and E&O insurance |
• | Coordinate reporting to outside agencies including Morningstar, etc. |
• | Coordinate with the Fund’s custodian and transfer agent |
• | Assist with shareholder meetings |
• | Determine prices of Fund assets and c alculate daily NAVs |
• | Transmit daily NAVs to NASDAQ, the Fund’s transfer agent and other Fund-approved third parties |
• | Compute yields, expense ratios, portfolio turnover rates, etc. |
• | Calculate income dividend rates |
• | Reconcile cash and investment balances with the custodian |
• | Support preparation of financial statements, including providing necessary representations and certifications including obtaining subcertifications from various providers (i.e., Sarbanes-Oxley certifications, conformity with GAAP principles, fraud certifications, SEC filings, management representation letters to fund auditors, etc.) • In furtherance of and in no way limiting Section 7 of the Agreement, prepare and maintain required fund accounting records in accordance with the 1940 Act, including but not limited to the books and records described in paragraph b of Rule 31a-1. |
• | Provide legal review of SEC financial and regulatory filings |
• | Coordinate EDGARization and filing of documents |
• | Prepare, compile and mail board materials |
• | Attend board meetings and prepare minutes |
• | Review Fund service and other contracts |
• | Oversee Fund’s Code of Ethics reporting |
• | Calculate dividend and capital gain distribution rates, including distributions necessary to avoid excise tax* |
• | Calculate tax disclosure information (ROCSOP) for the audited financial statements |
• | Prepare and file federal and state income and excise tax returns (and appropriate extensions)* |
• | Monitor on a quarterly basis each Fund's status as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended |
• | Calculate and monitor applicable book-to-tax differences and assist in identifying securities that give rise to book-to-tax differences** |
• | Calculate year-end tax characterization for distributions paid during the calendar year |
*
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Fund’s independent auditors provide review & sign-off on excise distributions and income and excise tax returns. ALPS shall not analyze or investigate information or returns for foreign tax filings. In the event the independent auditors require ALPS to perform a foreign capital gain analysis, ALPS reserves the right to charge the Fund for the foreign capital gain analysis, subject to agreement by ALPS and Fund management. State income or franchise tax return preparation is limited to the initial state of nexus and does not include additional state filing requirements that may be triggered by underlying investments of the Fund.
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**
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Security classifications to be identified include but are not limited to passive foreign investment company, real estate investment trust, master limited partnership, contingent debt obligations, trust preferred, grantor trust, and stapled security. The ultimate determination of the classification of securities will be the responsibility of Fund management or ALPS will use Ernst &Young LLP passive foreign investment company analyzer service (E&Y PFIC Analyzer”), or similar entity, as an out of pocket fee.
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• | Financial regulatory reports (assist Fund Administration and Legal to typeset Annual and Semi- Annual reports; pdf files; coordination of printing and sending to web team for upload) |
• | Proxy statements (assist Legal with typeset review and coordination of printing) |
• | Marketing (creative services for Fund marketing materials, Fund website – design, automation, hosting and maintenance, webinar announcements through eCommunications, business collateral, folders, web and print ad design) |
• | Print Vendor Management: (obtain bids; vendor communications and report mailings; request distribution from Broadridge for street accounts; obtain quantities and orchestrate mailing with printer and Broadridge; request Affidavit of Mailing upon completion) |
· | third party security pricing and data fees (provided that the pricing service has been approved by the Fund) |
· | Bloomberg fees (provide issues information related to security investments for compliance and other administrative purposes, as well as pricing and corporate action data; provision of pricing data subject to Fund approval as described in above bullet) |
· | Gainskeeper fees (provide wash sale transaction analysis) |
· | E&Y PFIC Analyzer or similar fees, if applicable (see Appendix A) |
· | SSAE 16 control review report |
· | proxy statement printing and mailing fees |
· | Fund regulatory document fulfillment costs |
· | customized programming/enhancements |
· | other out-of-pocket expenses incurred by ALPS in connection with the performance of its duties under this Agreement as approved by the Fund. |
1. | Documents to be Provided with Appointment . |
A. | A certified copy of the resolutions of the Board of Trustees, as appropriate, of the Fund appointing DST as Transfer Agent and Dividend Disbursing Agent, approving the form of this Agreement and designating certain persons to give written instructions and requests to DST on behalf of the Fund pursuant to this Agreement; |
B. | A certified copy of the Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Fund (the “Declaration of Trust”) and all amendments thereto; |
D. | Copies of Registration Statements and amendments thereto, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission; |
E. | Specimens of all forms of outstanding share certificates, if any, in the forms approved by the Board of Trustees of the Fund with a certificate of the Secretary/Clerk of the Fund, evidencing such approval; |
F. | Specimens of the signatures of the officers of the Fund authorized to sign certificates for shares of beneficial interest of the Fund (“shares”), if any, and individuals authorized to sign written instructions and requests; |
G. | An opinion of counsel for the Fund (who may be the Fund’s General Counsel) with respect to: |
(1) | The Fund's organization and existence under the laws of its state of organization, |
(2) | The status of all shares of the Fund covered by the appointment under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), and any other applicable federal or state statute, and |
(3) | That all issued shares are, and all unissued shares will be, when issued, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. |
H. | For this Section 1, a certificate from the Fund’s Secretary or Chief Financial Officer is acceptable. |
2. | Certain Representations and Warranties of DST . |
A. | It is a corporation duly organized and existing and in good standing under the laws of Delaware. |
B. | It is duly qualified to carry on its business in the State of Missouri. |
C. | It is empowered under applicable laws and by its Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws to enter into and perform the services contemplated in this Agreement. |
D. | It is registered as a transfer agent under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”). |
E. | All requisite corporate proceedings have been taken to authorize it to enter into and perform this Agreement. |
F. | It has and will continue to have and maintain the necessary facilities, equipment and personnel to perform its duties and obligations under this Agreement. |
G. | It is accepted by The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) as a limited participant in the DTC Direct Registration System (“DRS”). In this regard, DST will participate in DTC's Fast Automated Securities Transfer (“FAST”) program, provide a “direct mail by agent” (or DMA) function as mandated by DTC in connection with DRS participation; will undergo sufficient training regarding DRS and DTC’s Profile Modification System (“Profile”); and will participate in DTC’s Profile Surety Program as a prerequisite to initiating Profile transactions. |
H. | For so long as this Agreement remains in full force and effect DST will maintain an electronic interface with DTC. |
I. | DST will add the Fund to the FAST program and Profile through DTC and will make the Fund’s shares DRS eligible as soon as reasonably practicably, and, except for the Fund’s responsibility to ensure that (i) the Fund’s governing documents permit the issuance of uncertificated shares, (ii) the Fund’s Board of Trustees has authorized the issuance of uncertificated shares, and (iii) all associated tax reporting requirements are complied with, will maintain the Fund’s eligibility to participate therein, in accordance with all applicable DTC requirements and SEC rules and regulations, including, without limitation, by mailing or otherwise making available to a securityholder (i) a securityholder transaction advice or statement within three (3) business days of each DRS account transaction that affects the securityholders’ position or more often as required by SEC regulations; and (ii) DRS book entry statements to registered owners at least annually or more often as required by SEC regulations. |
3. | Certain Representations and Warranties of the Fund . |
A. | It is a trust duly organized and existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware and it is duly qualified, as required, to carry on its business in the jurisdictions in which it is required to so qualify. |
B. | It is registered as a closed-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). |
C. | All requisite steps have been and will at all times material hereto continue to be taken to qualify the Fund's shares for sale in all applicable states and such qualification will be effective at all times shares are offered for sale in such state. All shares issued and outstanding as of the date of this Agreement were issued pursuant to an effective registration statement under the 1933 Act or were exempt or were issued in a transaction or transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act. Any shares issued after the date hereof will be issued pursuant to an effective registration statement under the 1933 Act, unless in each case such shares or transaction is exempt from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act. |
D. | Each offer to sell or sale of shares of the Fund by the Fund or its agents in each state in which a share is offered for sale or sold will be made in material compliance with all applicable laws. |
E. | The Fund is empowered under applicable laws and by its Declaration of Trust to enter into and perform this Agreement. |
F. | Under the Declaration of Trust, the Fund is authorized to issue an unlimited amount of shares. |
4. | Scope of Appointment . |
A. | Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, the Fund hereby appoints DST as Transfer Agent, Dividend Disbursing Agent and Plan Agent. |
B. | DST hereby accepts such appointment and agrees that it will act as the Fund's Transfer Agent, Dividend Disbursing Agent and Plan Agent. DST agrees that it will also act as agent in connection with the Fund's periodic withdrawal payment accounts and other open accounts or similar plans for securityholders, if any. |
C. | The Fund agrees to use its reasonable efforts to deliver to DST in Kansas City, Missouri, as soon as they are available, all of its securityholder account records. |
D. |
DST, utilizing TA2000
TM
, DST's computerized data processing system for securityholder accounting (the "TA2000 System") and in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, will perform the following services as Transfer Agent and Dividend Disbursing agent for the Fund, and as agent of the Fund for securityholder accounts thereof, in a timely manner: (i) issuing (including countersigning as applicable), repurchasing, redeeming, transferring and canceling shares (as applicable) upon receipt of appropriate documentation; (ii) maintaining and recording on the TA2000 System the appropriate number of shares for the appropriate securityholder accounts; (iii) maintaining and providing transaction journals; (iv) preparing securityholder meeting lists for use in connection with annual and other meetings of securityholders and
certifying a copy of such list; (v) transmitting securityholder reports, prospectuses and other Fund documents to securityholders and other parties in accordance with instructions; (vi) withholding, as required by federal law, taxes on securityholder accounts, preparing, filing and mailing U.S. Treasury Department Forms 1099, 1042, and 1042S and performing and paying backup withholding as required for all securityholders; (vii) disbursing income dividends and capital gains and other distributions to securityholders and recording reinvestment of dividends and distributions in shares of the Fund; (viii) providing or making available on-line daily and monthly reports as provided by the TA2000 System and as requested by the Fund or its management company; (x) maintaining those records necessary to carry out DST's duties hereunder, including all information reasonably required by the Fund to account for all transactions in the Fund shares; (xi) receiving correspondence pertaining to any former, existing or new securityholder accounts, processing such correspondence for proper recordkeeping, and responding promptly to securityholder correspondence; transmitting to dealers confirmations of wire order trades; transmitting copies of securityholder statements to securityholders and registered representatives of dealers in accordance with the instructions of an Authorized Person; (xii) processing, generally on the date of receipt, purchases or redemptions or instructions to settle any mail or wire order purchases or redemptions received in proper order as set forth in the prospectus or related Fund documents, rejecting promptly any requests not received in proper order (as defined by an Authorized Person or the Procedures as hereinafter defined), and causing exchanges of shares to be executed in accordance with the instructions of Authorized Persons, the applicable prospectus and the general exchange privilege applicable; and (xiii) providing to the Fund escheatment reports as requested by an Authorized Person with respect to the status of accounts and outstanding payments on TA2000.
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E. | At the request of an Authorized Person, DST shall use reasonable efforts to provide the services set forth in Section 4.D. in connection with transactions (i) the processing of which transactions require DST to use methods and procedures other than those usually employed by DST to perform securityholder servicing agent services, (ii) involving the provision of information to DST after the commencement of the nightly processing cycle of the TA2000 System or (iii) which require more manual intervention by DST, either in the entry of data or in the modification or amendment of reports generated by the TA2000 System than is usually required (the “Exception Services”). |
F. | DST shall use reasonable efforts to provide, reasonably promptly under the circumstances, the same services with respect to any new, additional functions or features or any changes or improvements to existing functions or features as provided for in the Fund's instructions or, as applicable, the prospectus or application as amended from time to time, for the Fund provided (i) DST is advised in advance by the Fund of any changes therein and (ii) the TA2000 System and the mode of operations utilized by DST as then constituted supports such additional functions and features. If any addition to, improvement of or change in the features and functions currently provided by the TA2000 System or the operations as requested by the Fund requires an enhancement or modification to the TA2000 System or to operations as presently conducted by DST, DST shall not be liable therefore until such modification or enhancement is installed on the TA2000 System or new mode of operation is instituted. If any new, additional function or feature or change or improvement to existing functions or features or new service or mode of operation measurably increases DST's cost of performing the services required hereunder at the current level of service, DST shall advise the Fund of the amount of such increase and if the Fund elects to utilize such function, feature or service, DST shall be entitled to increase its fees by the amount of the increase in costs. In no event shall DST be responsible for or liable to provide any additional function, feature, improvement or change in method of operation until it has consented thereto in writing. |
G. | The provisions of this Section 4.G that follow this sentence shall take precedence over and shall govern in the event of any inconsistency between such provisions and any other provisions of this Agreement or any provisions of any exhibit or other attachment to this Agreement (or any provisions of any attachment to any such exhibit or attachment). The parties agree that – to the extent that DST provides any services under this Agreement that relate to compliance by the Fund with the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or any other tax law, including without limitation the services described in Section 4.D(vi) – it is the parties’ mutual intent that DST will provide only printing, reproducing, and other mechanical assistance to the Fund and that DST will not make any judgments or exercise any discretion of any kind, and particularly that DST will not make any judgments or exercise any discretion in: (1) determining generally the actions that are required in connection with such compliance or determining generally when such compliance has been achieved; (2) determining the amounts of taxes that should be withheld on securityholder accounts (except to the extent of making mathematical calculations of such amounts based on express instructions provided by the Fund); (3) determining the amounts that should be reported in or on any specific box or line of any tax form (except to the extent of making mathematical calculations of such amounts based on express instructions provided by the Fund which among other things identify the specific boxes and lines into which amounts calculated by DST are to be placed); (4) classifying the status of securityholders and securityholder accounts under applicable tax law (except to the extent of following express instructions regarding such classification provided by the Fund); and (5) paying withholding and other taxes, except pursuant to the express instructions of the Fund. The Fund agrees that it will provide express and comprehensive instructions to DST in connection with all of the services that are to be provided by DST under this Agreement that relate to compliance by the Fund with the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or any other tax law (including without limitation the services described in Section 4.D (vi)), including promptly providing responses to requests for direction that may be made from time to time by DST of the Fund in this regard. |
5. | Limit of Authority . |
A. | If the appointment of DST was theretofore expressly limited, a certified copy of a resolution of the Board of Trustees of the Fund increasing the authority of DST; |
B. | A certified copy of the amendment to the Declaration of Trust or By-Laws of the Fund authorizing the increase of shares (if such amendment is required under such governing documents of the Fund); |
C. | Prior to the issuance of any additional shares after the date hereof, the Fund will deliver to DST: |
(1) | A certified copy of the order or consent of any and all governmental or regulatory authorities required by law to consent to the issuance of the increased shares, and an opinion of counsel that the order or consent of no other governmental or regulatory authority is required; |
6. | Compensation and Expenses . |
A. | In consideration for DST’s services hereunder as Transfer Agent and Dividend Disbursing Agent, the Fund will pay to DST from time to time a reasonable compensation for all services rendered as Agent, and also, all its reasonable billable expenses, charges, counsel fees, and other disbursements ("Compensation and Expenses") incurred in connection with the agency. Such compensation is set forth in a separate schedule to be agreed to by the Fund and DST, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit A. If the Fund has not disputed and has not paid such Compensation and Expenses to DST by the Due Date (or Revised Due Date, if applicable), as those terms are defined below, DST may charge against any monies held under this Agreement, the amount of any Compensation and/or Expenses for which it shall be entitled to reimbursement under this Agreement. The monthly fee for an open account shall be charged in the month during which an account is opened through the month in which such account is closed. The monthly fee for a closed account shall be charged in the month following the month during which such account is closed and shall cease to be charged in the month following the Purge Date, as hereinafter defined in Section 17 . |
B. | The Fund also agrees promptly to reimburse DST for all reasonable billable expenses or disbursements incurred by DST in connection with the performance of services under this Agreement including, but not limited to, expenses for postage, express delivery services, freight charges, envelopes, checks, drafts, forms (continuous or otherwise), specially requested reports and statements, telephone calls, telegraphs, stationery supplies, Fund counsel fees, outside printing and mailing firms (including DST Output, LLC), magnetic tapes, reels or cartridges (if sent to the Fund or to a third party at the Fund's request) and magnetic tape handling charges, off-site record storage, media for storage of records (e.g., microfilm, microfiche, optical platters, computer tapes), computer equipment installed at the Fund's request at the Fund's or a third party's premises, telecommunications equipment, telephone/telecommunication lines between the Fund and its agents, on one hand, and DST on the other, proxy soliciting, processing and/or tabulating costs, second-site backup computer facility, and transmission of statement data for remote printing or processing. The Fund agrees to pay postage expenses at least one day in advance if so requested. In addition, any other expenses incurred by DST at the request or with the consent of the Fund will be promptly reimbursed by the Fund. |
C. | Amounts due hereunder not disputed in good faith shall be due and paid on or before the thirtieth (30 th ) business day after receipt of the statement therefor by the Fund (the "Due Date"). |
D. | In the event that any charges are disputed, the Fund shall, on or before the Due Date, pay all undisputed amounts due hereunder and notify DST in writing of any disputed charges for billable expenses which it is disputing in good faith. Payment for such disputed charges shall be due on or before the close of the fifth (5 th ) business day after the day on which the parties agree, in good faith, on the disputed charges (the "Revised Due Date"). |
E. | The fees and charges set forth on Exhibit A shall increase or may be increased as follows: |
(1) | Reserved; |
(2) | DST may increase the fees and charges set forth on Exhibit A upon at least ninety (90) days prior written notice to the Fund, if changes in existing laws, rules or regulations: (i) require substantial system modifications or (ii) materially increase cost of performance hereunder; |
(3) | DST may charge for additional features of TA2000 that are used by the Fund which features are not consistent with the Fund's current processing requirements; and |
(4) | In the event DST, at the Fund’s request or direction, performs Exception Services, DST shall be entitled to increase the fees and charges for such Exception Services from those set forth on Exhibit A to the extent such Exception Services increase DST’s cost of performance. |
A. | That entries in DST's records, and in the Fund's records on the TA2000 System created by DST, reflect the orders, instructions, and other information received by DST from the Fund, the Fund's distributor, manager or principal underwriter, the Fund's investment adviser, the Fund’s sponsor, the Fund’s custodian, or the Fund’s administrator and any other person whom the Fund names on Exhibit B (each an “Authorized Person”), broker-dealers or securityholders; |
B. | That securityholder lists, securityholder account verifications, confirmations and other securityholder account information to be produced from its records or data be available and accurately reflect the data in the Fund's records on the TA2000 System; |
C. | The accurate and timely issuance of dividend and distribution payments in accordance with instructions received from the Fund and the data in the Fund's records on the TA2000 System; |
D. | That Fund share transactions and payments be effected timely, under normal circumstances on the day of receipt, and accurately in accordance with instructions received by DST from Authorized Persons, broker-dealers or securityholders and the data in the Fund's records on the TA2000 System; |
E. | The requiring of proper forms of instructions, signatures and signature guarantees and any necessary documents supporting the opening of securityholder accounts, transfers, share transactions and securityholder account transactions, all in conformance with DST's present procedures as set forth in its Legal Manual, Third Party Check Procedures, Checkwriting Draft Procedures, Compliance + and Identity Theft Programs and Signature Guarantee Procedures (collectively the "Procedures") with such changes or deviations therefrom as may be from time to time required or approved by the Fund and the rejection of orders or instructions not in good order in accordance with the prospectus (as applicable) or the Procedures; and |
F. | The maintenance of customary records in connection with its agency, and particularly those records required to be maintained pursuant to subparagraph (2)(iv) of paragraph (b) of Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act, for the periods required by Rule 31a-2 under the 1940 Act. |
A. | DST shall provide the services set forth in, and fulfill its obligations under, this Agreement in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, Section 17A of the 1934 Act, and the rules and regulations thereunder, any other federal or state laws applicable to DST’s acting as a transfer agent or any local laws which are the subject of a Memorandum issued by the Investment Company Institute or brought to DST’s attention by an Authorized Person. For those activities or actions delineated in the Procedures, DST shall be presumed to have acted in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement if DST has acted in accordance with the Procedures in effect when DST acted or omitted to act, provided that any change to the Procedures made after the date of this Agreement does not materially reduce or otherwise adversely alter the nature, quantity or quality of services to be provided by DST under this Agreement. |
B. | DST shall not be responsible for, and the Fund shall indemnify and hold DST harmless from and against, any and all losses, damages, costs, charges, counsel fees, payments, expenses and liability (“Adverse Consequences”) which may be asserted against DST or for which DST may be held to be liable, arising out of or attributable to (including without limitation any attorney’s fees or court costs incurred by DST in enforcing this right to the Fund’s indemnification): |
(1) | All actions or omissions of DST required to be taken or omitted by DST pursuant to this Agreement, provided that DST has fulfilled all obligations under this Agreement with respect to the matter for which DST is seeking indemnification and provided further that DST has acted or omitted to act in good faith and without negligence; |
(2) | The Fund's refusal or failure to comply with the terms of this Agreement or the material breach of any representation or warranty of the Fund hereunder; |
(3) | The good faith reliance on, or the carrying out of, any written or oral instructions or requests of persons designated by the Fund in writing (see Exhibit B) from time to time as authorized to give instructions on its behalf or representatives of an Authorized Person or DST's good faith reliance on, or use of, information, data, records, transmissions and documents received from, or which have been prepared and/or maintained by the Fund, its investment advisor, its sponsor, its principal underwriter or any other person or entity from whom the Fund instructs DST to accept and utilize information, data, records, transmissions and documents; |
(4) | The offer or sale of the Fund's shares in violation of any requirement under federal securities laws or regulations or the securities laws or regulations of any state or in violation of any stop order or other determination or ruling by any federal agency or state with respect to the offer or sale of such shares in such state (unless such violation results from DST's failure to comply with written instructions of the Fund or of any officer of the Fund that no offers or sales be permitted to remain in the Fund's securityholder records in or to residents of such state); |
(5) | The Fund's errors and mistakes in its use of the TA2000 System, the data center, computer and related equipment used to access the TA2000 System (the "DST Facilities"), and control procedures relating thereto in the verification of output and in the remote input of data; |
(6) | Errors, inaccuracies, and omissions in, or errors, inaccuracies or omissions of DST arising out of or resulting from such errors, inaccuracies and omissions in, the Fund's records, securityholder and other records, delivered to DST hereunder by the Fund or its prior agent(s); |
(7) | Actions or omissions to act by the Fund or agents designated by the Fund with respect to duties assumed thereby as provided for in Section 21 hereof; and |
(8) | DST’s performance of Exception Services except where DST acted or omitted to act in bad faith, with reckless disregard of its obligations or with gross negligence. |
C. | DST shall indemnify and hold the Fund harmless from and against any and all Adverse Consequences arising out of DST’s refusal or failure to comply with the terms of, or to fulfill its obligations under, this Agreement or arising out of or attributable to DST's breach of any representation or warranty of DST hereunder; provided, however, that DST's cumulative liability during any term of this Agreement with respect to, arising from or arising in connection with this Agreement, or from all services provided or omitted to be provided under this Agreement, whether in contract, or in tort, or otherwise, is limited to, and shall not exceed, the amounts paid hereunder by the Fund to DST as fees and charges, but not including reimbursable expenses, during the one (1) year immediately preceding the event giving rise to DST’s liability. |
D. | IN NO EVENT AND UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHALL EITHER PARTY UNDER THIS AGREEMENT BE LIABLE TO ANY PERSON, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION THE OTHER PARTY, FOR PUNITIVE, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, OR OTHER SPECIAL DAMAGES UNDER ANY PROVISION OF THIS AGREEMENT OR FOR ANY ACT OR FAILURE TO ACT HEREUNDER, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF. |
E. | Promptly after receipt by an indemnified person of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified person will, if a claim in respect thereto is to be made against an indemnifying party hereunder, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the failure so to notify the indemnifying party will not relieve an indemnifying party from any liability that it may have to any indemnified person for contribution or otherwise under the indemnity agreement contained herein except to the extent it is prejudiced as a proximate result of such failure to timely notify. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified person and such indemnified person seeks or intends to seek indemnity from an indemnifying party, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it may wish, assume the defense thereof (in its own name or in the name and on behalf of any indemnified party or both with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified person); provided, however, if the defendants in any such action include both the indemnified person and an indemnifying party and the indemnified person shall have reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict between the positions of the indemnified person and an indemnifying party in conducting the defense of any such action or that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified persons which are inconsistent with those available to an indemnifying party, the indemnified person or indemnified persons shall have the right to select one separate counsel (in addition to local counsel) to assume such legal defense and to otherwise participate in the defense of such action on behalf of such indemnified person or indemnified persons at such indemnified party's sole expense. Upon receipt of notice from an indemnifying party to such indemnified person of its election so to assume the defense of such action and approval by the indemnified person of counsel, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld (and any disapproval shall be accompanied by a written statement of the reasons therefor), the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified person hereunder for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified person in connection with the defense thereof. An indemnifying party will not settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified persons are actual or potential parties to such claim, action, suit or proceeding) unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of each indemnified person from all liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding. An indemnified party will not, without the prior written consent of the indemnifying party settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder. If it does so, it waives its right to indemnification therefor. |
A. | All requisite steps will be taken by the Fund from time to time when and as necessary to qualify the Fund's shares for sale in all states in which the Fund's shares shall at the time be offered for sale and require qualification. If at any time the Fund receives notice or becomes aware of any stop order or other proceeding in any such state affecting such qualification or the sale of the Fund's shares, or of any stop order or other proceeding under the federal securities laws affecting the sale of the Fund's shares, the Fund will give prompt notice thereof to DST. |
B. | DST hereby agrees to perform such services and functions as are set forth herein and establish and maintain facilities and procedures reasonably acceptable to the Fund for safekeeping of paper forms and documentation, and facsimile signature imprinting devices, if any; and for the preparation or use, and for keeping account of, such documents and devices, and to carry commercially reasonable insurance. |
C. | DST agrees that all records maintained by DST relating to the services to be performed by DST under this Agreement are the property of the Fund and will be preserved at least for the periods required by the 1940 Act and will be surrendered promptly to the Fund on request. |
D. | DST agrees to furnish the Fund annual reports of its financial condition, consisting of a balance sheet, earnings statement and any other public financial information reasonably requested by the Fund. The annual financial statements will be certified by DST's certified public accountants. |
E. | DST represents and agrees that it will use its reasonable efforts to keep current on the trends of the investment company industry relating to securityholder services and will use its reasonable efforts to continue to modernize and improve. |
F. | DST will permit the Fund and its authorized representatives (subject to execution of DST’s standard confidentiality and non-use agreements) to make periodic inspections of its operations as such involves or is utilized by DST to provide services to the Fund at reasonable times during business hours. DST will permit the Internal Revenue Service and any other tax authority to inspect its operations in connection with examinations by any such authority of DST’s or other taxpayer’s compliance with the tax laws, and the costs of each such inspection and examination shall be paid by the Fund to the extent that the examination relates to DST’s performance of services under this Agreement. DST will permit duly authorized federal examiners to make periodic inspections of its operations as such would involve the Fund to obtain, inter alia , information and records relating to DST’s performance of its C ompliance + P rogram or Identity Theft Program obligations and to inspect DST’s operations for purposes of the Program.” Any reasonable costs imposed on DST by such examiners in connection with such examination (other than fines or other penalties) shall be paid by the Fund. |
G. | DST shall comply with Exhibit C (Information Protection Program), which are made a part of this Agreement and apply to the Services. The policies and procedures specified in Exhibit C (Information Protection Program) are subject to change at any time in accordance with DST’s internal change control procedures, provided that the protections afforded thereby will not be diminished in comparison with those currently provided by DST to the Fund under this Agreement. Throughout the Term of this Agreement, as part of the Services, DST shall maintain reasonable backup and security procedures in accordance with its then current internal policies and procedures. DST will be reasonably available to meet with and provide assurances to the Fund concerning its backup procedures as well as its security procedures. |
10. | Recapitalization or Readjustment . |
B. | Certified copy of the amendment to the Declaration of Trust or other document effecting the change; |
C. | Certified copy of the order or consent of each governmental or regulatory authority, required by law to the issuance of the shares in the new form, and an opinion of counsel that the order or consent of no other government or regulatory authority is required; |
D. | Specimens of the new certificates in the form approved by the Board of Directors of the Fund, with a certificate of the Secretary of the Fund as to such approval; |
(1) | The status of the shares of the Fund in the new form under the 1933 Act, and any other applicable federal or state statute; and |
(2) | That the issued shares in the new form are, and all unissued shares will be, when issued, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. |
11. | Death, Resignation or Removal of Signing Officer . |
12. | Future Amendments of Declaration and Bylaws, as appropriate . |
13. | Instructions, Opinion of Counsel and Signatures . |
A. | Neither party shall be responsible or liable for its failure or delay in performance of its obligations under this Agreement arising out of or caused, directly or indirectly, by circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including, without limitation: any interruption, loss or malfunction of any utility, transportation, computer (hardware or software) or communication service; inability to obtain labor, material, equipment or transportation, or a delay in mails; governmental or exchange action, statute, ordinance, rulings, regulations or direction; war, strike, riot, emergency, civil disturbance, terrorism, vandalism, explosions, labor disputes, freezes, floods, fires, tornados, acts of God or public enemy, revolutions, or insurrection; or any other cause, contingency, circumstance or delay not subject to such party's reasonable control which prevents or hinders such party's performance hereunder. The foregoing shall not relieve DST of its obligations to establish and maintain the business contingency plan discussed in Sections 14.B and 14.C below. |
B. | Provided the Fund is paying its pro rata portion of the charge therefor, DST shall provide back-up facilities to the data center or centers used by DST to provide the transfer agency services hereunder (collectively, the “Back-Up Facilities”) capable of supplying the transfer agency services specified herein to the Fund in case of damage to the primary facility providing those services. The back-up to the data center operations facility will have no other function that could not be suspended immediately for an indefinite period of time to the extent necessary to allow, or continue to be supported while allowing, the facility to function as a back-up facility and support all functionality scheduled to be supported in DST’s Business Contingency Plan. Transfer to the Back-Up Facility shall commence promptly after the DST’s declaration of a disaster and shall be conducted in accordance with DST’s Business Contingency Plan, which Plan calls for the transfer of TA2000 to the Back-Up Facilities to be completed within 4 hours after DST’s declaration of a disaster. The Fund shall not bear any costs (in addition to the Fees and charges set forth in Exhibit A attached hereto) related to such transfer. At least once annually, DST shall complete a successful test of the Business Contingency Plan. |
C. | DST also currently maintains and shall continue to maintain, separate from the area in which the operations which provides the services to the Fund hereunder are located, a Crisis Management Center consisting of phones, computers and the other equipment necessary to operate a full service transfer agency business in the event one of its operations areas is rendered inoperable. The transfer of operations to other operating areas or to the Crisis Management Center is and will continue to be also covered in DST's Business Contingency Plan. |
15. | Certification of Documents . |
A. | Annual Purges by August 31: DST and the Fund shall mutually agree upon a date (the “Purge Date”) for the annual purge of the appropriate history transactions from the Transaction History (A88) file for accounts (both regular and tax advantaged accounts) that were open as of January 1 of the current year, such purge to be complete no later than August 31. Purges completed after this date will subject Fund to the Aged History Retention fees set forth in the Fee Schedule attached hereto as Exhibit A. |
B. | Purge Criteria: In order to avoid the Closed Account fees, history data for regular or ordinary accounts (that is, non-tax advantaged accounts) must be purged if the confirmation date of the history transaction is prior to January 1 of the current year and history data for tax advantaged accounts (retirement and educational savings accounts), if any, must be purged if the confirmation date of the history transaction is prior to January 1 of the prior year. All purged history information shall be retained on magnetic tape for seven (7) years. |
C. | Purged History Retention Options (entail an additional fee): For the additional fees set forth on the Fee Schedule attached hereto as Exhibit A, Fund may choose (i) to place purged history information on the Purged Transaction History (A19) table or (ii) to retain history information on the Transaction History (A88) file beyond the timeframes defined above. Retaining information on the A19 table allows for viewing of this data through online facilities and E-Commerce applications. This database does not support those histories being printed on statements and reports and is not available for on request job executions. |
A. | DST will make original issues of shares or, if shares are certificated, share certificates, upon written request of an officer of the Fund and upon being furnished with a certified copy of a resolution of the Board of Directors authorizing such original issue, an opinion of counsel as outlined in subparagraph 1.F. of this Agreement, any documents required by Sections 5.C. or 10 of this Agreement, and necessary funds for the payment of any original issue tax. |
B. | The Fund will furnish DST such evidence as may be reasonably required by DST to show the actual value of the shares. If no taxes are payable, DST will be furnished with an opinion of outside counsel to that effect. |
C. | Shares will be transferred and, if shares are certificated, new certificates issued in transfer, or shares accepted for repurchase, redemption or liquidation (as applicable) and funds remitted therefor, or book entry transfer be effected, upon surrender of the old certificates in form (if any) or receipt by DST of instructions deemed by DST properly endorsed for transfer or other share transaction accompanied by such documents as DST may deem necessary to evidence the authority of the person making the transfer or other transaction. DST reserves the right to refuse to transfer, sell, repurchase, redeem or liquidate shares (as applicable) until it is satisfied that the endorsement or signature on the certificate (if any) or any other document is valid and genuine, and for that purpose it may require a guaranty of signature in accordance with the Signature Guarantee Procedures. DST also reserves the right to refuse to transfer, sell, redeem, repurchase or liquidate shares (as applicable) until it is satisfied that the requested share transaction is legally authorized, and it will incur no liability for the refusal in good faith to make such transactions which, in its judgment, are improper or unauthorized. DST may, in effecting such share transactions, rely upon the Procedures, Simplification Acts, Uniform Commercial Code or other statutes that protect DST, the Fund or both in not requiring complete fiduciary documentation. In cases in which DST is not directed or otherwise required to maintain the consolidated records of security holder's accounts, DST will not be liable for any loss which may arise by reason of not having such records. |
D. | When mail is used for delivery of share certificates (if any), DST will forward any such share certificates in "nonnegotiable" form by first class or registered mail and share certificates in "negotiable" form by registered mail, all such mail deliveries to be covered while in transit to the addressee by insurance arranged for by DST. |
E. | DST will issue and mail any subscription warrants, certificates (if any) representing share dividends or split ups, or act as conversion agent upon receiving written instructions from any officer of the Fund and such other documents as DST deems necessary. |
F. | DST will issue, transfer, and split up certificates (if any) and will issue certificates (if any) representing full shares upon surrender of scrip certificates aggregating one full share or more when presented to DST for that purpose upon receiving written instructions from an officer of the Fund and such other documents as DST may deem reasonably necessary. |
G. | If the Fund issues shares in certificated form, DST may issue new certificates in place of certificates represented to have been lost, destroyed, stolen or otherwise wrongfully taken upon receiving instructions from the Fund and indemnity satisfactory to DST and the Fund, and may issue new certificates in exchange for, and upon surrender of, mutilated certificates. Such instructions from the Fund will be in such form as will be approved by the Board of Trustees of the Fund and will be in accordance with the provisions of law and the bylaws of the Fund governing such matter. |
H. | DST will supply a securityholders list to the Fund for its annual meeting upon receiving a request from an officer of the Fund. It will also, at the expense of the Fund, supply lists at such other times as may be requested by an officer of the Fund. |
I. | Upon receipt of written instructions of an officer of the Fund, DST will, at the expense of the Fund, address and mail (or otherwise transmit) notices to securityholders. |
J. | In case of any request or demand for the inspection of the share books of the Fund or any other books in the possession of DST by a securityholder, DST will endeavor to notify the Fund and to secure instructions as to permitting or refusing such inspection. DST reserves the right; however, to exhibit the stock books or other books to any person in case it is advised by its counsel that it may be held responsible for the failure to exhibit the stock books or other books to such person. |
K. | DST agrees to promptly furnish the Fund with (1) annual reports of its financial condition, consisting of a balance sheet, earnings statement and any other financial information as is made public by DST in connection with the foregoing and (2) semi-annually with a copy of its SSAE 16 or successor report issued by DST’s certified public accountants pursuant to Rule 17Ad-13 under the 1934 Act as filed with SEC. The annual financial statements will be certified by DST's certified public accountants and the posting of a current copy thereof on DST’s website shall be deemed to be delivery to the Fund. |
L. | (1) | DST shall assist the Fund to fulfill the Fund’s responsibilities under certain provisions of USA PATRIOT Act, U.S. sanctions laws and regulations issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Title V of Gramm Leach Bliley Act, 1933 Act, 1934 Act, and 1940 Act, including, inter alia , Rule 38a-1, each as applicable, by complying with Compliance +™, a compliance program that focuses on certain business processes that represent key activities of the transfer agent/service provider function (the “C ompliance + Program”), a copy of which has hitherto been made available to Fund. These business processes are anti-money laundering, certificate processing, correspondence processing, fingerprinting, lost securityholder processing, reconciliation and control, transaction processing, customer identification, transfer agent administration and safeguarding fund assets and securities . DST reserves the right to make changes thereto as experience suggests alternative and better ways to perform the affected function. DST shall provide the Fund with written notice of any such changes. |
(2) | DST shall perform the procedures set forth in the C ompliance + Program, as amended by DST from time to time (subject to Section 9.G hereof), which pertain to DST’s performance of those transfer agency services in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, (ii) implement and maintain internal controls and procedures reasonably necessary to insure that our employees act in accordance with the C ompliance + Program , and (iii) provide the Fund with written notice of any material changes made to the Program as attached hereto. |
(3) | Notwithstanding the foregoing, DST’s obligations shall be solely as are set forth in this Section and in the C ompliance + Program, as amended, and any of obligations under the enumerated Acts and Regulations that DST has not agreed to perform on the Fund’s behalf under the C ompliance + Program or under this Agreement shall remain the Fund’s sole obligation. |
(4) | DST shall promptly provide the Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”), upon request, copies of its policies and procedures for compliance by DST with the Federal Securities Laws as defined in Rule 38a-1 under the Investment Company Act (as they relate to the activities contemplated by Agreement) and promptly provide the CCO with copies of any material changes to those policies and procedures, including changes to the Compliance + Program. DST shall cooperate with the CCO to facilitate the CCO’s performance of his/her responsibilities under Rule 38a-1 to review, evaluate and report to the Fund’s Board of Trustees on the operation of DST’s compliance policies and procedures and shall promptly report to the CCO any “Material Compliance Matter” as defined by Rule 38a-1(e)(2). At least annually, DST shall provide a certification to the CCO to the effect that DST has in place and has implemented policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to ensure compliance by DST with the Federal Securities Laws, as they relate to the activities contemplated by Agreement as well DST’s assistance to the Fund to assist it to comply with certain of its obligations under Federal Securities Laws, as specifically provided in this 18.L above. |
M. | In connection with the enactment of the Red Flags Regulations (the “Regulations”) promulgated jointly by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Treasury (OCC); Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board); Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); Office of Thrift Supervision, Treasury (OTS); National Credit Union Administration (NCUA); and Federal Trade Commission (FTC or Commission) implementing section 114 of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACT Act) and final rules implementing section 315 of the FACT Act, to the extent applicable to the Fund: |
(1) | DST shall assist the Fund to fulfill the Fund’s responsibilities under certain provisions of the Regulations that focus on certain business processes that represent key activities of the transfer agent/service provider function, as set forth in the DST identity theft program (the “Identity Theft Program”), a current copy of which has hitherto been made available to Fund. These business processes are set forth in the Identity Theft Program . DST: (a) reserves the right to make changes thereto as experience suggests alternative and better ways to perform the affected function and (b) shall provide Fund with written notice of any such changes thereto. |
(2) | DST shall: (i) perform the procedures set forth in the Identity Theft Program, as amended by DST from time to time, which pertain to DST’s performance of those transfer agency services in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, (ii) implement and maintain internal controls and procedures reasonably necessary to insure that DST’s employees act in accordance with the Identity Theft Program , and (iii) provide the Fund with written notice of any material changes made to the Identity Theft Program. |
(3) | Notwithstanding the foregoing, DST’s obligations shall be solely as are set forth in this Section 18.M. and in the Identity Theft Program and any obligations under the Regulations that DST has not agreed to perform under such Identity Theft Program or under this Agreement shall remain the sole obligation of the Fund. |
(4) | With respect to the Identity Theft Program, DST will permit the Fund, its designated representatives and duly authorized governmental and self-regulatory examiners to make periodic inspections of its operations as such would involve Fund, to obtain, inter alia , information and records relating to DST’s performance of its obligations under the Identity Theft P rogram, and to inspect DST’s operations for purposes of determining DST’s compliance with the Identity Theft Program. Any costs imposed by such examiners in connection with such examination (other than fines or other penalties arising solely out of DST’s failure to fulfill its obligations under the Identity Theft Program) shall be paid by Fund. |
N. | DST shall establish on behalf of the Fund banking relationships for the conduct of the business of the Fund in accordance with the terms set forth in Section 19.D. of this Agreement. |
A. | DST will, at the request and expense of the Fund, provide a special form of check containing the imprint of any device or other matter desired by the Fund. Said checks must, however, be of a form and size reasonably convenient for use by DST. |
B. | If the Fund desires to include additional printed matter, financial statements, etc., with the dividend checks, the same will be furnished DST within a reasonable time prior to the date of mailing of the dividend checks, at the request and expense of the Fund. |
C. | If the Fund desires its distributions mailed in any special form of envelopes, sufficient supply of the same will be furnished to DST but the size and form of said envelopes will be subject to the approval of DST (which shall not be unreasonably withheld). If stamped envelopes are used, they must be furnished by the Fund; or if postage stamps are to be affixed to the envelopes, the stamps or the cash necessary for such stamps must be furnished by the Fund. |
D. | DST, acting as agent for the Fund, is hereby authorized (1) to establish in the name of, and to maintain on behalf of, the Fund, on the usual terms and conditions prevalent in the industry, including limits or caps based on fees paid over some period of time on the maximum liability of such banks, as hereinafter defined, one or more deposit accounts at a nationally or regionally known banking institution (the “Bank”) into which DST shall deposit the funds DST receives for payment of dividends, distributions, purchases of Fund’s shares, transfers of Fund shares, sales of Fund shares, corporate re-organizations (including recapitalizations or liquidations) or any other disbursements made by DST on behalf of the Fund provided for in this Agreement, (2) to draw checks upon such accounts, to issue orders or instructions to the Bank for the payment out of such accounts as necessary or appropriate to accomplish the purposes for which such funds were provided to DST, and (3) to establish, to implement and to transact Fund business through Automated Clearinghouse (“ACH”), Draft Processing, Wire Transfer and any other banking relationships, arrangements and agreements with such Bank as are necessary or appropriate to fulfill DST’s obligations under this Agreement. DST, acting as agent for the Fund, is also hereby authorized to execute on behalf and in the name of the Fund, on the usual terms and conditions prevalent in the industry, including limits or caps based on fees paid over some period of time on the maximum liability of such Banks, agreements with banks for ACH, wire transfer, draft processing services, as well as any other services which are necessary or appropriate for DST to utilize to accomplish the purposes of this Agreement. In each of the foregoing situations the Fund shall be liable on such agreements with the Bank as if it itself had executed the agreement. DST shall not be liable for any Adverse Consequences arising out of or resulting from errors or omissions of the Bank provided, however, that DST shall have acted in good faith, with due diligence and without negligence. |
E. | DST is authorized and directed to stop payment of checks theretofore issued hereunder, but not presented for payment, when the payees thereof allege either that they have not received the checks or that such checks have been mislaid, lost, stolen, destroyed or through no fault of theirs, are otherwise beyond their control, and cannot be produced by them for presentation and collection, and, to issue and deliver duplicate checks in replacement thereof. |
A. | The Fund or its designated agents other than DST may assume certain duties and responsibilities of DST or those services of transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent as those terms are referred to in Section 4.D. of this Agreement, including but not limited to answering and responding to telephone inquiries from securityholders and brokers, accepting securityholder and broker instructions (either or both oral and written) and transmitting orders based on such instructions to DST, preparing and mailing confirmations, obtaining certified TIN numbers, classifying the status of securityholders and securityholder accounts under applicable tax law, establishing securityholder accounts on the TA2000 System and assigning social codes and Taxpayer Identification Number codes thereof, and disbursing monies of the Fund, said assumption to be embodied in writing to be signed by both parties. |
B. | To the extent the Fund or its designated agent assumes such duties and responsibilities, DST shall be relieved from all responsibility and liability therefor and is hereby indemnified and held harmless against any liability therefrom and in the same manner and degree as provided for in Section 8 hereof. |
21. | Termination of Agreement . |
A. | This Agreement shall be in effect for an initial period of three (3) years (the “Initial Term”) and thereafter may be terminated by either party as of the last day of the then current term by the giving to the other party of at least 120 days' prior written notice, provided, however, that the effective date of any termination (other than termination pursuant to B below) shall not occur during the period from December 15 through March 30 of any year to avoid adversely impacting year end. If such notice is not given by either party to the other at least 120 days prior to the end of the then current term, this Agreement shall automatically extend for a new term equivalent to the same number of years as the Initial Term unless a different period is contained in any new Fee Schedule as the period during which such Fee Schedule shall be effective (in which latter event the period for which the Fee Schedule applies shall be the length of the new term), each such successive term or period, as applicable, being a new “term” of this Agreement, upon the expiration of any term hereof unless terminated as hereinafter provided in Section 21.B. |
B. | In addition to the termination rights set out in A above, each party, in addition to any other rights and remedies, shall have the right to terminate this Agreement forthwith upon the occurrence at any time of any of the following events with respect to the other party: |
(1) | The bankruptcy of the other party or its assigns or the appointment of a receiver for the other party or its assigns; or |
(2) | A material breach of this Agreement by the other party, which breach continues for thirty (30) days after receipt of written notice from the first party; or |
(3) | Failure by the Fund to pay Compensation and Expenses as they become due, which failure continues for thirty (30) days after receipt of written notice from DST . |
C. | In the event of termination, the Fund will promptly pay DST all undisputed amounts due to DST hereunder and DST will promptly: transfer the records of the Fund to the designated successor transfer agent, provide reasonable assistance to the Fund and its designated successor transfer agent, and provide other information relating to its services provided hereunder (subject to the recompense of DST for such assistance at its standard rates and fees for personnel then in effect at that time); provided, however, as used herein "reasonable assistance" and "other information" shall not include assisting any new service or system provider to modify, alter, enhance, or improve its system or to improve, enhance, or alter its current system, or to provide any new, functionality or to require DST to disclose any DST Confidential Information, as hereinafter defined, or any information which is otherwise confidential to DST. |
A. | DST agrees that, except as provided in the last sentence of Section 19.J. hereof, or as otherwise required by law, DST will keep confidential all records of, and information in its possession relating to, the Fund or its securityholders or securityholder accounts (“Fund Confidential Information”) and will not disclose the same to any person not an affiliate of DST, except as required by applicable law, as necessary to fulfill DST’s obligations under this Agreement or at the request or with the consent of the Fund. DST acknowledges that any unauthorized use, misuse, disclosure or taking of Fund Confidential Information may be subject to civil liabilities and criminal penalties under applicable law. DST will advise all of its employees and agents who have access to any Fund Confidential Information or to any computer equipment capable of accessing Fund Confidential Information of the foregoing. DST acknowledges that disclosure of Fund Confidential Information may give rise to an irreparable injury to the Fund and its securityholders inadequately compensable in damages. Accordingly, the Fund may seek (without the posting of any bond or other security) injunctive relief against the breach of the foregoing undertaking of confidentiality and nondisclosure, in addition to any other legal remedies which may be available, and DST consents to the obtaining of such injunctive relief. |
B. | The Fund agrees to keep confidential all financial statements and other financial records received from DST, the terms and provisions of this Agreement, all accountant’s reports relating to DST, and all manuals, systems and other technical information and data, not publicly disclosed, relating to DST's operations and programs furnished to it by DST pursuant to this Agreement and will not disclose the same to any person except at the request or with the consent of DST or as required by law. |
C. | Governmental Disclosures. If a party is required to file this Agreement or any portion thereof with, or to provide any information pertaining to this Agreement to, any state or federal agency or regulatory body, it shall notify the other party sufficiently in advance for the parties to work together to redact such provisions and to keep confidential such information as the other party deems sensitive. The Fund acknowledges that at a minimum DST considers all monetary provisions, service levels and damage limitation and formulas in this Agreement as confidential. Each party shall use its best commercially reasonable efforts to advance the position of the other party with the governmental agency or regulatory body that such provisions or information should not be provided or should not be made publicly available, and each party shall keep the other party apprised of any decision by the agency or regulatory body in this regard. Each party shall provide the other party with copies of all written communications with the agency or regulatory body pertaining to the services to be provided hereunder or to this Agreement. |
D. | (1) | The Fund acknowledges that DST has proprietary rights in and to the TA2000 System used to perform services hereunder including, but not limited to the maintenance of securityholder accounts and records, processing of related information and generation of output, including, without limitation any changes or modifications of the TA2000 System and any other DST programs, data bases, supporting documentation, or procedures (collectively "DST Confidential Information") which the Fund's access to the TA2000 System or computer hardware or software may permit the Fund or its employees or agents to become aware of or to access and that the DST Confidential Information constitutes confidential material and trade secrets of DST. The Fund agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the DST Confidential Information. |
(2) | The Fund acknowledges that DST intends to develop and offer analytics-based products and services for its customers. In providing such products and services, DST will be using consolidated data across all clients, including data of the Fund, and make such consolidated data available to clients of the analytics products and services. The Fund hereby consents to the use by DST of Fund Information (including shareholder information) for in the offering of such products and services, and to disclose the results of such analytics services to its customers and other third parties, provided the Fund information will be aggregated, anonymized and sometimes enriched with external data sources. DST will not disclose client investor names or other personal identifying information, or information specific to or identifying the Fund. |
(3) | The Fund acknowledges that any unauthorized use, misuse, disclosure or taking of DST Confidential Information which is confidential as provided by law, or which is a trade secret, residing or existing internal or external to a computer, computer system, or computer network, or the knowing and unauthorized accessing or causing to be accessed of any computer, computer system, or computer network, may be subject to civil liabilities and criminal penalties under applicable state law. The Fund will advise all of its employees and agents who have access to any DST Confidential Information or to any computer equipment capable of accessing DST or DST hardware or software of the foregoing. |
(4) | The Fund acknowledges that disclosure of the DST Confidential Information may give rise to an irreparable injury to DST inadequately compensable in damages. Accordingly, DST may seek (without the posting of any bond or other security) injunctive relief against the breach of the foregoing undertaking of confidentiality and nondisclosure, in addition to any other legal remedies which may be available, and the Fund consents to the obtaining of such injunctive relief. All of the undertakings and obligations relating to confidentiality and nondisclosure, whether contained in this Section or elsewhere in this Agreement shall survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement for a period of ten (10) years; provided that, to the extent Fund or DST Confidential Information includes information that is also a Trade Secret as defined by the Uniform Trade Secrets Act, the obligation to protect such Trade Secrets shall survive the termination of this Agreement and shall remain for so long as such Confidential Information constitutes a Trade Secret, as defined by the Uniform Trade Secrets Act. |
(5) | In the event the Fund obtains information from DST or the TA2000 System which is not intended for the Fund, the Fund agrees to (i) promptly upon discovery, notify DST that unauthorized information has been made available to the Fund; (ii) after identifying that such information is not intended for the Fund, not review, disclose, release, or in any way, use such unauthorized information; (iii) provide DST reasonable assistance in retrieving such unauthorized information and/or destroy such unauthorized information; and (iv) deliver to DST a certificate executed by an authorized officer of the Fund certifying that all such unauthorized information in the Fund’s possession or control has been delivered to DST or destroyed as required by this provision. |
E. | Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, nothing herein contained shall be deemed to prevent the disclosure of any Party's Confidential Information if such disclosure is required by court order, or if such disclosure is required by applicable law or the rules and regulations of any administrative or governmental agency (a “Required Disclosure”); provided, however, in the event of any Required Disclosure, the Party required to disclose same shall immediately provide written notice to the other Party for purposes of challenging or disputing such Required Disclosure, all in such other Party’s sole and respective discretion. |
A. | During the term of this Agreement DST will use on behalf of the Fund without additional cost all modifications, enhancements, or changes which DST may make to the TA2000 System in the normal course of its business and which are applicable to functions and features offered by the Fund, unless substantially all DST clients are charged separately for such modifications, enhancements or changes, including, without limitation, substantial system revisions or modifications necessitated by changes in existing laws, rules or regulations. The Fund agrees to pay DST promptly for modifications and improvements that are charged for separately at the rate provided for in DST's standard pricing schedule which shall be identical for substantially all clients, if a standard pricing schedule shall exist. If there is no standard pricing schedule, the parties shall mutually agree upon the rates to be charged. |
B. | DST shall have the right, at any time and from time to time, to alter and modify any systems, programs, procedures or facilities used or employed in performing its duties and obligations hereunder; provided that the Fund will be notified as promptly as possible prior to implementation of such alterations and modifications and that no such alteration or modification or deletion shall materially adversely change or affect the operations and procedures of the Fund in using or employing the TA2000 System or DST Facilities hereunder or the reports to be generated by such system and facilities hereunder, unless the Fund is given t hirty (30) days prior notice to allow the Fund to change its procedures and DST provides the Fund with revised operating procedures and controls. |
C. | All enhancements, improvements, changes, modifications or new features added to the TA2000 System however developed or paid for shall be, and shall remain, the confidential and exclusive property of, and proprietary to, DST. |
24. | Third Party Vendors. |
25. | Limitations on Liability. |
A. | This Agreement shall be construed according to, and the rights and liabilities of the parties hereto shall be governed by, the laws of the State of Missouri, excluding that body of law applicable to choice of law. |
B. | All terms and provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon, inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns. |
C. | Reserved |
D. | No provisions of this Agreement may be amended or modified in any manner except by a written agreement properly authorized and executed by each party hereto. |
E. | The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only, and in no way define or delimit any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect. |
F. | This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. |
G. | If any part, term or provision of this Agreement is by the courts held to be illegal, in conflict with any law or otherwise invalid, the remaining portion or portions shall be considered severable and not be affected, and the rights and obligations of the parties shall be construed and enforced as if the Agreement did not contain the particular part, term or provision held to be illegal or invalid. |
H. | Except as otherwise provided herein, this Agreement may not be assigned by the Fund or DST without the prior written consent of the other. DST may assign this Agreement, in whole or in part, or subcontract certain of its obligations hereunder, to any domestic or foreign wholly-owned subsidiary of DST (“Subcontractor”), provided that such Subcontractor is properly registered under the 1934 Act as a transfer agent (if such registration is required to provide the services subcontracted to it) and is otherwise qualified under all applicable law to perform the obligations assigned or subcontracted to it, and provided further that if such Subcontractor’s compliance policies or procedures or internal controls differ from those of DST, such assignment or subcontract shall not take effect unless and until the Fund approves such policies, procedures and controls as and to the extent contemplated by Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act. |
I. | Neither the execution nor performance of this Agreement shall be deemed to create a partnership or joint venture by and between the Fund and DST. It is understood and agreed that all services performed hereunder by DST shall be as an independent contractor and an agent of the Fund for the purposes set forth herein, not as an employee of the Fund. This Agreement is between DST and the Fund and neither this Agreement nor the performance of services under it shall create any rights in any third parties. There are no third party beneficiaries hereto. |
J. | Except as specifically provided herein, this Agreement does not in any way affect any other agreements entered into among the parties hereto and any actions taken or omitted by any party hereunder shall not affect any rights or obligations of any other party hereunder. |
K. | The failure of either party to insist upon the performance of any terms or conditions of this Agreement or to enforce any rights resulting from any breach of any of the terms or conditions of this Agreement, including the payment of damages, shall not be construed as a continuing or permanent waiver of any such terms, conditions, rights or privileges, but the same shall continue and remain in full force and effect as if no such forbearance or waiver had occurred. |
L. | This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto and supersedes any prior agreement, draft or agreement or proposal with respect to the subject matter hereof, whether oral or written, and this Agreement may not be modified except by written instrument executed by both parties. |
M. | All notices to be given hereunder shall be deemed properly given if delivered in person or if sent by U.S. mail, first class, postage prepaid, or if sent by facsimile and thereafter confirmed by mail as follows: |
N. | The representations and warranties contained herein shall survive the execution of this Agreement. The representations and warranties contained in this Agreement, the terms and provisions of this Agreement regarding DST’s maintenance and retention of records, Section 8 hereof, and this sentence shall survive the expiration, cancellation and termination of the Agreement and of the performance of services hereunder until any statute of limitations applicable to the matter at issues shall have expired. |
DST SYSTEMS, INC.
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By:
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Title:
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RIVERNORTH OPPORTUNITY FUND, INC.
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By:
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Name: |
Thomas A. Carter
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Title: |
President
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Name:
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CUSIP |
RiverNorth Opportunity Fund
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76881Y 109
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A. | CUSIP MINIMUM FEE |
CUSIP Minimum Fee | $25,000 per year per CUSIP |
B. | ACCOUNT SERVICE FEES |
Open Account Fee | $10.00 per acct per year |
Closed Account Fee | $1.00 per acct per year |
On-line History Purge | $3.51 per 1,000 history lines |
C. | PROGRAMMING/IMPLEMENTATION FEES*: |
Dedicated | $113,087 per year (1,690 hours) |
On Request | $90.48 per hour |
Dedicated | $173,663 per year (1,690 hours) |
On Request | $135.20 per hour |
Dedicated | $220,630 per year (1,690 hours) On |
Request | $180.96 per hour |
Dedicated | $260,543 per year (1,690 hours) |
On Request | $215.28 per hour |
Senior Support | 7.50 per hour |
Staff Support | $57.50 per hour |
Clerical Support | $47.50 per hour |
1) | Reimbursable Expenses are billed as incurred. Reimbursable expenses include but are not limited to: forms, postage (to be paid in advance if so requested), mailing services, quarterly statements, telecommunications equipment, telephone line and long distance charges, printing, ACH bank charges, customized programming/enhancements, federal wire fees, bank fees, DTC charges, microfilm/microfiche, escheatment, freight, TIN Certification (W8 & W9), off-site record storage (including ancillary charges such as, by way of example and not limitation, those imposed for document/record retrieval), second site disaster recovery 1 * (currently priced at $0.206 per account), transmission of statement data for remote processing, lost shareholder vendor (search/tracking) charges, customer identification program charges, proxy processing (other than managing) if required, etc. |
2) | All travel, per diem and other billable items incurred by DST personnel traveling to, at and from the Fund at the request of the fund, are considered reimbursable expenses. Any costs or charges incurred by DST as purchasing (or selling) agent such as brokerage fees or charges, transactional fees or charges or DTC fees or charges incurred by DST in connection with the purchase or sale of shares of the Fund on the open market are considered reimbursable expenses. |
1 | The annual charge of is paid monthly in increments of one-twelfth of the annual charge and will increase proportionate to any increase in DST’s costs to provide the recovery service or in the event that the current recovery goal is shortened. The current recovery goal is to have the TA2000 System as provided for in the Business Contingency Plan operational 4 hours after DST’s declaration of a disaster. Data communications expenses for connectivity to the backup sites (DST owned or recovery vendor provided) are part of the DST network charges and are billed monthly as an out-of-pocket expense unless network is Fund- provided, in which case connectivity is the responsibility of Fund. |
· | Distribution Center |
§ | Receipt and sort of incoming mail |
§ | Remittance/Check Processing |
§ | Creation of electronic images for all paper received |
§ | Scan all paper source documentation received from incoming mail into AWD |
§ | Index such documentation in accordance with written procedures |
§ | Retain all original source documentation, which has been scanned into AWD, and then arrange for such documentation to be shipped to a long term storage facility by DST |
§ | Automated distribution of work based on assigned priority |
· | Transaction Processing |
§ | New Account Establishment |
§ | Account Maintenance |
§ | Open Market Share Buy events as part of a Dividend Reinvestment Plan |
§ | Open Market Share Buy events as part of a Voluntary Purchase Plan |
§ | Open Market Share Sell events as allowed by the Fund |
§ | Account Correction/Adjustments |
§ | Direct account transfers |
§ | Critical Report Monitoring (SEC and Corporate guidelines) |
· | Control Functions |
§ | Input of daily prices for either NAV or closing market price |
§ | Processing of dividend and capital gain and other distributions |
§ | Daily reconciliation of bank accounts |
§ | Daily cash and share control and reconciliation |
§ | Outgoing wire release |
§ | Fund audit confirmation |
§ | Manual checks |
§ | Conversion/merger balancing |
§ | Issuance of liquidation, repurchase, redemption, dividend/distribution,and replacement checks/payments (as applicable) |
§ | Nightly audit review |
· | Closed-End Fund Processing/DRS Agent |
§ | Daily registrar reconciliation |
§ | Daily control balancing between the Fund, the Fund’s custodian and DST |
§ | Timely and accurate reporting to Investment Accounting |
§ | Distribution processing |
§ | Open Market Share Buy event or Creation of Original Issuance shares as part of Dividend Reinvestment Plan |
§ | Allocation of Discount Income amounts |
§ | Open Market Share Buy events as part of a Voluntary Purchase Plan |
§ | Open Market Share Sell events as allowed by the Fund |
§ | Transaction processing |
§ | Tracking of Fund Treasury Shares |
§ | DTC processing for Direct Registration System (DRS) |
§ | DTC FAST Agent activities and balancing |
§ | Participation in Fund-initiated Rights Offering or Tender Offer events |
§ | Participation in proxy solicitation for annual security holder meeting |
· | Shareholder Servicing |
§ | Correspondence |
§ | Incoming and Outgoing Phone calls |
· | Year-End |
§ | IRS Reporting |
· | AML/CIP/Compliance |
· | Production Support and Services |
§ | Issue resolution |
§ | AWD workflow management |
§ | DST Systems Management |
§ | Fund set-up and change management |
§ | Business continuation and disaster recovery |
§ | System enhancement testing |
· | Bank Match Programs |
§ | State filings |
· | Abandoned Property |
§ | Provide escheatment services pursuant to State Law and otherwise report unclaimed property of lost securityholders to each state in compliance with Rule 17Ad-17, other applicable law and the Procedures |
· | Lost Security Holder Searches |
§ | Search for lost securityholders in accordance with the Procedures and Rule 17Ad-17 |
Name
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Title
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Thomas A. Carter
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President
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Patrick Buchanan
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Treasurer
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Erin D. Nelson
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Chief Compliance Officer
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Abigail Murray
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Secretary
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Valerie Ruppel
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Assistant Secretary
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DST SYSTEMS, INC.
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RIVERNORTH OPPORTUNITY FUND, INC.
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By:
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By:
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Name:
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Name:
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Thomas A. Carter
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Title:
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Title:
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President
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Date:
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Date:
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RIVERNORTH OPPORTUNITIES FUND, INC.
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Name:
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Title:
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ALPS ADVISORS, INC.
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Name:
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Title:
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ALPS PORTFOLIO SOLUTIONS DISTRIBUTOR, INC.
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Name:
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Title:
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RiverNorth Opportunities Fund, Inc.
November __, 2015
Page 2
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RiverNorth Opportunities Fund, Inc.
November __, 2015
Page 3
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Very truly yours,
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FOLEY & LARDNER LLP
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ALPS ADVISORS, INC.
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/s/ Thomas A. Carter
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By:
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Thomas A. Carter
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Title:
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President
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RIVERNORTH OPPORTUNITIES FUND, INC.
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/s/ Valerie L. Ruppel
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By:
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Valerie L. Ruppel
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Title:
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Assistant Secretary
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Introduction
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3
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Applicability
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4
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General Standards of Business Conduct
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8
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Conflicts of Interest
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8
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Protecting Confidential Information
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8
|
Insider Trading and Tipping
|
9
|
Excess Trading
|
9
|
Front Running
|
9
|
Gifts and Entertainment
|
9
|
Improper Payments or Rebates
|
10
|
Service on a Board of Directors/Outside Business Activities
|
10
|
Political Contributions
|
11
|
Personal Securities Transactions – Restrictions & Reporting Requirements
|
12
|
Access Persons
|
12
|
Investment Persons
|
15
|
Sanctions
|
20
|
Reporting Forms
|
24
|
Appendix A – Gift Disclosure Form
|
25
|
Appendix B – Broker/Dealers with Electronic Feeds
|
26
|
Appendix C – Broker/Dealer Duplicate Statement/Confirmation Request Letter
|
27
|
Appendix D – Sub-Advisers to ALPS Advisors, Inc.
|
28
|
x
|
has access to non-public information regarding any Clients’ Securities Transactions, or non-public information regarding the portfolio holdings of any fund(s) of a Client or any ALPS fund(s) or fund(s) of an affiliate;
|
|
x
|
is involved in making Securities Transactions recommendations to Clients, or has access to such recommendations that are non-public;
|
|
x
|
in connection with his or her regular functions or duties, makes, participates in or obtains information regarding a Fund’s Securities Transactions or whose functions relate to the making of any recommendations with respect to a Fund Securities Transactions;
|
|
x
|
obtains information regarding a Fund’s Securities Transactions or whose functions relate to the making of any recommendations with respect to a Fund’s Securities Transactions; or
|
|
x
|
any other person designated by the DCS or the Ethics Committee has having access to non -public information.
|
x
|
securities which a person holds for his or her own benefit either in bearer form, registered in his or her own name or otherwise, regardless of whether the securities are owned individually or jointly;
|
|
x
|
securities held in the name of a member of his or her immediate family sharing the same household;
|
|
x
|
securities held by a trustee, executor, administrator, custodian or broker;
|
|
x
|
securities owned by a general partnership of which the person is a member or a limited partnership of which such person is a general partner;
|
|
x
|
securities held by a corporation which can be regarded as a personal holding company of a person; and
|
|
x
|
securities recently purchased by a person and awaiting transfer into his or her name.
|
x
|
if he or she is a President, managing director, VP in charge of a business unit and any other employee who performs a policy-making function of ALPS Advisors, Inc. (“AAI”);
|
|
x
|
if he or she is an employee who solicits a government entity for AAI and such employee’s direct or indirect supervisor;
|
|
x
|
a political action committee controlled by AAI or by any of AAI’s covered associates; or
|
|
x
|
any other AAI employee so designated by the CCO of ALPS Advisors, Inc. (“AAI”).
|
x
|
government officials;
|
|
x
|
political party leaders;
|
|
x
|
candidates for office;
|
|
x
|
employees of state-owned enterprises (such as state-owned banks or pension plans); and
|
|
x
|
relatives or agents of a Foreign Official if a payment is made to such relative or agent of a Foreign Official with the knowledge or intent that it ultimately would benefit the Foreign Official.
|
x
|
Employing any device, scheme or artifice to defraud;
|
|
x
|
Making any untrue statement of material fact or omitting to state to a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, misleading;
|
|
x
|
Engaging in any act, practice or course of business which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit;
|
|
x
|
Engaging in any manipulative practice; and
|
|
x
|
Investing in derivatives to evade the restrictions of this Code. Accordingly, individuals may not use derivatives to take positions in securities that would be otherwise prohibited by the Code if the positions were taken directly.
|
x
|
No employee may, while in possession of inside information affecting a security, purchase or sell such security for the account of such employee, a Client or any other person or entity;
|
|
x
|
No employee may disclose inside information to any person outside of ALPS. However, discussions with legal counsel and disclosures authorized by ALPS or the Client in furtherance of a related project or transaction are permitted; and
|
|
x
|
No employee may recommend or direct the purchase from or sale of a security to anyone while in the possession of inside information, however obtained.
|
x
|
Employees should avoid any excessive or disreputable entertainment that would reflect unfavorably on ALPS or its Clients;
|
|
x
|
Employees may not offer or accept cash or its equivalent as a gift;
|
x
|
Employees may recognize that promotional gifts such as those that bear the logo of a company’s name or that routinely are made available to the general public are generally acceptable business gifts (and are not required to be reported unless the estimated value exceeds $250);
|
|
x
|
Employees must fully, fairly and accurately account on the books and records of ALPS for any expense associated with a gift or entertainment;
|
|
x
|
Employees may not accept any gift or bequest under a will or trust from a Client of ALPS; and
|
|
x
|
Employees who are also registered with FINRA as a Registered Representative may have additional requirements and/or restrictions that are different than these policies. These polices do not override any requirements of FINRA.
|
x
|
cash payments;
|
|
x
|
gifts;
|
|
x
|
entertainment;
|
|
x
|
services; and
|
|
x
|
amenities.
|
x
|
Employees are to avoid any business activity, outside employment or professional service that competes with ALPS or conflicts with the interests of ALPS or its Clients.
|
|
x
|
An employee is required to obtain the approval from the DCS before becoming a director, officer, partner or sole proprietor of a “for profit” organization. The request for approval should disclose the name of the organization, the nature of the business, whether any conflicts of interest could reasonably result from the association, whether fees, income or other compensation will be earned and whether there are any relationships between the organization and ALPS.
|
x
|
Employees may not accept any personal fiduciary appointments such as administrator, executor or trustee other than those arising from family or other close personal relationships.
|
|
x
|
Employees may not use ALPS resources, including computers, software, proprietary information, letterhead and other property in connection with any employment or other activity outside ALPS.
|
|
x
|
Employees must disclose to the Compliance Department a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict with ALPS or Clients and discuss how to control the risk.
|
x
|
if he or she is a President, managing director, VP in charge of a business unit and any other employee who performs a policy-making function of AAI;
|
|
x
|
if he or she is an employee who solicits a government entity for AAI and such employee’s direct or indirect supervisor;
|
|
x
|
a political action committee controlled by AAI or by any of AAI’s Covered Associates; or
|
|
x
|
any other AAI employee so designated by the CCO of AAI.
|
x
|
Up to $350 per candidate per election cycle, to incumbents or candidates for whom they are eligible to vote
|
|
x
|
Up to $150 per candidate per election cycle, to other incumbents or candidates
|
x
|
Transactions made in an account where the employee, pursuant to a valid legal instrument, has given full investment discretion to an unaffiliated/unrelated third party
|
|||
x
|
Direct Obligations of any sovereign government or supra-national agency;
|
|||
x
|
Bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements;
|
|||
x
|
Investments in dividend reinvestment plans;
|
|||
x
|
Variable and fixed insurance products;
|
|||
x
|
Non-Client
open-end mutual funds; and
|
|||
x
|
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) Plans, except if held in a self-directed brokerage account or if any Covered Securities are held in the Plan.
|
|||
a.
|
Initial Holdings Reports for Access Persons
|
|||
Within ten (10) calendar days of being designated as, or determined to be, an Access Person (which may be upon hire), each such person must provide the Compliance Department with a statement of all Covered Securities holdings and financial accounts. More specifically, each such person must provide the following information:
|
x
|
The title, number of shares and principal amount of each Covered Security in which the employee had any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership when the person became an employee;
|
|
x
|
The name of any financial institution with whom the employee maintained an account in which any securities were held for the direct or indirect benefit of the employee as of the date the person became an employee; and
|
|
x
|
The date the report is submitted by the employee.
|
b.
|
Duplicate Statements/Electronic Feeds
|
|
All new employees and any new account(s) opened by existing employees after April 1, 2015 shall be limited to the financial institutions listed in Appendix B – Broker/Dealers with Electronic Feeds of the Code.
|
||
Upon employment employees who are deemed an Access Person must instruct his/her financial institution through which he/she has an account to send transaction activity information directly to the ALPS Compliance Department. This applies to all accounts in which an Access Persons has direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership. A sample letter with the Compliance address is located under Appendix C of this Code.
|
||
If an account is held with a financial institution that does
not
supply electronic feeds to ALPS, new employees who are deemed an Access Person will have 30 calendar days to close the existing account and are asked to only open an account with a firm listed in Appendix B of the Code.
|
||
Existing employees hired prior to April 1, 2015, who are deemed an Access Person, with existing accounts can maintain those accounts and continue satisfying their quarterly reporting requirements in the system as they have in the past. However, existing employees will only be allowed to open any new accounts with financial institutions listed in Appendix B of the Code.
|
c.
|
Quarterly Transaction Reports
|
|
Each Access Person is required to submit quarterly his/her Quarterly Securities Report within thirty (30) calendar days of each calendar quarter end to the Compliance Department. If no transactions were executed or if transactions were exempt from reporting, this should be noted on the quarterly report.
|
||
Specific information to be provided includes:
|
||
1. With respect to any Securities Transaction* during the quarter in a Covered Security in which any employee had any direct or indirect beneficial ownership:
|
x
|
The date of the transaction, the title, the interest rate and maturity date (if applicable), the number of shares and the principal amount of each Security involved;
|
|||
x
|
The nature of the transaction, (i.e., purchase, sale, or other type of acquisition or disposition);
|
|||
x
|
The price of the Security at which the transaction was effected;
|
|||
x
|
The name of the financial institution with or through which transaction was effected; and
|
|||
x
|
The date that the report is submitted by the employee.
|
*
|
Transactions effected pursuant to an Automatic Investment Plan need not be reported in the Quarterly Securities Report but holdings in Covered Securities are subject to the annual holdings reporting requirement discussed below.
|
|||
2. With respect to any account established by the Access Person in which any securities were held during the quarter for the direct or indirect benefit of the Access Person:
|
x
|
The name of the financial institution with whom the employee established the account;
|
|||
x
|
The date the account was established; and
|
|||
x
|
The date the report is submitted by the employee.
|
d.
|
Annual Holdings Reports
|
|||
Each Access Person is required to submit annually (i.e., once each and every calendar year) a list of applicable holdings, which is current as of a date no more than forty five (45) calendar days before the report is submitted. In addition, each employee is required to certify
annually
that he/she has reviewed and understands the provisions of the Code.
|
||||
Specific information to be provided includes:
|
||||
x
|
The title, number of shares and principal amount of each Covered Security in which the employee had any direct or indirect beneficial ownership;
|
|||
x
|
The name of any financial institution with whom the employee maintains an account in which any securities are held for the direct or indirect benefit of the employee; and
|
|||
x
|
The date that the report is submitted by the employee.
|
x
|
Transactions that meet the de minimis exception (defined below);
|
|
x
|
Transactions made in an account where the employee, pursuant to a valid legal instrument, has given
full
investment discretion to an unaffiliated/unrelated third party;
|
|
x
|
Purchases or sales of direct obligations of the government of the United States or other sovereign government or supra-national agency, high quality short-term debt instruments, bankers acceptances, certificates of deposit (“CDs”), commercial paper, repurchase agreements.
|
|
x
|
Automatic investments in programs where the investment decisions are non-discretionary after the initial selections by the account owner (although the initial selection requires pre-clearance);
|
|
x
|
Investments in dividend reinvestment plans;
|
|
x
|
Exercised rights, warrants or tender offers;
|
|
x
|
General obligation municipal bonds;
|
|
x
|
Transactions in Employee Stock Ownership Programs (“ESOPs”);
|
|
x
|
Securities received via a gift or inheritance; and
|
|
x
|
Non-Client
open-end mutual funds.
|
x
|
Transactions made in an account where the employee, pursuant to a valid legal instrument, has given full investment discretion to an unaffiliated/unrelated third party
|
||
x
|
Direct Obligations of any sovereign government or supra-national agency;
|
||
x
|
Bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements;
|
||
x
|
Investments in dividend reinvestment plans;
|
||
x
|
Variable and fixed insurance products;
|
||
x
|
Non-Client
open-end mutual funds; and
|
||
x
|
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) Plans except if held in a self-directed brokerage account or if any Covered Securities are held in the Plan. Examples of ERISA Plans include 401(k) Plans, Employee Stock Ownership Plans, 403(b) Plans.
|
||
a.
|
Initial Holdings Reports for Investment
|
||
Within ten (10) calendar days of being designated as, or determined to be, an Investment Person (which may be upon hire), each such person must provide the Compliance Department with a statement of all Covered Securities holdings and brokerage accounts. More specifically, each such person must provide the following information:
|
x
|
The title, number of shares and principal amount of each Covered Security in which the employee had any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership when the person became an employee;
|
||
x
|
The name of any financial institution with whom the employee maintained an account in which any securities were held for the direct or indirect benefit of the employee as of the date the person became an employee; and
|
||
x
|
The date the report is submitted by the employee.
|
b.
|
Duplicate Statements/ Electronic Feeds
|
|
All new employees and any new account(s) opened by existing employees after April 1, 2015 shall be limited to the financial institutions listed in Appendix B – Broker/Dealers with Electronic Feeds of the Code.
|
||
Upon employment, employees who are deemed an Investment Person must instruct his/her financial institution through which he/she has an account to send transaction activity information directly to the ALPS Compliance Department. This applies to all accounts in which an employee has direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership. A sample letter with the Compliance address is located under Appendix C of this Code.
|
||
If an account is held with a financial institution that does
not
supply electronic feeds to ALPS, new employees who are deemed an Investment Person will have 30 calendar days to close the existing account and are asked to only open an account with a firm listed in Appendix B of the Code.
|
||
Existing employees hired prior to April 1, 2015, who are deemed an Investment Person, with existing accounts can maintain those accounts and continue satisfying their quarterly reporting requirements in the system as they have in the past. However, existing employees will only be allowed to open any new accounts with financial institutions listed in Appendix B of the Code.
|
||
c.
|
Quarterly Transaction Reports
|
|
Each Investment Person is required to submit quarterly his/her Quarterly Securities Report within thirty (30) calendar days of each calendar quarter end to the Compliance Department. If no transactions were executed or if transactions were exempt from reporting, this should be noted on the quarterly report.
|
||
Specific information to be provided includes:
|
||
1. With respect to any Securities Transaction* during the quarter in a Covered Security in which any employee had any direct or indirect beneficial ownership:
|
x
|
The date of the transaction, the title, the interest rate and maturity date (if applicable), the number of shares and the principal amount of each Security involved;
|
||
x
|
The nature of the transaction, (i.e., purchase, sale, or other type of acquisition or disposition);
|
||
x
|
The price of the Security at which the transaction was effected;
|
||
x
|
The name of the financial institution with or through which transaction was effected; and
|
||
x
|
The date that the report is submitted by the employee.
|
*
|
Transactions effected pursuant to an Automatic Investment Plan need not be reported in the Quarterly Securities Report but holdings in Covered Securities are subject to the annual holdings reporting requirement discussed below.
|
||
2. With respect to any account established by the employee in which any securities were held during the quarter for the direct or indirect benefit of the employee:
|
x
|
The name of the financial institution with whom the employee established the account;
|
||
x
|
The date the account was established; and
|
||
x
|
The date the report is submitted by the employee.
|
d.
|
Annual Holdings Reports
|
||
Each Investment Person is required to submit annually (i.e., once each and every calendar year) a list of applicable holdings, which is current as of a date no more than forty five (45) calendar days before the report is submitted. In addition, each employee is required to certify
annually
that he/she has reviewed and understands the provisions of the Code.
|
Specific information to be provided includes:
|
|||
x
|
The title, number of shares and principal amount of each Covered Security in which the employee had any direct or indirect beneficial ownership;
|
||
x
|
The name of any financial institution with whom the employee maintains an account in which any securities are held for the direct or indirect benefit of the employee; and
|
||
x
|
The date that the report is submitted by the employee.
|
x
|
A letter of censure to the violator;
|
|
x
|
A monetary fine levied on the violator;
|
|
x
|
Suspension of the employment of the violator;
|
|
x
|
Termination of the employment of the violator;
|
|
x
|
Civil referral to the SEC or other civil regulatory authorities determined by ALPS; or
|
|
x
|
Criminal referral – determined by ALPS.
|
x
|
A verbal warning, warning letter, with a copy to the employee’s direct report, for a first time pre-clearance or reporting violation;
|
|
x
|
Monetary fines and disgorgement of profits when an employee profits on the purchase of a security he/she should not have purchased or redeemed; and
|
|
x
|
Recommendation for suspension or termination if an employee is a serial violator of the Code.
|
x
|
Indications of fraud, neglect or indifference to Code of Ethics provisions;
|
|
x
|
Evidence of violation of law, policy or guideline;
|
|
x
|
Frequency of repeat violations;
|
|
x
|
Level of influence of the violator;
|
|
x
|
Any mitigating circumstances that may exist.
|
x
|
The extent of harm (actual or potential) to client interests;
|
|
x
|
The extent of personal benefit or profit;
|
|
x
|
Prior record of the violator;
|
|
x
|
The degree to which there is a personal benefit or perceived benefit from unique knowledge obtained through employment with ALPS;
|
|
x
|
The level of accurate, honest and timely cooperation from the violator; and
|
|
x
|
Any mitigating circumstances that may exist.
|
1.
|
Review and update the procedures as necessary, at least once annually, including but not limited to a review of the Code by the DCS, the Ethics Committee and/or counsel;
|
|
2.
|
Answer questions regarding the Code;
|
|
3.
|
Request from all persons upon commencement of services, and annually thereafter, any applicable forms and reports as required by the procedures;
|
|
4.
|
Identify all Access Persons and Investment Persons, and notify them of their responsibilities and reporting requirements;
|
|
5.
|
With such assistance from the Human Resources Department as may be appropriate, maintain a continuing education program consisting of the following:
|
x
|
Orienting employees who are new to ALPS and the Rules; and
|
||
x
|
Further educating employees by distributing memos or other materials that maybe issued by outside organizations such as the Investment Company Institute which discuss the issue of insider trading and other issues raised by the Rules.
|
x
|
Copies of the Code, as revised, including a summary of any changes made since the last report;
|
x
|
Identification of any material issues including material violations requiring significant remedial action since the last report;
|
|
x
|
Identification of any material conflicts arising since the last report; and
|
|
x
|
Recommendations, if any, regarding changes in existing restrictions or procedures based upon experience under these Rules, evolving industry practices, or developments in applicable laws or regulations.
|
x
|
A copy of this Code and any amendment thereof which is or at any time within the past five years has been in effect;
|
|
x
|
A record of any violation of this Code, or any amendment thereof, and any action taken as a result of such violation;
|
|
x
|
Files for personal securities account statements, all reports and other forms submitted by employees pursuant to these Rules and any other pertinent information;
|
|
x
|
A list of all persons who are, or have been, required to submit reports pursuant to this Code;
|
|
x
|
A list of persons who are, or within the last five years have been responsible for, reviewing transaction and holdings reports; and
|
|
x
|
A copy of each report produced pursuant to this Code.
|
x
|
The Committee determines, on advice of counsel, that the particular application of all or a portion of the Code is not legally required;
|
|
x
|
The Committee determines that the likelihood of any abuse of the Code by such exempted person(s) or as a result of such exempted transaction is remote;
|
|
x
|
The terms or conditions upon which any such exemption is granted is evidenced in writing; and
|
|
x
|
The exempted person(s) agrees to execute and deliver to the DCS, at least annually, a signed Acknowledgment Form, which Acknowledgment shall, by operation of this provision, describe such exemptions and the terms and conditions upon which it was granted.
|
I.
|
S
TANDARDS
OF
C
ONDUCT
AND
F
IDUCIARY
D
UTY
|
II.
|
D
EFINITIONS
|
III.
|
P
OLICY
ON
P
ERSONAL
S
ECURITIES
T
RANSACTIONS
|
A.
|
Initial Public Offerings
|
1.
|
An IPO of securities of a mutual insurance company as a result of the Adviser Access Person’s ownership of an insurance policy; or
|
2.
|
An IPO of securities of a spinoff company as a result of the Adviser Access Person’s ownership of shares of the company that spins off the issuer of the IPO.
|
B.
|
Limited Offerings
|
1.
|
Whether the investment opportunity should be reserved for clients;
|
2.
|
Whether the Adviser Access Person is being offered the investment opportunity due to his or her employment with the Adviser; and
|
3.
|
Any other relevant factors (
e.g.
, whether the Adviser has any business dealings with the issuer, general partner, or any of the individuals named in the offering documents, or if the Adviser Access Person has knowledge of an impending IPO by the issuer).
|
C.
|
Frequent Trading (Open-End Funds)
|
D.
|
Late Trading (Open-End Funds)
|
E.
|
Short-Term Trading (All Securities)
|
F.
|
Options Trading
|
G.
|
Closed-End Funds
|
H.
|
Blackout Period
|
I.
|
De Minimis
Exception
|
J.
|
Prior Approval Required
|
K.
|
Disgorgement of Profits
|
IV.
|
R
EPORTING
AND
C
ERTIFICATION
R
EQUIREMENTS
|
A.
|
Initial Holdings Report
|
1.
|
The title and type of security, and as applicable the exchange ticker or CUSIP number, number of shares, and principal amount of each Reportable Security in which the Access Person has any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership when the person became an Access Person;
|
2.
|
The name of any broker, dealer or bank with which the Access Person maintains an account in which any securities are held for the Access Person’s direct or indirect benefit as of the date the person became an Access Person;
|
3.
|
The number and title of each account in which the Access Person has any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership; and
|
4.
|
The date the Access Person submits the Initial Holdings Report.
|
B.
|
Duplicate Confirmations
|
C.
|
Initial Conflicts of Interest Questionnaire
|
D.
|
Quarterly Transaction Report
|
1.
|
With respect to any Personal Securities Transaction:
|
a.
|
The date of the transaction, the title of the security, and as applicable the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, the interest rate and maturity date (if applicable), the number of shares and principal amount of each Reportable Security involved;
|
b.
|
The nature of the transaction (
i.e.
, purchase, sale, gift or any other type of acquisition or disposition);
|
c.
|
The price of the security at which the transaction was effected;
|
d.
|
The name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through which the transaction was effected.
|
2.
|
Any additions (including the date the account was established), deletions or changes to the securities account information previously provided by the Access Person that are necessary to bring it up to date.
|
3.
|
The date the Access Person submits the Quarterly Transaction Report.
|
E.
|
Annual Holdings Report
|
1.
|
The title and type of security, and as applicable the exchange ticker or CUSIP number, number of shares, and principal amount of each Reportable Security in which the Access Person has any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership;
|
2.
|
The name of any broker, dealer or bank with which the Access Person maintains an account in which any securities are held for the Access Person’s direct or indirect benefit;
|
3.
|
The number and title of each account in which the Access Person has any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership; and
|
4.
|
The date the Access Person submits the Annual Holdings Report.
|
F.
|
Annual Certifications
|
G.
|
Annual Conflicts of Interest Questionnaire
|
H.
|
Independent Trustees
|
V.
|
A
DMINISTRATION
OF
THE
C
ODE
OF
E
THICS
|
A.
|
Prior Approval Requirements and Procedures
|
1.
|
The name of the security;
|
2.
|
The exchange ticker or CUSIP number;
|
3.
|
Whether the transaction is a purchase or sale;
|
4.
|
The quantity of shares or principal amount; and
|
5.
|
The account or broker or dealer where the transaction will take place.
|
B.
|
Some Reasons for Denial of Prior Approval
|
C.
|
Managed Account Exemption
|
D.
|
Written Report to RiverNorth Funds Board
|
1.
|
Describes any issues arising under this Code or procedures since the last report to the Board, including but not limited to information about violations of the Code or procedures or sanctions imposed in response to the violations;
|
2.
|
Discusses whether any significant conflicts of interest arose during the reporting period, even if the conflicts have not resulted in a violation of the Code;
|
3.
|
Discusses any waivers that might be considered important by the Board that were granted during the reporting period; and
|
4.
|
Certifies that the RiverNorth Funds and the Adviser have adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating the Code.
|
VI.
|
D
UTY
OF
C
ONFIDENTIALITY
|
VII.
|
P
ROHIBITION
A
GAINST
I
NSIDER
T
RADING
|
1.
|
Trade on the Material, Non-Public Information;
|
2.
|
Communicate to another (tip) Material, Non-Public Information;
|
3.
|
Recommend the purchase or sale of a security on the basis of such information; or
|
4.
|
Assist someone who is engaged in the activities described above.
|
A.
|
Ways in which the Adviser might obtain Material, Non-Public Information
|
1.
|
Disclosed to the Access Person by a company director, officer or employee (who could be a neighbor, friend, spouse or relative);
|
2.
|
Disclosed to the Access Person by persons with business relationships with the subject company (
e.g.
, its investment banker, lawyers, or accountants);
|
3.
|
Disclosed to the Access Person by a sell-side analyst.
|
B.
|
Examples of Material Information
|
1.
|
Significant mergers or acquisition proposals or agreements;
|
2.
|
Earnings estimates;
|
3.
|
Changes in previously released earnings estimates;
|
4.
|
Extraordinary management changes;
|
5.
|
Dividend changes;
|
6.
|
Major litigation;
|
7.
|
Liquidation problems;
|
8.
|
A joint venture;
|
9.
|
Borrowing of significant funds;
|
10.
|
Government investigations;
|
11.
|
A major labor dispute; and
|
12.
|
The Adviser’s securities recommendations and client securities holdings and transactions.
|
C.
|
Responsibilities and Reporting Procedures
|
1.
|
The Access Person must refrain from trading while in possession of that information unless and until determining that the information is not Material, Non-Public Information; and
|
2.
|
If the Access Person suspects that the information is Material, Non-Public Information, he or she is obligated to report it to the CCO
and
the Chief Investment Officer. The Access Person must refrain from disclosing the information to others, such as family, friends, business or social acquaintances, which do not have a legitimate business purpose for receiving that information.
|
D.
|
Rumors
|
VIII.
|
G
IFTS
AND
B
USINESS
E
NTERTAINMENT
|
A.
|
Gifts
|
B.
|
Exceptions to Gift Giving Limits
|
C.
|
Entertainment Events
|
D.
|
Soliciting Gifts, Entertainment Events, or Contributions
|
E.
|
Maintenance of the Gifts and Entertainment Logs
|
IX.
|
O
UTSIDE
A
FFILIATIONS
|
A.
|
Directorships
|
B.
|
Outside Employment
|
X.
|
O
VERSIGHT
OF
THE
C
ODE
OF
E
THICS
|
A.
|
Compliance Group
|
B.
|
Responsibilities of Each Employee
|
C.
|
Enforcement of the Code
|
1.
|
A warning;
|
2.
|
A reversal of a Personal Securities Transaction or the return of the gift;
|
3.
|
Disgorgement of profits from the Personal Securities Transaction or of the value of a gift;
|
4.
|
A limitation or restriction on engaging in Personal Securities Transactions;
|
5.
|
A monetary fine;
|
6.
|
Termination of employment; and
|
7.
|
Referral to civil or criminal authorities.
|
By:
|
/s/Thomas A. Carter
|
By:
|
/s/John Carter
|
|
Thomas A. Carter
Director and Chairman of the Board
|
John Carter
Director
|
|||
Date:
|
November 20, 2015
|
Date:
|
November 20, 2015
|
By:
|
/s/Patrick W. Galley
|
By:
|
/s/J. Wayne Hutchens
|
|
Patrick W. Galley
Director
|
J. Wayne Hutchens
Director
|
|||
Date:
|
November 20, 2015
|
Date
|
November 20, 2015
|
By:
|
/s/John Oakes
|
By:
|
/s/David M. Swanson
|
|
John Oakes
Director
|
David M. Swanson
Director
|
|||
Date:
|
November 20, 2015
|
Date:
|
November 20, 2015
|