Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 25, 2020

 

1933 Act Registration File No. 033-20827

1940 Act Registration File No. 811-05518

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

FORM N-1A

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 [ X ]
Pre-Effective Amendment No.     [    ]
Post-Effective Amendment No. 263   [ X ]

 

and/or

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 [ X ]
Amendment No. 267   [ X ]

 

(Check Appropriate Box or Boxes)

 

THE RBB FUND, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

(Address of Principal Executive Offices, including Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: (609) 731-6256

Copies to:

 

SALVATORE FAIA MICHAEL P. MALLOY, ESQUIRE
The RBB Fund, Inc. Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
615 East Michigan Street One Logan Square, Suite 2000
Milwaukee, Wisconsin  53202-5207 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-6996

 

Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering: As soon as practicable after the Registration Statement becomes effective.

 

[    ] immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
[    ] on (date) pursuant to paragraph (b)
[    ] 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
[    ] on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
[ X ] 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
[    ] on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.

 

If appropriate, check the following box:

 

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

 

 

 

The information in this Prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This Prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted

 

Subject to Completion—Dated March 25, 2020

 

 

 

Summit Global Investments

Prospectus

 

SGI Peak Growth Fund
(Ticker: [   ])

 

SGI Prudent Growth Fund
(Ticker: [   ])

 

SGI Conservative Fund
(Ticker: [   ])

 

[  ], 2020

 

of The RBB Fund, Inc.

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by regulations adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), paper copies of the Funds' annual and semi-annual shareholder reports will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. Instead, the reports will be made available on a website and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website link to access the report.

 

If you already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and you need not take any action. You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications from the Funds electronically anytime by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or a bank) or, if you are a direct investor, by calling 1-855-744-8500.

 

You may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. If you invest through a financial intermediary, you can contact your financial intermediary to request that you continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports. If you invest directly with the Funds, you can call 1-855-744-8500 to inform the Funds that you wish to continue receiving paper copies of your shareholder reports. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all funds held in your account if you invest through your financial intermediary or all funds held with the fund complex if you invest directly with the Funds.

 

This prospectus gives vital information about the SGI Peak Growth Fund, the SGI Prudent Growth Fund and the SGI Conservative Fund (each a "Fund" and together the “Funds”), each an investment portfolio of The RBB Fund, Inc. (the "Company"), including information on investment policies, risks and fees. For your own benefit and protection, please read it before you invest and keep it on hand for future reference.

 

THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED IN THIS PROSPECTUS HAVE BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SEC. THE SEC, HOWEVER, HAS NOT JUDGED THESE SECURITIES FOR THEIR INVESTMENT MERIT AND HAS NOT DETERMINED THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANYONE WHO TELLS YOU OTHERWISE IS COMMITTING A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

A look at the goals, strategies, and risks of the Funds. SUMMARY SECTIONS 1
SGI Peak Growth Fund 1
SGI Prudent Growth Fund 8
SGI Conservative  Fund 15
  ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT EACH FUND’S INVESTMENTS AND RISKS 22
Details about the Funds’ service providers. MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS 28
Investment Adviser 28
Portfolio Managers 28
  SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION 29
Policies and instructions for opening, maintaining and closing an account in a Fund. Pricing of Fund Shares 29
Market Timing 29
Purchase of Fund Shares 30
Redemption of Fund Shares 34
Dividends and Distributions 37
Taxes 37
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 40
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 41
FOR MORE INFORMATION Back Cover

 

 

 

SUMMARY SECTIONS

 

 

SGI Peak Growth Fund

 

Investment Objective

 

The SGI Peak Growth Fund (for this section only, the "Fund") seeks capital appreciation. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. Additionally, you may be required to pay commissions and/or other forms of compensation to an intermediary for transactions in the Fund, which are not reflected in the table or the example below.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)  
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) None
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) None

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends

None

Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed, if applicable)

None

 

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

   
Management Fees   0.75%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees   None
Other Expenses   0.40%
Fund Services Administrative Fee 0.25%
Remaining Other Expenses (1) (1) 0.15%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (2)   0.85%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (3)   2.00%

 

 
(1) Other Expenses are estimated for the current fiscal year.
(2) Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (“AFFE”) are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other mutual funds, including money market funds and exchange-traded funds, and are estimated for the current fiscal year.
(3) Summit Global Investments, LLC (the "Adviser"), the Fund's investment adviser, has contractually agreed to waive management fees and reimburse expenses through [December 31], 2021 to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding certain items discussed below) exceed 1.70% of the Fund's average daily net assets. In determining the Adviser's obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account: acquired fund fees and expenses, fund services administrative fee, short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes. This contractual limitation may not be terminated before [December 31], 2021 without the approval of the Board of Directors of The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”). If at any time the Fund's Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (not including acquired fund fees and expenses, fund services administrative fee, short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than 1.70% of the Fund's average daily net assets, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees forgone and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

1 

 

Example:

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year 3 Years
$203 $627

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. No portfolio turnover rate is provided for the Fund because the Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund invests in securities of affiliated and unaffiliated open-end mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) (collectively, “Underlying Funds”). The Fund may allocate assets across six categories of Underlying Funds: domestic equities, foreign equities (including emerging markets securities), domestic investment-grade bonds, domestic high yield bonds (also known as “junk bonds”), foreign investment-grade and high yield bonds, and money market funds.

 

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest primarily in Underlying Funds focusing on domestic equities and large capitalization foreign equities, a lesser amount in Underlying Funds focused on small and mid-capitalization foreign equities and emerging markets, and a small amount in Underlying Funds focused on domestic investment-grade bonds, domestic high yield bonds, foreign investment-grade and high yield bonds, and money market funds.

 

Summit Global Investments, LLC (the "Adviser") attempts to lower the Fund’s market risk by investing in Underlying Funds that seek to lower the overall volatility of the Fund’s portfolio as compared to the S&P 500® Index. Volatility is a statistical measurement of the magnitude of up and down fluctuations in the value of a financial instrument or index. In addition, the Adviser reviews the idiosyncratic risks associated with each Underlying Fund if these risks are deemed elevated with increased downside risks due to environmental, social and/or governance (“ESG”) issues. The Adviser selects Underlying Funds for the Fund that it anticipates will produce a portfolio with less volatility with more capital protection and consistent returns. While the Adviser attempts to manage the Fund’s volatility, there is no guarantee that the strategy will be successful or that the Fund’s portfolio will not experience periods of volatility.

 

The Adviser employs a process of assessing Underlying Funds that include ESG issues as part of their investment strategy. The Adviser considers ESG issues to be comprised of one or more of the following actions by companies: demonstrate strong environmental factors, apply extensive sustainability criteria throughout their supply chains, minimize risks and demonstrate best practices regarding air, water and public health; act as socially responsible companies in the communities in which they operate and their record of values and ethics; have strong corporate governance and exhibit excellent labor practices, and show environmental innovation such as energy efficiency and clean energy companies.

 

2 

 

The Adviser evaluates how an Underlying Fund uses proxy votes and access to corporate management to improve ESG concerns. This process may include interviews with an Underlying Fund’s management and an examination of an Underlying Fund’s proxy voting records, prospectus and other reports. The methods that Underlying Funds use to assess ESG issues will vary.

 

The Fund may focus its investments in a particular industry or sector for the purpose of capitalizing on performance momentum in that industry or sector due to significant changes in market conditions or geopolitical conditions.

 

The Fund may sell an Underlying Fund if the Adviser identifies fundamental, ESG, or legal risks and/or if the risk/return ranking declines due to increasing risk and/or decreasing return potential. The Fund may also decrease weight in an investment for risk control purposes.

 

Principal Risks

 

Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. The Fund's principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

Affiliated Fund Risk. Affiliated fund risk is the risk that the Adviser may select investments for the Fund based on its own financial interests rather than the Fund’s interests. The Adviser may be subject to potential conflicts of interest in selecting the Underlying Funds because the fees paid to the Adviser by some affiliated Underlying Funds may be higher than other Underlying Funds or the Underlying Funds may be in need of assets to enhance their appeal to other investors, liquidity and trading and/or to enable them to carry out their investment strategies. However, the Adviser is a fiduciary to the Fund and is legally obligated to act in the Fund’s best interest when selecting Underlying Funds.

 

Currency Risk. Underlying Funds that invest in foreign securities are subject to currency risk associated with securities that trade or are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and that may be affected by fluctuations in currency exchange rates. An increase in the strength of the U.S. dollar relative to a foreign currency may cause the U.S. dollar value of an investment in that country to decline. Foreign currencies also are subject to risks caused by inflation, interest rates, budget deficits and low savings rates, political factors and government controls.

 

Cyber Security Risk. Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the Underlying Funds, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers, the Underlying Funds, and the Underlying Funds’ third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund, the Underlying Funds, or third-party service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

3 

 

Dividend-Paying Securities Risk. Underlying Funds that invest in dividend-paying securities may be subject to the risk that the company issuing such securities may fail and have to decrease or eliminate its dividend. In such an event, an Underlying Fund, and in turn the Fund, may not only lose the dividend payout but the stock price of the company may fall.

 

Environmental, Social and Governance Investing Risk. ESG investing risk is the risk stemming from the ESG factors that the Underlying Funds may apply in selecting securities. The Underlying Funds may invest in companies with measurable high ESG ratings relative to their sector peers, and screen out particular companies that do not meet their ESG criteria. This may affect the Underlying Funds’ and the Fund’s exposure to certain companies or industries and cause the Underlying Funds to forego certain investment opportunities. The Underlying Funds’ results may be lower than other funds that do not seek to invest in companies based on ESG ratings and/or screen out certain companies or industries. The Underlying Funds may seek to identify companies that they believe may have a societal impact outcome, but investors may differ in their views of what constitutes positive or negative societal impact outcomes. As a result, the Underlying Funds may invest in companies that do not reflect the beliefs and values of any particular investor.

 

Equity Risk. The Underlying Funds’ investments in common stock are subject to market, economic and business risks that will cause their price to fluctuate over time. Therefore, an investment in the Fund may be more suitable for long-term investors who can bear the risk of these fluctuations. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock.

 

Exchange-Traded Fund Risk. In addition to risks generally associated with investments in investment company securities, ETFs are subject to the following risks that do not apply to traditional mutual funds: (i) an ETF’s shares may trade at a market price that is above or below their net asset value (“NAV”); (ii) an active trading market for an ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained; (iii) the ETF may employ an investment strategy that utilizes high leverage ratios; or (iv) trading of an ETF’s shares may be halted if the listing exchange’s officials deem such action appropriate, the shares are de-listed from the exchange, or the activation of market-wide “circuit breakers” (which are tied to large decreases in stock prices) halts stock trading generally. Certain ETFs may be thinly traded and experience large spreads between the “ask” price quoted by a seller and the “bid” price offered by a buyer.

 

Fixed Income Securities Risk. To the extent the Fund invests in Underlying Funds that invest in fixed income securities, the Fund will be subject to fixed income securities risks. While fixed income securities normally fluctuate less in price than stocks, there have been extended periods of increases in interest rates that have caused significant declines in fixed income securities prices. The values of fixed income securities may be affected by changes in the credit rating or financial condition of their issuers. Generally, the lower the credit rating of a security, the higher the degree of risk as to the payment of interest and return of principal.

 

Credit Risk. The issuer of a fixed income security may not be able to make interest and principal payments when due. Generally, the lower the credit rating of a security, the greater the risk that the issuer will default on its obligation.

 

Duration Risk. Prices of fixed income securities with longer effective maturities are more sensitive to interest rate changes than those with shorter effective maturities.

 

Income Risk. The Fund’s income could decline due to falling market interest rates. In a falling interest rate environment, the Fund may be required to invest in Underlying Funds that invest their assets in lower-yielding securities. Because interest rates vary, it is impossible to predict the income or yield of the Fund for any particular period.

 

4 

 

Interest Rate Risk. The value of the Fund or an Underlying Fund may fluctuate based upon changes in interest rates and market conditions. As interest rates increase, the value of an Underlying Fund’s income-producing investments may go down. For example, bonds tend to decrease in value when interest rates rise. Debt obligations with longer maturities typically offer higher yields, but are subject to greater price movements as a result of interest rate changes than debt obligations with shorter maturities.

 

Prepayment Risk. The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds that invest in securities that are subject to fluctuations in yield, due to prepayment rates that may be faster or slower than expected.

 

Rating Risk. If a rating agency gives a debt security a lower rating, the value of the debt security will decline because investors will demand a higher rate of return.

 

Foreign Custody Risk. An Underlying Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the Underlying Fund’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on the Underlying Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. Underlying Funds that invest in foreign securities are subject to special risks, including, but not limited to, currency exchange rate volatility, political, social or economic instability, and differences in taxation, auditing and other financial practices. Investments in emerging market securities by Underlying Funds are subject to higher risks than those in developed countries because there is greater uncertainty in less established markets and economies.

 

Growth Risk. If an Underlying Fund adviser’s perceptions of a company’s growth potential are wrong, the securities purchased by that Underlying Fund may not perform as expected, thereby reducing the Underlying Fund’s and the Fund’s return.

 

High-Yield Securities (“Junk Bond”) Risk. To the extent that a Fund invests in Underlying Funds that invest in high-yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly known as “junk bonds”), the Fund may be subject to greater levels of interest rate and credit risk than funds that do not invest in such securities. Junk bonds are considered predominately speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to make principal and interest payments. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market for these securities and reduce an Underlying Fund’s ability to sell these securities (liquidity risk). If the issuer of a security is in default with respect to interest or principal payments, the Underlying Fund may lose its entire investment, which will affect the Underlying Fund’s and the Fund’s return.

 

Index Management Risk. To the extent the Fund invests in an Underlying Fund that is intended to track a target index, it is subject to the risk that the Underlying Fund may track its target index less closely. For example, an adviser to the Underlying Fund may select securities that are not fully representative of the index, and the Underlying Fund’s transaction expenses, and the size and timing of its cash flows, may result in the Underlying Fund’s performance being different than that of its index. Additionally, the Underlying Fund will generally reflect the performance of its target index even when the index does not perform well.

 

5 

 

Industry or Sector Focus Risk. To the extent the Fund invests in Underlying Funds that focus their investments in a particular industry or sector, the Fund’s shares may be more volatile and fluctuate more than shares of a fund investing in a broader range of securities.

 

Large-Capitalization Companies Risk. The stocks of large capitalization companies as a group could fall out of favor with the market, causing an Underlying Fund and the Fund to underperform investments that focus solely on small- or medium- capitalization stocks.

 

Low Volatility Risk. Underlying Funds with investments in low volatility companies are seen as having a lower risk profile than the overall markets. However, a portfolio comprised of low volatility Underlying Funds may not produce investment exposure that has lower variability to changes in market levels. Investing in low volatility Underlying Funds may limit the Fund's gains in rising markets.

 

Management Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk of poor selection in Underlying Funds. The Underlying Funds may not perform as well as expected, and/or the Fund's portfolio management practices may not work to achieve their desired result.

 

Market Risk. The NAV of the Fund will change with changes in the market value of its portfolio positions. Investors may lose money. Although the Fund will invest in Underlying Funds that the Adviser believes will produce less volatility, there is no guarantee that the Underlying Funds will perform as expected.

 

Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk. Mid-sized companies that the Underlying Funds may invest in may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than stocks of larger, more established companies.

 

New Fund Risk. The Fund is new with no operating history and there can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size, in which case the Board may determine to liquidate the Fund.

 

Opportunity Risk. As with all mutual funds, the Fund is subject to the risk of missing out on an opportunity because the assets necessary to take advantage of it are tied up in less advantageous investments.

 

Small-Capitalization Companies Risk. Small-cap companies that the Underlying Funds may invest in may be more volatile than, and not as readily marketable as, those of larger companies. Small companies may also have limited product lines, markets or financial resources and may be dependent on relatively small or inexperienced management groups. Additionally, the trading volume of small-cap company securities may make them more difficult to sell than those of larger companies. Moreover, the lack of an efficient market for the securities may make them difficult to value.

 

Underlying Funds Risk. Investing in Underlying Funds may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to the Fund’s own expenses. The Fund’s investment performance and its ability to achieve its investment objective are directly related to the performance of the Underlying Funds in which it invests. The risk of owning an Underlying Fund generally reflects the risks of owning the underlying investments the Underlying Fund holds. The Fund may incur brokerage fees in connection with its purchase of ETF shares.

 

Performance Information

 

Performance information for the Fund is not included because the Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this prospectus. Performance information will be available once the Fund has at least one calendar year of performance. Updated performance information may be obtained at www.sgiam.com or by calling 1-855-744-8500.

 

6 

 

Management of the Fund

 

Investment Adviser

 

Summit Global Investments, LLC

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Name Title with Adviser Tenure with the Fund
David Harden President and Portfolio Manager Since Inception in 2020
Matthew Hanna Portfolio Manager Since Inception in 2020
Aash Shah Portfolio Manager Since Inception in 2020

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

You can purchase and redeem shares of the Fund only on days the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") is open. The minimum initial purchase or exchange into the Fund is $1,000. Subsequent investments must be in amounts of $100 or more. The Fund may waive minimums for purchases or exchanges through employer-sponsored retirement plans and individual retirement accounts. Shares of the Fund may be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals (collectively, “Service Organizations”). Shares of the Fund may also be purchased and redeemed directly through the Company by the means described below.

 

Purchase and Redemption By Mail:

 

SGI Peak Growth Fund

c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services

P.O. Box 701

Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

 

Overnight Mail:

SGI Peak Growth Fund

c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

Purchase and Redemption By Wire:

 

Before sending any wire, call U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (the "Transfer Agent") at 855-744-8500 to confirm the current wire instructions for the Fund.

 

Redemption By Telephone:

 

If you select the option to redeem by telephone on your account application, you may call the Transfer Agent at 855-744-8500.

 

Tax Information

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that generally may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gains rates.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

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

 

7 

 

SUMMARY SECTION

 

 

SGI Prudent Growth Fund

 

Investment Objective

 

The SGI Prudent Growth Fund (for this section only, the "Fund") seeks long-term capital appreciation. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. Additionally, you may be required to pay commissions and/or other forms of compensation to an intermediary for transactions in the Fund, which are not reflected in the table or the example below.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)  
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) None
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) None

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends 

None

Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed, if applicable) 

None

 

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

   
Management Fees   0.75%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees   None
Other Expenses   0.40%
Fund Services Administrative Fee 0.25%
Remaining Other Expenses (1) (1) 0.15%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (2)   0.60%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (3)   1.75%

 

 
(1) Other Expenses are estimated for the current fiscal year.
(2) Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (“AFFE”) are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other mutual funds, including money market funds and exchange-traded funds, and are estimated for the current fiscal year.
(3) Summit Global Investments, LLC (the "Adviser"), the Fund's investment adviser, has contractually agreed to waive management fees and reimburse expenses through [December 31], 2021 to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding certain items discussed below) exceed 1.70% of the Fund's average daily net assets. In determining the Adviser's obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account: acquired fund fees and expenses, fund services administrative fee, short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes. This contractual limitation may not be terminated before [December 31], 2021 without the approval of the Board of Directors of The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”). If at any time the Fund's Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (not including acquired fund fees and expenses, fund services administrative fee, short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than 1.70% of the Fund's average daily net assets, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees forgone and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

8 

 

Example:

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year 3 Years
$178 $551

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. No portfolio turnover rate is provided for the Fund because the Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund invests in securities of affiliated and unaffiliated open-end mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) (collectively, “Underlying Funds”). The Fund may allocate assets across six categories of Underlying Funds: domestic equities, foreign equities (including emerging markets securities), domestic investment-grade bonds, domestic high yield bonds (also known as “junk bonds”), foreign investment-grade and high yield bonds, and money market funds.

 

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest primarily in Underlying Funds focused on domestic equities, a lesser amount in Underlying Funds focused on large capitalization foreign equities, mid-capitalization foreign equities, emerging markets and domestic investment-grade bonds, and a small amount in Underlying Funds focused on small-capitalization foreign equities, domestic high yield bonds, foreign investment-grade and high yield bonds, and money market funds.

 

Summit Global Investments, LLC (the "Adviser") attempts to lower the Fund’s market risk by investing in Underlying Funds that seek to lower the overall volatility of the Fund’s portfolio. The Fund seeks volatility between 60%-80% as compared to the S&P 500® Index. Volatility is a statistical measurement of the magnitude of up and down fluctuations in the value of a financial instrument or index. In addition, the Adviser reviews the idiosyncratic risks associated with each Underlying Fund if these risks are deemed elevated with increased downside risks due to environmental, social and/or governance (“ESG”) issues. The Adviser selects Underlying Funds for the Fund that it anticipates will produce a portfolio with less volatility with more capital protection and consistent returns. While the Adviser attempts to manage the Fund’s volatility, there is no guarantee that the strategy will be successful or that the Fund’s portfolio will not experience periods of higher volatility.

 

The Adviser employs a process of assessing Underlying Funds that include ESG issues as part of their investment strategy. The Adviser considers ESG issues to be comprised of one or more of the following actions by companies: demonstrate strong environmental factors, apply extensive sustainability criteria throughout their supply chains, minimize risks and demonstrate best practices regarding air, water and public health; act as socially responsible companies in the communities in which they operate and their record of values and ethics; have strong corporate governance and exhibit excellent labor practices, and show environmental innovation such as energy efficiency and clean energy companies.

 

9 

 

The Adviser evaluates how an Underlying Fund uses proxy votes and access to corporate management to improve ESG concerns. This process may include interviews with an Underlying Fund’s management and an examination of an Underlying Fund’s proxy voting records, prospectus and other reports. The methods that Underlying Funds use to assess ESG issues will vary.

 

The Fund may focus its investments in a particular industry or sector for the purpose of capitalizing on performance momentum in that industry or sector due to significant changes in market conditions or geopolitical conditions.

 

The Fund may sell an Underlying Fund if the Adviser identifies fundamental, ESG, or legal risks and/or if the risk/return ranking declines due to increasing risk and/or decreasing return potential. The Fund may also decrease weight in an investment for risk control purposes.

 

Principal Risks

 

Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. The Fund's principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

Affiliated Fund Risk. Affiliated fund risk is the risk that the Adviser may select investments for the Fund based on its own financial interests rather than the Fund’s interests. The Adviser may be subject to potential conflicts of interest in selecting the Underlying Funds because the fees paid to the Adviser by some affiliated Underlying Funds may be higher than other Underlying Funds or the Underlying Funds may be in need of assets to enhance their appeal to other investors, liquidity and trading and/or to enable them to carry out their investment strategies. However, the Adviser is a fiduciary to the Fund and is legally obligated to act in the Fund’s best interest when selecting Underlying Funds.

 

Currency Risk. Underlying Funds that invest in foreign securities are subject to currency risk associated with securities that trade or are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and that may be affected by fluctuations in currency exchange rates. An increase in the strength of the U.S. dollar relative to a foreign currency may cause the U.S. dollar value of an investment in that country to decline. Foreign currencies also are subject to risks caused by inflation, interest rates, budget deficits and low savings rates, political factors and government controls.

 

Cyber Security Risk. Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the Underlying Funds, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers, the Underlying Funds, and the Underlying Funds’ third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund, the Underlying Funds, or third-party service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

10 

 

Dividend-Paying Securities Risk. Underlying Funds that invest in dividend-paying securities may be subject to the risk that the company issuing such securities may fail and have to decrease or eliminate its dividend. In such an event, an Underlying Fund, and in turn the Fund, may not only lose the dividend payout but the stock price of the company may fall.

 

Environmental, Social and Governance Investing Risk. ESG investing risk is the risk stemming from the ESG factors that the Underlying Funds may apply in selecting securities. The Underlying Funds may invest in companies with measurable high ESG ratings relative to their sector peers, and screen out particular companies that do not meet their ESG criteria. This may affect the Underlying Funds’ and the Fund’s exposure to certain companies or industries and cause the Underlying Funds to forego certain investment opportunities. The Underlying Funds’ results may be lower than other funds that do not seek to invest in companies based on ESG ratings and/or screen out certain companies or industries. The Underlying Funds may seek to identify companies that they believe may have a societal impact outcome, but investors may differ in their views of what constitutes positive or negative societal impact outcomes. As a result, the Underlying Funds may invest in companies that do not reflect the beliefs and values of any particular investor.

 

Equity Risk. The Underlying Funds’ investments in common stock are subject to market, economic and business risks that will cause their price to fluctuate over time. Therefore, an investment in the Fund may be more suitable for long-term investors who can bear the risk of these fluctuations. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock.

 

Exchange-Traded Fund Risk. In addition to risks generally associated with investments in investment company securities, ETFs are subject to the following risks that do not apply to traditional mutual funds: (i) an ETF’s shares may trade at a market price that is above or below their net asset value (“NAV”); (ii) an active trading market for an ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained; (iii) the ETF may employ an investment strategy that utilizes high leverage ratios; or (iv) trading of an ETF’s shares may be halted if the listing exchange’s officials deem such action appropriate, the shares are de-listed from the exchange, or the activation of market-wide “circuit breakers” (which are tied to large decreases in stock prices) halts stock trading generally. Certain ETFs may be thinly traded and experience large spreads between the “ask” price quoted by a seller and the “bid” price offered by a buyer.

 

Fixed Income Securities Risk. To the extent the Fund invests in Underlying Funds that invest in fixed income securities, the Fund will be subject to fixed income securities risks. While fixed income securities normally fluctuate less in price than stocks, there have been extended periods of increases in interest rates that have caused significant declines in fixed income securities prices. The values of fixed income securities may be affected by changes in the credit rating or financial condition of their issuers. Generally, the lower the credit rating of a security, the higher the degree of risk as to the payment of interest and return of principal.

 

Credit Risk. The issuer of a fixed income security may not be able to make interest and principal payments when due. Generally, the lower the credit rating of a security, the greater the risk that the issuer will default on its obligation.

 

Duration Risk. Prices of fixed income securities with longer effective maturities are more sensitive to interest rate changes than those with shorter effective maturities.

 

Income Risk. The Fund’s income could decline due to falling market interest rates. In a falling interest rate environment, the Fund may be required to invest in Underlying Funds that invest their assets in lower-yielding securities. Because interest rates vary, it is impossible to predict the income or yield of the Fund for any particular period.

 

11 

 

Interest Rate Risk. The value of the Fund or an Underlying Fund may fluctuate based upon changes in interest rates and market conditions. As interest rates increase, the value of an Underlying Fund’s income-producing investments may go down. For example, bonds tend to decrease in value when interest rates rise. Debt obligations with longer maturities typically offer higher yields, but are subject to greater price movements as a result of interest rate changes than debt obligations with shorter maturities.

 

Prepayment Risk. The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds that invest in securities that are subject to fluctuations in yield, due to prepayment rates that may be faster or slower than expected.

 

Rating Risk. If a rating agency gives a debt security a lower rating, the value of the debt security will decline because investors will demand a higher rate of return.

 

Foreign Custody Risk. An Underlying Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the Underlying Fund’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on the Underlying Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. Underlying Funds that invest in foreign securities are subject to special risks, including, but not limited to, currency exchange rate volatility, political, social or economic instability, and differences in taxation, auditing and other financial practices. Investments in emerging market securities by Underlying Funds are subject to higher risks than those in developed countries because there is greater uncertainty in less established markets and economies.

 

Growth Risk. If an Underlying Fund adviser’s perceptions of a company’s growth potential are wrong, the securities purchased by that Underlying Fund may not perform as expected, thereby reducing the Underlying Fund’s and the Fund’s return.

 

High-Yield Securities (“Junk Bond”) Risk. To the extent that a Fund invests in Underlying Funds that invest in high-yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly known as “junk bonds”), the Fund may be subject to greater levels of interest rate and credit risk than funds that do not invest in such securities. Junk bonds are considered predominately speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to make principal and interest payments. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market for these securities and reduce an Underlying Fund’s ability to sell these securities (liquidity risk). If the issuer of a security is in default with respect to interest or principal payments, the Underlying Fund may lose its entire investment, which will affect the Underlying Fund’s and the Fund’s return.

 

Index Management Risk. To the extent the Fund invests in an Underlying Fund that is intended to track a target index, it is subject to the risk that the Underlying Fund may track its target index less closely. For example, an adviser to the Underlying Fund may select securities that are not fully representative of the index, and the Underlying Fund’s transaction expenses, and the size and timing of its cash flows, may result in the Underlying Fund’s performance being different than that of its index. Additionally, the Underlying Fund will generally reflect the performance of its target index even when the index does not perform well.

 

12 

 

Industry or Sector Focus Risk. To the extent the Fund invests in Underlying Funds that focus their investments in a particular industry or sector, the Fund’s shares may be more volatile and fluctuate more than shares of a fund investing in a broader range of securities.

 

Large-Capitalization Companies Risk. The stocks of large capitalization companies as a group could fall out of favor with the market, causing an Underlying Fund and the Fund to underperform investments that focus solely on small- or medium- capitalization stocks.

 

Low Volatility Risk. Underlying Funds with investments in low volatility companies are seen as having a lower risk profile than the overall markets. However, a portfolio comprised of low volatility Underlying Funds may not produce investment exposure that has lower variability to changes in market levels. Investing in low volatility Underlying Funds may limit the Fund's gains in rising markets.

 

Management Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk of poor selection in Underlying Funds. The Underlying Funds may not perform as well as expected, and/or the Fund's portfolio management practices may not work to achieve their desired result.

 

Market Risk. The NAV of the Fund will change with changes in the market value of its portfolio positions. Investors may lose money. Although the Fund will invest in Underlying Funds that the Adviser believes will produce less volatility, there is no guarantee that the Underlying Funds will perform as expected.

 

Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk. Mid-sized companies that the Underlying Funds may invest in may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than stocks of larger, more established companies.

 

New Fund Risk. The Fund is new with no operating history and there can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size, in which case the Board may determine to liquidate the Fund.

 

Opportunity Risk. As with all mutual funds, the Fund is subject to the risk of missing out on an opportunity because the assets necessary to take advantage of it are tied up in less advantageous investments.

 

Small-Capitalization Companies Risk. Small-cap companies that the Underlying Funds may invest in may be more volatile than, and not as readily marketable as, those of larger companies. Small companies may also have limited product lines, markets or financial resources and may be dependent on relatively small or inexperienced management groups. Additionally, the trading volume of small-cap company securities may make them more difficult to sell than those of larger companies. Moreover, the lack of an efficient market for the securities may make them difficult to value.

 

Underlying Funds Risk. Investing in Underlying Funds may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to the Fund’s own expenses. The Fund’s investment performance and its ability to achieve its investment objective are directly related to the performance of the Underlying Funds in which it invests. The risk of owning an Underlying Fund generally reflects the risks of owning the underlying investments the Underlying Fund holds. The Fund may incur brokerage fees in connection with its purchase of ETF shares.

 

Performance Information

 

Performance information for the Fund is not included because the Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this prospectus. Performance information will be available once the Fund has at least one calendar year of performance. Updated performance information may be obtained at www.sgiam.com or by calling 1-855-744-8500.

 

13 

 

Management of the Fund

 

Investment Adviser

 

Summit Global Investments, LLC

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Name Title with Adviser Tenure with the Fund
David Harden President and Portfolio Manager Since Inception in 2020
Matthew Hanna Portfolio Manager Since Inception in 2020
Aash Shah Portfolio Manager Since Inception in 2020

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

You can purchase and redeem shares of the Fund only on days the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") is open. The minimum initial purchase or exchange into the Fund is $1,000. Subsequent investments must be in amounts of $100 or more. The Fund may waive minimums for purchases or exchanges through employer-sponsored retirement plans and individual retirement accounts. Shares of the Fund may be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals (collectively, “Service Organizations”). Shares of the Fund may also be purchased and redeemed directly through the Company by the means described below.

 

Purchase and Redemption By Mail:

 

SGI Prudent Growth Fund

c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services

P.O. Box 701

Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

 

Overnight Mail:

SGI Prudent Growth Fund

c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

Purchase and Redemption By Wire:

 

Before sending any wire, call U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (the "Transfer Agent") at 855-744-8500 to confirm the current wire instructions for the Fund.

 

Redemption By Telephone:

 

If you select the option to redeem by telephone on your account application, you may call the Transfer Agent at 855-744-8500.

 

Tax Information

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that generally may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gains rates.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

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

 

14 

 

SUMMARY SECTION

 

 

SGI Conservative Fund

 

Investment Objective

 

The SGI Conservative Fund (for this section only, the "Fund") seeks conservative capital appreciation. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.

 

Expenses and Fees

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. Additionally, you may be required to pay commissions and/or other forms of compensation to an intermediary for transactions in the Fund, which are not reflected in the table or the example below.

 

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)  
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) None
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) None

Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends

None

Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed, if applicable)

None

 

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

   
Management Fees   0.75%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees   None
Other Expenses   0.40%
Fund Services Administrative Fee 0.25%
Remaining Other Expenses (1) (1) 0.15%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (2)   0.35%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (3)   1.50%

 

 
(1) Other Expenses are estimated for the current fiscal year.
(2) Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (“AFFE”) are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other mutual funds, including money market funds and exchange-traded funds, and are estimated for the current fiscal year.
(3) Summit Global Investments, LLC (the "Adviser"), the Fund's investment adviser, has contractually agreed to waive management fees and reimburse expenses through [December 31], 2021 to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding certain items discussed below) exceed 1.70% of the Fund's average daily net assets. In determining the Adviser's obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses, the following expenses are not taken into account: acquired fund fees and expenses, fund services administrative fee, short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes. This contractual limitation may not be terminated before [December 31], 2021 without the approval of the Board of Directors of The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”). If at any time the Fund's Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (not including acquired fund fees and expenses, fund services administrative fee, short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes) for a year are less than 1.70% of the Fund's average daily net assets, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees forgone and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

15 

 

Example:

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year 3 Years
$153 $474

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. No portfolio turnover rate is provided for the Fund because the Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund invests in securities of affiliated and unaffiliated open-end mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) (collectively, “Underlying Funds”). The Fund may allocate assets across six categories of Underlying Funds: domestic equities, foreign equities (including emerging markets securities), domestic investment-grade bonds, domestic high yield bonds (also known as “junk bonds”), foreign investment-grade and high yield bonds, and money market funds.

 

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest primarily in Underlying Funds focused on domestic investment-grade bonds, a lesser amount in Underlying Funds focused on large capitalization domestic equities, domestic high yield bonds, and money market funds, and a small amount in Underlying Funds focused on domestic small-capitalization equities, foreign equities and emerging markets, and in foreign investment-grade and high yield bonds.

 

Summit Global Investments, LLC (the "Adviser") attempts to lower the Fund’s market risk by investing in Underlying Funds that seek to lower the overall volatility of the Fund’s portfolio. The Fund seeks volatility between 20%-40% as compared to the S&P 500® Index. Volatility is a statistical measurement of the magnitude of up and down fluctuations in the value of a financial instrument or index. In addition, the Adviser reviews the idiosyncratic risks associated with each Underlying Fund if these risks are deemed elevated with increased downside risks due to environmental, social and/or governance (“ESG”) issues. The Adviser selects Underlying Funds for the Fund that it anticipates will produce a portfolio with less volatility with more capital protection and consistent returns. While the Adviser attempts to manage the Fund’s volatility, there is no guarantee that the strategy will be successful or that the Fund’s portfolio will not experience periods of higher volatility.

 

The Adviser employs a process of assessing Underlying Funds that include ESG issues as part of their investment strategy. The Adviser considers ESG issues to be comprised of one or more of the following actions by companies: demonstrate strong environmental factors, apply extensive sustainability criteria throughout their supply chains, minimize risks and demonstrate best practices regarding air, water and public health; act as socially responsible companies in the communities in which they operate and their record of values and ethics; have strong corporate governance and exhibit excellent labor practices, and show environmental innovation such as energy efficiency and clean energy companies.

 

16 

 

The Adviser evaluates how an Underlying Fund uses proxy votes and access to corporate management to improve ESG concerns. This process may include interviews with an Underlying Fund’s management and an examination of an Underlying Fund’s proxy voting records, prospectus and other reports. The methods that Underlying Funds use to assess ESG issues will vary.

 

The Fund may focus its investments in a particular industry or sector for the purpose of capitalizing on performance momentum in that industry or sector due to significant changes in market conditions or geopolitical conditions.

 

The Fund may sell an Underlying Fund if the Adviser identifies fundamental, ESG, or legal risks and/or if the risk/return ranking declines due to increasing risk and/or decreasing return potential. The Fund may also decrease weight in an investment for risk control purposes.

 

Principal Risks

 

Loss of money is a risk of investing in the Fund. The value of your investment in the Fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly from day to day and over time. You may lose part or all of your investment in the Fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. The Fund's principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Different risks may be more significant at different times depending on market conditions or other factors.

 

Affiliated Fund Risk. Affiliated fund risk is the risk that the Adviser may select investments for the Fund based on its own financial interests rather than the Fund’s interests. The Adviser may be subject to potential conflicts of interest in selecting the Underlying Funds because the fees paid to the Adviser by some affiliated Underlying Funds may be higher than other Underlying Funds or the Underlying Funds may be in need of assets to enhance their appeal to other investors, liquidity and trading and/or to enable them to carry out their investment strategies. However, the Adviser is a fiduciary to the Fund and is legally obligated to act in the Fund’s best interest when selecting Underlying Funds.

 

Currency Risk. Underlying Funds that invest in foreign securities are subject to currency risk associated with securities that trade or are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and that may be affected by fluctuations in currency exchange rates. An increase in the strength of the U.S. dollar relative to a foreign currency may cause the U.S. dollar value of an investment in that country to decline. Foreign currencies also are subject to risks caused by inflation, interest rates, budget deficits and low savings rates, political factors and government controls.

 

Cyber Security Risk. Cyber security risk is the risk of an unauthorized breach and access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, or the risk of an incident occurring that causes the Fund, the Underlying Funds, the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor and other service providers and financial intermediaries to suffer data breaches, data corruption or lose operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The Fund and its investment adviser have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers, the Underlying Funds, and the Underlying Funds’ third-party service providers. Successful cyber-attacks or other cyber-failures or events affecting the Fund, the Underlying Funds, or third-party service providers may adversely impact and cause financial losses to the Fund or its shareholders.

 

17 

 

Dividend-Paying Securities Risk. Underlying Funds that invest in dividend-paying securities may be subject to the risk that the company issuing such securities may fail and have to decrease or eliminate its dividend. In such an event, an Underlying Fund, and in turn the Fund, may not only lose the dividend payout but the stock price of the company may fall.

 

Environmental, Social and Governance Investing Risk. ESG investing risk is the risk stemming from the ESG factors that the Underlying Funds may apply in selecting securities. The Underlying Funds may invest in companies with measurable high ESG ratings relative to their sector peers, and screen out particular companies that do not meet their ESG criteria. This may affect the Underlying Funds’ and the Fund’s exposure to certain companies or industries and cause the Underlying Funds to forego certain investment opportunities. The Underlying Funds’ results may be lower than other funds that do not seek to invest in companies based on ESG ratings and/or screen out certain companies or industries. The Underlying Funds may seek to identify companies that they believe may have a societal impact outcome, but investors may differ in their views of what constitutes positive or negative societal impact outcomes. As a result, the Underlying Funds may invest in companies that do not reflect the beliefs and values of any particular investor.

 

Equity Risk. The Underlying Funds’ investments in common stock are subject to market, economic and business risks that will cause their price to fluctuate over time. Therefore, an investment in the Fund may be more suitable for long-term investors who can bear the risk of these fluctuations. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock.

 

Exchange-Traded Fund Risk. In addition to risks generally associated with investments in investment company securities, ETFs are subject to the following risks that do not apply to traditional mutual funds: (i) an ETF’s shares may trade at a market price that is above or below their net asset value (“NAV”); (ii) an active trading market for an ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained; (iii) the ETF may employ an investment strategy that utilizes high leverage ratios; or (iv) trading of an ETF’s shares may be halted if the listing exchange’s officials deem such action appropriate, the shares are de-listed from the exchange, or the activation of market-wide “circuit breakers” (which are tied to large decreases in stock prices) halts stock trading generally. Certain ETFs may be thinly traded and experience large spreads between the “ask” price quoted by a seller and the “bid” price offered by a buyer.

 

Fixed Income Securities Risk. To the extent the Fund invests in Underlying Funds that invest in fixed income securities, the Fund will be subject to fixed income securities risks. While fixed income securities normally fluctuate less in price than stocks, there have been extended periods of increases in interest rates that have caused significant declines in fixed income securities prices. The values of fixed income securities may be affected by changes in the credit rating or financial condition of their issuers. Generally, the lower the credit rating of a security, the higher the degree of risk as to the payment of interest and return of principal.

 

Credit Risk. The issuer of a fixed income security may not be able to make interest and principal payments when due. Generally, the lower the credit rating of a security, the greater the risk that the issuer will default on its obligation.

 

Duration Risk. Prices of fixed income securities with longer effective maturities are more sensitive to interest rate changes than those with shorter effective maturities.

 

Income Risk. The Fund’s income could decline due to falling market interest rates. In a falling interest rate environment, the Fund may be required to invest in Underlying Funds that invest their assets in lower-yielding securities. Because interest rates vary, it is impossible to predict the income or yield of the Fund for any particular period.

 

18 

 

Interest Rate Risk. The value of the Fund or an Underlying Fund may fluctuate based upon changes in interest rates and market conditions. As interest rates increase, the value of an Underlying Fund’s income-producing investments may go down. For example, bonds tend to decrease in value when interest rates rise. Debt obligations with longer maturities typically offer higher yields, but are subject to greater price movements as a result of interest rate changes than debt obligations with shorter maturities.

 

Prepayment Risk. The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds that invest in securities that are subject to fluctuations in yield, due to prepayment rates that may be faster or slower than expected.

 

Rating Risk. If a rating agency gives a debt security a lower rating, the value of the debt security will decline because investors will demand a higher rate of return.

 

Foreign Custody Risk. An Underlying Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the Underlying Fund’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on the Underlying Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. Underlying Funds that invest in foreign securities are subject to special risks, including, but not limited to, currency exchange rate volatility, political, social or economic instability, and differences in taxation, auditing and other financial practices. Investments in emerging market securities by Underlying Funds are subject to higher risks than those in developed countries because there is greater uncertainty in less established markets and economies.

 

Growth Risk. If an Underlying Fund adviser’s perceptions of a company’s growth potential are wrong, the securities purchased by that Underlying Fund may not perform as expected, thereby reducing the Underlying Fund’s and the Fund’s return.

 

High-Yield Securities (“Junk Bond”) Risk. To the extent that a Fund invests in Underlying Funds that invest in high-yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly known as “junk bonds”), the Fund may be subject to greater levels of interest rate and credit risk than funds that do not invest in such securities. Junk bonds are considered predominately speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to make principal and interest payments. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market for these securities and reduce an Underlying Fund’s ability to sell these securities (liquidity risk). If the issuer of a security is in default with respect to interest or principal payments, the Underlying Fund may lose its entire investment, which will affect the Underlying Fund’s and the Fund’s return.

 

Index Management Risk. To the extent the Fund invests in an Underlying Fund that is intended to track a target index, it is subject to the risk that the Underlying Fund may track its target index less closely. For example, an adviser to the Underlying Fund may select securities that are not fully representative of the index, and the Underlying Fund’s transaction expenses, and the size and timing of its cash flows, may result in the Underlying Fund’s performance being different than that of its index. Additionally, the Underlying Fund will generally reflect the performance of its target index even when the index does not perform well.

 

19 

 

Industry or Sector Focus Risk. To the extent the Fund invests in Underlying Funds that focus their investments in a particular industry or sector, the Fund’s shares may be more volatile and fluctuate more than shares of a fund investing in a broader range of securities.

 

Large-Capitalization Companies Risk. The stocks of large capitalization companies as a group could fall out of favor with the market, causing an Underlying Fund and the Fund to underperform investments that focus solely on small- or medium- capitalization stocks.

 

Low Volatility Risk. Underlying Funds with investments in low volatility companies are seen as having a lower risk profile than the overall markets. However, a portfolio comprised of low volatility Underlying Funds may not produce investment exposure that has lower variability to changes in market levels. Investing in low volatility Underlying Funds may limit the Fund's gains in rising markets.

 

Management Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk of poor selection in Underlying Funds. The Underlying Funds may not perform as well as expected, and/or the Fund's portfolio management practices may not work to achieve their desired result.

 

Market Risk. The NAV of the Fund will change with changes in the market value of its portfolio positions. Investors may lose money. Although the Fund will invest in Underlying Funds that the Adviser believes will produce less volatility, there is no guarantee that the Underlying Funds will perform as expected.

 

Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk. Mid-sized companies that the Underlying Funds may invest in may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than stocks of larger, more established companies.

 

New Fund Risk. The Fund is new with no operating history and there can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size, in which case the Board may determine to liquidate the Fund.

 

Opportunity Risk. As with all mutual funds, the Fund is subject to the risk of missing out on an opportunity because the assets necessary to take advantage of it are tied up in less advantageous investments.

 

Small-Capitalization Companies Risk. Small-cap companies that the Underlying Funds may invest in may be more volatile than, and not as readily marketable as, those of larger companies. Small companies may also have limited product lines, markets or financial resources and may be dependent on relatively small or inexperienced management groups. Additionally, the trading volume of small-cap company securities may make them more difficult to sell than those of larger companies. Moreover, the lack of an efficient market for the securities may make them difficult to value.

 

Underlying Funds Risk. Investing in Underlying Funds may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to the Fund’s own expenses. The Fund’s investment performance and its ability to achieve its investment objective are directly related to the performance of the Underlying Funds in which it invests. The risk of owning an Underlying Fund generally reflects the risks of owning the underlying investments the Underlying Fund holds. The Fund may incur brokerage fees in connection with its purchase of ETF shares.

 

Performance Information

 

Performance information for the Fund is not included because the Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this prospectus. Performance information will be available once the Fund has at least one calendar year of performance. Updated performance information may be obtained at www.sgiam.com or by calling 1-855-744-8500.

 

20 

 

Management of the Fund

 

Investment Adviser

 

Summit Global Investments, LLC

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Name Title with Adviser Tenure with the Fund
David Harden President and Portfolio Manager Since Inception in 2020
Matthew Hanna Portfolio Manager Since Inception in 2020
Aash Shah Portfolio Manager Since Inception in 2020

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

You can purchase and redeem shares of the Fund only on days the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") is open. The minimum initial purchase or exchange into the Fund is $1,000. Subsequent investments must be in amounts of $100 or more. The Fund may waive minimums for purchases or exchanges through employer-sponsored retirement plans and individual retirement accounts. Shares of the Fund may be available through certain brokerage firms, financial institutions and other industry professionals (collectively, “Service Organizations”). Shares of the Fund may also be purchased and redeemed directly through the Company by the means described below.

 

Purchase and Redemption By Mail:

 

SGI Conservative Fund

c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services

P.O. Box 701

Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

 

Overnight Mail:

SGI Conservative Fund

c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

Purchase and Redemption By Wire:

 

Before sending any wire, call U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (the "Transfer Agent") at 855-744-8500 to confirm the current wire instructions for the Fund.

 

Redemption By Telephone:

 

If you select the option to redeem by telephone on your account application, you may call the Transfer Agent at 855-744-8500.

 

Tax Information

 

The Fund intends to make distributions that generally may be taxed at ordinary income or capital gains rates.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

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

 

21 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT EACH FUND’S INVESTMENTS AND RISKS

 

 

This section provides some additional information about the Funds’ investments and certain portfolio management techniques that the Funds may use. More information about the Funds’ investments and portfolio management techniques, and related risks, is included in the SAI.

 

Investment Objectives

 

Each Fund's investment objective may be changed by the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company without shareholder approval. Shareholders will, however, receive 60 days' prior notice of any changes. Any such changes may result in a Fund having an investment objective different from the objective that the shareholder considered appropriate at the time of investment in the Fund.

 

Additional Information About Each Fund's Principal Investments and Risks

 

Affiliated Fund Risk. The Funds’ investment in Underlying Funds may have the effect of creating economies of scale, possibly resulting in lower expense ratios for the Underlying Funds, because the Funds may own substantial portions of the shares of the Underlying Funds. However, redemption of the Underlying Fund shares by one or more Funds could cause the expense ratio of an Underlying Fund to increase, as its fixed costs would be spread over a smaller asset base. Because of large positions of certain Funds, the Underlying Funds may experience relatively large inflows and outflows of cash due to Funds’ purchases and sales of Underlying Fund shares. Although the Adviser may seek to minimize the impact of these transactions where possible, for example, by structuring them over a reasonable period of time or through other measures, Underlying Funds may experience increased expenses as they buy and sell portfolio securities to manage the cash flow effect related to these transactions. Further, when the Adviser structures transactions over a reasonable period of time in order to manage the potential impact of the buy and sell decisions for the Funds, those Funds, including funds-of-funds, may pay more or less (for purchase activity) or receive more or less (for redemption activity), for shares of the Underlying Funds than if the transactions were executed in one transaction. In addition, substantial redemptions by the Funds within a short period of time could require the Underlying Fund to liquidate positions more rapidly than would otherwise be desirable, which may have the effect of reducing or eliminating potential gain or causing it to realize a loss. Substantial redemptions may also adversely affect the ability of the Underlying Fund to implement its investment strategy. The Adviser may have a conflict of interest with respect to Fund investments in Underlying Funds, particularly when an Underlying Fund has low assets. The Adviser also has an economic conflict of interest in determining the allocation of the Funds’ assets among the Underlying Funds, as it earns different fees from the various Underlying Funds.

 

Currency Risk. An Underlying Fund’s investment in foreign securities involves currency risk associated with securities that trade or are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and that may be affected by fluctuations in currency exchange rates. An increase in the strength of the U.S. dollar relative to a foreign currency may cause the U.S. dollar value of an investment in that country to decline. Foreign currencies also are subject to risks caused by inflation, interest rates, budget deficits and low savings rates, political factors and government controls.

 

Cyber Security Risk. With the increased use of technologies such as the internet to conduct business, the Funds and the Underlying Funds are susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber-attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through "hacking" or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Cyber-attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber security failures or breaches by the Fund’s or an Underlying Fund's adviser and other service providers (including, but not limited to, the Fund’s or an Underlying Fund’s accountant, custodian, transfer agent and administrator), and the issuers of securities in which the Underlying Funds invest, have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with the Fund’s or an Underlying Fund's ability to calculate its NAV, impediments to trading, the inability of Fund shareholders to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cyber incidents in the future. While the Adviser has established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber-attacks, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by service providers to the Funds and the Underlying Funds, and issuers in which the Underlying Funds invest. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

 

22 

 

Dividend-Paying Securities Risk. A company issuing dividend-paying securities may fail and have to decrease or eliminate its dividend. In such an event, an Underlying Fund, and in turn a Fund, may not only lose the dividend payout but the stock price of the company may fall.

 

Equity Risk. Underlying Funds that invest in common stocks are subject to market, economic and business risks that will cause their price to fluctuate over time. Historically, the equity markets have moved in cycles, and the value of an Underlying Fund’s equity securities may fluctuate drastically from day to day. Individual companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic trends and developments. The prices of securities issued by such companies may suffer a decline in response. These factors contribute to price volatility. An investment in the Funds may be more suitable for long-term investors who can bear the risk of these fluctuations. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock.

 

ESG Investing Risk. ESG investing risk is the risk stemming from the ESG factors that the Underlying Funds may apply in selecting securities. The Underlying Funds may invest in companies with measurable high ESG ratings relative to their sector peers, and screen out particular companies that do not meet their ESG criteria. This may affect the Underlying Funds’ and the Fund’s exposure to certain companies or industries and cause the Underlying Funds to forego certain investment opportunities. The Underlying Funds’ results may be lower than other funds that do not seek to invest in companies based on ESG ratings and/or screen out certain companies or industries. The Underlying Funds may seek to identify companies that they believe may have a societal impact outcome, but investors may differ in their views of what constitutes positive or negative societal impact outcomes.

 

Exchange-Traded Fund Risk. In addition to risks generally associated with investments in investment company securities, ETFs are subject to the following risks that do not apply to traditional mutual funds: (i) an ETF’s shares may trade at a market price that is above or below their NAV; (ii) an active trading market for an ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained; (iii) the ETF may employ an investment strategy that utilizes high leverage ratios; or (iv) trading of an ETF’s shares may be halted if the listing exchange’s officials deem such action appropriate, the shares are de-listed from the exchange, or the activation of market-wide “circuit breakers” (which are tied to large decreases in stock prices) halts stock trading generally. Certain ETFs may be thinly traded and experience large spreads between the “ask” price quoted by the seller and the “bid” price offered by a buyer.

 

Fixed Income Securities Risk. To the extent a Fund invests in Underlying Funds that invest in fixed income securities, the Fund will be subject to fixed income securities risk. While fixed income securities normally fluctuate less in price than stocks, there have been extended periods of increases in interest rates that have caused significant declines in fixed income securities prices. The values of fixed income securities may be affected by changes in the credit rating or financial condition of their issuers. Generally, the lower the credit rating of a security, the higher the degree of risk as to the payment of interest and return of principal.

 

23 

 

Credit Risk. The issuer of a fixed income security may not be able to make interest and principal payments when due. Generally, the lower the credit rating of a security, the greater the risk that the issuer will default on its obligation.

 

Duration Risk. Prices of fixed income securities with longer effective maturities are more sensitive to interest rate changes than those with shorter effective maturities.

 

Income Risk. A Fund’s income could decline due to falling market interest rates. In a falling interest rate environment, a Fund may be required to invest in Underlying Funds that invest their assets in lower-yielding securities. Because interest rates vary, it is impossible to predict the income or yield of a Fund for any particular period.

 

Interest Rate Risk. The value of a Fund may fluctuate based upon changes in interest rates and market conditions. As interest rates increase, the value of an Underlying Fund’s income-producing investments may go down. For example, bonds tend to decrease in value when interest rates rise. Debt obligations with longer maturities typically offer higher yields, but are subject to greater price movements as a result of interest rate changes than debt obligations with shorter maturities.

 

Prepayment Risk. The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds that invest in securities that are subject to fluctuations in yield, due to prepayment rates that may be faster or slower than expected.

 

Rating Risk. If a rating agency gives a debt security a lower rating, the value of the debt security will decline because investors will demand a higher rate of return.

 

Foreign Custody Risk. The Underlying Funds may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the Underlying Fund’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on the Underlying Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. Foreign securities are subject to special risks, including political, social or economic instability, and differences in taxation, auditing and other financial practices. The Underlying Funds may invest in securities of foreign issuers that are traded or denominated in U.S. dollars primarily through depositary receipts. Depositary receipts may be available through "sponsored" or "unsponsored" facilities. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all of the costs of the unsponsored facility. The depository of an unsponsored facility is frequently under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through, to the holders of the receipts, voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. The depository of unsponsored depositary receipts may provide less information to receipt holders. Investments in emerging markets securities by Underlying Funds are subject to higher risks than those in developed countries because there is greater uncertainty in less established markets and economies.

 

Growth Risk. If an Underlying Fund adviser’s perceptions of a company’s growth potential are wrong, the securities purchased by that Underlying Fund may not perform as expected, thereby reducing the Underlying Fund’s and the Fund’s return.

 

24 

 

High-Yield Securities (“Junk Bond”) Risk. Underlying Funds that invest in high-yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly known as “junk bonds”) may be subject to greater levels of interest rate and credit risk than funds that do not invest in such securities. Junk bonds are considered predominately speculative with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to make principal and interest payments. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market for these securities and reduce an Underlying Fund’s ability to sell these securities (liquidity risk). If the issuer of a security is in default with respect to interest or principal payments, the Underlying Fund may lose its entire investment, which will affect the Underlying Fund’s and the Fund’s return.

 

Index Management Risk. To the extent the Funds invest in an Underlying Fund that is intended to track a target index, it is subject to the risk that the Underlying Fund may track its target index less closely. For example, an adviser to the Underlying Fund may select securities that are not fully representative of the index, and the Underlying Fund’s transaction expenses, and the size and timing of its cash flows, may result in the Underlying Fund’s performance being different than that of its index. Additionally, the Underlying Fund will generally reflect the performance of its target index even when the index does not perform well.

 

Industry or Sector Focus Risk. Underlying Funds in which the Fund invests may focus their investments in a particular industry or sector, and accordingly the Fund’s shares may be more volatile and fluctuate more than shares of a fund investing in a broader range of securities. An Underlying Fund may invest in a specific industry or sector in order to capitalize on performance momentum or reduce downside exposure due to significant changes in market conditions, economic conditions, or geopolitical conditions.

 

Large-Capitalization Companies Risk. Large capitalization companies as a group could fall out of favor with the market, causing the Underlying Funds and the Fund to underperform investments that focus solely on small- or medium- capitalization stocks.

 

Low Volatility Risk. Underlying Funds with investments in low volatility companies are seen as having a lower risk profile than the overall markets. However, a portfolio comprised of low volatility Underlying Funds may not produce investment exposure that has lower variability to changes in market levels. Investing in low volatility Underlying Funds may limit a Fund's gains in rising markets.

 

Management Risk. Each Fund is subject to the risk of poor selection in Underlying Funds. The Underlying Funds in the Fund may not perform as well as expected, and/or the Fund's portfolio management practices may not work to achieve their desired result. If the Adviser’s perception of an Underlying Fund’s value is not realized in the expected time frame, the Fund’s overall performance may suffer.

 

Market Risk. The NAV of a Fund will change with changes in the market value of its portfolio positions. Investors may lose money. Although the Fund will invest in Underlying Funds that the Adviser believes will produce less volatility, there is no guarantee that the Underlying Funds will perform as expected. The prices of securities held by the Funds may decline in response to conditions affecting the general economy, overall market changes, local, regional or global political, social or economic instability, and currency, interest rate and commodity price fluctuations.

 

Periods of unusually high financial market volatility and restrictive credit conditions, at times limited to a particular sector or geographic area, have occurred in the past and may be expected to recur in the future. Some countries, including the United States, have adopted or have signaled protectionist trade measures, relaxation of the financial industry regulations that followed the financial crisis, and/or reductions to corporate taxes. The scope of these policy changes is still developing, but the equity and debt markets may react strongly to expectations of change, which could increase volatility, particularly if a resulting policy runs counter to the market’s expectations. The outcome of such changes cannot be foreseen at the present time. In addition, geopolitical and other risks, including environmental and public health risks, may add to instability in the world economy and markets generally. As a result of increasingly interconnected global economies and financial markets, the value and liquidity of a Fund’s investments may be negatively affected by events impacting a country or region, regardless of whether the Fund invests in issuers located in or with significant exposure to such country or region.

 

25 

 

A recent outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus was first detected in China in December 2019 and has spread internationally. The outbreak has resulted in closing borders and quarantines, enhanced health screenings, cancellations, disrupted supply chains and customer activity, and has produced general concern and uncertainty. The impact of this coronavirus, and other epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future, could affect national and global economies, individual companies and the market in general in a manner that cannot be foreseen at the present time. Health crises caused by the recent outbreak may heighten other pre-existing political, social and economic risks in a country or region. In the event of a pandemic or an outbreak, there can be no assurance that the Funds and their service providers will be able to maintain normal business operations for an extended period of time or will not lose the services of key personnel on a temporary or long-term basis due to illness or other reasons. The full impacts of a pandemic or disease outbreaks are unknown, resulting in a high degree of uncertainty for potentially extended periods of time.

 

Mid-Capitalization Companies Risk. The Funds may each invest in Underlying Funds that invest in mid-cap company securities. Investing in securities of companies with mid-sized capitalizations tends to be riskier than investing in securities of companies with large capitalizations. Securities of companies with mid-sized capitalizations tend to be more volatile than those of large cap companies and, on occasion, may fluctuate in the opposite direction of large cap company securities or the broader stock market averages.

 

New Fund Risk. There can be no assurance that a newly organized Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size, in which case the Board may determine to liquidate the Fund. Liquidation can be initiated without shareholder approval by the Board if it determines it is in the best interest of shareholders. As a result, the timing of any liquidation may not be favorable to certain individual shareholders.

 

Small-Capitalization Companies Risk. The Underlying Funds may invest in small-capitalization companies. Small-capitalization companies may be more volatile than, and not as readily marketable as, those of larger companies. Small companies may also have limited product lines, markets or financial resources and may be dependent on relatively small or inexperienced management groups. Additionally, the trading volume of small-cap company securities may make them more difficult to sell than those of larger companies. Moreover, the lack of an efficient market for the securities may make them difficult to value. Furthermore, while securities of small capitalization companies may offer greater opportunity for capital appreciation than larger companies, investment in such companies presents greater risks than investment in larger, more established companies. Indeed, historically, small capitalization stocks have been more volatile in price than larger capitalization stocks. Among the reasons for the greater price volatility of these securities are the lower degree of liquidity in the markets for such stocks, and the potentially greater sensitivity of such small companies to changes in or failure of management, and to many other changes in competitive, business, industry and economic conditions, including risks associated with limited product lines, markets, management depth, or financial resources. Besides exhibiting greater volatility, small company stocks may, to a degree, fluctuate independently of larger company stocks. Small company stocks may decline in price as large company stocks rise, or rise in price as large company stocks decline. Additionally, while the markets in securities of small companies have grown rapidly in recent years, such securities may trade less frequently and in smaller volume than more widely held securities. The values of these securities may fluctuate more sharply than those of other securities, and Underlying Funds may experience some difficulty in establishing or closing out positions in these securities at prevailing market prices. There may be less publicly available information about the issuers of these securities or less market interest in such securities than in the case of larger companies, and it may take a longer period of time for the prices of such securities to reflect the full value of their issuers' underlying earnings potential or assets.

 

Underlying Funds Risk. Investing in Underlying Funds may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to the Fund’s own expenses. The risk of owning an Underlying Fund generally reflects the risks of owning the underlying investments the Underlying Fund holds. The Fund may incur brokerage fees in connection with its purchase of ETF shares. When the Funds invest in an Underlying Fund, the Funds will be subject to substantially the same risks as those associated with the direct ownership of securities comprising the Underlying Fund or index on which the ETF or index mutual fund is based and the value of a Fund’s investments will fluctuate in response to the performance and risks of the underlying investments or index. Since the Funds invest in other investment companies that invest in equity securities, risks associated with investments in other investment companies will include stock market risk. In addition to the brokerage costs associated with the Underlying Fund’s purchase and sale of the underlying securities, ETFs and mutual funds incur fees that are separate from those of the Funds. As a result, the Funds’ shareholders will indirectly bear a proportionate share of the operating expenses of the ETFs and mutual funds, in addition to Fund expenses. Because the Funds are not required to hold shares of Underlying Funds for any minimum period, they may be subject to, and may have to pay, short-term redemption fees imposed by the Underlying Funds. The Funds have no control over the investments and related risks taken by the Underlying Funds in which they invest. The Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) and the related rules and regulations adopted thereunder impose conditions on investment companies that invest in other investment companies. As a result, the Funds are generally restricted on the amount of shares they may acquire of another investment company to shares amounting to no more than 3% of the outstanding voting shares of such other investment company.

 

26 

 

Temporary Investments. Each Fund may depart from its principal investment strategy in response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions by taking a temporary defensive position (up to 100% of its assets) in cash, cash equivalents and all types of money market and short-term debt securities. The value of money market instruments tends to fall when current interest rates rise. Money market instruments are generally less sensitive to interest rate changes than longer-term securities. If a Fund were to take a temporary defensive position, it may be unable to achieve its investment objective for a period of time.

 

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

 

A description of the Company's policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of each Fund's portfolio securities is available in the Funds’ SAI. The SAI is incorporated herein.

 

27 

 

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS

 

 

Investment Adviser

 

The Adviser's principal address is 620 South Main Street, Bountiful, Utah 84010. The Adviser provides investment management and investment advisory services to investment companies and other institutional accounts. The Adviser is 100% privately-owned, and was founded in 2010.

 

Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement with the Company, the Adviser is entitled to an advisory fee computed daily and payable monthly at the annual rate of 0.75% of each Fund’s net assets. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive management fees and reimburse expenses through [December 31], 2021 to the extent that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding certain items discussed below) of a Fund exceed 1.70% of the Fund's average daily net assets.

 

In determining the Adviser's obligation to waive advisory fees and/or reimburse expenses with respect to a Fund, the following expenses are not taken into account and could cause net Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses to exceed 1.70%: acquired fund fees and expenses, fund services administrative fee, short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest or taxes. This contractual limitation may not be terminated before [December 31], 2021 without the approval of the Board. If at any time the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses for that year are less than 1.70%, the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by that Fund of the advisory fees forgone and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

 

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of the investment advisory agreement for the Funds with the Adviser will be available in the Funds’ first Semi-Annual or Annual Report to Shareholders.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

The President of the Adviser, David Harden, is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of each Fund’s investment portfolio. Mr. Harden founded the Adviser in 2010. He started his career in 1993 and has worked for such firms as Fidelity Investments, Wellington Management and Evergreen Investments. From 2007 to 2012, Mr. Harden worked with Ensign Peak Advisors, Inc., most recently as Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager, where he managed and oversaw day-to-day research, portfolio management and trading for all index, quantitative and low volatility strategies.

 

Matthew Hanna is a Portfolio Manager of the Adviser and is responsible for the day-to-day management of each Fund’s investment portfolio. Mr. Hanna joined the Adviser in 2017 as a Portfolio Manager.  At the Adviser, Mr. Hanna focuses on all aspects of the investment process with a primary focus on quantitative investment management.  Some of Mr. Hanna’s key responsibilities are factor research, optimization methodologies, asset allocation, and portfolio risk management. Mr. Hanna was previously employed at Raymond James for over 10 years in the Asset Management Services. Mr. Hanna’s role as an officer involved leading research on asset allocation, risk management, and global market analysis on over $35 billion. Mr. Hanna earned his Master of Science in Finance from the University of Tampa. He is a CFA Charterholder, Certified FRM, and CAIA Charterholder.

 

Aash Shah is a Portfolio Manager of the Adviser and is responsible for the day-to-day management of each Fund’s investment portfolio. Mr. Shah joined the Adviser in 2017 as a Portfolio Manager.  Mr. Shah has over 26 years of investment management experience including over 21 years as a portfolio manager. Previously, Mr. Shah managed small, mid, and large cap funds for Federated Investors in both New York City and Pittsburgh. Mr. Shah also managed private client portfolios for Key Bank in Denver prior to joining the Adviser. Mr. Shah has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering and an MBA in Finance and Accounting from the Tepper School at Carnegie Mellon University. He also holds a CFA charter.

 

The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers' compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio managers’ ownership of shares of the Funds.

 

28 

 

SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

 

 

Pricing of Fund Shares

 

The Fund is sold at its NAV. The NAV per share of each class of shares of the Funds is calculated as follows:

 

  Value of Assets Attributable to a Fund
NAV = - Value of Liabilities Attributable to the same Fund
  Number of Outstanding Shares of the Fund

 

Each Fund's NAV is calculated once daily at the close of regular trading hours on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day the NYSE is open. The NYSE is generally open Monday through Friday, except national holidays. The NYSE also may be closed on national days of mourning or due to natural disaster or other extraordinary events or emergency. A Fund will effect purchases of Fund shares at the NAV next calculated after receipt by the Transfer Agent of your purchase order in good order. The Funds will effect redemptions of Fund shares at the NAV next calculated after receipt by the Transfer Agent of your redemption request in good order.

 

A Fund's equity securities listed on any national or foreign exchange market system will be valued at the last sale price, except for the National Association of Securities Dealers Automatic Quotation System ("NASDAQ"). Equity securities listed on the NASDAQ will be valued at the official closing price. Equity securities traded in the over-the-counter market are valued at their closing prices. If there were no transactions on that day, equity securities will be valued at the mean of the last bid and ask prices prior to the market close. Fixed income securities are valued using an independent pricing service, which considers such factors as security prices, yields, maturities and ratings, and deemed representative of market values at the close of the market.

 

Investments in other open-end investment companies are valued based on the NAV of those investment companies (which may use fair value pricing as discussed in their prospectuses). Investments in exchange-traded funds will be valued at their market price.

 

If market quotations are unavailable or deemed unreliable by the Funds’ administrator, in consultation with the Adviser, securities will be valued by the Adviser in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board and under the Board’s ultimate supervision. Relying on prices supplied by pricing services or dealers or using fair valuation involves the risk that the values used by a Fund to price its investments may be higher or lower than the values used by other investment companies and investors to price the same investments.

 

Market Timing

 

In accordance with the policy adopted by its Board, the Company discourages and does not accommodate market timing and other excessive trading practices. Purchases should be made with a view to longer-term investment only. Excessive short-term (market timing) trading practices may disrupt portfolio management strategies, increase brokerage and administrative costs, harm Fund performance and result in dilution in the value of Fund shares held by long-term shareholders. The Company and the Adviser reserve the right to (i) reject a purchase or exchange order, (ii) delay payment of immediate cash redemption proceeds for up to seven calendar days, (iii) revoke a shareholder's privilege to purchase Fund shares (including exchanges), or (iv) limit the amount of any exchange involving the purchase of Fund shares. An investor may receive notice that their purchase order or exchange has been rejected after the day the order is placed or after acceptance by a financial intermediary. It is currently expected that a shareholder would receive notice that its purchase order or exchange has been rejected within 48 hours after such purchase order or exchange has been received by the Company in good order. The Company and the Adviser will not be liable for any loss resulting from rejected purchase orders. To minimize harm to the Company and its shareholders (or the Adviser), the Company (or the Adviser) will exercise its right if, in the Company's (or the Adviser's) judgment, an investor has a history of excessive trading or if an investor's trading, in the judgment of the Company (or the Adviser), has been or may be disruptive to a Fund. No waivers of the provisions of the policy established to detect and deter market timing and other excessive trading activity are permitted that would harm a Fund and its shareholders or would subordinate the interests of a Fund and its shareholders to those of the Adviser or any affiliated person or associated person of the Adviser.

 

29 

 

There is no assurance that the Adviser will be able to identify market timers, particularly if they are investing through intermediaries.

 

If necessary, the Company may prohibit additional purchases of Fund shares by a financial intermediary or by certain customers of the financial intermediary. Financial intermediaries may also monitor their customers' trading activities in the Funds. The criteria used by intermediaries to monitor for excessive trading may differ from the criteria used by the Company. If a financial intermediary fails to enforce the Company's excessive trading policies, the Company may take certain actions, including terminating the relationship.

 

Fund Services Administrative Fee

 

Each Fund pays compensation to the Adviser for fund services in accordance with an Administrative Services Agreement between the Company and the Adviser (in such capacity, the “Servicing Agent”). The Servicing Agent receives a monthly fee equal to 0.25% on an annualized basis of the net assets of each Fund (the “Fund Services Administrative Fee”). The Servicing Agent may delegate some or all of its servicing responsibilities to one or more Service Organizations. Over time, the Fund Services Administrative Fee increases the cost of your investment in the Funds’ shares because these fees are paid out of the Funds’ assets on an on-going basis.

 

For purposes of the Administrative Services Agreement, fund services include, but are not limited to: (i) assisting in the maintenance of the Funds’ records containing information relating to shareholders of the Funds; (ii) providing administrative assistance to shareholders concerning the establishment or maintenance of an account with the Funds; (iii) assisting in processing purchase, exchange and redemption requests from shareholders and facilitating settlement with the Funds for any shareholder transactions submitted; (iv) processing all dividend payments, including capital gain or other payments authorized by the Fund and distributed to and received by the Servicing Agent or the Service Organization; (v) providing sub-transfer agent or sub-accounting services for Fund beneficial owners; (vi) assisting in the communications between shareholders and the Funds; and (vii) supervising other aspects of the Funds’ operations and providing other shareholder or administrative services to the Funds.

 

A Service Organization receiving compensation from the Fund Services Administrative Fee generally represents in a service agreement with the Servicing Agent that all compensation payable to the Service Organization in connection with the investment of their assets in the Funds will be disclosed by the Service Organization to its customers. The Funds do not monitor the actual services being performed by a Service Organization under the service agreement. The Funds also do not monitor the reasonableness of the total compensation that a Service Organization may receive, including any service fee that the Service Organization may receive from the Funds and any compensation the Service Organization may receive directly from its clients.

 

Purchase of Fund Shares

 

Shares representing interests in a Fund are offered continuously for sale by Quasar Distributors, LLC (the "Distributor").

 

Purchases Through Intermediaries. Shares of the Funds may also be available through Service Organizations. Certain features of the shares, such as the initial and subsequent investment minimums and certain trading restrictions, may be modified or waived by Service Organizations. Service Organizations may impose additional or different condition than the Funds on purchases, redemptions or exchanges of shares. Service Organizations may also independently establish and charge their customers or program participants transaction fees, account fees, administrative charges or other amounts in connection with purchases, redemptions and exchanges of shares in addition to any fees imposed by the fees and which charges and fees would not be imposed if shares are purchased directly from the Company. These additional fees may vary and over time could increase the cost of an investment in the Funds and lower investment returns. Each Service Organization is responsible for transmitting to its customers and program participants a schedule of any such fees and information regarding any additional or different conditions regarding purchases, redemptions and exchanges. Shareholders who are customers of a Service Organization should contact the Service Organization acting on your behalf concerning the fees (if any) charged in connection with a purchase or redemption of shares and should read this Prospectus in light of the terms governing your accounts with the Service Organization. Service Organizations will be responsible for promptly transmitting client or customer purchase and redemption orders to the Company in accordance with their agreements with the Company or its agent and with clients or customers. Service Organizations or, if applicable, their designees that have entered into agreements with the Company or its agent may enter confirmed purchase orders on behalf of clients and customers, with payment to follow no later than the Company's pricing on the following Business Day. If payment is not received by such time, the Service Organization could be held liable for resulting fees or losses. The Company will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when a Service Organization, or, if applicable, its authorized designee, accepts a purchase or redemption order in good order if the order is actually received by the Company in good order not later than the next business morning. If a purchase order is not received by a Fund in good order, the Transfer Agent will contact the financial intermediary to determine the status of the purchase order. Orders received by the Company in good order will be priced at the appropriate Fund's NAV next computed after they are deemed to have been received by the Service Organization or its authorized designee.

 

30 

 

The Adviser and/or its affiliates may make payments to Service Organizations for the shareholder and administrative services provided by them. These payments are made out of the Adviser's resources, including the Fund Services Administrative Fees paid to the Adviser under the Funds' Administrative Services Agreement. The actual services provided by these Service Organizations, and the payments made for such services, vary from firm to firm. The payments may be based on a fixed dollar amount for each account and position maintained by the Service Organization and/or a percentage of the value of shares held by investors through the Service Organization. For administration, sub-accounting, transfer agency and/or other services, the Fund, the Adviser, the Distributor or their affiliates may pay Service Organizations and certain recordkeeping organizations a fee (the "Service Fee") relating to the average annual NAV of accounts with the Company maintained by such Service Organizations or recordkeepers. The Service Fee payable to any one Service Organization is determined based upon a number of factors, including the nature and quality of services provided, the operations processing requirements of the relationship and the standardized fee schedule of the Service Organization or recordkeeper. These payments may be material to the Service Organizations relative to other compensation paid by the Funds, the Adviser and/or its affiliates and may be in addition to other fees and payments, such as revenue sharing or "shelf space" fees and event support, other non-cash compensation and charitable contributions paid to or at the request of such firms. Also, the payments may differ depending on the Fund and may vary from amounts paid to the Funds' transfer agent for providing similar services to other accounts.

 

Shares of a Fund may also be available on brokerage platforms of firms that have agreements with the Company to offer such shares when acting solely on an agency basis for the purchase or sale of such shares. If you transact in shares of a Fund through one of these programs, you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker.

 

General. You may also purchase shares of the Funds at the NAV per share next calculated after your order is received by the Transfer Agent in good order as described below. Each Fund's NAV is calculated once daily at the close of regular trading hours on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day the NYSE is open. After an initial purchase is made, the Transfer Agent will set up an account for you on the Company's records. The minimum initial investment in a Fund is $1,000. The minimum initial investment requirements may be reduced or waived from time to time. For purposes of meeting the minimum initial purchase, purchases by clients that are part of endowments, foundations or other related groups may be combined. You can purchase shares of the Funds only on days the NYSE is open and through the means described below. Shares may be purchased by principals and employees of the Adviser and its subsidiaries and by their spouses and children either directly or through any trust that has the principal, employee, spouse or child as the primary beneficiaries, their individual retirement accounts, or any pension and profit-sharing plan of the Adviser and its subsidiaries without being subject to the minimum investment limitations.

 

31 

 

Initial Investment By Mail. Subject to acceptance by the Funds, an account may be opened by completing and signing an Account Application and mailing it to the Transfer Agent at the address noted below, together with a check payable to the Fund that you are purchasing. All checks must be in U.S. Dollars drawn on a domestic bank. The Funds will not accept payment in cash or money orders. The Funds do not accept post-dated checks or any conditional order or payment. To prevent check fraud, the Funds will not accept third party checks, Treasury checks, credit card checks, traveler’s checks or starter checks for the purchase of shares. 

 

Regular Mail Overnight or Express Mail
   
Summit Global Investments Funds Summit Global Investments Funds
c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services
P.O. Box 701 615 East Michigan Street, 3rd Floor
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701 Milwaukee, WI 53202-5207

  

The Funds do not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be their agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such services, or receipt at the Transfer Agent’s post office box, of purchase orders or redemption requests does not constitute receipt by the Transfer Agent of the Fund. Receipt of purchase orders or redemption requests is based on when the order is received at the Transfer Agent’s offices.

 

Shares will be purchased at the NAV next computed after the time the application and funds are received in proper order and accepted by the Funds. The Transfer Agent will charge a $25 fee against a shareholder’s account, in addition to any loss sustained by the Funds, for any payment that is returned. It is the policy of the Funds not to accept applications under certain circumstances or in amounts considered disadvantageous to shareholders. The Funds reserve the right to reject any application.

 

Initial Investment By Wire. If you are making your first investment in the Funds, before you wire funds, the Transfer Agent must have a completed account application. You may mail or overnight deliver your account application to the Transfer Agent. Upon receipt of your completed account application, the Transfer Agent will establish an account for you. The account number assigned will be required as part of the instruction that should be provided to your bank to send the wire. Your bank must include both the name of the Fund you are purchasing, the account number, and your name so that monies can be correctly applied. Your bank should transmit funds by wire to:

 

Wire Instructions:

U.S. Bank National Association

777 East Wisconsin Ave

Milwaukee WI 53202

ABA 075000022

Credit:

U.S. Bancorp Fund Services

Account #112-952-137

 

32 

 

For Further Credit to:

[Summit Fund Name]

(shareholder registration)

(shareholder account number)

 

Wired funds must be received prior to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time to be eligible for same day pricing. The Funds and U.S. Bank, N.A. are not responsible for the consequences of delays resulting from the banking or Federal Reserve wire system, or from incomplete wiring instructions.

 

Subsequent Investments – By Wire. Before sending your wire, please contact the Transfer Agent to advise them of your intent to wire funds. This will ensure prompt and accurate credit upon receipt of your wire.

 

Telephone Purchase. Investors may purchase additional shares of the Funds by calling 1-855-744-8500. If you did not decline this option on your account application, and your account has been open for at least 7 business days, telephone orders, in amounts of $100 or more, will be accepted via electronic funds transfer from your bank account through the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) network. You must have banking information established on your account prior to making a purchase. If your order is received prior to 4 p.m. Eastern time, your shares will be purchased at the NAV calculated on the day your order is placed.

 

In order to arrange for telephone options after an account has been opened or to change your bank account, a written request must be sent to the Transfer Agent. The request must be signed by each shareholder of the account and may require a signature guarantee, signature verification from a Signature Validation Program member, or other form of signature authentication from a financial institution source.

 

Additional Investments. Additional investments may be made at any time by purchasing shares at the NAV per share of a Fund by mailing a check to the Transfer Agent at the address noted above under “Investment by Mail” or by wiring as outlined above under “Investment by Wire”. Initial and additional purchases made by check or electronic funds transfer (ACH) cannot be redeemed until payment of the purchase has been collected. This may take up to 15 calendar days from the purchase date. Shareholders can avoid this delay by utilizing the wire purchase option.

 

Automatic Investment Plan. Once your account has been opened with the initial minimum investment, you may make additional purchases at regular intervals through an automatic investment plan (the “Automatic Investment Plan”). The Automatic Investment Plan provides a convenient method to have monies deducted from your bank account, for investment into a Fund, on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis. Investors must invest at least $100 on a monthly basis via the Automatic Investment Plan. In order to participate in the Automatic Investment Plan, your financial institution must be a member of the ACH network. If your bank rejects your payment, the Funds’ transfer agent will charge a $25 fee to your account. To begin participating in the Automatic Investment Plan, please complete the Automatic Investment Plan section on the account application or call the Funds’ Transfer Agent at 1-855-744-8500 for instructions. Any request to change or terminate your Automatic Investment Plan should be submitted to the Transfer Agent five (5) days prior to effective date.

 

Purchases in Kind. In certain circumstances, shares of the Funds may be purchased "in kind" (i.e. in exchange for securities, rather than cash). The securities rendered in connection with an in-kind purchase must be liquid securities that are not restricted as to transfer and have a value that is readily ascertainable in accordance with the Company's valuation procedures. Securities accepted by a Fund will be valued, as set forth in this Prospectus, as of the time of the next determination of NAV after such acceptance. The shares of the Fund that are issued to the investor in exchange for the securities will be determined as of the same time. All dividends, subscriptions, or other rights that are reflected in the market price of accepted securities at the time of valuation become the property of the Fund and must be delivered to the Fund by the investor upon receipt from the issuer. A Fund will not accept securities in exchange for its shares unless such securities are, at the time of the exchange, eligible to be held by the Fund and satisfy such other conditions as may be imposed by the Adviser or the Company. Purchases in-kind may result in the recognition of gain or loss for federal income tax purposes on securities transferred to the Funds.

 

33 

 

Other Purchase Information. The Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend the offering of shares or to reject purchase orders when, in the judgment of management, such suspension or rejection is in the best interest of the Funds. The Adviser will monitor each Fund’s total assets and may, subject to Board approval, decide to close a Fund at any time to new investments or to new accounts due to concerns that a significant increase in the size of the Fund may adversely affect the implementation of the Fund's strategy. The Adviser, subject to Board approval, may also choose to reopen a Fund to new investments at any time, and may subsequently close the Fund again should concerns regarding the Fund's size recur. If a Fund closes to new investments, the Fund may be offered only to certain existing shareholders of the Fund and certain other persons who may be subject to cumulative, maximum purchase amounts, as follows:

 

a. persons who already hold shares of the closed Fund directly or through accounts maintained by brokers by arrangement with the Adviser;

 

b. employees of the Adviser and their spouses, parents and children; and

 

c. Directors of the Company.

 

Distributions to all shareholders of a closed Fund will continue to be reinvested unless a shareholder elects otherwise. The Adviser, subject to the Board’s discretion, reserves the right to implement specific purchase limitations at the time of closing, including limitations on current shareholders.

 

Purchases of a Fund's shares will be made in full and fractional shares of the Fund calculated to three decimal places. Certificates for shares will not be issued.

 

Shares may be purchased and subsequent investments may be made by principals and employees of the Adviser and their family members, either directly or through their IRAs and by any pension and profit-sharing plan of the Adviser, without being subject to the minimum investment limitation.

 

The Adviser is authorized to waive the minimum initial and subsequent investment requirements.

 

Good Order. A purchase request is considered to be in good order when all necessary information is provided and all required documents are properly completed, signed and delivered (i.e. the purchase request includes the name of the Fund; the dollar amount of shares to be purchased; your account application or investment stub; and a check payable to the Fund). Purchase requests not in good order may be rejected.

 

Customer Identification Program. In compliance with the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, please note that the Transfer Agent will verify certain information on your account application as part of the Company’s Anti-Money Laundering Program. As requested on the account application, you must supply your full name, date of birth, social security number and permanent street address. If you are opening the account in the name of a legal entity (e.g., partnership, limited liability company, business trust, corporation, etc.), you must also supply the identity of the beneficial owners. Mailing addresses containing only a P. O. Box will not be accepted. If you need additional assistance when completing your account application, please contact the Transfer Agent at 1-855-744-8500.

 

Applications without the required information, may not be accepted. After acceptance, to the extent permitted by applicable law or its customer identification program, the Company reserves the right (a) to place limits on transactions in any account until the identity of the investor is verified; or (b) to refuse an investment in a Company portfolio or to involuntarily redeem an investor's shares and close an account in the event that an investor's identity is not verified. The Company and its agents will not be responsible for any loss in an investor's account resulting from the investor's delay in providing all required identifying information or from closing an account and redeeming an investor's shares when an investor's identity cannot be verified.

 

34 

 

Redemption of Fund Shares

 

You may redeem shares of the Funds at the next NAV calculated after a redemption request is received by the Transfer Agent in good order. A Fund's NAV is calculated once daily at the close of regular trading hours on the NYSE (generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time) on each day the NYSE is open. You can redeem shares of a Fund only on days the NYSE is open and through the means described below.

 

You may redeem shares of a Fund by mail, or, if you are authorized, by telephone. The value of shares redeemed may be more or less than the purchase price, depending on the market value of the investment securities held by the Fund.

 

Redemption By Mail. Your redemption requests should be addressed to [Summit Fund Name], c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701, or for overnight delivery to [Summit Fund Name], c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 and must include:

 

A signature guarantee, from either a Medallion program member or a non-Medallion program member, is required in the following situations:

 

If ownership is being changed on your account;

 

When redemption proceeds are payable or sent to any person, address or bank account not on record; and

 

When a redemption request is received by the Transfer Agent and the account address has changed within the last 15 calendar days.

 

The Funds may waive any of the above requirements in certain instances. In addition to the situations described above, the Funds and/or the Transfer Agent reserve the right to require a signature guarantee in other instances based on the circumstances relative to the particular situation.

 

Non-financial transactions, including establishing or modifying certain services on an account, may require a signature guarantee, signature verification from a Signature Validation Program member, or other acceptable form of authentication from a financial institution source.

 

Signature guarantees will generally be accepted from domestic banks, brokers, dealers, credit unions, national securities exchanges, registered securities associations, clearing agencies and savings associations, as well as from participants in the NYSE Medallion Signature Program and the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (“STAMP”). A notary public is not an acceptable signature guarantor.

 

The Funds do not consider the U.S. Postal Service or other independent delivery services to be their agents. Therefore, deposit in the mail or with such services, or receipt at the Transfer Agent’s post office box, of purchase orders or redemption requests does not constitute receipt by the Transfer Agent of the Funds. Receipt of purchase orders or redemption requests is based on when the order is received at the Transfer Agent’s offices.

 

Redemption By Telephone. If you did not decline telephone options on your account application, you may initiate a redemption of shares in the amount up to the total value of the account by calling the Transfer Agent at 1-855-744-8500.

 

Investors may have a check sent to the address of record, proceeds may be wired to a shareholder’s bank account of record, or funds may be sent via electronic funds transfer through the ACH network, also to the bank account of record. Wires are subject to a $15 fee paid by the investor, but the investor does not incur any charge when proceeds are sent via the ACH system. Once a telephone transaction has been placed, it cannot be canceled or modified after the close of regular trading on the NYSE (generally, 4:00 p.m., Eastern time).

 

35 

 

In order to arrange for telephone options after an account has been opened or to change your bank account, a written request must be sent to the Transfer Agent. The request must be signed by each shareholder of the account and may require a signature guarantee, signature verification from a Signature Validation Program member, or other form of signature authentication from a financial institution source.

 

Telephone trades must be received by or prior to market close. During periods of high market activity, shareholders may encounter higher than usual call waits. Please allow sufficient time to place your telephone transaction.

 

Before executing an instruction received by telephone, the Transfer Agent will use reasonable procedures to confirm that the telephone instructions are genuine. The telephone call may be recorded and the caller may be asked to verify certain personal identification information. If the Funds or their agents follow these procedures, they cannot be held liable for any loss, expense or cost arising out of any telephone redemption request that is reasonably believed to be genuine. This includes fraudulent or unauthorized requests. If an account has more than one owner or authorized person, the Funds will accept telephone instructions from any one owner or authorized person.

 

Exchange Privilege. You can exchange your shares of a Fund for shares in an identically registered account of another Fund on any day that both the Fund and the Fund into which you are exchanging are open for business. Any new account established through an exchange will be subject to the minimum investment requirements applicable to the shares acquired. Exchanges will be executed on the basis of the relative NAV of the shares exchanged. Consequently, you may receive fewer shares or more shares than originally owned, depending on that day’s NAVs. Your total value of the initially held shares will equal the total value of the new shares. Be sure to read the current Prospectus for the Fund into which you are exchanging.

 

An exchange of shares of one Fund for shares of another Fund is considered a sale and generally results in a capital gain or loss for federal income tax purposes unless you are a tax-exempt investor or hold your shares through a tax-deferred account such as an individual retirement account. Such tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of monies from those arrangements.

 

IRA and other retirement plan redemptions. If you have an IRA, you must indicate on your written redemption request whether or not to withhold federal income tax. Redemption requests failing to indicate an election to have tax withheld will be subject to 10% withholding.

 

Shares held in IRA accounts may be redeemed by telephone at 1-855-744-8500. Investors will be asked whether or not to withhold taxes from any distribution.

 

Other Redemption Information. Redemption proceeds for shares of a Fund recently purchased by check or electronic funds transfer through the ACH network may not be distributed until payment for the purchase has been collected, which may take up to fifteen calendar days from the purchase date. Shareholders can avoid this delay by utilizing the wire purchase option. Redemption proceeds will ordinarily be paid within seven business days after a redemption request is received by the Transfer Agent in good order. The Company may suspend the right of redemption or postpone the date at times when the NYSE or the bond market is closed or under any emergency circumstances as determined by the SEC. The Fund typically expects to meet redemption requests by paying out proceeds from cash or cash equivalent holdings, or by selling portfolio securities. In stressed market conditions, redemption methods may include redeeming in kind.

 

If the Board determines that it would be detrimental to the best interests of the remaining shareholders of a Fund to make payment wholly or partly in cash, redemption proceeds may be paid in whole or in part by an in-kind distribution of readily marketable securities held by the Fund instead of cash in conformity with applicable rules of the SEC and the Company's Policy and Procedure Related to the Processing of In-Kind Redemptions. Investors generally will incur brokerage charges on the sale of portfolio securities so received in the payment of redemptions. If a shareholder receives redemption proceeds in-kind, the shareholder will bear the market risk of the securities received in the redemption until their disposition and should expect to incur transaction costs upon the disposition of the securities. The Company has elected, however, to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act, so that each Fund is obligated to redeem its shares solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of its NAV during any 90-day period for any one shareholder of the Fund.

 

36 

 

Good Order. A redemption request is considered to be in good order when your request includes: (1) the name of the Fund, (2) the number of shares or dollar amount to be redeemed, (3) the account number and (4) signatures by all of the shareholders whose names appear on the account registration with a signature guarantee, if applicable. Redemption requests not in good order may be delayed.

 

Involuntary Redemption. The Funds reserve the right to redeem your account at any time the value of the account falls below $500 as the result of a redemption or an exchange request.

 

You will be notified in writing that the value of your account is less than $500 and will be allowed 30 days to make additional investments before the redemption is processed.

 

The Funds may assert the right to redeem your shares at current NAV at any time and without prior notice if, and to the extent that, such redemption is necessary to reimburse a Fund for any loss sustained by reason of your failure to make full payment for shares of the Fund you previously purchased or subscribed for.

 

Dividends and Distributions

 

Each Fund will distribute substantially all of the net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, of the Fund to the Fund's shareholders. All distributions are reinvested in the form of additional full and fractional shares unless you elect otherwise.

 

Each Fund will declare and pay dividends from net investment income annually. Net realized capital gains (including net short-term capital gains), if any, will be distributed at least annually.

 

The ex-dividend, record and payable dates of any annual distribution will be available by calling 855-744-8500.

 

All distributions are reinvested in the form of additional full and fractional shares unless you elect one the following options: (1) receive dividends in cash while reinvesting capital gain distributions in additional Fund shares; (2) receive capital gain distributions in cash while reinvesting dividends in additional Fund shares; or (3) receive all distributions in cash. If you elect to receive distributions and/or capital gains paid in cash, and the U.S. Postal Service cannot deliver the check, or if a check remains outstanding for six months, the Funds reserve the right to reinvest the distribution check in your account, at a Fund's current NAV, and to reinvest all subsequent distributions. You may change the distribution option on your account as any time. You should notify the Transfer Agent in writing or by telephone at least five (5) days prior to the next distribution.

 

Taxes

 

The following is a summary of certain United States tax considerations relevant under current law, which may be subject to change in the future. Except where otherwise indicated, the discussion relates to investors who are individual United States citizens or residents. You should consult your tax adviser for further information regarding federal, state, local and/or foreign tax consequences relevant to your specific situation.

 

Distributions. Each Fund contemplates distributing as dividends each year all or substantially all of its taxable income, including its net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss). Except as otherwise discussed below, you will be subject to federal income tax on Fund distributions regardless of whether they are paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares. Fund distributions attributable to short-term capital gains and net investment income will generally be taxable to you as ordinary income, except as discussed below.

 

37 

 

Distributions attributable to the net capital gain of a Fund will be taxable to you as long-term capital gain, no matter how long you have owned your Fund shares. The maximum long-term capital gain rate applicable to individuals, estates, and trusts is currently 23.8% (which includes a 3.8% Medicare tax). You will be notified annually of the tax status of distributions to you.

 

Distributions of "qualifying dividends" will also generally be taxable to you at long-term capital gain rates, as long as certain requirements are met. In general, if 95% or more of the gross income of a Fund (other than net capital gain) consists of dividends received from domestic corporations or "qualified" foreign corporations ("qualifying dividends"), then all distributions paid by the Fund to individual shareholders will be taxed at long-term capital gains rates. But if less than 95% of the gross income of a Fund (other than net capital gain) consists of qualifying dividends, then distributions paid by the Fund to individual shareholders will be qualifying dividends only to the extent they are derived from qualifying dividends earned by the Fund. For the lower rates to apply, you must have owned your Fund shares for at least 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date that is 60 days before a Fund's ex-dividend date (and the Fund will need to have met a similar holding period requirement with respect to the shares of the corporation paying the qualifying dividend). The amount of a Fund's distributions that qualify for this favorable treatment may be reduced as a result of the Fund's securities lending activities (if any), a high portfolio turnover rate or investments in debt securities or non-qualified foreign corporations.

 

Each Fund may make distributions to you of “section 199A dividends” with respect to qualified dividends that it receives with respect to such Fund’s investments in REITs. A section 199A dividend is any dividend or part of such dividend that such Fund pays to you and reports as a section 199A dividend in written statements furnished to you. Distributions paid by a Fund that are eligible to be treated as section 199A dividends for a taxable year may not exceed the “qualified REIT dividends” received by such Fund from a REIT reduced by the Fund’s allocable expenses. Section 199A dividends may be taxed to individuals and other non-corporate shareholders at a reduced effective federal income tax rate, provided you have satisfied a holding period requirement for such Fund’s shares and satisfied certain other conditions. For the lower rates to apply, you must have owned your applicable Fund shares for at least 46 days during the 91-day period beginning on the date that is 45 days before the Fund’s ex-dividend date, but only to the extent that you are not under an obligation (under a short-sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property.

 

Distributions from a Fund will generally be taxable to you in the taxable year in which they are paid, with one exception. Distributions declared by a Fund in October, November or December and paid in January of the following year are taxed as though they were paid on December 31.

 

The Funds may be subject to foreign withholding or other foreign taxes on income or gain from certain foreign securities. If more than 50% of the value of the total assets of a Fund consists of stocks and securities (including debt securities) of foreign corporations at the close of a taxable year, a Fund may elect, for federal income tax purposes, to treat certain foreign taxes paid by it, including generally any withholding and other foreign income taxes, as paid by its shareholders. If a Fund makes this election, the amount of those foreign taxes paid by a Fund will be included in its shareholders’ income pro rata (in addition to taxable distributions actually received by them), and each such shareholder will be entitled either (1) to credit that proportionate amount of taxes against U.S. federal income tax liability as a foreign tax credit or (2) to take that amount as an itemized deduction. If a Fund is not eligible or chooses not to make this election, the Fund will be entitled to deduct any such foreign taxes in computing the amounts it is required to distribute.

 

A portion of distributions paid by a Fund to shareholders that are corporations may also qualify for the dividends-received deduction for corporations, subject to certain holding period requirements and debt financing limitations. The amount of the dividends qualifying for this deduction may, however, be reduced as a result of a Fund's securities lending activities (if any), by a high portfolio turnover rate or by investments in debt securities or foreign corporations.

 

38 

 

If you purchase shares just before a distribution, the purchase price will reflect the amount of the upcoming distribution, but you will be taxed on the entire amount of the distribution received, even though, as an economic matter, the distribution simply constitutes a return of capital. This adverse tax result is known as "buying into a dividend."

 

Sales of Shares. You will generally recognize taxable gain or loss for federal income tax purposes on a sale or redemption of your shares based on the difference between your cost basis in the shares and the amount you receive for them. Generally, you will recognize long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Fund shares for over twelve months at the time you dispose of them.

 

Any loss realized on shares held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any capital gain dividends that were received on the shares. Additionally, any loss realized on a disposition of shares of a Fund may be disallowed under "wash sale" rules to the extent the shares disposed of are replaced with other shares of the same Fund within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the shares are disposed of, such as pursuant to a dividend reinvestment in shares of a Fund. If disallowed, the loss will be reflected in an upward adjustment to the basis of the shares acquired.

 

For shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012, each Fund (or relevant broker or financial adviser) is required to compute and report to the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") and furnish to Fund shareholders cost basis information when such shares are sold. The Funds have elected to use the average cost method, unless you instruct a Fund to use a different IRS-accepted cost basis method, or choose to specifically identify your shares at the time of each sale. If your account is held by your broker or other financial adviser, they may select a different cost basis method. In these cases, please contact your broker or other financial adviser to obtain information with respect to the available methods and elections for your account. You should carefully review the cost basis information provided by the Funds and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on your federal and state income tax returns. Fund shareholders should consult with their tax advisers to determine the best IRS-accepted cost basis method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how the cost basis reporting requirements apply to them.

 

IRAs and Other Tax-Qualified Plans. The one major exception to the preceding tax principles is that distributions on, and sales and redemptions of, shares held in an IRA (or other tax-qualified plan) will not be currently taxable unless such shares were acquired with borrowed funds.

 

Backup Withholding. Each Fund may be required in certain cases to withhold and remit to the IRS a percentage of taxable dividends or gross proceeds realized upon sale payable to shareholders who have failed to provide a correct tax identification number in the manner required, or who are subject to withholding by the IRS for failure to properly include on their return payments of taxable interest or dividends, or who have failed to certify to the Fund that they are not subject to backup withholding when required to do so or that they are "exempt recipients." The current backup withholding rate is 24%.

 

U.S. Tax Treatment of Foreign Shareholders. Generally, nonresident aliens, foreign corporations and other foreign investors are subject to a 30% withholding tax on dividends paid by a U.S. corporation, although the rate may be reduced for an investor that is a qualified resident of a foreign country with an applicable tax treaty with the United States. In the case of a regulated investment company such as a Fund, however, certain categories of dividends are exempt from the 30% withholding tax. These generally include dividends attributable to a Fund's net capital gains (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses), dividends attributable to a Fund’s interest income from U.S. obligors, and dividends attributable to net short-term capital gains of a Fund.

 

Foreign shareholders will generally not be subject to U.S. tax on gains realized on the sale or redemption of shares of a Fund, except that a nonresident alien individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in a calendar year will be taxable on such gains and on capital gain dividends from the Fund.

 

In contrast, if a foreign investor conducts a trade or business in the United States and the investment in a Fund is effectively connected with that trade or business, then the foreign investor's income from the Fund will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax at graduated rates in a manner similar to the income of a U.S. citizen or resident.

 

39 

 

Each Fund will also generally be required to withhold 30% tax on certain payments to foreign entities that do not provide a Form W-8BEN-E that evidences their compliance with, or exemption from, specified information reporting requirements under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act.

 

All foreign investors should consult their own tax advisers regarding the tax consequences in their country of residence of an investment in a Fund.

 

Shares of the Fund have not been registered for sale outside of the United States and certain U.S. territories.

 

State and Local Taxes. You may also be subject to state and local taxes on income and gain from Fund shares. State income taxes may not apply, however, to the portions of the Fund's distributions, if any, that are attributable to interest on U.S. government securities. You should consult your tax adviser regarding the tax status of distributions in your state and locality. More information about taxes is contained in the Funds’ SAI.

 

40 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

 

Householding. In an effort to decrease costs, the Funds intend to reduce the number of duplicate prospectuses and annual and semi-annual reports you receive by sending only one copy of each to those addresses shared by two or more accounts and to shareholders we reasonably believe are from the same family or household. Once implemented, if you would like to discontinue householding for your accounts, please call the Transfer Agent toll-free at 1-855-744-8500 to request individual copies of these documents. Once the Funds receive notice to stop householding, we will begin sending individual copies thirty days after receiving your request. This policy does not apply to account statements.

 

Lost Shareholder, Inactive Accounts and Unclaimed Property. It is important that the Funds maintains a correct address for each shareholder.  An incorrect address may cause a shareholder’s account statements and other mailings to be returned to the Fund.  Based upon statutory requirements for returned mail, the Fund will attempt to locate the shareholder or rightful owner of the account.  If the Fund is unable to locate the shareholder, then it will determine whether the shareholder’s account can legally be considered abandoned.  Your mutual fund account may be transferred to the state government of your state of residence if no activity occurs within your account during the “inactivity period” specified in your state’s abandoned property laws.  The Fund is legally obligated to escheat (or transfer) abandoned property to the appropriate state’s unclaimed property administrator in accordance with statutory requirements.  The shareholder’s last known address of record determines which state has jurisdiction.  Please proactively contact the Transfer Agent at 1-855-744-8500 (toll free) at least annually to ensure your account remains in active status.

 

If you are a resident of the state of Texas, you may designate a representative to receive notifications that, due to inactivity, your mutual fund account assets may be delivered to the Texas Comptroller.  Please contact the Transfer Agent if you wish to complete a Texas Designation of Representative form.

 

NO PERSON HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS NOT CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS OR IN THE FUNDS’ SAI INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE, IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING MADE BY THIS PROSPECTUS AND, IF GIVEN OR MADE, SUCH REPRESENTATIONS MUST NOT BE RELIED UPON AS HAVING BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE COMPANY OR ITS DISTRIBUTOR. THIS PROSPECTUS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFERING BY THE COMPANY OR BY THE DISTRIBUTOR IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFERING MAY NOT LAWFULLY BE MADE.

 

41 

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

No financial highlights are presented because the Funds had not commenced investment operations prior to the date of this Prospectus.

 

42 

 

PRIVACY NOTICE

 

FACTS WHAT DO THE SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS FUNDS DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?
Why? Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires us to tell you  how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do.
What?

The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us. This information can include:

 

●       Social Security number

●       account balances

●       account transactions

●       transaction history

●       wire transfer instructions

●       checking account information

 

When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice. 

How? All financial companies need to share customers' personal information to run their everyday business. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers' personal information; the reasons Summit Global Investments Funds chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing.

 

Reasons we can share your information

Do the Summit Global

Investments Funds share?

Can you limit this sharing?

For our everyday business purpose —

 

such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus

Yes

No

For our marketing purposes —

 

to offer our products and services to you

Yes

No

For joint marketing with other financial companies Yes No

For affiliates’ everyday business purposes —

 

information about your transactions and experiences

Yes 

No 

For affiliates’ everyday business purposes —

 

information about your creditworthiness

No 

We don't share 

For our affiliates to market to you No We don't share
For nonaffiliates to market to you No We don't share

 

Questions? Call 1-888-251-4847 or go to www.sgiam.com

 

A-1

 

What we do    

How do the Summit Global Investments Funds protect my personal information?

To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with federal law. These measures include computer safeguards and secured files and buildings.  

How do the Summit Global Investments Funds collect my personal information?

We collect your personal information, for example, when you

 

●      open an account 

●      provide account information 

●      give us your contact information 

●      make a wire transfer 

●      tell us where to send the money

 

We also collect your information from others, such as credit bureaus, affiliates, or other companies. 

 
Why can’t I limit all sharing?

Federal law gives you the right to limit only

 

●      sharing for affiliates' everyday business purposes - information about your creditworthiness 

●      affiliates from using your information to market to you 

●      sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you

 

State laws and individual companies may give you additional rights to limit sharing. 

 
Definitions    
Affiliates

Companies related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.

 

●      Our affiliates include Summit Global Investments, LLC, the investment adviser to the SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund, SGI Global Equity Fund, SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity VI Portfolio, SGI Peak Growth Fund, SGI Prudent Growth Fund, and SGI Conservative Fund. 

 
Nonaffiliates

Companies not related by common ownership or control. They can be financial and nonfinancial companies.

 

●      SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund, SGI Global Equity Fund, SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity VI Portfolio, SGI Peak Growth Fund, SGI Prudent Growth Fund, and SGI Conservative Fund don't share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you. 

 

 

A-2

 

Joint marketing

A formal agreement between nonaffiliated financial companies that together market financial products or services to you.

 

●      SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund, SGI Global Equity Fund, SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity VI Portfolio, SGI Peak Growth Fund, SGI Prudent Growth Fund, and SGI Conservative Fund may share your information with other financial institutions with whom they have joint marketing arrangements who may suggest additional fund services or other investment products which may be of interest to you. We do not currently have any joint marketing arrangements with other financial institutions.

 

 

A-2

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION

 

This Prospectus contains important information you should know before you invest. Read it carefully and keep it for future reference. More information about the Funds is available free of charge, upon request, including:

 

Annual/Semi-Annual Reports:

 

As of the date of this Prospectus, annual and semi-annual reports for the Funds are not yet available as the Funds had not commenced operations. The annual and semi-annual reports will provide additional information about the Funds’ investments, as well as the most recent financial reports and portfolio listings. The annual report will contain a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that affected the Funds’ performance during the last fiscal year.

 

Statement of Additional Information:

 

The Funds’ SAI, dated [  ], 2020, has been filed with the SEC. The SAI, which includes additional information about the Funds, along with the Funds' annual and semi-annual reports, once available, will be available on the Adviser's website at www.sgiam.com or may be obtained free of charge by calling 855-744-8500. The SAI, as supplemented from time to time, is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus and is legally considered a part of this Prospectus.

 

Shareholder Account Service Representatives:

 

Representatives are available to discuss account balance information, mutual fund prospectuses, literature, programs and services available. Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Eastern time) Monday-Friday. Call: 855-744-8500.

 

Purchases and Redemptions:

 

Call your registered representative or 855-744-8500.

 

Written Correspondence

 

Post Office Address:

Summit Global Investments Funds

c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services

PO Box 701

Milwaukee, WI 53201-0701

Street Address:

Summit Global Investments Funds

c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

Securities and Exchange Commission:

 

You may view and copy information about the Company and the Funds, including the SAI, by visiting the EDGAR Database on the SEC's Internet site at www.sec.gov. You may also obtain copies of Fund documents by paying a duplicating fee and sending an electronic request to the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT FILE NO. 811-05518

 

 

 

 

The information in this Statement of Additional Information is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This Statement of Additional Information is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted

 

Subject to Completion—Dated March 25, 2020

 

 

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

SGI PEAK GROWTH FUND

 

Ticker Symbol: [  ]

  

 SGI PRUDENT GROWTH FUND

  

Ticker Symbol: [  ]

  

 SGI CONSERVATIVE FUND

  

Ticker Symbol: [  ]

  

[  ], 2020

 

Investment Adviser:

 

SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, LLC (the “Adviser”)

  

each a series of THE RBB FUND, INC

  

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) provides supplementary information pertaining to the SGI Peak Growth Fund (the “Peak Growth Fund”), SGI Prudent Growth Fund (the “Prudent Growth Fund”), and the SGI Conservative Fund (the “Conservative Fund”) (each a “Fund” and together the “Funds”) of The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”). The Funds are each authorized to issue a single class of shares (collectively, the “Shares”). This SAI is not a prospectus and should be read only in conjunction with the Funds’ Prospectus dated [  ], 2020 (the “Prospectus”). Copies of the Prospectus and Annual and Semi-Annual Reports, when available, may be obtained free of charge by calling toll-free 855-744-8500.

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES 1
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RISKS 1
NON-PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RISKS 9
INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS 17
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS 18
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER 19
MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY 19
CODE OF ETHICS 27
PROXY VOTING 27
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES 28
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES 28
INVESTMENT ADVISER 28
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS 29
ADMINISTRATION AND ACCOUNTING AGREEMENT 30
CUSTODIAN AGREEMENT 30
TRANSFER AGENCY AGREEMENT 30
DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION 31
FUNDS SERVICES ADMINISTRATIVE FEE 32
PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES 32
FUND TRANSACTIONS 33
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION 34
TELEPHONE TRANSACTION PROCEDURES 35
VALUATION OF SHARES 35
TAXES 36
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING COMPANY SHARES 37
MISCELLANEOUS 38
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 38
APPENDIX A A-1
APPENDIX B B-1

 

 1

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

 

The Company is an open-end management investment company currently consisting of 37 separate portfolios.  The Company is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (the “1940 Act”) and was organized as a Maryland corporation on February 29, 1988.  This SAI pertains to Shares of the SGI Peak Growth Fund, SGI Prudent Growth Fund, and SGI Conservative Fund, each a diversified portfolio. Summit Global Investments, LLC (“Summit” or the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser to the Funds.

 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES

 

The following supplements the information contained in the Prospectus concerning the investment objectives and policies of the Funds. The Funds will implement their respective investment strategies by investing in securities of affiliated and unaffiliated open-end mutual funds, closed-end funds, and exchange-traded funds (“ETFs) (collectively, “Underlying Funds”). Certain of the descriptions of the investments or techniques set forth below reflect that the investments and techniques are occurring indirectly through investments in Underlying Funds.

 

During unusual economic or market conditions, or for temporary defensive or liquidity purposes, each Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in money market instruments that would not ordinarily be consistent with each Fund’s objective.

 

There can be no guarantee that a Fund will achieve its investment objective.  A Fund may not necessarily invest in all of the instruments or use all of the investment techniques permitted by the Funds’ Prospectus and this SAI, or invest in such instruments or engage in such techniques to the full extent permitted by the Funds’ investment policies and limitations.

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RISKS

 

American, European and Global Depositary Receipts.  The Underlying Funds in which the Funds invest may hold American Depository Receipts (“ADRs”). ADRs, as well as other “hybrid” forms of ADRs, including European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), which are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer.  These certificates are issued by depository banks and generally trade on an established market in the United States or elsewhere. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer’s home country.  The depository bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions.  ADRs are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies.  However, ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities. See “Foreign Securities” for more information on the risks of investing in foreign securities.

 

Cyber Security Risk. Each Fund and its service providers may be prone to operational and information security risks resulting from breaches in cyber security. A breach in cyber security refers to both intentional and unintentional events that may cause a Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption, or lose operational capacity. Breaches in cyber security include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cyber-attacks. Cyber security breaches affecting the Funds, or the Adviser, custodian, transfer agent, intermediaries and other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Funds. For instance, cyber security breaches may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact a Fund’s ability to calculate its NAVs, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential business information, impede trading, subject the Funds to regulatory fines or financial losses and/or cause reputational damage. A Fund may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which a Fund may invest (i.e. Underlying Funds), which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause the Fund’s investment in such companies to lose value. While the Funds and their service providers have established IT and data security programs and have in place business continuity plans and other systems designed to prevent losses and mitigate cyber security risk, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems, including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified or that cyber-attacks may be highly sophisticated. Furthermore, the Funds have limited ability to prevent or mitigate cyber security incidents affecting third-party service providers.

 

1 

 

Investing in Emerging Markets. The Funds may invest in Underlying Funds that invest in securities of issuers located in emerging markets. Securities in emerging markets are less liquid and subject to greater price volatility, and have a smaller market capitalization, than the U.S. securities markets. In certain countries, there may be fewer publicly traded securities and the market may be dominated by a few issues or sectors. Issuers and securities markets in such countries are not subject to as extensive and frequent accounting, financial and other reporting requirements or as comprehensive government regulations as are issuers and securities markets in the U.S. In particular, the assets and profits appearing on the financial statements of emerging country issuers may not reflect their financial position or results of operations in the same manner as financial statements for U.S. issuers. Substantially less information may be publicly available about emerging market issuers than is available about issuers in the United States.

 

Emerging markets are typically marked by a high concentration of market capitalization and trading volume in a small number of issuers representing a limited number of industries, as well as a high concentration of ownership of such securities by a limited number of investors. Certain emerging markets are in the earliest stages of their development. Even the markets for relatively widely traded securities in emerging markets may not be able to absorb, without price disruptions, a significant increase in trading volume or trades of a size customarily undertaken by institutional investors in the securities markets of developed countries. The limited size of many of these markets can cause prices to be erratic for reasons apart from factors that affect the soundness and competitiveness of the securities issuers. For example, prices may be unduly influenced by traders who control large positions in these markets. Additionally, market making and arbitrage activities are generally less extensive in such markets, which may contribute to increased volatility and reduced liquidity of such markets. The limited liquidity of emerging country securities may also affect the Fund’s ability to value accurately its portfolio securities or to acquire or dispose of securities at the price and time it wishes to do so or in order to meet redemption requests.

 

Antiquated legal systems in certain emerging markets may have an adverse impact on the Funds’ investments. For example, while the potential liability of a shareholder in a U.S. corporation for acts of the corporation is generally limited to the amount of the shareholder’s investment, the notion of limited liability is less clear in certain emerging markets. Similarly, the rights of investors in emerging market companies may be more limited than those of shareholders in U.S. corporations.

 

Transaction costs, including brokerage commissions or dealer mark-ups, in emerging markets may be higher than in the United States and other developed securities markets. In addition, existing laws and regulations are often inconsistently applied. As legal systems in emerging countries develop, foreign investors may be adversely affected by new or amended laws and regulations. In circumstances where adequate laws exist, it may not be possible to obtain swift and equitable enforcement of the law.

 

Foreign investment in the securities markets of certain emerging countries is restricted or controlled to varying degrees. These restrictions may limit an Underlying Fund’s investment in certain emerging countries and may increase the expenses of the Underlying Fund and, consequently, the Fund. Certain emerging countries require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons or limit investment by foreign persons to only a specified percentage of an issuer’s outstanding securities or a specific class of securities which may have less advantageous terms (including price) than securities of the company available for purchase by nationals. In addition, the repatriation of both investment income and capital from emerging countries may be subject to restrictions which require governmental consents or prohibit repatriation entirely for a period of time. Even where there is no outright restriction on repatriation of capital, the mechanics of repatriation may affect certain aspects of the operation of an Underlying Fund. An Underlying Fund may be required to establish special custodial or other arrangements before investing in certain emerging countries.

 

Emerging countries may be subject to a substantially greater degree of economic, political and social instability than is the case in the United States and most Western European countries. This instability may result from, among other things, the following: (i) authoritarian governments or military involvement in political and economic decision making, including changes or attempted changes in governments through extra-constitutional means; (ii) popular unrest associated with demands for improved conditions; (iii) internal insurgencies; (iv) hostile relations with neighboring countries; (v) ethnic, religious and racial disaffection or conflict; and (vi) the absence of developed legal structures governing foreign private investments and private property. Such economic, political and social instability could disrupt the principal financial markets in which an Underlying Fund may invest and adversely affect the value of the Fund’s assets. The Fund’s investments can also be adversely affected by any increase in taxes or by political, economic or diplomatic developments.

 

2 

 

The economies of emerging countries may differ unfavorably from the U.S. economy in growth of gross domestic product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resources, self-sufficiency and balance of payments. Many emerging countries have experienced in the past, and continue to experience, high rates of inflation. In certain countries, inflation has at times accelerated rapidly to hyperinflationary levels, creating a negative interest rate environment and sharply eroding the value of outstanding financial assets in those countries. Other emerging countries, on the other hand, have recently experienced deflationary pressures and are in economic recessions. The economies of many emerging countries are heavily dependent upon international trade and are accordingly affected by protective trade barriers and the economic conditions of their trading partners. In addition, the economies of some emerging countries are vulnerable to weakness in world prices for their commodity exports. The Underlying Fund’s income and, in some cases, capital gains from foreign stocks and securities will be subject to applicable taxation in certain of the countries in which it invests, and treaties between the U.S. and such countries may not be available in some cases to reduce the otherwise applicable tax rates.

 

Equity Securities.  The Underlying Funds in which the Funds invest may hold equity securities, which represent ownership interests in a company and consist of common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants to acquire common stock, and securities convertible into common stock.  Investments in equity securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which an Underlying Fund invests will cause the net asset value (“NAV”) of the Underlying Fund to fluctuate. The Underlying Funds purchase equity securities traded in the U.S. on registered exchanges or the over-the-counter market. Equity securities are described in more detail below:

 

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

 

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

 

Warrants.  Warrants are instruments that entitle the holder to buy an equity security at a specific price for a specific period of time.  Changes in the value of a warrant do not necessarily correspond to changes in the value of its underlying security.  The price of a warrant may be more volatile than the price of its underlying security, and a warrant may offer greater potential for capital appreciation as well as capital loss. Warrants do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying security and do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuing company.  A warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to its expiration date.  These factors can make warrants more speculative than other types of investments.

 

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

 

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

 

3 

 

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

 

Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”). Each Fund may invest in open-end investment companies whose shares are listed for trading on a national securities exchange or the Nasdaq Market System. ETF shares typically trade like shares of common stock and provide investment results that generally correspond to the price and yield performance of the component stocks of a widely recognized index. There can be no assurance, however, that this can be accomplished, as it may not be possible for an ETF to replicate the composition and relative weightings of the securities of its corresponding index. Additionally, some ETFs are actively-managed by an investment adviser and/or sub-advisers and do not seek to provide investment results that correspond to an index.

 

ETFs are subject to risks of an investment in a broadly based portfolio of common stocks, including the risk that the general level of stock prices may decline, thereby adversely affecting the value of such investment. An actively-managed ETF may not perform as well as its investment adviser and/or sub-advisers expect, and/or the actively-managed ETF’s portfolio management practices might not work to achieve the desired result. Individual shares of an ETF are generally not redeemable at their NAV, but trade on an exchange during the day at prices that are normally close to, but not the same as, their NAV. There is no assurance that an active trading market will be maintained for the shares of an ETF or that market prices of the shares of an ETF will be close to their NAVs.

 

Investments in securities of ETFs beyond the limitations set forth in Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act are subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in an exemptive order issued by the SEC to the exchange-traded fund. Section 12(d)(1)(A) states that a mutual fund may not acquire shares of other investment companies, such as ETFs, in excess of: 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of the investment company; 5% of its total assets invested in the investment company; or more than 10% of the fund’s total assets were to be invested in the aggregate in all investment companies. The purchase of shares of ETFs may result in duplication of expenses, including advisory fees, in addition to a mutual fund’s own expenses.

 

Foreign Custody Risk. An Underlying Fund may hold foreign securities and cash with foreign banks, agents, and securities depositories appointed by the Underlying Fund’s custodian (each a “Foreign Custodian”). Some Foreign Custodians may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In some countries, Foreign Custodians may be subject to little or no regulatory oversight over or independent evaluation of their operations. Further, the laws of certain countries may place limitations on an Underlying Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a Foreign Custodian enters bankruptcy. Investments in emerging markets may be subject to even greater custody risks than investments in more developed markets. Custody services in emerging market countries are very often undeveloped and may be considerably less well-regulated than in more developed countries, and thus may not afford the same level of investor protection as would apply in developed countries.

 

Foreign Securities. An Underlying Fund’s investments in foreign securities involve higher costs than investments in U.S. securities, including higher transaction costs as well as the imposition of additional taxes by foreign governments. In addition, foreign investments may include additional risks associated with currency exchange rates, less complete financial information about the issuers, less market liquidity and political stability. Volume and liquidity in most foreign bond markets are less than in the United States and, at times, volatility or price can be greater than in the United States. Future political and economic information, the possible imposition of withholding taxes on interest income, the possible seizure or nationalization of foreign holdings, the possible establishment of exchange controls, or the adoption of other governmental restrictions, might adversely affect the payment of principal and interest on foreign obligations. Inability to dispose of securities due to settlement problems could result either in losses to an Underlying Fund due to subsequent declines in value of the securities, or, if the underlying investment company has entered into a contract to sell the securities, could result in possible liability to the purchaser. Individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth or gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. Fixed commissions on foreign securities exchanges are generally higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. exchanges. There is generally less government supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers, dealers and listed companies than in the United States.

 

4 

 

Settlement mechanics may be slower or less reliable than within the United States, thus increasing the risk of delayed settlements of portfolio transactions or loss of certificates for portfolio securities. Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures, and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Such delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of the assets of an underlying investment company is uninvested and no return is earned thereon. The inability of an underlying investment company to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could cause the underlying investment company to miss attractive investment opportunities.

 

Each Fund values its securities and other assets in U.S. dollars. As a result, if an Underlying Fund invests in securities denominated in foreign currencies, the NAV of the Underlying Fund’s shares may fluctuate with U.S. dollar exchange rates as well as the price changes of the Underlying Fund’s securities in the various local markets and currencies. Thus, an increase in the value of the U.S. dollar compared to the currencies in which an Underlying Fund makes its investments could reduce the effect of increases and magnify the effect of decreases in the price of the Underlying Fund’s securities in their local markets. Conversely, a decrease in the value of the U.S. dollar may have the opposite effect of magnifying the effect of increases and reducing the effect of decreases in the prices of an Underlying Fund’s securities in its foreign markets. In addition to favorable and unfavorable currency exchange rate developments, each Underlying Fund is subject to the possible imposition of exchange control regulations or freezes on convertibility of currency.

 

If an Underlying Fund invests in obligations of foreign branches of U.S. banks (Eurodollars) and U.S. branches of foreign banks (Yankee dollars) or foreign branches of foreign banks, these investments involve risks that are different from investments in securities of U.S. banks, including potential unfavorable political and economic developments, different tax provisions, seizure of foreign deposits, currency controls, interest limitations or other governmental restrictions which might affect payment of principal or interest. An Underlying Fund may also invest in debt securities issued or guaranteed by foreign governments, including Yankee bonds, which are issued by foreign governments and their agencies and foreign corporations, but pay interest in U.S. dollars and are typically issued in the United States.

 

European countries can be affected by the significant fiscal and monetary controls that the European Economic and Monetary Union (“EMU”) imposes for membership. Europe’s economies are diverse, its governments are decentralized, and its cultures vary widely. Several European Union (“EU”) countries, including Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Portugal, have faced budget issues, some of which may have negative long-term effects for the economies of those countries and other EU countries. There is continued concern about national-level support for the euro and the accompanying coordination of fiscal and wage policy among EMU member countries. Member countries are required to maintain tight control over inflation, public debt, and budget deficit to qualify for membership in the EMU. These requirements can severely limit the ability of EMU member countries to implement monetary policy to address regional economic conditions.

 

In June of 2016, the United Kingdom (the “UK”) approved a referendum to leave the EU, commonly referred to as “Brexit,” which sparked depreciation in the value of the British pound and heightened risk of continued worldwide economic volatility. Pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon, the UK gave notice in March 2017 of its withdrawal from the EU and commenced negotiations on the terms of withdrawal. Following years of negotiations and multiple withdrawal deadline extensions, the UK withdrew from the EU on January 31, 2020. A transition period, currently set to last through December 31, 2020, will be used for the UK and EU to negotiate their future relationship. The effects of this withdrawal will depend, in part, on agreements the UK negotiates to retain access to EU markets either during the transitional period or more permanently including, but not limited to, current trade and finance agreements. As a result of the UK's exit from the EU, the Funds and the Underlying Funds may be exposed to volatile trading markets and significant and unpredictable currency fluctuations over a short period of time, and potentially lower economic growth in the UK, Europe and globally. Securities issued by companies domiciled in the UK could be subject to changing regulatory and tax regimes. Banking and financial services companies that operate in the UK or EU could be disproportionately affected by Brexit. Further insecurity in EU membership or the abandonment of the euro could exacerbate market and currency volatility and negatively affect an Underlying Fund’s investments in securities of issuers located in the EU. The effects of these actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, are not clear but could be significant and far-reaching.

 

5 

 

Investment Company Shares.  Each Fund may invest in shares of other investment companies to the extent permitted by applicable law and subject to certain restrictions. These investment companies typically incur fees that are separate from those fees incurred directly by a Fund. A Fund’s purchase of such investment company securities results in the layering of expenses, such that shareholders would indirectly bear a proportionate share of the operating expenses of such investment companies, including advisory fees, in addition to paying the Fund’s expenses. Unless an exception is available, Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act prohibits a fund from (i) acquiring more than 3% of the voting shares of any one investment company, (ii) investing more than 5% of its total assets in any one investment company, and (iii) investing more than 10% of its total assets in all investment companies combined.  These limits will not apply to the investment of uninvested cash balances in shares of registered or unregistered money market funds whether affiliated or unaffiliated.  The foregoing exemption, however, only applies to an unregistered money market fund that (i) limits its investments to those in which a money market fund may invest under Rule 2a-7 of the 1940 Act, and (ii) undertakes to comply with all the other provisions of Rule 2a-7.

 

Each Fund may invest in investment companies that seek to track the composition and/or performance of specific indexes or portions of specific indexes. Certain of these investment companies, including ETFs and certain closed-end funds, are traded on a securities exchange. The market prices of index-based investments will fluctuate in accordance with changes in the underlying portfolio securities of the investment company and also due to supply and demand of the investment company’s shares on the exchange upon which the shares are traded. Index-based investments may not replicate or otherwise match the composition or performance of their specified index due to transaction costs, among other things.

  

Investments by a Fund in other investment companies, including ETFs, will be subject to the limitations of the 1940 Act except as permitted by SEC orders.  The Funds may rely on SEC orders that permit them to invest in certain ETFs beyond the limits contained in the 1940 Act, subject to certain terms and conditions.  Generally, these terms and conditions require Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) to approve policies and procedures relating to certain of a Fund’s investments in ETFs.  These policies and procedures require, among other things, that (i) the Adviser conducts a Fund’s investment in ETFs without regard to any consideration received by the Fund or any of its affiliated persons and (ii) the Adviser certifies to the Board quarterly that it has not received any consideration in connection with an investment by the Fund in an ETF, or if it has, the amount and purpose of the consideration will be reported to the Board and an equivalent amount of advisory fees shall be waived by the Adviser.

  

Certain investment companies whose securities are purchased by a Fund may not be obligated to redeem such securities in an amount exceeding 1% of the investment company’s total outstanding securities during any period of less than 30 days.  Therefore, such securities that exceed this amount may be illiquid.

  

If required by the 1940 Act, the Funds expect to vote the shares of other investment companies that are held by it in the same proportion as the vote of all other holders of such securities.

  

Real Estate Investment Trust Securities. An Underlying Fund may invest in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”). REITs generally invest directly in real estate, in mortgages or in some combination of the two. Individual REITs may own a limited number of properties and may concentrate in a particular region or property type. A REIT is a corporation, or a business trust that would otherwise be taxed as a corporation, which meets the definitional requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). The Code permits a qualifying REIT to deduct dividends paid, thereby effectively eliminating corporate level Federal income tax and making the REIT a pass-through vehicle for Federal income tax purposes. To meet the definitional requirements of the Code, a REIT must, among other things, invest substantially all of its assets in interests in real estate (including mortgages and other REITs) or cash and government securities, derive most of its income from rents from real property or interest on loans secured by mortgages on real property, and distribute to shareholders annually a substantial portion of its otherwise taxable income.

 

6 

 

Generally, REITs can be classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs and hybrid REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive their income primarily from rents and capital gains from appreciation realized through property sales. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive their income primarily from interest payments. Hybrid REITs combine the characteristics of both equity and mortgage REITs. The values of securities issued by REITs are affected by tax and regulatory requirements and by perceptions of management skill. They also are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers or tenants, self-liquidation and the possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free status under the Code or to maintain exemption from the 1940 Act. Unexpected high rates of default on the mortgages held by a mortgage pool may adversely affect the value of a mortgage-backed security and could result in losses to a mortgage REIT. The risk of such defaults is generally higher in the case of mortgage pools that include subprime mortgages. To the extent that a mortgage REIT’s portfolio is exposed to lower-rated, unsecured or subordinated instruments, the risk of loss may increase, which may have a negative impact on the Fund.

 

The REITs in which the Underlying Funds may invest may be affected by economic forces and other factors related to the real estate industry. REITs are sensitive to factors such as changes in real estate values, property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, occupancy rates, government regulations affecting zoning, land use and rents, and management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Companies in the real estate industry may also be subject to liabilities under environmental and hazardous waste laws. REITS whose underlying assets include long-term health care properties; such as nursing, retirement and assisted living homes, may be impacted by federal regulations concerning the health care industry. Each Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of expenses, including management fees, paid by each REIT in which an Underlying Fund invests in addition to the expenses of the Fund. Each Fund is also subject to the risk that the REITs in which an Underlying Fund invests will fail to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Code, and/or fail to qualify for an exemption from registration as an investment company under the 1940 Act. Mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of the credit extended. A REIT’s return may be adversely affected when interest rates are high or rising.

 

Investing in REITs may involve risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. Historically, small capitalization stocks, such as REITs, have been more volatile in price than the larger capitalization stocks included in the S&P 500®.

 

Risk Considerations of Lower Rated Securities. An Underlying Fund may invest in fixed income securities that are not investment grade but are rated as low as B by Moody’s or B by S&P (or their equivalents). In the event that the rating on a security held in an Underlying Fund’s portfolio is downgraded by a rating service, such action may be considered by the Underlying Fund’s investment adviser in its evaluation of the overall investment merits of that security, but will not necessarily result in the sale of the security. The widespread expansion of government, consumer and corporate debt within the U.S. economy has made the corporate sector, especially cyclically sensitive industries, more vulnerable to economic downturns or increased interest rates. An economic downturn could severely disrupt the market for high yield fixed income securities and adversely affect the value of outstanding fixed income securities and the ability of the issuers to repay principal and interest.

 

An Underlying Fund may invest in high yield debt obligations, such as bonds and debentures, issued by corporations and other business organizations. High yield fixed income securities (commonly known as “junk bonds”) are considered speculative investments while generally providing greater income than investments in higher rated securities, involve greater risk of loss of principal and income (including the possibility of default or bankruptcy of the issuers of such securities) and may involve greater volatility of price (especially during periods of economic uncertainty or change) than securities in the higher rating categories. Since yields vary over time, no specific level of income can ever be assured.

 

7 

 

The prices of high yield fixed income securities have been found to be less sensitive to interest rate changes than higher-rated investments but more sensitive to adverse economic changes or individual corporate developments. Also, during an economic downturn or substantial period of rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers may experience financial stress, which would adversely affect their ability to service their principal and interest payment obligations, to meet projected business goals and to obtain additional financing. If the issuer of a fixed income security owned by an Underlying Fund defaulted, the Underlying Fund could incur additional expenses in attempting to obtain a recovery. In addition, periods of economic uncertainty and changes can be expected to result in increased volatility of market prices of high yield fixed income securities and an Underlying Fund’s NAV to the extent it holds such securities.

 

High yield fixed income securities also present risks based on payment expectations. For example, high yield fixed income securities may contain redemption or call provisions. If an issuer exercises these provisions in a declining interest rate market, an Underlying Fund may, to the extent it holds such fixed income securities, have to replace the securities with a lower yielding security, which may result in a decreased return for investors. Conversely, a high yield fixed income security’s value will decrease in a rising interest rate market, as will the value of an Underlying Fund’s assets, to the extent it holds such fixed income securities.  In addition, to the extent that there is no established retail secondary market, there may be thin trading of high yield fixed income securities, and this may have an impact on the Underlying Fund’s investment adviser’s ability to accurately value such securities and on the Underlying Fund’s ability to dispose of such securities. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the values and liquidity of high yield fixed income securities, especially in a thinly traded market.

 

New laws proposed or adopted from time to time may have an impact on the market for high yield securities.

 

Finally, there are risks involved in applying credit or dividend ratings as a method for evaluating high yield securities. For example, ratings evaluate the safety of principal and interest or dividend payments, not market value risk of high yield securities. Also, since rating agencies may fail to timely change the credit ratings to reflect subsequent events, an Underlying Fund may need to monitor the issuers of high yield securities in its portfolio, if any, to determine if the issuers will have sufficient cash flow and profits to meet required principal and interest payments, and to assure the security’s liquidity so an Underlying Fund can meet redemption requests.

 

Risk Considerations of Medium Grade Securities.  Debt obligations in the lowest investment grade (i.e., BBB or Baa), referred to as “medium grade” obligations, have speculative characteristics, and changes in economic conditions and other factors are more likely to lead to weakened capacity to make interest payments and repay principal on these obligations than is the case for higher rated securities. In the event that a security purchased by a Fund is subsequently downgraded below investment grade, the Adviser will consider such event in its determination of whether the Fund should continue to hold the security.

 

Special Note Regarding Market Events.  Events in the financial sector over the past several years have resulted in reduced liquidity in credit and fixed income markets and an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestically and internationally. While entire markets have been impacted, issuers that have exposure to the real estate, mortgage and credit markets have been particularly affected.  These events and the potential for continuing market turbulence may have an adverse effect on each Fund’s investments.  It is uncertain how long these conditions will continue.

 

The instability in the financial markets has led the U.S. government to take a number of unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and certain segments of the financial markets. Federal, state and foreign governments, regulatory agencies, and self-regulatory organizations may take actions that affect the regulation of the instruments in which the Funds invest, or the issuers of such instruments, in ways that are unforeseeable. Such legislation or regulation could limit or preclude each Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.

 

Governments or their agencies may also acquire distressed assets from financial institutions and acquire ownership interests in those institutions. The implications of government ownership and disposition of these assets are unclear, and such ownership or disposition may have positive or negative effects on the liquidity, valuation and performance of a Fund.

 

8 

 

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

 

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

 

The extreme and unprecedented volatility and disruption that impacted the capital and credit markets during late 2008 and into 2009 have led to increased market concerns about Freddie Mac’s and Fannie Mae’s ability to withstand future credit losses associated with securities held in their investment portfolios, and on which they provide guarantees, without the direct support of the federal government.  On September 6, 2008, both Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae were placed under the conservatorship of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”).  Under the plan of conservatorship, the FHFA has assumed control of, and generally has the power to direct, the operations of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and is empowered to exercise all powers collectively held by their respective shareholders, directors and officers, including the power to (1) take over the assets of and operate Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae with all the powers of the shareholders, the directors, and the officers of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and conduct all business of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae; (2) collect all obligations and money due to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae; (3) perform all functions of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae which are consistent with the conservator’s appointment; (4) preserve and conserve the assets and property of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae; and (5) contract for assistance in fulfilling any function, activity, action or duty of the conservator.  In addition, in connection with the actions taken by the FHFA, the U.S. Treasury Department (the “Treasury”) has entered into certain preferred stock purchase agreements with each of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae which establish the Treasury as the holder of a new class of senior preferred stock in each of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, which stock was issued in connection with financial contributions from the Treasury to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.  The conditions attached to the financial contribution made by the Treasury to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and the issuance of this senior preferred stock place significant restrictions on the activities of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.  Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae must obtain the consent of the Treasury to, among other things, (i) make any payment to purchase or redeem its capital stock or pay any dividend other than in respect of the senior preferred stock, (ii) issue capital stock of any kind, (iii) terminate the conservatorship of the FHFA except in connection with a receivership, or (iv) increase its debt beyond certain specified levels.  In addition, significant restrictions are placed on the maximum size of each of Freddie Mac’s and Fannie Mae’s respective portfolios of mortgages and mortgage-backed securities portfolios, and the purchase agreements entered into by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae provide that the maximum size of their portfolios of these assets must decrease by a specified percentage each year.  The future status and role of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae could be impacted by (among other things) the actions taken and restrictions placed on Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae by the FHFA in its role as conservator, the restrictions placed on Freddie Mac’s and Fannie Mae’s operations and activities as a result of the senior preferred stock investment made by the Treasury, market responses to developments at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and future legislative and regulatory action that alters the operations, ownership, structure and/or mission of these institutions, each of which may, in turn, impact the value of, and cash flows on any mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.

 

9 

 

U.S. Treasury Obligations.  U.S. Treasury obligations consist of bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury and separately traded interest and principal component parts of such obligations that are transferable through the federal book-entry system known as Separately Traded Registered Interest and Principal Securities (“STRIPS”) and Treasury Receipts (“TRs”).

 

Receipts.  Interests in separately traded interest and principal component parts of U.S. government obligations that are issued by banks or brokerage firms and are created by depositing U.S. government obligations into a special account at a custodian bank.  The custodian bank holds the interest and principal payments for the benefit of the registered owners of the certificates or receipts.  The custodian bank arranges for the issuance of the certificates or receipts evidencing ownership and maintains the register. TRs and STRIPS are interests in accounts sponsored by the U.S. Treasury.  Receipts are sold as zero coupon securities.

 

U.S. Government Zero Coupon Securities.  STRIPS and receipts are sold as zero coupon securities, that is, fixed income securities that have been stripped of their unmatured interest coupons.  Zero coupon securities are sold at a (usually substantial) discount and redeemed at face value at their maturity date without interim cash payments of interest or principal.  The amount of this discount is accreted over the life of the security, and the accretion constitutes the income earned on the security for both accounting and tax purposes.  Because of these features, the market prices of zero coupon securities are generally more volatile than the market prices of securities that have similar maturity but that pay interest periodically.  Zero coupon securities are likely to respond to a greater degree to interest rate changes than are non-zero coupon securities with similar maturity and credit qualities.

 

U.S. Government Agencies.  Some obligations issued or guaranteed by agencies of the U.S. government are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury, others are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the Treasury, while still others are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality.  Guarantees of principal by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government may be a guarantee of payment at the maturity of the obligation so that in the event of a default prior to maturity there might not be a market and thus no means of realizing on the obligation prior to maturity. Guarantees as to the timely payment of principal and interest do not extend to the value or yield of these securities nor to the value of an Underlying Fund’s shares.

  

Inflation-Protected Securities. An Underlying Fund may invest in inflation-protected securities issued by the U.S. Treasury, known as “TIPs” or “Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities,” which are debt securities whose principal and interest payments are adjusted for inflation and interest is paid on the adjusted amount. The inflation adjustment, which is typically applied monthly to the principal of the bond, follows a designated inflation index, such as the consumer price index. A fixed coupon rate is applied to the inflation-adjusted principal so that as inflation rises, both the principal value and the interest payments increase. This can provide investors with a hedge against inflation, as it helps preserve the purchasing power of the investment. Inflation-protected securities normally will decline in price when real interest rates rise. (A real interest rate is calculated by subtracting the inflation rate from a nominal interest rate. For example, if a 10-year Treasury note is yielding 5% and inflation is 2%, the real interest rate is 3%.) If inflation is negative, the principal and income of an inflation-protected security will decline and could result in losses for a Fund.

 

Any increase in principal for an inflation-protected security resulting from inflation adjustments is considered by Internal Revenue Service regulations to be taxable income in the year it occurs. For direct holders of an inflation-protected security, this means that taxes must be paid on principal adjustments even though these amounts are not received until the bond matures. By contrast, an Underlying Fund holding these securities distributes both interest income and the income attributable to principal adjustments in the form of cash or reinvested shares, which are taxable to shareholders.

 

NON-PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RISKS

 

Borrowing.  Each Fund may borrow money from a bank equal to 5% of its total assets for temporary purposes to meet redemptions or to pay dividends.  Borrowing may exaggerate changes in the NAV of a Fund’s shares and in the return on a Fund’s portfolio.  Although the principal of any borrowing will be fixed, a Fund’s assets may change in value during the time the borrowing is outstanding.  A Fund may be required to liquidate portfolio securities at a time when it would be disadvantageous to do so in order to make payments with respect to any borrowing.  A Fund may be required to earmark or segregate liquid assets in an amount sufficient to meet its obligations in connection with such borrowings. In an interest rate arbitrage transaction, a Fund borrows money at one interest rate and lends the proceeds at another, higher interest rate.  These transactions involve a number of risks, including the risks that the borrower will fail or otherwise become insolvent or that there will be a significant change in prevailing interest rates.

 

10 

 

Commercial Paper. Commercial paper is the term used to designate unsecured short-term promissory notes issued by corporations and other entities.  Maturities on these issues vary from a few to 270 days.

 

Corporate Obligations. An Underlying Fund may invest in debt obligations, such as bonds and debentures, issued by corporations and other business organizations without limit on credit quality or maturity.  See Appendix “A” to this SAI for a description of corporate debt ratings. An issuer of debt obligations may default on its obligation to pay interest and repay principal. Also, changes in the financial strength of an issuer or changes in the credit rating of a security may affect its value.

 

Forward Commitment and When-Issued Transactions. An Underlying Fund may purchase or sell securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis (subject to its investment policies and restrictions). These transactions involve a commitment by an Underlying Fund to purchase or sell securities at a future date (ordinarily one or two months later).  The price of the underlying securities (usually expressed in terms of yield) and the date when the securities will be delivered and paid for (the settlement date) are fixed at the time the transaction is negotiated. When-issued purchases and forward commitments are negotiated directly with the other party, and such commitments are not traded on exchanges.

 

When-issued purchases and forward commitments enable an Underlying Fund to lock in what is believed to be an attractive price or yield on a particular security for a period of time, regardless of future changes in interest rates. For instance, in periods of rising interest rates and falling prices, an Underlying Fund might sell securities it owns on a forward commitment basis to limit its exposure to falling prices. In periods of falling interest rates and rising prices, an Underlying Fund might sell securities it owns and purchase the same or a similar security on a when-issued or forward commitment basis, thereby obtaining the benefit of currently higher yields. When-issued securities or forward commitments involve a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines prior to the settlement date.

 

The value of securities purchased on a when-issued or forward commitment basis and any subsequent fluctuations in their value are generally reflected in the computation of an Underlying Fund’s NAV starting on the date of the agreement to purchase the securities, and the Underlying Fund is subject to the rights and risks of ownership of the securities on that date. An Underlying Fund may not earn interest on the securities it has committed to purchase until they are paid for and delivered on the settlement date. When an Underlying Fund makes a forward commitment to sell securities it owns, the proceeds to be received upon settlement are included in the Underlying Fund’s assets. Fluctuations in the market value of the underlying securities may not be reflected in the Underlying Fund’s NAV as long as the commitment to sell remains in effect. Settlement of when-issued purchases and forward commitment transactions generally takes place within two months after the date of the transaction, but an Underlying Fund may agree to a longer settlement period.

 

An Underlying Fund may dispose of or renegotiate a commitment after it is entered into. An Underlying Fund also may sell securities it has committed to purchase before those securities are delivered to the Underlying Fund on the settlement date. The Underlying Fund may realize a capital gain or loss in connection with these transactions, and its distributions from any net realized capital gains will be taxable to shareholders.

 

Futures and Options on Futures.  Futures contracts provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a specific security at a specified future time and at a specified price. An option on a futures contract gives the purchaser the right, in exchange for a premium, to assume a position in a futures contract at a specified exercise price during the term of the option. An Underlying Fund may reduce the risk that it will be unable to close out a futures contract by only entering into futures contracts that are traded on a national futures exchange regulated by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”).  Underlying Funds may use futures contracts and related options for: bona fide hedging; attempting to offset changes in the value of securities held or expected to be acquired or be disposed of; attempting to minimize fluctuations in foreign currencies; attempting to gain exposure to a particular market, index or instrument; or other risk management purposes.

 

11 

 

With respect to investments in swap transactions, commodity futures, commodity options or certain other derivatives used for purposes other than bona fide hedging purposes, an investment company must meet one of the following tests under the amended regulations in order to claim an exemption from being considered a “commodity pool” or a CPO. First, the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish an investment company’s positions in such investments may not exceed five percent (5%) of the liquidation value of the investment company’s portfolio (after accounting for unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such investments). Alternatively, the aggregate net notional value of such instruments, determined at the time of the most recent position established, may not exceed one hundred percent (100%) of the liquidation value of the investment company’s portfolio (after accounting for unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). In addition to meeting one of the foregoing trading limitations, the investment company may not market itself as a commodity pool or otherwise as a vehicle for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps and derivatives markets. In the event that an investment adviser was required to register as a CPO with respect to an Underlying Fund, the disclosure and operations of the Underlying Fund would need to comply with all applicable CFTC regulations.

 

An index futures contract is a bilateral agreement pursuant to which two parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash equal to a specified dollar amount times the difference between the index value at the close of trading of the contract and the price at which the futures contract is originally struck. No physical delivery of the securities comprising the index is made; generally, contracts are closed out prior to the expiration date of the contract.

 

When an Underlying Fund purchases or sells a futures contract, or sells an option thereon, the Underlying Fund is required to “cover” its position in order to limit leveraging and related risks.  To cover its position, an Underlying Fund may segregate (and mark-to-market on a daily basis) cash or liquid securities that, when added to any amounts deposited with a futures commission merchant as margin, are equal to the market value of the futures contract or otherwise “cover” its position in a manner consistent with the 1940 Act or the rules and SEC interpretations thereunder. The segregated account functions as a practical limit on the amount of leverage which an Underlying Fund may undertake and on the potential increase in the speculative character of the Underlying Fund’s outstanding portfolio securities.  Additionally, such segregated accounts will generally assure the availability of adequate funds to meet the obligations of an Underlying Fund arising from such investment activities.

 

An Underlying Fund may also cover its long position in a futures contract by purchasing a put option on the same futures contract with a strike price (i.e., an exercise price) as high or higher than the price of the futures contract.  In the alternative, if the strike price of the put is less than the price of the futures contract, an Underlying Fund will segregate cash or liquid securities equal in value to the difference between the strike price of the put and the price of the futures contract.  An Underlying Fund may also cover its long position in a futures contract by taking a short position in the instruments underlying the futures contract, or by taking positions in instruments with prices which are expected to move relatively consistently with the futures contract.  An Underlying Fund may cover its short position in a futures contract by taking a long position in the instruments underlying the futures contracts, or by taking positions in instruments with prices which are expected to move relatively consistently with the futures contract.

 

An Underlying Fund may cover its sale of a call option on a futures contract by taking a long position in the underlying futures contract at a price less than or equal to the strike price of the call option.  In the alternative, if the long position in the underlying futures contract is established at a price greater than the strike price of the written (sold) call, the Underlying Fund will maintain in a segregated account cash or liquid securities equal in value to the difference between the strike price of the call and the price of the futures contract.  An Underlying Fund may also cover its sale of a call option by taking positions in instruments with prices which are expected to move relatively consistently with the call option.  An Underlying Fund may cover its sale of a put option on a futures contract by taking a short position in the underlying futures contract at a price greater than or equal to the strike price of the put option, or, if the short position in the underlying futures contract is established at a price less than the strike price of the written put, the Underlying Fund will maintain in a segregated account cash or liquid securities equal in value to the difference between the strike price of the put and the price of the futures contract.  An Underlying Fund may also cover its sale of a put option by taking positions in instruments with prices which are expected to move relatively consistently with the put option.

 

There are significant risks associated with an Underlying Fund’s use of futures contracts and related options, including the following: (1) the success of a hedging strategy may depend on the investment adviser of an Underlying Fund’s ability to predict movements in the prices of individual securities, fluctuations in markets and movements in interest rates; (2) there may be an imperfect or no correlation between the changes in market value of the securities held by the Underlying Fund and the prices of futures and options on futures; (3) there may not be a liquid secondary market for a futures contract or option; (4) trading restrictions or limitations may be imposed by an exchange; and (5) government regulations may restrict trading in futures contracts and options on futures. In addition, some strategies reduce an Underlying Fund’s exposure to price fluctuations, while others tend to increase its market exposure.

 

12 

 

Illiquid Investments.  Pursuant to Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act, each Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments. An illiquid investment is an investment that a Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions within 7 calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. To the extent an investment held by a Fund is deemed to be an illiquid investment or a less liquid investment, the Fund will be exposed to greater liquidity risk.

 

The Company has implemented a liquidity risk management program and related procedures to identify illiquid investments pursuant to Rule 22e-4. If the limitation on illiquid investments is exceeded, other than by a change in market values, the condition will be reported to the Board and, when required, to the SEC.

 

Initial Public Offerings. To the extent consistent with its investment policies and limitations, an Underlying Fund may purchase stock in an initial public offering (“IPO”). An IPO is a company’s first offering of stock to the public. Risks associated with IPOs may include considerable fluctuation in the market value of IPO shares due to certain factors, such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, a limited number of shares available for trading, lack of information about the issuer and limited operating history. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. When an Underlying Fund’s asset base is small, a significant portion of the Underlying Fund’s performance could be attributable to investments in IPOs, because such investments would have a magnified impact on the underlying investment company. As an Underlying Fund’s assets grow, the effect of the Underlying Fund’s investments in IPOs on the Underlying Fund’s performance probably will decline, which could reduce the Underlying Fund’s performance. Because of the price volatility of IPO shares, an Underlying Fund may choose to hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of an Underlying Fund’s portfolio and may lead to increased expenses to the Underlying Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. In addition, an Underlying Fund cannot guarantee continued access to IPOs.

 

Large Shareholder Purchase and Redemption Risk. Each Fund may experience adverse effects when certain large shareholders purchase or redeem large amounts of shares of the Fund.  Such large shareholder redemptions may cause a Fund to sell its securities at times when it would not otherwise do so, which may negatively impact the Fund’s NAV and liquidity.  Similarly, large share purchases may adversely affect the Fund’s performance to the extent that the Fund is delayed in investing new cash and is required to maintain a larger cash position than it ordinarily would.  In addition, a large redemption could result in the Fund’s current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, leading to an increase in the Fund’s expense ratio.  However, this risk may be limited to the extent that the Adviser and a Fund have entered into a fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement arrangement.

 

Temporary Investment Positions.  During unusual economic or market conditions, or for temporary defensive or liquidity purposes, each Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in (i) cash; (ii) cash equivalents; (iii) short-term debt securities; and (iv) money market instruments (the types of which are discussed below) that would not ordinarily be consistent with the Fund’s objective.  For purposes of these policies, money market securities include (i) short-term U.S. government securities, including custodial receipts evidencing separately traded interest and principal components of securities issued by the U.S. Treasury; (ii) commercial paper rated in the highest short-term rating category by a nationally recognized statistical ratings organization (“NRSRO”), such as S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”) or Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”), or determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality at the time of purchase; (iii) short-term bank obligations (certificates of deposit, time deposits and bankers’ acceptances) of U.S. domestic banks, foreign banks and foreign branches of domestic banks, and commercial banks with assets of at least $1 billion as of the end of their most recent fiscal year; and (iv) repurchase agreements involving such securities.  Each of these types of money market securities is discussed in more detail below. For a description of ratings, see Appendix A to this SAI. If a Fund were to take a temporary defensive position, it may be unable to achieve its investment objective for a period of time. In anticipation of or in response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, a Fund may take temporary defensive positions (up to 100% of its assets) in cash, cash equivalents and all types of money market and short-term debt securities. If a Fund were to take a temporary defensive position, it may be unable to achieve its investment objective for a period of time.

 

13 

 

Obligations of Domestic Banks, Foreign Banks and Foreign Branches of U.S. Banks.  An Underlying Fund may invest in obligations issued by banks and other savings institutions. Investments in bank obligations include obligations of domestic branches of foreign banks and foreign branches of domestic banks.  Such investments in domestic branches of foreign banks and foreign branches of domestic banks may involve risks that are different from investments in securities of domestic branches of U.S. banks.  These risks may include future unfavorable political and economic developments, possible withholding taxes on interest income, seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits, currency controls, interest limitations, or other governmental restrictions which might affect the payment of principal or interest on the securities held by an Underlying Fund. Additionally, these institutions may be subject to less stringent reserve requirements and to different accounting, auditing, reporting and recordkeeping requirements than those applicable to domestic branches of U.S. banks.  In addition, investments in bank loans may not be deemed to be securities and may not have the protections of the federal securities laws. Bank obligations include the following:

 

Bankers’ Acceptances.  Bankers’ acceptances are bills of exchange or time drafts drawn on and accepted by a commercial bank.  Corporations use bankers’ acceptances to finance the shipment and storage of goods and to furnish dollar exchange.  Maturities are generally six months or less.

 

Certificates of Deposit.  Certificates of deposit are interest-bearing instruments with a specific maturity.  They are issued by banks and savings and loan institutions in exchange for the deposit of funds and normally can be traded in the secondary market prior to maturity.  Certificates of deposit with penalties for early withdrawal will be considered illiquid.

 

Time Deposits.  Time deposits are non-negotiable receipts issued by a bank in exchange for the deposit of funds.  Like a certificate of deposit, it earns a specified rate of interest over a definite period of time; however, it cannot be traded in the secondary market.  Time deposits with a withdrawal penalty or that mature in more than seven days are considered to be illiquid securities.

  

Options.  Each Fund may purchase and write put and call options on securities and securities indices and enter into related closing transactions. A put option on a security gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell, and the writer of the option the obligation to buy, the underlying security at any time during the option period. A call option on a security gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the writer of the option the obligation to sell, the underlying security at any time during the option period.  The premium paid to the writer is the consideration for undertaking the obligations under the option contract.

 

Put and call options on securities indices are similar to options on securities except that options on an index give the holder the right to receive, upon exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the closing level of the underlying index is greater than (or less than, in the case of puts) the exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the index and the exercise price of the option, expressed in dollars multiplied by a specified number. Thus, unlike options on individual securities, all settlements are in cash, and gain or loss depends on price movements in the particular market represented by the index generally, rather than the price movements in individual securities.

 

All options written on indices or securities must be covered. When a Fund writes an option on a security or an index, it will establish a segregated account containing cash or liquid securities in an amount at least equal to the market value of the option and will maintain the account while the option is open or will otherwise cover the transaction.

 

A Fund may trade put and call options on securities and securities indices, as the Adviser determines is appropriate in seeking the Fund’s investment objective, and except as restricted by the Fund’s investment limitations.  See “Investment Limitations.”

 

The initial purchase (sale) of an option contract is an “opening transaction.” In order to close out an option position, a Fund may enter into a “closing transaction,” which is simply the sale (purchase) of an option contract on the same security with the same exercise price and expiration date as the option contract originally opened. If a Fund is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction with respect to an option it has written, it will not be able to sell the underlying security until the option expires or the Fund delivers the security upon exercise.

 

14 

 

A Fund may purchase put and call options on securities to protect against a decline in the market value of the securities in its portfolio or to anticipate an increase in the market value of securities that the Fund may seek to purchase in the future. A Fund purchasing put and call options pays a premium therefor. If price movements in the underlying securities are such that exercise of the options would not be profitable for a Fund, loss of the premium paid may be offset by an increase in the value of the Fund’s securities or by a decrease in the cost of acquisition of securities by the Fund.

 

A Fund may write covered call options on securities as a means of increasing the yield on its assets and as a means of providing limited protection against decreases in its market value. When a Fund writes an option, if the underlying securities do not increase or decrease to a price level that would make the exercise of the option profitable to the holder thereof, the option generally will expire without being exercised and the Fund will realize as profit the premium received for such option. When a call option of which a Fund is the writer is exercised, the Fund will be required to sell the underlying securities to the option holder at the strike price, and will not participate in any increase in the price of such securities above the strike price. When a put option of which a Fund is the writer is exercised, the Fund will be required to purchase the underlying securities at a price in excess of the market value of such securities.

 

A Fund may purchase and write options on an exchange or over-the-counter. Over-the-counter options (“OTC options”) differ from exchange-traded options in several respects. They are transacted directly with dealers and not with a clearing corporation, and therefore entail the risk of non-performance by the dealer. OTC options are available for a greater variety of securities and for a wider range of expiration dates and exercise prices than are available for exchange-traded options. Because OTC options are not traded on an exchange, pricing is done normally by reference to information from a market maker. It is the SEC’s position that OTC options are generally illiquid.

 

The market value of an option generally reflects the market price of an underlying security. Other principal factors affecting market value include supply and demand, interest rates, the pricing volatility of the underlying security and the time remaining until the expiration date.

 

Risks associated with options transactions include: (1) the success of a hedging strategy may depend on an ability to predict movements in the prices of individual securities, fluctuations in markets and movements in interest rates; (2) there may be an imperfect correlation between the movement in prices of options and the securities underlying them; (3) there may not be a liquid secondary market for options; and (4) while a Fund will receive a premium when it writes covered call options, it may not participate fully in a rise in the market value of the underlying security.

 

Pandemic Risks. Disease outbreaks that affect local economies or the global economy may materially and adversely impact the Funds and/or the Adviser’s business.  For example, uncertainties regarding the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak have resulted in serious economic disruptions across the globe. These types of outbreaks can be expected to cause severe decreases in core business activities such as manufacturing, purchasing, tourism, business conferences and workplace participation, among others. These disruptions lead to instability in the market place, including stock market losses and overall volatility, as has occurred in connection with COVID-19. In the face of such instability, governments may take extreme and unpredictable measures to combat the spread of disease and mitigate the resulting market disruptions and losses. The Adviser has in place business continuity plans reasonably designed to ensure that it maintains normal business operations, and it periodically tests those plans. However, in the event of a pandemic or an outbreak, there can be no assurance that the Adviser or the Funds’ service providers will be able to maintain normal business operations for an extended period of time or will not lose the services of key personnel on a temporary or long-term basis due to illness or other reasons. The full impacts of a pandemic or disease outbreaks are unknown, resulting in a high degree of uncertainty for potentially extended periods of time.

 

Repurchase Agreements.  Each Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with financial institutions. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which a Fund acquires a fixed income security (generally a security issued by the U.S. government or an agency thereof, a banker’s acceptance, or a certificate of deposit) from a commercial bank, broker, or dealer, and simultaneously agrees to resell such security to the seller at an agreed upon price and date (normally, the next business day).  Because the security purchased constitutes collateral for the repurchase obligation, a repurchase agreement may be considered a loan that is collateralized by the security purchased. The acquisition of a repurchase agreement may be deemed to be an acquisition of the underlying securities as long as the obligation of the seller to repurchase the securities is collateralized fully.  The Funds follow certain procedures designed to minimize the risks inherent in such agreements. These procedures include effecting repurchase transactions only with creditworthy financial institutions whose condition will be continually monitored by the Adviser. The repurchase agreements entered into by a Fund will provide that the underlying collateral at all times shall have a value at least equal to 102% of the resale price stated in the agreement and consist only of securities permissible under Section 101(47)(A)(i) of the Bankruptcy Code (the Adviser monitors compliance with this requirement). Under all repurchase agreements entered into by a Fund, the custodian or its agent must take possession of the underlying collateral. In the event of a default or bankruptcy by a selling financial institution, a Fund will seek to liquidate such collateral. However, the exercising of a Fund’s right to liquidate such collateral could involve certain costs or delays and, to the extent that proceeds from any sale upon a default of the obligation to repurchase were less than the repurchase price, the Fund could suffer a loss. It is the current policy of the Funds, not to invest in repurchase agreements that do not mature within seven days if any such investment, together with any other illiquid assets held by that Fund, amounts to more than 15% of the Fund’s total assets. The investments of a Fund in repurchase agreements, at times, may be substantial when, in the view of the Adviser, liquidity or other considerations so warrant.

 

15 

 

Restricted Securities.  Each Fund may purchase securities which are not registered under the Securities Act of 1933 (“1933 Act”) but which may be sold to “qualified institutional buyers” in accordance with Rule 144A under the 1933 Act (“Restricted Securities”). These securities will not be considered illiquid so long as it is determined by the Adviser that an adequate trading market exists for the securities. This investment practice could have the effect of increasing the level of illiquidity in an underlying investment company during any period that qualified institutional buyers become uninterested in purchasing restricted securities.  In reaching liquidity decisions, the Adviser may consider, among others, the following factors: (1) the unregistered nature of the security; (2) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (3) the number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers; (4) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and (5) the nature of the security and the nature of the marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of the transfer).

 

The purchase price and subsequent valuation of Restricted Securities normally reflect a discount from the price at which such securities trade when they are not restricted, since the restriction makes them less liquid. The amount of the discount from the prevailing market price is expected to vary depending upon the type of security, the character of the issuer, the party who will bear the expenses of registering the Restricted Securities and prevailing supply and demand conditions.

 

As consistent with each Fund’s respective investment objective, the Funds may also invest in Section 4(2) commercial paper. Section 4(2) commercial paper is issued in reliance on an exemption from registration under Section 4(2) of the 1933 Act and is generally sold to institutional investors who purchase for investment. Any resale of such commercial paper must be in an exempt transaction, usually to an institutional investor through the issuer or investment dealers who make a market in such commercial paper. The Company believes that Section 4(2) commercial paper is liquid to the extent it meets the criteria established by the Board. The Company intends to treat such commercial paper as liquid and not subject to the investment limitations applicable to illiquid securities or restricted securities.

 

Reverse Repurchase Agreements. Each Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements with respect to portfolio securities for temporary purposes (such as to obtain cash to meet redemption requests) when the liquidation of portfolio securities is deemed disadvantageous or inconvenient by the Adviser. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the sale of securities held by a Fund subject to the Fund’s agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date and rate of interest. Such agreements may be considered borrowings under the 1940 Act and may be entered into only for temporary or emergency purposes. While reverse repurchase transactions are outstanding, the Fund will maintain in a segregated account with the Fund’s custodian or a qualified sub-custodian, cash or liquid securities of an amount at least equal to the market value of the securities, plus accrued interest, subject to the agreement and will monitor the account to ensure that such value is maintained. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the market value of the securities sold by a Fund may decline below the price of the securities the Fund is obligated to repurchase and the interest received on the cash exchanged for the securities.

 

Rights Offerings and Purchase Warrants.  Rights offerings and purchase warrants are privileges issued by a corporation which enable the owner to subscribe to and purchase a specified number of shares of the corporation at a specified price during a specified period of time. Subscription rights normally have a short lifespan to expiration. The purchase of rights or warrants involves the risk that a Fund could lose the purchase value of a right or warrant if the right to subscribe to additional shares is not executed prior to the right’s or warrant’s expiration. Also, the purchase of rights and/or warrants involves the risk that the effective price paid for the right and/or warrant added to the subscription price of the related security may exceed the value of the subscribed security’s market price such as when there is no movement in the level of the underlying security.

 

16 

 

Special Situation Companies. An Underlying Fund may invest in “Special Situations.” The term “Special Situation” shall be deemed to refer to a security of a company in which an unusual and possibly non-repetitive development is taking place which, in the opinion of the Underlying Fund’s investment adviser, may cause the security to attain a higher market value independently, to a degree, of the trend in the securities market in general. The particular development (actual or prospective), which may qualify a security as a Special Situation, may be one of many different types.

 

Such developments may include, among others, a technological improvement or important discovery or acquisition which, if the expectation for it materialized, would effect a substantial change in the company’s business; a reorganization; a recapitalization or other development involving a security exchange or conversion; a merger, liquidation or distribution of cash, securities or other assets; a breakup or workout of a holding company; litigation which, if resolved favorably, would improve the value of the company’s stock; a new or changed management; or material changes in management policies. A Special Situation may often involve a comparatively small company, which is not well known, and which has not been closely watched by investors generally, but it may also involve a large company. The fact, if it exists, that an increase in the company’s earnings, dividends or business is expected, or that a given security is considered to be undervalued, would not in itself be sufficient to qualify as a Special Situation. An Underlying Fund may invest in securities (even if not Special Situations) which are appropriate investments for the Underlying Fund. Underlying Funds are not required to invest any minimum percentage of their aggregate portfolio in “Special Situations,” nor are they required to invest any minimum percentage of their aggregate portfolio in securities other than “Special Situations.”

 

INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS

 

Each Fund has adopted the following fundamental investment limitations which may not be changed with respect to a Fund without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding shares (as defined in Section 2(a) (42) of the 1940 Act). As used in this SAI and in the Prospectus, “shareholder approval” and a “majority of the outstanding shares” of a Fund means, with respect to the approval of an investment advisory agreement, a distribution plan or a change in a fundamental investment limitation, the lesser of (1) 67% of the shares of the Fund represented at a meeting at which the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present in person or by proxy, or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. Unless otherwise noted, a Fund’s investment goals and strategies described in the Prospectus may be changed by the Board without the approval of the Fund’s shareholders.

 

Each Fund may not:

  

1. Purchase any securities which would cause 25% or more of the total assets of the Fund to be invested in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry, provided that this limitation does not apply to investments in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies and instrumentalities and repurchase agreements involving such securities.

  

2. Borrow money in an amount exceeding 331/3% of the value of its total assets, provided that, for purposes of this limitation, investment strategies which either obligate the Fund to purchase securities or require the Fund to segregate assets are not considered to be borrowings.  Asset coverage of at least 300% is required for all borrowings, except where the Fund has borrowed money for temporary purposes in amounts not exceeding 5% of its total assets.

 

3. Make loans if, as a result, more than 331/3% of its total assets would be lent to other parties, except that the Fund may (i) purchase or hold debt instruments in accordance with its investment objective and policies; (ii) enter into repurchase agreements; and (iii) lend its securities.

 

4. Purchase or sell real estate, physical commodities, or commodities contracts, except that the Fund may purchase (i) marketable securities issued by companies which own or invest in real estate (including REITs), commodities, or commodities contracts; and (ii) commodities contracts relating to financial instruments, such as financial futures contracts and options on such contracts.

 

17 

 

5. Issue senior securities as defined in the 1940 Act except as permitted by rule, regulation or order of the SEC.

 

6. Act as an underwriter of securities of other issuers except as it may be deemed an underwriter in selling a portfolio security.

  

Each Fund may invest in securities issued by other investment companies within the limits prescribed by the 1940 Act. As a shareholder of another investment company, a Fund would bear, along with other shareholders, its pro rata portion of the other investment company’s expenses, including advisory fees. These expenses would be in addition to the advisory and other expenses that a Fund bears directly in connection with its own operations.

 

Securities held by a Fund generally may not be purchased from, sold or loaned to the Adviser or its affiliates or any of their directors, officers or employees, acting as principal, unless pursuant to a rule or exemptive order under the 1940 Act.

 

If a percentage restriction under one of a Fund’s investment policies or limitations or the use of assets is adhered to at the time a transaction is effected, later changes in percentages resulting from changing values will not be considered a violation (except with respect to any restrictions that may apply to borrowings or senior securities issued by the Fund).

  

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

 

The Company has adopted, on behalf of the Funds, a policy relating to the selective disclosure of a Fund’s portfolio holdings by the Adviser, Board, officers, or third party service providers, in accordance with regulations that seek to ensure that disclosure of information about portfolio holdings is in the best interest of Fund shareholders.  The policies relating to the disclosure of a Fund’s portfolio holdings are designed to allow disclosure of portfolio holdings information where necessary to the Fund’s operation without compromising the integrity or performance of the Fund.  It is the policy of the Company that disclosure of a Fund’s portfolio holdings to a select person or persons prior to the release of such holdings to the public (“selective disclosure”) is prohibited, unless there are legitimate business purposes for selective disclosure.

 

The Company discloses portfolio holdings information as required in regulatory filings and shareholder reports, discloses portfolio holdings information as required by federal and state securities laws and may disclose portfolio holdings information in response to requests by governmental authorities.  As required by the federal securities laws, including the 1940 Act, the Company will disclose each Fund’s portfolio holdings in applicable regulatory filings, including shareholder reports, reports on Form N-CSR, Form N-CEN, and Form N-PORT or such other filings, reports or disclosure documents as the applicable regulatory authorities may require.

 

Generally, after the 30th business day of the month following each calendar quarter end, each Fund may provide, at the Adviser’s discretion, its portfolio holdings to various rating and ranking organizations. In addition, generally after the 30th business day of the month following each calendar quarter end, each Fund may post to its website a list of its top ten holdings or full portfolio holdings at the discretion of the Adviser. The timing, frequency and type (i.e., ratings/rankings/holdings) of disclosure may change at the Adviser’s discretion, as well as whether to post to each Fund’s website.

 

The Company may distribute or authorize the distribution of information about a Fund’s portfolio holdings that is not publicly available to its third-party service providers, which include U.S. Bank, N.A., the custodian; U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (“Fund Services”), the administrator, accounting agent and transfer agent; [ ], the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm; Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, legal counsel; FilePoint, the financial printer; the Funds’ proxy voting service(s); and the Company’s liquidity classification agent. These service providers are required to keep such information confidential, and are prohibited from trading based on the information or otherwise using the information except as necessary in providing services to a Fund.  Such holdings are released on conditions of confidentiality, which include appropriate trading prohibitions. “Conditions of confidentiality” include confidentiality terms included in written agreements, implied by the nature of the relationship (e.g. attorney-client relationship), or required by fiduciary or regulatory principles (e.g., custody services provided by financial institutions).  Portfolio holdings may also be provided earlier to shareholders and their agents who receive redemptions in kind that reflect a pro rata allocation of all securities held in a Fund’s portfolio.

 

18 

 

Portfolio holdings may also be disclosed, upon authorization by a designated officer of the Adviser, to (i) certain independent reporting agencies recognized by the SEC as acceptable agencies for the reporting of industry statistical information and (ii) financial consultants to assist them in determining the suitability of the Funds as an investment for their clients, in each case in accordance with the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws and the Company’s and the Adviser’s fiduciary duties to Fund shareholders.  Disclosures to financial consultants are also subject to a confidentiality agreement and/or trading restrictions.  The foregoing disclosures are made pursuant to the Company’s policy on selective disclosure of portfolio holdings.  The Board or a committee thereof may, in limited circumstances, permit other selective disclosure of portfolio holdings subject to a confidentiality agreement and/or trading restrictions.

 

The Adviser reserves the right to refuse to fulfill any request for portfolio holdings information from a shareholder or non-shareholder if it believes that providing such information will be contrary to the best interests of a Fund.

 

The Board provides ongoing oversight of the Company’s policies and procedures and compliance with such policies and procedures.  As part of this oversight function, the Board receives from the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) as necessary, reports on compliance with these policies and procedures.  In addition, the Board receives an annual assessment of the adequacy and effectiveness of the policies and procedures with respect to a Fund, and any changes thereto, and an annual review of the operation of the policies and procedures.  Any violation of the policy set forth above as well as any corrective action undertaken to address such violation must be reported by the Adviser, director, officers or third party service providers to the Company’s CCO, who will determine whether the violation should be reported immediately to the Board or at its next quarterly Board meeting.

  

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

 

Portfolio turnover measures the percentage of a Fund’s total portfolio market value that was purchased or sold during the period. A Fund’s turnover rate provides an indication of how transaction costs (which are not included in the Fund’s expenses) may affect the Fund’s performance. Also, funds with a high turnover may be more likely to distribute capital gains that may be taxable to shareholders.

 

No portfolio turnover rate information is provided for the Funds because the Funds had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI.

 

MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY

 

The business and affairs of the Company are managed under the oversight of the Board of Directors, subject to the laws of the State of Maryland and the Company’s Charter. The Directors are responsible for deciding matters of overall policy and overseeing the actions of the Company’s service providers. The officers of the Company conduct and supervise the Company’s daily business operations.

 

Directors who are not deemed to be “interested persons” of the Company (as defined in the 1940 Act) are referred to as “Independent Directors.” Directors who are deemed to be “interested persons” of the Company are referred to as “Interested Directors.” The Board is currently composed of seven Independent Directors and one Interested Director. The Board has selected Arnold M. Reichman, an Independent Director, to act as Chairman. Mr. Reichman’s duties include presiding at meetings of the Board and interfacing with management to address significant issues that may arise between regularly scheduled Board and Committee meetings. In the performance of his duties, Mr. Reichman will consult with the other Independent Directors and the Company’s officers and legal counsel, as appropriate. The Chairman may perform other functions as requested by the Board from time to time.

 

The Board meets as often as necessary to discharge its responsibilities. Currently, the Board conducts regular, in-person meetings at least four times a year, and holds special in-person or telephonic meetings as necessary to address specific issues that require attention prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting. The Board also relies on professionals, such as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firms and legal counsel, to assist the Directors in performing their oversight responsibilities.

 

The Board has established nine standing committees — Audit, Contract, Executive, Investment and Liquidity Risk, Nominating and Governance, Product Development, Regulatory Oversight, Strategic Oversight, and Valuation Committees. The Board may establish other committees, or nominate one or more Directors to examine particular issues related to the Board’s oversight responsibilities, from time to time. Each Committee meets periodically to perform its delegated oversight functions and reports its findings and recommendations to the Board. For more information on the Committees, see the section entitled “Standing Committees.”

 

19 

 

The Board has determined that the Company’s leadership structure is appropriate because it allows the Board to effectively perform its oversight responsibilities.

 

20 

 

Directors and Executive Officers

 

The Directors and executive officers of the Company, their ages, business addresses and principal occupations during the past five years are set forth below.

 

Name, Address,

and Age

Position(s)

Held with

Company

Term of Office

and

Length of

Time

Served1

Principal

Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

Number of

Portfolios in

Fund

Complex

Overseen by

Director*

Other

Directorships

Held by Director

in the Past 5 Years

INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS

Julian A. Brodsky
615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee WI 53202
Age: 86

Director 1988 to present From 1969 to 2011, Director and Vice Chairman, Comcast Corporation (cable television and communications). 37 AMDOCS Limited (service provider to telecommunications companies).
J. Richard Carnall
615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee WI 53202  
Age: 81
Director 2002 to present

Since 1984, Director of Haydon Bolts, Inc. (bolt manufacturer) and Parkway Real Estate Company (subsidiary of Haydon Bolts, Inc.); since 2004, Director of Cornerstone Bank.

37 None

Gregory P. Chandler
615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee WI 53202
Age: 53

Director 2012 to present

Since 2009, Chief Financial Officer, Emtec, Inc. (information technology consulting/services).

 

 

 

37

Emtec, Inc. (until December 2019); FS Investment Corporation (business development company) (until December 2018); FS Energy and Power Fund (business development company); Wilmington Funds (12 portfolios) (registered investment company).

 

21 

 

Name, Address,

and Age

Position(s)

Held with

Company

Term of Office

and

Length of

Time

Served1

Principal

Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

Number of

Portfolios in

Fund

Complex

Overseen by

Director*

Other

Directorships

Held by Director

in the Past 5 Years

Nicholas A. Giordano
615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee WI 53202  
Age: 77
Director 2006 to present Since 1997, Consultant, financial services organizations. 37

IntriCon Corporation (biomedical device manufacturer);

Kalmar Pooled Investment Trust (registered investment company) (until September 2017); Wilmington Funds (12 portfolios) (registered investment company); Independence Blue Cross (healthcare insurance).

Arnold M. Reichman
615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee WI 53202
Age: 71

Chairman

 

Director

2005 to present

 

1991 to present

From 2006-2016, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Lifebooker, LLC (online beauty and health appointment booking service).

37 Independent Trustee of EIP Investment Trust (registered investment company).

Brian T. Shea 

615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee WI 53202
Age: 59

Director 2018 to present From 2014-2017, Chief Executive Officer, BNY Mellon Investment Services (fund services, global custodian and securities clearing firm); from 1983-2014, Chief Executive Officer and various positions, Pershing LLC (broker dealer, clearing and custody firm). 37

WisdomTree Investments, Inc. (asset management company) (until March 2019); Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (financial services technology company); Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (financial services company).

Robert A. Straniere
615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee WI 53202  
Age: 78
Director 2006 to present

Since 2009, Administrative Law Judge, New York City; since 1980, Founding Partner, Straniere Law Group (law firm).

37

Reich and Tang Group (asset management)(until 2015).

 

 

22 

 

Name, Address,

and Age

Position(s)

Held with

Company

Term of Office

and

Length of

Time

Served1

Principal

Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

Number of

Portfolios in

Fund

Complex

Overseen by

Director*

Other

Directorships

Held by Director

in the Past 5 Years

INTERESTED DIRECTOR2
Robert Sablowsky
615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee WI 53202  
Age: 81

Vice Chairman

 

Director

2016 to present

 

1991 to present

Since 2002, Senior Director – Investments and prior thereto, Executive Vice President, of Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. (a registered broker-dealer).

37 None
OFFICERS

Salvatore Faia, JD,
CPA, CFE
Vigilant Compliance, LLC
Gateway Corporate
Center Suite 216
223 Wilmington West
Chester Pike
Chadds Ford, PA 19317
Age: 57

President

 

Chief Compliance Officer

 

2009 to present

 

2004 to present

Since 2004, President, Vigilant Compliance, LLC (investment management services company); since 2005, Independent Trustee of EIP Investment Trust (registered investment company).

 

 

 

N/A N/A

James G. Shaw
615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee WI 53202
Age: 59

 

 

 

Treasurer

and

Secretary

 

2016 to present Since 2016, Treasurer and Secretary of The RBB Fund, Inc.; from 2005 to 2016, Assistant Treasurer of The RBB Fund, Inc.; from 1995 to 2016, Senior Director and Vice President of BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. (financial services company). N/A N/A
Craig A. Urciuoli 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee WI 53202
Age: 45
Director of Marketing & Business Development 2019 to present Since 2019, Director of Marketing & Business Development, The RBB Fund, Inc.; from 2000-2019, Managing Director, Third Avenue Management LLC. N/A N/A

Jennifer Witt

615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee WI 53202

Age: 37

Assistant Treasurer 2018 to present Since 2016, Assistant Vice President, U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (fund administrative services firm); from 2007 to 2016, Supervisor, Nuveen Investments (registered investment company). N/A N/A

 

23 

 

Name, Address,

and Age

Position(s)

Held with

Company

Term of Office

and

Length of

Time

Served1

Principal

Occupation(s)

During Past 5 Years

Number of

Portfolios in

Fund

Complex

Overseen by

Director*

Other

Directorships

Held by Director

in the Past 5 Years

Edward Paz

615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee WI 53202

Age: 49

Assistant Secretary

 

2016 to present

Since 2007, Vice President and Counsel, U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (fund administrative services firm).

N/A N/A

Michael P. Malloy
One Logan Square
Suite 2000
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Age: 60

Assistant Secretary 1999 to present Since 1993, Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (law firm). N/A N/A

Jillian L. Bosmann

One Logan Square, Suite 2000

Philadelphia, PA 19103

Age: 41

Assistant Secretary 2017 to present Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (law firm) (2017-Present); Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (2006-Present). N/A N/A

 

 

 

* Each Director oversees 37 portfolios of the Company.

1. Subject to the Company’s Retirement Policy, each Director may continue to serve as a Director until the last day of the calendar year in which the applicable Director attains age 75 or until his successor is elected and qualified or his death, resignation or removal. The Board reserves the right to waive the requirements of the Policy with respect to an individual Director. The Board has approved waivers of the policy with respect to Messrs. Brodsky, Carnall, Giordano, Sablowsky and Straniere. Each officer holds office at the pleasure of the Board until the next special meeting of the Company or until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified, or until he or she dies, resigns or is removed.

2. Mr. Sablowsky is considered an “interested person” of the Company as that term is defined in the 1940 Act and is referred to as an “Interested Director.” Mr. Sablowsky is considered an “Interested Director” of the Company by virtue of his position as a senior officer of Oppenheimer & Co., Inc., a registered broker-dealer.

  

Director Experience, Qualifications, Attributes and/or Skills

 

The information above includes each Director’s principal occupations during the last five years.  Each Director possesses extensive additional experience, skills and attributes relevant to his qualifications to serve as a Director.  The cumulative background of each Director led to the conclusion that each Director should serve as a Director of the Company.  Mr. Giordano has years of experience as a consultant to financial services organizations and also serves on the boards of other registered investment companies. Mr. Reichman brings decades of investment management experience to the Board, in addition to senior executive-level management experience.  Mr. Straniere has been a practicing attorney for over 30 years and has served on the boards of an asset management company and another registered investment company.  Mr. Brodsky has over 40 years of senior executive-level management experience in the cable television and communications industry.  Mr. Sablowsky has demonstrated leadership and management abilities as evidenced by his senior executive-level positions in the financial services industry.  Mr. Carnall has decades of senior executive-level management experience in the banking and financial services industry and also serves on the boards of various corporations and a bank. Mr. Chandler has demonstrated leadership and management abilities as evidenced by his senior executive-level positions in the investment technology consulting/services and investment banking/brokerage industries, and also serves on various boards. Mr. Shea has demonstrated leadership and management abilities as evidenced by his senior executive-level positions in the brokerage, clearing and investment services industry, including service on the boards of industry regulatory organizations and a university.

 

24 

 

Standing Committees

 

The responsibilities of each Committee of the Board and its members are described below.

 

Audit Committee. The Board has an Audit Committee comprised of three Independent Directors. The current members of the Audit Committee are Messrs. Brodsky, Chandler and Giordano. The Audit Committee, among other things, reviews results of the annual audit and approves the firm(s) to serve as independent auditors. The Audit Committee convened three times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

  

Contract Committee. The Board has a Contract Committee comprised of the Interested Director and three Independent Directors. The current members of the Contract Committee are Messrs. Brodsky, Chandler, Sablowsky and Straniere. The Contract Committee reviews and makes recommendations to the Board regarding the approval and continuation of agreements and plans of the Company. The Contract Committee convened four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

  

Executive Committee. The Board has an Executive Committee comprised of the Interested Director and three Independent Directors. The current members of the Executive Committee are Messrs. Chandler, Giordano, Reichman and Sablowsky. The Executive Committee may generally carry on and manage the business of the Company when the Board is not in session. The Executive Committee did not meet during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee. The Board has an Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee comprised of the Interested Director and two Independent Directors. The current members of the Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee are Messrs. Reichman, Sablowsky and Shea. The Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee ensures that the Company’s investment advisers have adopted investment risk and liquidity management policies and procedures. The Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee met one time during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

  

Nominating and Governance Committee. The Board has a Nominating and Governance Committee comprised of three Independent Directors. The current members of the Nominating and Governance Committee are Messrs. Carnall, Giordano and Reichman. The Nominating and Governance Committee recommends to the Board all persons to be nominated as Directors of the Company. The Nominating and Governance Committee will consider nominees recommended by shareholders. Recommendations should be submitted to the Committee care of the Company’s Secretary. The Nominating and Governance Committee convened two times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Product Development Committee. The Board has a Product Development Committee comprised of the Interested Director and one Independent Director. The current members of the Product Development Committee are Messrs. Reichman and Sablowsky. The Product Development Committee oversees the process regarding the addition of new investment advisers and investment products to the Company. The Product Development Committee convened two times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Regulatory Oversight Committee. The Board has a Regulatory Oversight Committee comprised of the Interested Director and four Independent Directors. The current members of the Regulatory Oversight Committee are Messrs. Carnall, Reichman, Sablowsky, Shea and Straniere. The Regulatory Oversight Committee monitors regulatory developments in the mutual fund industry and focuses on various regulatory aspects of the operation of the Company. The Regulatory Oversight Committee convened four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Strategic Oversight Committee. The Board has a Strategic Oversight Committee comprised of the Interested Director and three Independent Directors. The current members of the Strategic Oversight Committee are Messrs. Carnall, Chandler, Reichman and Sablowsky. The Strategic Oversight Committee assists the Board in its oversight and review of the Company’s strategic plan and operations. The Strategic Oversight Committee did not meet during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

Valuation Committee. The Board has a Valuation Committee comprised of the Interested Director and two officers of the Company. The members of the Valuation Committee are Messrs. Faia, Sablowsky and Shaw. The Valuation Committee is responsible for reviewing fair value determinations. The Valuation Committee convened four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019.

 

25 

 

Risk Oversight

 

The Board performs its risk oversight function for the Company through a combination of (1) direct oversight by the Board as a whole and Board committees and (2) indirect oversight through the Company’s investment advisers and other service providers, Company officers and the Company’s CCO.  The Company is subject to a number of risks, including but not limited to investment risk, compliance risk, operational risk, reputational risk, credit risk and counterparty risk.  Day-to-day risk management with respect to the Company is the responsibility of the Company’s investment advisers or other service providers (depending on the nature of the risk) that carry out the Company’s investment management and business affairs.  Each of the investment advisers and the other service providers have their own independent interest in risk management and their policies and methods of risk management will depend on their functions and business models and may differ from the Company’s and each other’s in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls.

 

The Board provides risk oversight by receiving and reviewing on a regular basis reports from the Company’s investment advisers or other service providers, receiving and approving compliance policies and procedures, periodic meetings with the Company’s portfolio managers to review investment policies, strategies and risks, and meeting regularly with the Company’s CCO to discuss compliance reports, findings and issues.  The Board also relies on the Company’s investment advisers and other service providers, with respect to the day-to-day activities of the Company, to create and maintain procedures and controls to minimize risk and the likelihood of adverse effects on the Company’s business and reputation.

 

Board oversight of risk management is also provided by various Board Committees.  For example, the Audit Committee meets with the Company’s independent registered public accounting firms to ensure that the Company’s respective audit scopes include risk-based considerations as to the Company’s financial position and operations.

 

The Board may, at any time and in its discretion, change the manner in which it conducts risk oversight.  The Board’s oversight role does not make the Board a guarantor of the Company’s investments or activities.

 

Director Ownership of Shares of the Company

 

The following table sets forth the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Director in all of the portfolios of the Company (which for each Director comprise all registered investment companies within the Company’s family of investment companies overseen by him), as of December 31, 2019:

 

26 

 

Name of Director

Dollar Range of

Equity Securities

in the

Funds*

Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity

Securities in All Registered Investment

Companies Overseen by Director

within the Family of Investment

Companies

Julian A. Brodsky None Over $100,000
J. Richard Carnall None $10,001-$50,000
Gregory P. Chandler None $10,001-$50,000

Nicholas A. Giordano

None $10,001-$50,000
Arnold M. Reichman None Over $100,000
Brian T. Shea None $10,001-$50,000
Robert A. Straniere None $1-$10,000
Robert Sablowsky None Over $100,000

  

* The Funds had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI.

 

Directors’ and Officers’ Compensation

  

Effective April 1, 2019, the Company pays each Director a retainer at the rate of $125,000 annually, $10,000 for each regular meeting of the Board, $3,500 for each committee meeting attended in-person, and $2,000 for each committee meeting attended telephonically or special meeting of the Board attended in-person or telephonically. The Chairman of the Audit Committee and Chairman of the Regulatory Oversight Committee each receives an additional fee of $20,000 for his services. The Chairman of the Contract Committee and the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee each receives an additional fee of $10,000 per year for his services. The Chairman of the Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee receives an additional fee of $7,500 per year for his services. The Vice Chairman of the Board receives an additional fee of $35,000 per year for his services in this capacity and the Chairman of the Board receives an additional fee of $75,000 per year for his services in this capacity.

  

From January 1, 2018, to March 31, 2019, the Company paid each Director a retainer at the rate of $100,000 annually, $10,000 for each regular meeting of the Board, $3,500 for each committee meeting attended in-person, and $2,000 for each committee meeting attended telephonically or special meeting of the Board attended in-person or telephonically. The Chairman of the Audit Committee and Chairman of the Regulatory Oversight Committee each received an additional fee of $15,000 for his services. The Chairman of the Contract Committee received an additional fee of $10,000 per year for his services, and the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee and Chairman of the Investment and Liquidity Risk Committee each received an additional fee of $7,500 per year for his services. The Vice Chairman of the Board received an additional fee of $25,000 per year for his services in this capacity and the Chairman of the Board received an additional fee of $50,000 per year for his services in this capacity.

 

Directors are reimbursed for any reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in attending meetings of the Board or any committee thereof.  An employee of Vigilant Compliance, LLC serves as President and Chief Compliance Officer of the Company.  Vigilant Compliance, LLC is compensated for the services provided to the Company, and such compensation is determined by the Board.  For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, Vigilant Compliance LLC received $770,742 in the aggregate from all series of the Company for its services. Employees of the Company serve as Treasurer, Secretary and Director of Marketing & Business Development and are compensated for services provided. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, each of the following members of the Board and the Treasurer and Secretary received compensation from the Company in the following amounts:

 

27 

 

Name of Director/Officer

Aggregate

Compensation

from the Funds*

Pension or

Retirement

Benefits Accrued

Estimated

Annual

Benefits

Upon

Retirement

Total

Compensation

From

Fund Complex

Paid to

Directors

or Officer

Independent Directors:        
Julian A. Brodsky, Director $0 N/A N/A $148,750
J. Richard Carnall, Director $0 N/A N/A $152,250
Gregory P. Chandler, Director $0 N/A N/A $178,500
Nicholas A. Giordano, Director $0 N/A N/A $156,875

Arnold M. Reichman, Director and Chairman

$0 N/A N/A $208,500
Brian T. Shea, Director $0 N/A N/A $152,500
Robert A. Straniere, Director $0 N/A N/A $155,750
Interested Director: $0      
Robert Sablowsky, Director $0 N/A N/A $205,250
Officer:        
James G. Shaw, Treasurer and Secretary $0 N/A N/A $288,000

  

* The Funds had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI.

 

Each compensated Director is entitled to participate in the Company’s deferred compensation plan (the “DC Plan”). Under the DC Plan, a compensated Director may elect to defer all or a portion of his compensation and have the deferred compensation treated as if it had been invested by the Company in shares of one or more of the portfolios of the Company. The amount paid to the Directors under the DC Plan will be determined based upon the performance of such investments.

 

As of December 31, 2019, the Independent Directors and their respective immediate family members (spouse or dependent children) did not own beneficially or of record any securities of the Company’s investment advisers or distributor, or of any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment advisers or distributor.

  

CODE OF ETHICS

 

The Company and the Adviser have each adopted a code of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act that permits personnel subject to the codes to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Company, subject to certain restrictions.

 

PROXY VOTING

 

The Board has delegated the responsibility of voting proxies with respect to the portfolio securities purchased and/or held by the Funds to the Adviser, subject to the Board’s continuing oversight.  In exercising its voting obligations, the Adviser is guided by its general fiduciary duty to act prudently and in the interest of the Funds.  The Adviser will consider factors affecting the value of a Fund’s investments and the rights of shareholders in its determination on voting portfolio securities.

 

The Adviser will vote proxies in accordance with its proxy policies and procedures, which are included in Appendix B to this SAI.

 

The Company is required to disclose annually each Fund’s complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX.  Each Fund’s proxy voting record for the most recent 12-month period ended June 30th will be available upon request by calling 1-855-744-8500 or by writing to the Fund at: Summit Global Investments Funds, c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, PO Box 701, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701. Each Fund’s Form N-PX will also be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

28 

 

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES

 

As the Funds had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI, none of the Directors beneficially own shares of the Fund. Any shareholder that owns 25% or more of the outstanding shares of a portfolio or class may be presumed to “control” (as that term is defined in the 1940 Act) the portfolio or class. Shareholders controlling a portfolio or class could have the ability to vote a majority of the shares of the portfolio or class on any matter requiring approval of the shareholders of the portfolio or class.

  

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND OTHER SERVICES

 

INVESTMENT ADVISER

 

Summit Global Investments, LLC (“Summit” or the “Adviser”) is a limited liability company registered with the State of Utah in October 2010.  The Adviser is 100% privately-owned and is controlled by David Harden.

 

Advisory Agreement with the Company.  The Adviser renders advisory services to the Funds pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement dated [ ], 2020. Subject to the supervision of the Board, the Adviser will provide for the overall management of the Funds including (i) the provision of a continuous investment program for the Funds, including investment research and management with respect to all securities, investments, cash and cash equivalents, (ii) the determination from time to time of the securities and other investments to be purchased, retained, or sold by the Funds, and (iii) the placement from time to time of orders for all purchases and sales of securities and other investments made for the Funds.  The Adviser will provide the services rendered by it in accordance with each Fund’s investment objective, restrictions and policies as stated in the Prospectus and in this SAI.  The Adviser will not be liable for any error of judgment, mistake of law, or for any loss suffered by the Funds in connection with the performance of the Advisory Agreement, except a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services or a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Adviser in the performance of its duties, or from reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under the Advisory Agreement.

 

For its services to the Funds, the Adviser is entitled to an advisory fee computed daily and payable monthly at the annual rate of 0.75% of each Fund’s average daily net assets.  The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its management fees and reimburse expenses through [December 31], 2021, to the extent that the Fund’s total annual operating expenses (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, fund services administrative fee, short sale dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, extraordinary items, interest and taxes) exceed 1.70% of each Fund’s respective average daily net assets. If at any time a Fund’s Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses are less than 1.70%, then the Adviser is entitled to reimbursement by the Fund of the advisory fees forgone and other payments remitted by the Adviser to the Fund within three years from the date on which such waiver or reimbursement was made, provided such reimbursement does not cause the Fund to exceed expense limitations that were in effect at the time of the waiver or reimbursement.

29 

 

The Adviser will pay all expenses incurred by it in connection with its activities under the Advisory Agreement.  Each Fund bears all of its own expenses not specifically assumed by the Adviser.  General expenses of the Company not readily identifiable as belonging to a portfolio of the Company are allocated among all investment portfolios by or under the direction of the Board in such manner as it deems to be fair and equitable. Expenses borne by a Fund include, but are not limited to the following (or a Fund’s share of the following): (a) the cost (including brokerage commissions) of securities purchased or sold by the Fund and any losses incurred in connection therewith; (b) fees payable to and expenses incurred on behalf of the Fund by the Adviser; (c) filing fees and expenses relating to the registration and qualification of the Company and the Fund’s shares under federal and/or state securities laws and maintaining such registrations and qualifications; (d) fees and salaries payable to the Company’s Directors and officers; (e) taxes (including any income or franchise taxes) and governmental fees; (f) costs of any liability and other insurance or fidelity bonds; (g) any costs, expenses or losses arising out of a liability of or claim for damages or other relief asserted against the Company or the Fund for violation of any law; (h) legal, accounting and auditing expenses, including legal fees of special counsel for the independent Directors; (i) charges of custodians and other agents; (j) expenses of setting in type and printing prospectuses, statements of additional information and supplements thereto for existing shareholders, reports, statements, and confirmations to shareholders and proxy material that are not attributable to a class; (k) costs of mailing prospectuses, statements of additional information and supplements thereto to existing shareholders, as well as reports to shareholders and proxy materials that are not attributable to a class; (1) any extraordinary expenses; (m) fees, voluntary assessments and other expenses incurred in connection with membership in investment company organizations; (n) costs of mailing and tabulating proxies and costs of shareholders’ and Directors’ meetings; (o) costs of independent pricing services to value a portfolio’s securities; and (p) the costs of investment company literature and other publications provided by the Company to its Directors and officers.  Distribution expenses, transfer agency expenses, expenses of preparation, printing and mailing prospectuses, statements of additional information, proxy statements and reports to shareholders, and organizational expenses and registration fees, identified as belonging to a particular class of the Company, are allocated to such class.

 

No advisory fee information is provided for the Funds because the Funds had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI.

 

The Advisory Agreement provides that the Adviser shall at all times have all rights in and to each Fund’s name and all investment models used by or on behalf of the Fund.  The Adviser may use each Fund’s name or any portion thereof in connection with any other mutual fund or business activity without the consent of any shareholder, and the Company has agreed to execute and deliver any and all documents required to indicate its consent to such use.

  

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

 

This section includes information about the Fund’s portfolio managers, including information about other accounts they manage, the dollar range of Fund shares they own and how they are compensated.

 

Description of Compensation.  As of the date of this SAI, The Adviser compensates the Funds’ portfolio managers for their management of the Funds.  The portfolio managers are compensated through equity ownership of the Adviser, adjusted to reflect current market rates, and therefore compensation is in part based on the value of a Fund’s net assets and other client accounts they are managing.  The Adviser’s Board of Managers reviews the compensation of each portfolio manager periodically and may make modifications in compensation as it deems necessary to reflect changes in the market.

 

Other Accounts.  In addition to the Funds, each portfolio manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as listed below.  The information below is provided as of March 31, 2020.

 

Name of Portfolio Manager

or Team Member

Type of Accounts

Total

# of

Accounts

Managed

Total Assets

# of Accounts

Managed that

Advisory Fee

Based on

Performance

Total Assets

that Advisory

Fee Based on

Performance

(in millions)

David Harden Other Registered Investment Companies: [...] [...] [...] [...]
  Other Pooled Investment Vehicles: [...] [...] [...] [...]
  Other Accounts: [...] [...] [...] [...]
           
Mathew Hanna Other Registered Investment Companies: [...] [...] [...] [...]
  Other Pooled Investment Vehicles: [...] [...] [...] [...]
  Other Accounts: [...] [...] [...] [...]
           
Aash Shah Other Registered Investment Companies: [...] [...] [...] [...]
  Other Pooled Investment Vehicles: [...] [...] [...] [...]
  Other Accounts: [...] [...] [...] [...]

 

30 

 

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

 

Securities Ownership. No portfolio manager ownership information is provided for the Funds because the Funds had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI.

 

ADMINISTRATION AND ACCOUNTING AGREEMENT

 

Fund Services, located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as fund administrator to the Funds pursuant to a fund administration servicing agreement and serves as fund accountant pursuant to a fund accounting servicing agreement (the “Administration Agreements”).  Under the fund accounting servicing agreement, Fund Services has agreed to furnish to the Funds statistical and research data, clerical, accounting and bookkeeping services, and certain other services required by the Funds.  Under the fund administration servicing agreement, Fund Services has agreed to provide fund administration services to the Company.  These services include the preparation and coordination of the Company’s annual post-effective amendment filing and supplements to the Funds’ registration statement, the preparation and assembly of board meeting materials, and certain other services necessary to the Company’s fund administration. In addition, Fund Services has agreed to prepare and file various reports with the appropriate regulatory agencies and prepare materials required by the SEC or any state securities commission having jurisdiction over the Funds.

 

The Administration Agreements provide that Fund Services shall be obligated to exercise reasonable care in the performance of its duties and that Fund Services shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or any loss suffered by the Company in connection with its duties under the Administration Agreements, except a loss resulting from Fund Services’ refusal or failure to comply with the terms of the applicable Administration Agreement or from its bad faith, negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of its duties thereunder.

 

Fund Services receives a fee under the Administration Agreements based on the average daily net assets of the Company. No administration fee information is provided for Funds because the Funds had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI.

  

CUSTODIAN AGREEMENT

 

U.S. Bank, N.A., (the “Custodian”), 1555 North RiverCenter Drive, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212, is custodian of the Funds’ assets pursuant to a custodian agreement (the “Custodian Agreement”).  Under the Custodian Agreement, the Custodian: (a) maintains a separate account or accounts in the name of the Funds; (b) holds and transfers portfolio securities on account of the Funds; (c) accepts receipts and makes disbursements of money on behalf of the Funds; (d) collects and receives all income and other payments and distributions on account of the Funds’ portfolio securities; and (e) makes periodic reports to the Board concerning the Funds’ operations.  The Custodian is authorized to select one or more banks or trust companies to serve as sub-custodian on behalf of the Funds, provided that the Custodian remains responsible for the performance of all of its duties under the Custodian Agreement and holds the Funds harmless from the acts and omissions of any affiliate, sub-custodian or domestic sub-custodian.  For its services to the Funds under the Custodian Agreement, the Custodian receives a fee based on the Funds’ average gross assets calculated daily and payable monthly. Transaction charges and out-of-pocket expenses are also charged to the Funds. The Custodian and Fund Services are affiliates.

 

TRANSFER AGENCY AGREEMENT

  

Fund Services, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the transfer and dividend disbursing agent for the Fund pursuant to a transfer agency and servicing agreement (the “Transfer Agency Agreement”), under which Fund Services:  (a) issues and redeems shares of the Funds; (b) addresses and mails all communications by the Funds to record owners of the shares, including reports to shareholders, dividend and distribution notices and proxy materials for its meetings of shareholders; (c) maintains shareholder accounts and, if requested, sub-accounts; and (d) makes periodic reports to the Board concerning the operations of the Funds.  Fund Services may, subject to the Board’s approval, assign its duties as transfer and dividend disbursing agent to any affiliate. For its services to the Funds under the Transfer Agency Agreement, Fund Services receives an annual fee based on the number of accounts in the Funds and the Funds’ average gross assets calculated daily and payable monthly. Transaction charges and out-of-pocket expenses are also charged to the Funds.

 

31 

 

Fund Services also provides services relating to the implementation of the Company’s Anti-Money Laundering Program.  In addition, Fund Services provides services relating to the implementation of the Funds’ Customer Identification Program, including verification of required customer information and the maintenance of records with respect to such verification.

 

DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

 

Quasar Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”), whose principal business address is 777 Wisconsin Avenue, 6th Floor, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as the underwriter to the Funds pursuant to the terms of a distribution agreement (the “Distribution Agreement”).  The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).  The Distributor is not affiliated with the Company or the Adviser.

 

Under the Distribution Agreement with the Funds, the Distributor acts as the agent of the Company in connection with the continuous offering of shares of the Funds.  The Distributor continually distributes shares of the Funds on a best efforts basis.  The Distributor has no obligation to sell any specific quantity of Fund shares.  The Distributor and its officers have no role in determining the investment policies or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Company.

 

The Distributor may enter into agreements with selected broker-dealers, banks or other financial intermediaries for distribution of shares of the Funds.  With respect to certain financial intermediaries and related fund “supermarket” platform arrangements, the Funds and/or the Adviser, rather than the Distributor, typically enter into such agreements.  These financial intermediaries may charge a fee for their services and may receive shareholder service or other fees from parties other than the Distributor.  These financial intermediaries may otherwise act as processing agents and are responsible for promptly transmitting purchase, redemption and other requests to the Funds.

 

Investors who purchase shares through financial intermediaries will be subject to the procedures of those intermediaries through which they purchase shares, which may include charges, investment minimums, cutoff times and other restrictions in addition to, or different from, those listed herein.  Information concerning any charges or services will be provided to customers by the financial intermediary through which they purchase shares.  Investors purchasing shares of the Funds through financial intermediaries should acquaint themselves with their financial intermediary’s procedures and should read the Prospectus in conjunction with any materials and information provided by their financial intermediary.  The financial intermediary, and not its customers, will be the shareholder of record, although customers may have the right to vote shares depending upon their arrangement with the financial intermediary.  The Distributor does not receive compensation from the Funds for its distribution services except the distribution/service fees with respect to the shares of those classes for which a Rule 12b-1 distribution plan is effective.  The Adviser pays the Distributor a fee for certain distribution-related services.

 

The Distribution Agreement has an initial term of up to two years and will continue in effect only if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board or by vote of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities in accordance with the 1940 Act.  The Distribution Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Company on behalf of the Funds on no less than 60 days’ written notice when authorized either by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Funds or by vote of a majority of the members of the Board who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Company and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Distribution Agreement, or by the Distributor, and will automatically terminate in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act).  The Distribution Agreement provides that the Distributor shall not be liable for any loss suffered by the Company in connection with the performance of the Distributor’s obligations and duties under the Distribution Agreement, except a loss resulting from the Distributor’s willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of such duties and obligations, or by reason of its reckless disregard thereof.

 

32 

 

FUND SERVICES ADMINISTRATIVE FEE

 

Each Fund pays compensation to the Adviser for fund services in accordance with an Administrative Services Agreement between the Company and the Adviser (in such capacity, the “Servicing Agent”). The Servicing Agent receives a monthly fee equal to 0.25% on an annualized basis of the net assets of each Fund (the “Fund Services Administrative Fee”). The Servicing Agent may delegate some or all of its servicing responsibilities to one or more Service Organizations. Over time, the Fund Services Administrative Fee increases the cost of your investment in the Funds’ shares because these fees are paid out of the Funds’ assets on an on-going basis.

 

For purposes of the Administrative Services Agreement, fund services include, but are not limited to: (i) assisting in the maintenance of the Funds’ records containing information relating to shareholders of the Funds; (ii) providing administrative assistance to shareholders concerning the establishment or maintenance of an account with the Funds; (iii) assisting in processing purchase, exchange and redemption requests from shareholders and facilitating settlement with the Funds for any shareholder transactions submitted; (iv) processing all dividend payments, including capital gain or other payments authorized by the Fund and distributed to and received by the Servicing Agent or the Service Organization; (v) providing sub-transfer agent or sub-accounting services for Fund beneficial owners; (vi) assisting in the communications between shareholders and the Funds; and (vii) supervising other aspects of the Funds’ operations and providing other shareholder or administrative services to the Funds.

 

A Service Organization receiving compensation from the Fund Services Administrative Fee generally represents in a service agreement with the Servicing Agent that all compensation payable to the Service Organization in connection with the investment of their assets in the Funds will be disclosed by the Service Organization to its customers. The Funds do not monitor the actual services being performed by a Service Organization under the service agreement. The Funds also do not monitor the reasonableness of the total compensation that a Service Organization may receive, including any service fee that the Service Organization may receive from the Funds and any compensation the Service Organization may receive directly from its clients.

 

PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

 

The Adviser and/or its affiliates, at their discretion, may make payments from their own resources and not from Fund assets to affiliated or unaffiliated brokers, dealers, banks (including bank trust departments), trust companies, registered investment advisers, financial planners, retirement plan administrators, insurance companies, and any other institution having a service, administration, or any similar arrangement with the Funds, their service providers or their respective affiliates, as incentives to help market and promote the Funds and/or in recognition of their distribution, marketing, administrative services, and/or processing support.

 

These additional payments may be made to financial intermediaries that sell Fund shares or provide services to the Funds, the Distributor or shareholders of the Funds through the financial intermediary’s retail distribution channel and/or fund supermarkets.  Payments may also be made through the financial intermediary’s retirement, qualified tuition, fee-based advisory, wrap fee bank trust, or insurance (e.g., individual or group annuity) programs. These payments may include, but are not limited to, placing a Fund in a financial intermediary’s retail distribution channel or on a preferred or recommended fund list; providing business or shareholder financial planning assistance; educating financial intermediary personnel about a Fund; providing access to sales and management representatives of the financial intermediary; promoting sales of Fund shares; providing marketing and educational support; maintaining share balances and/or for sub-accounting, administrative or shareholder transaction processing services. A financial intermediary may perform the services itself or may arrange with a third party to perform the services.

 

The Adviser and/or its affiliates may also make payments from their own resources to financial intermediaries for costs associated with the purchase of products or services used in connection with sales and marketing, participation in and/or presentation at conferences or seminars, sales or training programs, client and investor entertainment and other sponsored events.  The costs and expenses associated with these efforts may include travel, lodging, sponsorship at educational seminars and conferences, entertainment and meals to the extent permitted by law.

 

Revenue sharing payments may be negotiated based on a variety of factors, including the level of sales, the amount of Fund assets attributable to investments in a Fund by financial intermediaries’ customers, a flat fee or other measures as determined from time to time by the Adviser and/or its affiliates.  A significant purpose of these payments is to increase the sales of Fund shares, which in turn may benefit the Adviser through increased fees as Fund assets grow.

 

33 

 

FUND TRANSACTIONS

 

Subject to policies established by the Board and applicable rules, the Adviser is responsible for the execution of portfolio transactions and the allocation of brokerage transactions for the Funds.  In executing portfolio transactions, the Adviser seeks to obtain the best price and most favorable execution for the Funds, taking into account such factors as the price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), size of the order, difficulty of execution and operational facilities of the firm involved.  While the Adviser generally seeks reasonably competitive commission rates, payment of the lowest commission or spread is not necessarily consistent with obtaining the best price and execution in particular transactions.

 

Brokerage Transactions

 

Generally, equity securities, both listed and over-the-counter, are bought and sold through brokerage transactions for which commissions are payable. Purchases from underwriters will include the underwriting commission or concession, and purchases from dealers serving as market makers will include a dealer’s mark-up or reflect a dealer’s mark-down. Money market securities and other debt securities are usually bought and sold directly from the issuer or an underwriter or market maker for the securities. Generally, the Fund will not pay brokerage commissions for such purchases. When a debt security is bought from an underwriter, the purchase price will usually include an underwriting commission or concession. The purchase price for securities bought from dealers serving as market makers will similarly include the dealer’s mark up or reflect a dealer’s mark down. When a Fund executes transactions in the over-the-counter market, it will generally deal with primary market makers unless prices that are more favorable are otherwise obtainable.

 

In addition, the Adviser may place a combined order for two or more accounts they manage, including the Funds, engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security if, in its judgment, joint execution is in the best interest of each participant and will result in best price and execution. Transactions involving commingled orders are allocated in a manner deemed equitable to each account and each Fund. Although it is recognized that, in some cases, the joint execution of orders could adversely affect the price or volume of the security that a particular account or Fund may obtain, it is the opinion of the Adviser and the Board that the advantages of combined orders outweigh the possible disadvantages of separate transactions. Nonetheless, the Adviser believes that the ability of a Fund to participate in higher volume transactions will generally be beneficial to the Fund.

  

No brokerage commissions information is provided for the Funds because the Funds had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI.

 

No ownership information of regular broker-dealers is provided for the Funds because the Funds had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI.

 

Brokerage Selection

 

The Company does not expect to use one particular broker or dealer, and when one or more brokers is believed capable of providing the best combination of price and execution, the Adviser may select a broker based upon brokerage or research services provided to the Adviser. The Adviser may pay a higher commission than otherwise obtainable from other brokers in return for such services only if a good faith determination is made that the commission is reasonable in relation to the services provided.

 

Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, permits an investment adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause a fund to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. In addition to agency transactions, the Adviser may receive brokerage and research services in connection with certain riskless principal transactions, in accordance with applicable SEC guidance. Brokerage and research services include: (1) furnishing advice as to the value of securities, the advisability of investing in, purchasing or selling securities, and the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities; (2) furnishing analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy, and the performance of accounts; and (3) effecting securities transactions and performing functions incidental thereto (such as clearance, settlement, and custody). In the case of research services, the Adviser believes that access to independent investment research is beneficial to their investment decision-making processes and, therefore, to the Funds.

 

34 

 

To the extent research services may be a factor in selecting brokers, such services may be in written form or through direct contact with individuals and may include information as to particular companies and securities as well as market, economic, or institutional areas and information which assists in the valuation and pricing of investments. Examples of research-oriented services for which the Adviser might utilize Fund commissions include research reports and other information on the economy, industries, sectors, groups of securities, individual companies, statistical information, political developments, technical market action, pricing and appraisal services, credit analysis, risk measurement analysis, performance and other analysis. The Adviser may use research services furnished by brokers in servicing all client accounts and not all services may necessarily be used in connection with the account that paid commissions to the broker providing such services. Information so received by the Adviser will be in addition to and not in lieu of the services required to be performed by the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement. Any advisory or other fees paid to the Adviser are not reduced as a result of the receipt of research services.

 

In some cases, the Adviser may receive a service from a broker that has both a “research” and a “non-research” use. When this occurs, the Adviser makes a good faith allocation, under all the circumstances, between the research and non-research uses of the service. The percentage of the service that is used for research purposes may be paid for with client commissions, while the Adviser will use its own funds to pay for the percentage of the service that is used for non-research purposes. In making this good faith allocation, the Adviser faces a potential conflict of interest, but the Adviser believes that its allocation procedures are reasonably designed to ensure that it appropriately allocates the anticipated use of such services to their research and non-research uses.

 

From time to time, the Funds may purchase new issues of securities for clients in a fixed price offering. In these situations, the seller may be a member of the selling group that will, in addition to selling securities, provide the Adviser with research services. FINRA has adopted rules expressly permitting these types of arrangements under certain circumstances. Generally, the seller will provide research “credits” in these situations at a rate that is higher than that which is available for typical secondary market transactions. These arrangements may not fall within the safe harbor of Section 28(e).

  

No soft-dollar arrangement information is provided for the Funds because the Funds had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI.

 

PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION

 

Read the Funds’ Prospectus for information regarding the purchase and redemption of Fund shares. The following information supplements information in the Funds’ Prospectus.

 

You may purchase shares through an account maintained by your brokerage firm, financial institutions and industry professionals (“Service Organizations”) and you may also purchase shares directly by mail or wire.  The Company reserves the right, if conditions exist which make cash payments undesirable, to honor any request for redemption or repurchase of a Fund’s shares by making payment in whole or in part in securities chosen by the Company and valued in the same way as they would be valued for purposes of computing a Fund’s NAV.  If payment is made in securities, a shareholder may incur transaction costs in converting these securities into cash.  A shareholder will also bear any market risk or tax consequences as a result of a payment in securities.  The Company has elected, however, to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act so that a Fund is obligated to redeem its shares solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of its NAV during any 90-day period for any one shareholder of the Fund. A shareholder will bear the risk of a decline in market value and any tax consequences associated with a redemption in securities.

 

Under the 1940 Act, the Company may suspend the right to redemption or postpone the date of payment upon redemption for any period during which the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. (the “NYSE”) is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings), or during which the SEC restricts trading on the NYSE or determines an emergency exists as a result of which disposal or valuation of portfolio securities is not reasonably practicable, or for such other periods as the SEC may permit.  (The Company may also suspend or postpone the recordation of the transfer of its shares upon the occurrence of any of the foregoing conditions).

 

35 

 

Shares of the Funds are subject to redemption by the Company, at the redemption price of such shares as in effect from time to time, including, without limitation: (1) to reimburse the Funds for any loss sustained by reason of the failure of a shareholder to make full payment for shares purchased by the shareholder or to collect any charge relating to a transaction effected for the benefit of a shareholder as provided in the Prospectus from time to time; (2) if such redemption is, in the opinion of the Board, desirable in order to prevent the Company or the Funds from being deemed a “personal holding company” within the meaning of the Code; (3) or if the net income with respect to any particular class of common stock should be negative or it should otherwise be appropriate to carry out the Company’s responsibilities under the 1940 Act.

 

Each Fund has the right to redeem your shares at current NAV at any time and without prior notice if, and to the extent that, such redemption is necessary to reimburse the Fund for any loss sustained by reason of your failure to make full payment for shares of the Fund you previously purchased or subscribed for.

 

Other Purchase Information

 

If shares of the Funds are held in a “street name” account with an authorized dealer, all recordkeeping, transaction processing and payments of distributions relating to the beneficial owner’s account will be performed by the authorized dealer, and not by a Fund and its Transfer Agent.  Since the Funds will have no record of the beneficial owner’s transactions, a beneficial owner should contact the authorized dealer to purchase, redeem or exchange shares, to make changes in or give instructions concerning the account or to obtain information about the account.  The transfer of shares in a “street name” account to an account with another dealer or to an account directly with a Fund involves special procedures and will require the beneficial owner to obtain historical purchase information about the shares in the account from the authorized dealer.

 

TELEPHONE TRANSACTION PROCEDURES

  

The Company’s telephone transaction procedures include the following measures: (1) requiring the appropriate telephone transaction privilege forms; (2) requiring the caller to provide the names of the account owners, the account social security number and name of the Fund, all of which must match the Company’s records; (3) requiring the Company’s service representative to complete a telephone transaction form, listing all of the above caller identification information; (4) permitting exchanges (if applicable) only if the two account registrations are identical; (5) requiring that redemption proceeds be sent only by check to the account owners of record at the address of record, or by electronic funds transfer through the ACH network or by wire only to the owners of record at the bank account of record; (6) sending a written confirmation for each telephone transaction to the owners of record at the address of record within five (5) business days of the call; and (7) maintaining tapes of telephone transactions for six months, if the Company elects to record shareholder telephone transactions. For accounts held of record by broker-dealers, financial institutions, securities dealers, financial planners and other industry professionals, additional documentation or information regarding the scope of a caller’s authority is required. Finally, for telephone transactions in accounts held jointly, additional information regarding other account holders is required. Shares held in IRA accounts may be redeemed by telephone at 1-855-744-8500. Investors will be asked whether or not to withhold taxes from any distribution.

 

VALUATION OF SHARES

 

In accordance with procedures adopted by the Board, the NAV per share of each Fund is calculated by determining the value of the net assets attributed to the Fund and dividing by the number of outstanding shares of the Fund. All securities are valued on each Business Day as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE (normally, but not always, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) or such other time as the NYSE or National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations System (“NASDAQ”) market may officially close. The term “Business Day” means any day the NYSE is open for trading, which is Monday through Friday except for holidays. The NYSE is generally closed on the following holidays: New Year’s Day (observed), Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Washington’s Birthday (observed), Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

 

36 

 

The time at which transactions and shares are priced and the time by which orders must be received may be changed in case of an emergency or if regular trading on the NYSE is stopped at a time other than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The Company reserves the right to reprocess purchase, redemption and exchange transactions that were initially processed at a NAV other than the Fund’s official closing NAV (as the same may be subsequently adjusted), and to recover amounts from (or distribute amounts to) shareholders based on the official closing NAV. The Company reserves the right to advance the time by which purchase and redemption orders must be received for same business day credit as otherwise permitted by the SEC. In addition, the Fund may compute its NAV as of any time permitted pursuant to any exemption, order or statement of the SEC or its staff.

 

The securities of each Fund are valued under the direction of the Funds’ administrator and under the general supervision of the Board.  Prices are generally determined using readily available market prices.  Subject to the approval of the Board, the Funds may employ outside organizations, which may use a matrix or formula method that takes into consideration market indices, matrices, yield curves and other specific adjustments in determining the approximate market value of portfolio investments.  This may result in the investments being valued at a price that differs from the price that would have been determined had the matrix or formula method not been used.  All cash, receivables, and current payables are carried on a Fund’s books at their face value.  Other assets, if any, are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Funds’ Valuation Committee under the direction of the Board.

 

The procedures used by any pricing service and its valuation results are reviewed by the officers of the Company under the general supervision of the Board.

 

An Underlying Fund may hold portfolio securities that are listed on foreign exchanges.  These securities may trade on weekends or other days when the Underlying Funds and the Funds do not calculate NAV.  As a result, the value of these investments may change on days when you cannot purchase or sell Fund shares.

  

TAXES

 

The following summarizes certain additional tax considerations generally affecting the Funds and their shareholders that are not described in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Funds or their shareholders, and the discussions here and in the Prospectus are not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Potential investors should consult their tax advisers with specific reference to their own tax situations.

 

The discussions of the federal tax consequences in the Prospectus and this SAI are based on the Code and the regulations issued under it, and court decisions and administrative interpretations, as in effect on the date of this SAI.  Future legislative or administrative changes or court decisions may significantly alter the statements included herein, and any such changes or decisions may be retroactive.

 

General

 

Each Fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of Subtitle A, Chapter 1, of the Code. As such, each Fund generally is exempt from federal income tax on its net investment income and realized capital gains that it distributes to shareholders. To qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company, each Fund must meet three important tests each year.

 

First, a Fund must derive with respect to each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, other income derived with respect to the Fund’s business of investing in stock, securities or currencies, or net income derived from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships.

 

Second, generally, at the close of each quarter of a Fund’s taxable year, at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets must consist of cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and securities of other issuers as to which the Fund has not invested more than 5% of the value of its total assets in securities of the issuer and as to which the Fund does not hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer, and no more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in the securities of (1) any one issuer (other than U.S. government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies), (2) two or more issuers that the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or (3) one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships.

 

37 

 

Third, a Fund must distribute an amount equal to at least the sum of 90% of its investment company taxable income (net investment income and the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss) before taking into account any deduction for dividends paid, and 90% of its tax-exempt income, if any, for the year.

 

Each Fund intends to comply with these requirements. If a Fund were to fail to make sufficient distributions, it could be liable for corporate income tax and for excise tax in respect of the shortfall or, if the shortfall is large enough, the Fund could be disqualified as a regulated investment company. If for any taxable year a Fund were not to qualify as a regulated investment company, all its taxable income would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders. In that event, shareholders would recognize dividend income on distributions to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, and corporate shareholders could be eligible for the dividends-received deduction.

 

The Code imposes a nondeductible 4% excise tax on regulated investment companies that fail to distribute each year an amount equal to specified percentages of their ordinary taxable income and capital gain net income (excess of capital gains over capital losses). Each Fund intends to make sufficient distributions or deemed distributions each year to avoid liability for this excise tax.

 

Taxation of Certain Investments

 

The tax principles applicable to transactions in financial instruments, such as futures contracts and options, that may be engaged in by a Fund, and investments in passive foreign investment companies (“PFICs”), are complex and, in some cases, uncertain. Such transactions and investments may cause a Fund to recognize taxable income prior to the receipt of cash, thereby requiring the Fund to liquidate other positions, or to borrow money, so as to make sufficient distributions to shareholders to avoid corporate-level tax.  Moreover, some or all of the taxable income recognized may be ordinary income or short-term capital gain, so that the distributions may be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income.

 

In addition, in the case of any shares of a PFIC in which a Fund invests, the Fund may be liable for corporate-level tax on any ultimate gain or distributions on the shares if the Fund fails to make an election to recognize income annually during the period of its ownership of the shares.

 

State and Local Taxes

 

Although the Funds each expect to qualify as a “regulated investment company” and to be relieved of all or substantially all federal income taxes, depending upon the extent of its activities in states and localities in which its offices are maintained, in which its agents or independent contractors are located or in which it is otherwise deemed to be conducting business, each Fund may be subject to the tax laws of such states or localities.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING COMPANY SHARES

 

The Company has authorized capital of 100 billion shares of common stock at a par value of $0.001 per share. Currently, [87.823] billion shares have been classified into [189] classes; however, the Company only has [51] active share classes that have begun investment operations. Under the Company’s charter, the Board has the power to classify and reclassify any unissued shares of common stock from time to time.

 

Each share that represents an interest in a Fund has an equal proportionate interest in the assets belonging to the Fund with each other share that represents an interest in the Fund, even where a share has a different class designation than another share representing an interest in the Fund.  Shares of the Company do not have preemptive or conversion rights.  When issued for payment as described in the Prospectus, shares of the Company will be fully paid and non-assessable.

 

The Company does not currently intend to hold annual meetings of shareholders except as required by the 1940 Act or other applicable law.  The Company’s amended By-Laws provide that shareholders owning at least ten percent of the outstanding shares of all classes of common stock of the Company have the right to call for a meeting of shareholders to consider the removal of one or more directors. To the extent required by law, the Company will assist in shareholder communication in such matters.

 

Holders of shares of each class of the Funds will vote in the aggregate and not by class on all matters, except where otherwise required by law. Further, shareholders of the Company will vote in the aggregate and not by portfolio except as otherwise required by law or when the Board determines that the matter to be voted upon affects only the interests of the shareholders of a particular portfolio or class of shares. Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act provides that any matter required to be submitted by the provisions of such Act or applicable state law, or otherwise, to the holders of the outstanding voting securities of an investment company such as the Company shall not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of each portfolio affected by the matter. Rule 18f-2 further provides that a portfolio shall be deemed to be affected by a matter unless it is clear that the interests of each portfolio in the matter are identical or that the matter does not affect any interest of the portfolio. Under Rule 18f-2 the approval of an investment advisory agreement or distribution agreement or any change in a fundamental investment objective or fundamental investment policy would be effectively acted upon with respect to a portfolio only if approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such portfolio. However, the Rule also provides that the ratification of the selection of independent public accountants and the election of directors are not subject to the separate voting requirements and may be effectively acted upon by shareholders of an investment company voting without regard to a portfolio.  Shareholders of the Company are entitled to one vote for each full share held (irrespective of class or portfolio) and fractional votes for fractional shares held.  Voting rights are not cumulative and, accordingly, the holders of more than 50% of the aggregate shares of common stock of the Company may elect all of the Directors.

 

38 

 

Notwithstanding any provision of Maryland law requiring a greater vote of shares of the Company’s common stock (or of any class voting as a class) in connection with any corporate action, unless otherwise provided by law (for example by Rule 18f-2 discussed above), or by the Company’s Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws, the Company may take or authorize such action upon the favorable vote of the holders of more than 50% of all of the outstanding shares of Common Stock voting without regard to class (or portfolio).

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

Anti-Money Laundering Program

 

The Funds have established an Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program (the “Program”) as required by the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (“USA PATRIOT Act”). To ensure compliance with this law, the Funds’ Program provides for the development of internal practices, procedures, and controls, designation of anti-money laundering compliance officers, an ongoing training program, and an independent audit function to determine the effectiveness of the Program.

 

Procedures to implement the Program include, but are not limited to, determining that certain of their service providers have established proper anti-money laundering procedures, reporting suspicious and/or fraudulent activity, and conducting a complete and thorough review of all new account applications. The Funds will not transact business with any person or legal entity whose identity and beneficial owners, if applicable, cannot be adequately verified under the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.

  

Counsel

 

The law firm of Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, One Logan Square, Suite 2000, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-6996, serves as independent counsel to the Company and the Independent Directors.

 

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

[ ], serves as the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, and in that capacity audits the Funds’ financial statements.

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Financial statements certified by an independent registered public accounting firm will be submitted to shareholders at least annually. The Funds had not commenced operations prior to the date of this SAI and do not yet have financial statements.

  

Once available, copies of the Funds’ Annual and Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders may be obtained, without charge, upon request by calling the telephone number listed on the cover of this SAI.

 

39 

 

APPENDIX A

 

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES RATINGS

 

 

Short-Term Credit Ratings

 

An S&P Global Ratings short-term issue credit rating is generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. The following summarizes the rating categories used by S&P Global Ratings for short-term issues:

 

“A-1” - A short-term obligation rated “A-1” is rated in the highest category by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.

  

“A-2” - A short-term obligation rated “A-2” is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is satisfactory.

 

“A-3” - A short-term obligation rated “A-3” exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken an obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“B” - A short-term obligation rated “B” is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.

 

“C” - A short-term obligation rated “C” is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“D” - A short-term obligation rated “D” is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to “D” if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

 

Local Currency and Foreign Currency Ratings - S&P Global Ratings’ issuer credit ratings make a distinction between foreign currency ratings and local currency ratings. A foreign currency rating on an issuer will differ from the local currency rating on it when the obligor has a different capacity to meet its obligations denominated in its local currency, versus obligations denominated in a foreign currency.

 

“NR” – This indicates that a rating has not been assigned or is no longer assigned.

 

Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”) short-term ratings are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations with an original maturity of thirteen months or less and reflect both on the likelihood of a default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment.

 

Moody’s employs the following designations to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:

 

A-1

 

“P-1” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

 

“P-2” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

 

“P-3” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.

 

“NP” - Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated issuer.

 

Fitch, Inc. / Fitch Ratings Ltd. (“Fitch”) short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-term deposit ratings may be adjusted for loss severity. Short-term ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as “short-term” based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets. The following summarizes the rating categories used by Fitch for short-term obligations:

 

“F1” - Securities possess the highest short-term credit quality. This designation indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

 

“F2” - Securities possess good short-term credit quality. This designation indicates good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

 

“F3” - Securities possess fair short-term credit quality. This designation indicates that the intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

 

“B” - Securities possess speculative short-term credit quality. This designation indicates minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

 

“C” - Securities possess high short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility.

 

“RD” - Restricted default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Typically applicable to entity ratings only.

 

“D” - Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.

 

Plus (+) or minus (-) - The “F1” rating may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show the relative status within that major rating category.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated issue of a rated issuer.

 

The DBRS® Ratings Limited (“DBRS”) short-term debt rating scale provides an opinion on the risk that an issuer will not meet its short-term financial obligations in a timely manner. Ratings are based on quantitative and qualitative considerations relevant to the issuer and the relative ranking of claims. The R-1 and R-2 rating categories are further denoted by the sub-categories “(high)”, “(middle)”, and “(low)”.

 

The following summarizes the ratings used by DBRS for commercial paper and short-term debt:

 

A-2

 

“R-1 (high)” - Short-term debt rated “R-1 (high)” is of the highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is exceptionally high. Unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.

 

“R-1 (middle)” - Short-term debt rated “R-1 (middle)” is of superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is very high. Differs from “R-1 (high)” by a relatively modest degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.

 

“R-1 (low)” - Short-term debt rated “R-1 (low)” is of good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is substantial. Overall strength is not as favorable as higher rating categories. May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.

 

“R-2 (high)” - Short-term debt rated “R-2 (high)” is considered to be at the upper end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.

 

“R-2 (middle)” - Short-term debt rated “R-2 (middle)” is considered to be of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events or may be exposed to other factors that could reduce credit quality.

 

“R-2 (low)” - Short-term debt rated “R-2 (low)” is considered to be at the lower end of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events. A number of challenges are present that could affect the issuer’s ability to meet such obligations.

 

“R-3” - Short-term debt rated “R-3” is considered to be at the lowest end of adequate credit quality. There is a capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due. May be vulnerable to future events and the certainty of meeting such obligations could be impacted by a variety of developments.

 

“R-4” - Short-term debt rated “R-4” is considered to be of speculative credit quality. The capacity for the payment of short-term financial obligations as they fall due is uncertain.

 

“R-5” - Short-term debt rated “R-5” is considered to be of highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet short-term financial obligations as they fall due.

 

“D” - Short-term debt rated “D” is assigned when the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to “D” may occur. DBRS may also use “SD” (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange”.

 

Long-Term Credit Ratings

 

The following summarizes the ratings used by S&P Global Ratings for long-term issues:

 

“AAA” - An obligation rated “AAA” has the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is extremely strong.

 

“AA” - An obligation rated “AA” differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is very strong.

 

“A” - An obligation rated “A” is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is still strong.

 

A-3

 

“BBB” - An obligation rated “BBB” exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“BB,” “B,” “CCC,” “CC” and “C” - Obligations rated “BB,” “B,” “CCC,” “CC” and “C” are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. “BB” indicates the least degree of speculation and “C” the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposure to adverse conditions.

 

“BB” - An obligation rated “BB” is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“B” - An obligation rated “B” is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated “BB”, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“CCC” - An obligation rated “CCC” is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

 

“CC” - An obligation rated “CC” is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The “CC” rating is used when a default has not yet occurred but S&P Global Ratings expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.

 

“C” - An obligation rated “C” is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared with obligations that are rated higher.

 

“D” - An obligation rated “D” is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the “D” rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The “D” rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation’s rating is lowered to “D” if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

 

Plus (+) or minus (-) - The ratings from “AA” to “CCC” may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the rating categories.

 

“NR” - This indicates that a rating has not been assigned, or is no longer assigned.

 

Local Currency and Foreign Currency Risks - S&P Global Ratings’ issuer credit ratings make a distinction between foreign currency ratings and local currency ratings. An issuer’s foreign currency rating will differ from its local currency rating on it when the obligor has a different capacity to meet its obligations denominated in its local currency, versus obligations denominated in a foreign currency.

 

Moody’s long-term ratings are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations with an original maturity of one year or more. Such ratings reflect both on the likelihood of default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment. The following summarizes the ratings used by Moody’s for long-term debt:

 

“Aaa” - Obligations rated “Aaa” are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.

 

A-4

 

“Aa” - Obligations rated “Aa” are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.

 

“A” - Obligations rated “A” are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.

 

“Baa” - Obligations rated “Baa” are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.

 

“Ba” - Obligations rated “Ba” are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.

 

“B” - Obligations rated “B” are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.

 

“Caa” - Obligations rated “Caa” are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.

 

“Ca” - Obligations rated “Ca” are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.

 

“C” - Obligations rated “C” are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.

 

Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from “Aa” through “Caa.” The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to unrated obligations.

 

The following summarizes long-term ratings used by Fitch:

 

“AAA” - Securities considered to be of the highest credit quality. “AAA” ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

 

“AA” - Securities considered to be of very high credit quality. “AA” ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

 

“A” - Securities considered to be of high credit quality. “A” ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

 

“BBB” - Securities considered to be of good credit quality. “BBB” ratings indicate that expectations of credit risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.

 

“BB” - Securities considered to be speculative. “BB” ratings indicate that there is an elevated vulnerability to credit risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met.

 

“B” - Securities considered to be highly speculative. “B” ratings indicate that material credit risk is present.

 

“CCC” - A “CCC” rating indicates that substantial credit risk is present.

 

“CC” - A “CC” rating indicates very high levels of credit risk.

 

A-5

 

“C” - A “C” rating indicates exceptionally high levels of credit risk.

 

Defaulted obligations typically are not assigned “RD” or “D” ratings but are instead rated in the “CCC” to “C” rating categories, depending on their recovery prospects and other relevant characteristics. Fitch believes that this approach better aligns obligations that have comparable overall expected loss but varying vulnerability to default and loss.

 

Plus (+) or minus (-) may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the “AAA” obligation rating category, or to corporate finance obligation ratings in the categories below “CCC”.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated issue of a rated issuer.

 

The DBRS long-term rating scale provides an opinion on the risk of default. That is, the risk that an issuer will fail to satisfy its financial obligations in accordance with the terms under which an obligation has been issued. Ratings are based on quantitative and qualitative considerations relevant to the issuer, and the relative ranking of claims. All rating categories other than AAA and D also contain subcategories “(high)” and “(low)”. The absence of either a “(high)” or “(low)” designation indicates the rating is in the middle of the category. The following summarizes the ratings used by DBRS for long-term debt:

 

“AAA” - Long-term debt rated “AAA” is of the highest credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is exceptionally high and unlikely to be adversely affected by future events.

 

“AA” - Long-term debt rated “AA” is of superior credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered high. Credit quality differs from “AAA” only to a small degree. Unlikely to be significantly vulnerable to future events.

 

“A” - Long-term debt rated “A” is of good credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is substantial, but of lesser credit quality than “AA.” May be vulnerable to future events, but qualifying negative factors are considered manageable.

 

“BBB” - Long-term debt rated “BBB” is of adequate credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is considered acceptable. May be vulnerable to future events.

 

“BB” - Long-term debt rated “BB” is of speculative, non-investment grade credit quality. The capacity for the payment of financial obligations is uncertain. Vulnerable to future events.

 

“B” - Long-term debt rated “B” is of highly speculative credit quality. There is a high level of uncertainty as to the capacity to meet financial obligations.

 

“CCC”, “CC” and “C” - Long-term debt rated in any of these categories is of very highly speculative credit quality. In danger of defaulting on financial obligations. There is little difference between these three categories, although “CC” and “C” ratings are normally applied to obligations that are seen as highly likely to default, or subordinated to obligations rated in the “CCC” to “B” range. Obligations in respect of which default has not technically taken place but is considered inevitable may be rated in the “C” category.

 

“D” - A security rated “D” is assigned when the issuer has filed under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or winding up statute or there is a failure to satisfy an obligation after the exhaustion of grace periods, a downgrade to “D” may occur. DBRS may also use “SD” (Selective Default) in cases where only some securities are impacted, such as the case of a “distressed exchange”.

 

A-6

 

Municipal Note Ratings

 

An S&P Global Ratings U.S. municipal note rating reflects S&P Global Ratings’ opinion about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to the notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, S&P Global Ratings’ analysis will review the following considerations:

 

Amortization schedule - the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and

 

Source of payment - the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.

 

Municipal Short-Term Note rating symbols are as follows:

 

“SP-1” - A municipal note rated “SP-1” exhibits a strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.

 

“SP-2” - A municipal note rated “SP-2” exhibits a satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.

 

“SP-3” - A municipal note rated “SP-3” exhibits a speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

 

“D” - This rating is assigned upon failure to pay the note when due, completion of a distressed exchange offer, or the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions.

 

Moody’s uses the global short-term Prime rating scale (listed above under Short-Term Credit Ratings) for commercial paper issued by U.S. municipalities and nonprofits. These commercial paper programs may be backed by external letters of credit or liquidity facilities, or by an issuer’s self-liquidity.

 

For other short-term municipal obligations, Moody’s uses one of two other short-term rating scales, the Municipal Investment Grade (“MIG”) and Variable Municipal Investment Grade (“VMIG”) scales provided below.

 

Moody’s uses the MIG scale for U.S. municipal cash flow notes, bond anticipation notes and certain other short-term obligations, which typically mature in three years or less. Under certain circumstances, Moody’s uses the MIG scale for bond anticipation notes with maturities of up to five years.

 

MIG Scale

 

“MIG-1” - This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.

 

“MIG-2” - This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.

 

“MIG-3” - This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.

 

“SG” - This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated obligation.

 

In the case of variable rate demand obligations (“VRDOs”), a two-component rating is assigned: a long or short-term debt rating and a demand obligation rating. The long-term rating addresses the issuer’s ability to meet scheduled principal and interests payments. The short-term demand obligation rating addresses the ability of the issuer or the liquidity provider to make payments associated with the purchase-price-upon demand feature (“demand feature”) of the VRDO. The short-term demand obligation rating uses the VMIG scale. VMIG ratings with liquidity support use as an input the short-term Counterparty Risk Assessment of the support provider, or the long-term rating of the underlying obligor in the absence of third party liquidity support. Transitions of VMIG Ratings of demand obligations with conditional liquidity support differ from transitions on the Prime scale to reflect the risk that external liquidity support will terminate if the issuer’s long-term rating drops below investment grade.

 

A-7

 

Moody’s typically assigns the VMIG short-term demand obligation rating if the frequency of the demand feature is less than every three years. If the frequency of the demand feature is less than three years but the purchase price is payable only with remarketing proceeds, the short-term demand obligation rating is “NR”.

 

“VMIG-1” - This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“VMIG-2” - This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“VMIG-3” - This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“SG” - This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have a sufficiently strong short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

 

“NR” - Is assigned to an unrated obligation.

 

About Credit Ratings

 

An S&P Global Ratings issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The opinion reflects S&P Global Ratings’ view of the obligor’s capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and this opinion may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.

 

Ratings assigned on Moody’s global long-term and short-term rating scales are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities.

 

Fitch’s credit ratings relating to issuers are an opinion on the relative ability of an entity to meet financial commitments, such as interest, preferred dividends, repayment of principal, insurance claims or counterparty obligations. Fitch credit ratings are used by investors as indications of the likelihood of receiving the money owed to them in accordance with the terms on which they invested. Fitch’s credit ratings cover the global spectrum of corporate, sovereign financial, bank, insurance, and public finance entities (including supranational and sub-national entities) and the securities or other obligations they issue, as well as structured finance securities backed by receivables or other financial assets.

 

Credit ratings provided by DBRS are forward-looking opinions about credit risk which reflect the creditworthiness of an issuer, rated entity, security and/or obligation. Credit ratings are not statements of fact. While historical statistics and performance can be important considerations, credit ratings are not based solely on such; they include subjective considerations and involve expectations for future performance that cannot be guaranteed. To the extent that future events and economic conditions do not match expectations, credit ratings assigned to issuers, entities, securities and/or obligations can change. Credit ratings are also based on approved and applicable methodologies (“Methodologies”), which are periodically updated and when material changes are deemed necessary, this may also lead to rating changes.

 

A-8

 

Credit ratings typically provide an opinion on the risk that investors may not be repaid in accordance with the terms under which the obligation was issued. In some cases, credit ratings may also include consideration for the relative ranking of claims and recovery, should default occur. Credit ratings are meant to provide opinions on relative measures of risk and are not based on expectations of any specific default probability, nor are they meant to predict such.

 

The data and information on which DBRS bases its opinions is not audited or verified by DBRS, although, DBRS conducts a reasonableness review of information received and relied upon in accordance with its Methodologies and policies.

 

DBRS uses rating symbols as a concise method of expressing its opinion to the market, but there are a limited number of rating categories for the possible slight risk differentials that exist across the rating spectrum and DBRS does not assert that credit ratings in the same category are of “exactly” the same quality.

 

A-9

 

APPENDIX B

 

Proxy Voting

 

Issue

 

Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act requires every investment adviser to adopt and implement written policies and procedures, reasonably designed to ensure that the adviser votes proxies in the best interest of its clients.  The procedures must address material conflicts that may arise in connection with proxy voting.  The Rule further requires the adviser to provide a concise summary of the adviser’s proxy voting process and offer to provide copies of the complete proxy voting policy and procedures to clients upon request.  Lastly, the Rule requires that the adviser disclose to clients how they may obtain information on how the adviser voted their proxies.

 

SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, LLC does vote proxies on behalf of its clients.

Policy

SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, LLC does vote proxies on behalf of its clients.

Procedures:

 

1. Upon receipt of proxy voting request, review items to be voted upon and Board recommendations.
2. Log into the proper online voting site and vote in accordance with Board recommendations unless otherwise notified by the Investment Committee.
3. Document the company, items voted on, and how SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, LLC voted on the proxy spreadsheet.

 

Procedures for SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, LLC’s Receipt of Class Actions

 

The following procedures outline SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, LLC’s receipt of “Class Action” documents from clients and custodians.  It is SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, LLC’s position not to file these “Class Action” documents, but if received will follow these guidelines:

 

1.          If “Class Action” documents are received by SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, LLC from the Client, SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, LLC will gather any requisite information it has and forward to the client, to enable the client to file the “Class Action” at the client’s discretion.  SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, LLC will not file “Class Actions” on behalf of any client.

2.          Similarly, if “Class Action” documents are received by SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, LLC from the Custodian, SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, LLC will gather any requisite information it has and forward to the client, to enable the client to file the “Class Action” at the client’s discretion.  SUMMIT GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, LLC will not file “Class Actions” on behalf of any client.

 

B-1

 

THE RBB FUND, INC. 

PEA 263/267

PART C: OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 28. EXHIBITS

 

(a) Articles of Incorporation.

 

(1) Articles of Incorporation of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 24, 1988, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.

 

(2) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 24, 1988, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.

 

(3) Articles of Amendment to Articles of Incorporation of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on July 12, 1988, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.

 

(4) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on July 12, 1988, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.

 

(5) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 3 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on April 27, 1990, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.

 

(6) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 4 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 1, 1990, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.

 

(7) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on July 15, 1992, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.

 

(8) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 22, 1992, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.

 

(9) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 13 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 29, 1993, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.
  2  

 

(10) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 13 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 29, 1993, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.

 

(11) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 19, 1994, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.

 

(12) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 19, 1994, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.

 

(13) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 19, 1994, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.

 

(14) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 19, 1994, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.

 

(15) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 31, 1995.

 

(16) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 34 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 16, 1996.

 

(17) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 39 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 11, 1996.

 

(18) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 9, 1997.

 

(19) Articles of Amendment to Charter of the Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 46 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on September 25, 1997.

 

(20) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 46 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on September 25, 1997.
  3  

 

(21) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 60 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 29, 1998.

 

(22) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 60 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 29, 1998.

 

(23) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 63 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 14, 1998.

 

(24) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 63 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 14, 1998.

 

(25) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 67 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on September 30, 1999.

 

(26) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 69 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on November 29, 1999.

 

(27) Articles of Amendment to Charter of the Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 71 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 29, 2000.

 

(28) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 71 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 29, 2000.

 

(29) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 71 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 29, 2000.

 

(30) Articles of Amendment to Charter of the Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 71 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 29, 2000.

 

(31) Articles Supplementary of Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 73 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 15, 2001.

 

(32) Articles of Amendment to Charter of the Registrant (Boston Partners Bond Fund – Institutional Class and Boston Partners Bond Fund – Investor Class) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 77 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 15, 2002.

 

(33) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund – Institutional Class and Boston Partners Bond Fund – Institutional Class) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 77 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 15, 2002.
  4  

 

(34) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Schneider Value Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 78 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 16, 2002.

 

(35) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Institutional Liquidity Fund for Credit Unions and Liquidity Fund for Credit Union Members) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 84 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 29, 2003.

 

(36) Articles of Amendment to Charter of the Registrant are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 89 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 30, 2004.

 

(37) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Robeco WPG Core Bond Fund – Investor Class, Robeco WPG Core Bond Fund – Institutional Class, Robeco WPG Tudor Fund – Institutional Class, Robeco WPG Large Cap Growth Fund – Institutional Class) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 93 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 4, 2005.

 

(38) Certificate of Correction of Registrant is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 95 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 23, 2005.

 

(39) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Robeco WPG Core Bond Fund – Investor Class, Robeco WPG Core Bond Fund – Institutional Class, Robeco WPG Tudor Fund – Institutional Class, Robeco WPG 130/30 Large Cap Core Fund f/k/a Robeco WPG Large Cap Growth Fund – Institutional Class) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 95 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 23, 2005.

 

(40) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Senbanc Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 96 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 6, 2005.

 

(41) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (Robeco WPG Core Bond Fund – Retirement Class) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 97 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on August 19, 2005.

 

(42) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Robeco WPG Core Bond Fund – Investor Class) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 99 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on September 27, 2005.

 

(43) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Bear Stearns CUFS MLP Mortgage Portfolio) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 104 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on July 18, 2006.

 

(44) Articles of Amendment to Charter of the Registrant (Bear Stearns CUFS MLP Mortgage Portfolio) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 108 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 14, 2006.

 

(45) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Bear Stearns Ultra Short Income Fund f/k/a Bear Stearns Enhanced Income Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 109 to Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 15, 2006.
  5  

 

(46) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Marvin & Palmer Large Cap Growth Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 109 to Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 15, 2006.

 

(47) Articles of Amendment to Charter of the Registrant (Bear Stearns Ultra Short Income Fund f/k/a Bear Stearns Enhanced Income Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 111 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 28, 2007.

 

(48) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Bear Stearns Ultra Short Income Fund f/k/a Bear Stearns Enhanced Income Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 111 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 28, 2007.

 

(49) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Free Market U.S. Equity Fund, Free Market International Equity Fund, Free Market Fixed Income Fund) incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 112 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 1, 2007.

 

(50) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Robeco WPG 130/30 Large Cap Core Fund – Investor Class) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 113 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on July 13, 2007.

 

(51) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (SAM Sustainable Water Fund, SAM Sustainable Climate Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 114 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on July 17, 2007.

 

(52) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (Robeco WPG 130/30 Large Cap Core Fund – Institutional Class) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 116 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on September 4, 2007.

 

(53) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Bear Stearns Multifactor 130/30 US Core Equity Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 123 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 17, 2007.

 

(54) Articles of Amendment to Charter of the Registrant (Bear Stearns Ultra Short Income Fund f/k/a Bear Stearns Enhanced Income Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 124 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2007.

 

(55) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (SAM Sustainable Global Active Fund, SAM Sustainable Themes Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 128 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on April 23, 2009.

 

(56) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Perimeter Small Cap Growth Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 129 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on July 2, 2009.

 

(57) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (S1 Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 135 to Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on July 19, 2010.
  6  

 

(58) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Robeco Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 136 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on August 4, 2010.

 

(59) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (Robeco WPG Small/Micro Cap Value Fund f/k/a Robeco WPG Small Cap Value Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 141 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2010.

 

(60) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Robeco Boston Partners Global Equity Fund and Robeco Boston Partners International Equity Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 142 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 14, 2011.

 

(61) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Summit Global Investments U.S. Low Volatility Equity Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 144 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 15, 2011.

 

(62) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Free Market U.S. Equity Fund, Free Market International Equity Fund, Free Market Fixed Income Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 149 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 29, 2012.

 

(63) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Robeco Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 152 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 29, 2013.

 

(64) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Robeco Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund – Institutional Class) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 157 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 29, 2013.

 

(65) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio, Matson Money International VI Equity Portfolio, Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 159 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2013.

 

(66) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Scotia Dynamic U.S. Growth Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 161 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 27, 2013.

 

(67) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Robeco Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund – Institutional Class) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 168 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 30, 2014.

 

(68) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund and Adara Smaller Companies Fund (f/k/a Altair Smaller Companies Fund)) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 168 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 30, 2014.

 

(69) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Campbell Core Trend Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 171 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 16, 2014.
  7  

 

(70) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Free Market U.S. Equity Fund, Free Market International Equity Fund, Free Market Fixed Income Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 174 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 23, 2014.

 

(71) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Boston Partners Investment Funds) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 174 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 23, 2014.

 

(72) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 182 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 16, 2015.

 

(73) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Campbell Core Carry Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 182 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 16, 2015.

 

(74) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Boston Partners Alpha Blue Dynamic Equity Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 182 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 16, 2015.

 

(75) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Summit Global Investments U.S. Low Volatility Equity Fund – Class C) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 184 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 30, 2015.

 

(76) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund – Institutional Class) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 187 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 29, 2015.

 

(77) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Summit Global Investments Small Cap Low Volatility Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 195 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 30, 2016.

 

(78) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Fasanara Capital Absolute Return Multi-Asset Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 198 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on April 29, 2016.

 

(79) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (Campbell Dynamic Trend Fund f/k/a Campbell Core Trend Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 207 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2016.

 

(80) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (MFAM Global Opportunities Fund (f/k/a Motley Fool Independence Fund), MFAM Small-Mid Cap Growth Fund (f/k/a Motley Fool Great America Fund), and MFAM Emerging Markets Fund (f/k/a Motley Fool Epic Voyage Fund)) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 206 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2016.

 

(81) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (MFAM Emerging Markets Fund (f/k/a Motley Fool Epic Voyage Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 212 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 28, 2017.
  8  

 

(82) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Orinda Income Opportunities Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 216 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on April 10, 2017.

 

(83) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund — Class T) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 216 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on April 10, 2017.

 

(84) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Campbell Managed Futures 10V Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 224 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on July 28, 2017.

 

(85) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 226 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on August 23, 2017.

 

(86) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Motley Fool 100 Index ETF) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 235 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on January 19, 2018.

 

(87) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund – Class I) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 238 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 21, 2018.

 

(88) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund – Institutional Class) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 238 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 21, 2018.

 

(89) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Free Market U.S. Equity Fund, Free Market International Equity Fund, Free Market Fixed Income Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 238 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 21, 2018.

 

(90) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Aquarius International Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 238 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 21, 2018.

 

(91) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 238 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 21, 2018.

 

(92) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (Summit Global Investments Global Low Volatility Fund (f/k/a Dynamic U.S. Growth Fund)) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 238 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 21, 2018.

 

(93) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (Summit Global Investments Global Low Volatility Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 242 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 19, 2018.

 

(94) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (Summit Global Investments Small Cap Low Volatility Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 242 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 19, 2018.
  9  

 

(95) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (Adara Smaller Companies Fund (f/k/a Altair Smaller Companies Fund)) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 242 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 19, 2018.

 

(96) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (MFAM Global Opportunities Fund (f/k/a Motley Fool Independence Fund) and MFAM Small-Mid Cap Growth Fund (f/k/a Motley Fool Great America Fund)) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 242 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 19, 2018.

 

(97) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (MFAM Small-Cap Growth ETF (f/k/a Motley Fool Small-Cap Growth ETF)) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.

 

(98) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Motley Fool Innovation ETF) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.

 

(99) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (MFAM Global Opportunities Fund, MFAM Small-Mid Cap Growth Fund, MFAM Emerging Markets Fund and MFAM Small-Cap Growth ETF) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 251 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 8, 2019.

 

(100) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (MFAM Mid-Cap Growth Fund (f/k/a MFAM Small-Mid Cap Growth Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 251 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 8, 2019.

 

(101) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 254 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (No. 811-05518) filed on May 21, 2019.

 

(102) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (Campbell Advantage Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 254 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (No. 811-05518) filed on May 21, 2019.

 

(103) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, (f/k/a Summit Global Investments U.S. Low Volatility Equity Fund), SGI Global Equity Fund (f/k/a Summit Global Investments Global Low Volatility Fund), and SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund (f/k/a Summit Global Investments Small Cap Low Volatility Fund)) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 254 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (No. 811-05518) filed on May 21, 2019.

 

(104) Articles of Amendment of Registrant (Campbell Systematic Macro Fund (f/k/a Campbell Managed Futures 10V Fund)) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 254 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 21, 2019.

 

(105) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity VI Portfolio) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 261 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 28, 2020.
  10  

 

(106) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (SGI Peak Growth Fund, SGI Prudent Growth Fund, and SGI Conservative Fund) are filed herewith.

 

(b) By-Laws.

 

(1) By-Laws, as amended, are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 143 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 28, 2011.

 

(c) Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holders.

 

(1) See Articles VI, VII, VIII, IX and XI of Registrant’s Articles of Incorporation dated February 17, 1988 which are incorporated herein by reference to Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 24, 1988, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.

 

(2) See Articles II, III, VI, XIII, and XIV of Registrant’s By-Laws as amended through August 25, 2004, which are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 89 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 30, 2004.

 

(d) Investment Advisory Contracts.

 

(1) Investment Advisory Agreement (Schneider Small Cap Value Fund) between Registrant and Schneider Capital Management Company is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 60 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 29, 1998.

 

(2) Investment Advisory Agreement (Bogle Investment Management Small Cap Growth Fund) between Registrant and Bogle Investment Management, L.P. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 67 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on September 30, 1999.

 

(3) Investment Advisory Agreement (Free Market U.S. Equity Fund, Free Market International Equity Fund, Free Market Fixed Income Fund) between Registrant and Matson Money, Inc. (f/k/a Abundance Technologies, Inc.) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 125 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 27, 2008.

 

(4) Amendment No. 1 to the Investment Advisory Agreement (Free Market U.S. Equity Fund, Free Market International Equity Fund and Free Market Fixed Income Fund) between Registrant and Matson Money, Inc. (f/k/a Abundance Technologies, Inc.) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 157 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 29, 2013.

 

(5) Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Schneider Small Cap Value Fund) between Registrant and Schneider Capital Management Company is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.

 

(6) Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Boston Partners Investment Funds) between Registrant and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 261 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 28, 2020.
  11  

 

(7) Investment Advisory Agreement (SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments U.S. Low Volatility Equity Fund) between Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 160 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 23, 2013.

 

(8) Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund, and SGI Global Equity Fund) between Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.

 

(9) Investment Advisory Agreement (Boston Partners Investment Funds) between Registrant and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (f/k/a Robeco Investment Management, Inc.) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 157 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 29, 2013.

 

(10) Addendum No. 1 to Investment Advisory Agreement (Robeco Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund) between Registrant and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (f/k/a Robeco Investment Management, Inc.) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 160 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 23, 2013.

 

(11) Investment Advisory Agreement (SGI Global Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments Global Low Volatility Fund) between Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.

 

(12) Contractual Fee Waiver Agreement (SGI Global Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments Global Low Volatility Fund) between Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.

 

(13) Investment Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) between Registrant and Abbey Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 168 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 30, 2014.

 

(14) Amended and Restated Investment Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) between Abbey Capital Offshore Fund SPC (f/k/a Abbey Capital Offshore Fund Limited) and Abbey Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 252 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 22, 2019.

 

(15) Reserved.

 

(16) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) among Abbey Capital Onshore Series LLC, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Offshore Fund SPC and GAM Systematic LLP (formerly known as Cantab Capital Partners, LLP) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 252 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 22, 2019.

 

(17) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) among Abbey Capital Onshore Series LLC, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Offshore Fund SPC and Eclipse Capital Management, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 252 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 22, 2019.
  12  

 

(18) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) among Abbey Capital Onshore Series LLC, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Offshore Fund SPC and Graham Capital Management, LP is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 252 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 22, 2019.

 

(19) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) among Abbey Capital Onshore Series LLC, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Offshore Fund SPC and P/E Global, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 252 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 22, 2019.

 

(20) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) among Abbey Capital Onshore Series LLC, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Offshore Fund SPC and Revolution Capital Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 252 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 22, 2019.

 

(21) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) among Abbey Capital Onshore Series LLC, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Offshore Fund SPC and Trigon Investment Advisors LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 252 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 22, 2019.

 

(22) Addendum No. 2 to Investment Advisory Agreement (Robeco WPG Small/Micro Cap Fund) between Registrant and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (f/k/a Robeco Investment Management, Inc.) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 168 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 30, 2014.

 

(23) Investment Advisory Agreement (Adara Smaller Companies Fund (f/k/a Altair Smaller Companies Fund)) between Registrant and Altair Advisers LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.

 

(24) Reserved.

 

(25) Investment Advisory Agreement (Campbell Dynamic Trend Fund, f/k/a Campbell Core Trend Fund) between Registrant and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.

 

(26) Investment Advisory Agreement (Campbell Dynamic Trend Fund, f/k/a Campbell Core Trend Fund) between Campbell Core Offshore Limited and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.

 

(27) Sub-Advisory Agreement (Adara Smaller Companies Fund (f/k/a Altair Smaller Companies Fund)) among Registrant, Altair Advisers LLC and Aperio Group, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.

 

(28) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement (Adara Smaller Companies Fund (f/k/a Altair Smaller Companies Fund)) among Registrant, Altair Advisers LLC and Driehaus Capital Management LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.
  13  

 

(29) Reserved.

 

(30) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement (Adara Smaller Companies Fund (f/k/a Altair Smaller Companies Fund)) among Registrant, Altair Advisers LLC and Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.

 

(31) Sub-Advisory Agreement (Adara Smaller Companies Fund (f/k/a Altair Smaller Companies Fund)) among Registrant, Altair Advisers LLC and Pier Capital, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.

 

(32) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement (Adara Smaller Companies Fund (f/k/a Altair Smaller Companies Fund)) among Registrant, Altair Advisers LLC and River Road Asset Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.

 

(33) Addendum No. 3 to Investment Advisory Agreement (Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund) between Registrant and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (f/k/a Robeco Investment Management, Inc.) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.

 

(34) Investment Advisory Agreement (SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments Small Cap Low Volatility Fund) between Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 251 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 8, 2019.

 

(35) Contractual Fee Waiver (SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments Small Cap Low Volatility Fund) between Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.

 

(36) Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Bogle Investment Management Small Cap Growth Fund) between Registrant and Bogle Investment Management is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.

 

(37) Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Campbell Dynamic Trend Fund) between Registrant and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.

 

(38) Reserved.

 

(39) Investment Advisory Agreement (Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio, Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio, and Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio) between Registrant and Matson Money, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.
  14  

 

(40) Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio, Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio, and Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio) between Registrant and Matson Money Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.

 

(41) Addendum No. 4 to Investment Advisory Agreement (Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund) between Registrant and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (f/k/a Robeco Investment Management, Inc.) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.

 

(42) First Amendment to Investment Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) between Registrant and Abbey Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 216 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on April 10, 2017.

 

(43) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) among Abbey Capital Onshore Series LLC, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Offshore Fund SPC and Aspect Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 252 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 22, 2019.

 

(44) Investment Advisory Agreement (Orinda Income Opportunities Fund) between Registrant and Orinda Asset Management LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.

 

(45) Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Orinda Income Opportunities Fund) between Registrant and Orinda Asset Management LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 251 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 8, 2019.

 

(46) Form of Investment Advisory Agreement (Campbell Systematic Macro Fund) between Registrant and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 254 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 21, 2019.

 

(47) Form of Investment Advisory Agreement (Campbell Systematic Macro Fund) between Campbell Systematic Macro Offshore Limited and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 254 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 21, 2019.

 

(48) Form of Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Campbell Systematic Macro Fund) between Registrant and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 257 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 27, 2019.

 

(49) Addendum No. 5 to Investment Advisory Agreement (Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund) between Registrant and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.
  15  

 

(50) Reserved.

 

(51) Investment Advisory Agreement (MFAM Global Opportunities Fund (f/k/a Motley Fool Independence Fund) and MFAM Mid-Cap Growth Fund (f/k/a Motley Fool Great America Fund)) between Registrant and Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.

 

(52) Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (MFAM Global Opportunities Fund and MFAM Mid-Cap Growth Fund (f/k/a MFAM Small-Mid Cap Growth Fund) between Registrant and Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.

 

(53) Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund and Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund) between Registrant and Abbey Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.

 

(54) Investment Advisory Agreement (Motley Fool 100 Index ETF) between Registrant and Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.

 

(55) Investment Advisory Agreement (Aquarius International Fund) between Registrant and Altair Advisers LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.

 

(56) Sub-Advisory Agreement (Aquarius International Fund) among Registrant, Altair Advisers LLC and Aperio Group, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.

 

(57) Sub-Advisory Agreement (Aquarius International Fund) among Registrant, Altair Advisers LLC and Driehaus Capital Management LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.

 

(58) Sub-Advisory Agreement (Aquarius International Fund) among Registrant, Altair Advisers LLC and Mawer Investment Management Ltd. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.

 

(59) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement (Aquarius International Fund) among Registrant, Altair Advisers LLC and Setanta Asset Management Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.

 

(60) Investment Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund) between Registrant and Abbey Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.

 

(61) Investment Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund) between Abbey Capital Multi Asset Offshore Fund Limited and Abbey Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.
  16  

 

(62) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund) among Registrant, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Multi Asset Offshore Fund Limited and Aspect Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.

 

(63) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund) among Registrant, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Multi Asset Offshore Fund Limited and Eclipse Capital Management, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.

 

(64) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund) among Registrant, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Multi Asset Offshore Fund Limited and Revolution Capital Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.

 

(65) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund) among Registrant, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Multi Asset Offshore Fund Limited and Welton Investment Partners LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.

 

(66) Reserved.

 

(67) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) among Abbey Capital Onshore Series LLC, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Offshore Fund SPC and Welton Investment Partners LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 252 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 22, 2019.

 

(68) Amendment No. 2 to the Investment Advisory Agreement (Free Market U.S. Equity Fund, Free Market International Equity Fund and Free Market Fixed Income Fund) between Registrant and Matson Money, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 249 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2018.

 

(69) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund) among Registrant, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Multi Asset Offshore Fund Limited and Tudor Investment Corporation is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.

 

(70) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) among Abbey Capital Onshore Series LLC, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Offshore Fund SPC and Tudor Investment Corporation is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 252 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 22, 2019.

 

(71) Investment Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) between Abbey Capital Onshore Series LLC and Abbey Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 252 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 22, 2019.

 

(72) Investment Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) between Abbey Capital Master Offshore Fund Limited and Abbey Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 252 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 22, 2019.
  17  

 

(73) Investment Advisory Agreement (MFAM Small-Cap Growth ETF (f/k/a Motley Fool Small Cap Growth ETF)) between Registrant and Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.

 

(74) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) among Abbey Capital Onshore Series LLC, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Offshore Fund SPC and Episteme Capital Partners (UK) LLP is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 252 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 22, 2019.

 

(75) Investment Co-Advisory Agreement (Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund) among Registrant, Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc., and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 254 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 21, 2019.

 

(76) Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund) among Registrant, Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc., and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 254 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 21, 2019.

 

(77) Investment Advisory Agreement (Campbell Advantage Fund) between Registrant and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 254 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 21, 2019.

 

(78) Investment Advisory Agreement (Campbell Advantage Fund) between Campbell Advantage Offshore Limited and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 254 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 21, 2019.

 

(79) Addendum No. 6 to Investment Advisory Agreement (Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II and Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.

 

(80) Trading Advisory Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) among Abbey Capital Onshore Series LLC, Abbey Capital Limited, Abbey Capital Offshore Fund SPC and Crabel Capital Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 260 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 14, 2020.

 

(81) Investment Advisory Agreement (SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity VI Portfolio) between Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC will be filed by amendment.

 

(82) Amended Appendix A to Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Matson Money U.S. Equity VI Portfolio, Matson Money International Equity VI Portfolio, and Matson Money Fixed Income VI Portfolio) between Registrant and Matson Money, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 261 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 28, 2020.
  18  

 

(83) Amended Appendix A to Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund and Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund) between Registrant and Abbey Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 261 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 28, 2020.

 

(84) Amended Appendix A to Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund, and SGI Global Equity Fund) between Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 261 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 28, 2020.

 

(85) Amended Appendix A to Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (Boston Partners Investment Funds) between Registrant and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 261 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 28, 2020.

 

(86) Investment Advisory Agreement (SGI Peak Growth Fund, SGI Prudent Growth Fund, and SGI Conservative Fund) between Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC will be filed by amendment

 

(87) Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity VI Portfolio) between Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC will be filed by amendment.

 

(88) Expense Limitation and Reimbursement Agreement (SGI Peak Growth Fund, SGI Prudent Growth Fund, and SGI Conservative Fund) between Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC will be filed by amendment.

 

(e) Underwriting Contracts.

 

(1) Distribution Agreement between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Abbey Capital Limited dated June 30, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 207 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2016.

 

(2) Distribution Agreement between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Altair Advisers LLC dated June 30, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 207 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2016.

 

(3) Distribution Agreement between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Bogle Investment Management, L.P. dated June 30, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 207 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2016.

 

(4) Distribution Agreement between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. dated June 30, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 207 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2016.

 

(5) Distribution Agreement between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC dated June 30, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 207 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2016.
  19  

 

(6) Distribution Agreement between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Matson Money, Inc. dated June 30, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 207 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2016.

 

(7) Distribution Agreement between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Schneider Capital Management Company dated June 30, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 207 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2016.

 

(8) Distribution Agreement between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Summit Global Investments, LLC dated June 30, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 207 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2016.

 

(9) Distribution Agreement (MFAM Global Opportunities Fund (f/k/a Motley Fool Independence Fund) and MFAM Mid-Cap Growth Fund (f/k/a Motley Fool Great America Fund)) between Registrant and Foreside Funds Distributors LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.

 

(10) Distribution Agreement (Orinda Income Opportunities Fund) between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Orinda Asset Management LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 251 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 8, 2019.

 

(11) Amendment to the Distribution Agreement (Campbell Systematic Macro Fund (f/k/a Campbell Managed Futures 10V Fund)) between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 224 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on July 28, 2017.

 

(12) Amendment to the Distribution Agreement between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. dated June 30, 2016 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.

 

(13) Amendment to Distribution Agreement between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Abbey Capital Limited dated July 11, 2017 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 232 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2017.

 

(14) ETF Distribution Agreement (Motley Fool 100 Index ETF) between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 251 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 8, 2019.

 

(15) Form of Amendment to the Distribution Agreement (Aquarius International Fund) between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Altair Advisers LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 238 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 21, 2018.
  20  

 

(16) Amendment to Distribution Agreement (Abbey Capital Multi-Asset Fund) between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC and Abbey Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 243 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 23, 2018.

 

(17) First Amendment to the ETF Distribution Agreement (MFAM Small-Cap Growth ETF (f/k/a Motley Fool Small-Cap Growth ETF)) between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC and Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.

 

(18) Amendment to Distribution Agreement (Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund) between Registrant, Quasar Distributors, LLC, and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 254 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 21, 2019.

 

(f) Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts.

 

(1) Form of Deferred Compensation Plan is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 160 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 23, 2013.

 

(2) Form of Deferred Compensation Agreement is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 160 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 23, 2013.

 

(g) Custodian Agreement.

 

(1) Amended and Restated Custody Agreement between Registrant and U.S. Bank National Association dated June 30, 2019 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 260 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 14, 2020.

 

(h) Other Material Contracts.

 

(1) Non 12b-1 Shareholder Services Plan and Agreement (Bogle Investment Management Small Cap Growth - Investor Shares) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 67 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on September 30, 1999.

 

(2) Non-12b-1 Shareholder Services Plan and Related Form of Shareholder Servicing Agreement (Robeco WPG Small/Micro Cap Value Fund f/k/a Robeco WPG Tudor Fund – Institutional Class) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 100 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on November 25, 2005.

 

(3) Services Plan for Class I Shares and Form of Servicing Agreement (SGI Global Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments Global Low Volatility Fund, f/k/a Scotia Dynamic U.S. Growth Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 161 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 27, 2013.

 

(4) Services Plan for Class II Shares and Form of Servicing Agreement (SGI Global Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments Global Low Volatility Fund, f/k/a Scotia Dynamic U.S. Growth Fund) are incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 161 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 27, 2013.
  21  

 

(5) Amended and Restated Fund Accounting Servicing Agreement between Registrant and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC dated June 30, 2019 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 260 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 14, 2020.

 

(6) Amended and Restated Fund Administration Servicing Agreement between Registrant and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC dated June 30, 2019 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.

 

(7) Amended and Restated Transfer Agent Servicing Agreement between Registrant and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC dated June 30, 2019 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.

 

(i) (1) Opinion of Counsel is filed herewith.

 

(2) Consent of Counsel is filed herewith.

 

(j) Not applicable.

 

(k) None.

 

(l) Initial Capital Agreements.

 

(1) Subscription Agreement, relating to Classes A through N, is incorporated herein by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on July 12, 1988, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.

 

(2) Subscription Agreement between Registrant and Planco Financial Services, Inc., relating to Classes O and P is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 5 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 14, 1990.

 

(3) Subscription Agreement between Registrant and Planco Financial Services, Inc., relating to Class Q is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 5 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 14, 1990.

 

(4) Subscription Agreement between Registrant and Counselors Securities Inc. relating to Classes R, S, and Alpha 1 through Theta 4 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on July 15, 1992, and refiled electronically with Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 30, 1998.

 

(5) Purchase Agreement between Registrant and Boston Partners Asset Management, L.P. relating to Classes TT and UU (Boston Partners Mid Cap Value Fund) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 46 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on September 25, 1997.
  22  

 

(6) Purchase Agreement between Registrant and Schneider Capital Management Company relating to Class YY (Schneider Small Cap Value Fund) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 60 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 29, 1998.

 

(7) Purchase Agreement between Registrant and Boston Partners Asset Management, L.P. relating to Classes DDD and EEE (Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II (formerly Micro Cap Value)) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 60 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 29, 1998.

 

(8) Purchase Agreement between Registrant and Boston Partners Asset Management relating to Classes III and JJJ (Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund (formerly Market Neutral)) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 63 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 14, 1998.

 

(9) Form of Purchase Agreement between Registrant and Boston Partners Asset Management, L. P. relating to Classes KKK and LLL (Boston Partners Fund (formerly Long-Short Equity)) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 65 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 19, 1999.

 

(10) Purchase Agreement (Bogle Investment Management Small Cap Growth Fund) between Registrant and Bogle Investment Management, L.P. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 67 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on September 30, 1999.

 

(11) Purchase Agreement (Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund) between Registrant and Boston Partners Asset Management, L.P. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 80 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on November 1, 2002.

 

(12) Purchase Agreement (Robeco WPG Small/Micro Cap Value Fund f/k/a Robeco WPG Tudor Fund) between Registrant and Weiss, Peck & Greer Investments is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 96 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 6, 2005.

 

(13) Form of Purchase Agreement (Free Market U.S. Equity Fund) between Registrant and Matson Money, Inc. (f/k/a Abundance Technologies, Inc.), is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 112 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 1, 2007.

 

(14) Form of Purchase Agreement (Free Market International Equity Fund) between Registrant and Matson Money, Inc. (f/k/a Abundance Technologies, Inc.), is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 112 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 1, 2007.

 

(15) Form of Purchase Agreement (Free Market Fixed Income Fund) between Registrant and Matson Money, Inc. (f/k/a Abundance Technologies, Inc.), is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 112 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 1, 2007.

 

(16) Purchase Agreement (Robeco Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund) between Registrant and Robeco Investment Management Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 136 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on August 4, 2010.
  23  

 

(17) Form of Purchase Agreement (Robeco Boston Partners Global Equity Fund) between Registrant and Robeco Investment Management Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 142 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 14, 2011.

 

(18) Form of Purchase Agreement (Robeco Boston Partners International Equity Fund) between Registrant and Robeco Investment Management Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 142 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 14, 2011.

 

(19) Purchase Agreement (SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments U.S. Low Volatility Equity Fund) between Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 157 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 29, 2013.

 

(20) Form of Purchase Agreement (Robeco Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund-Investor Class) between Registrant and Robeco Investment Management Inc. is incorporated hereby by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 160 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 23, 2013.

 

(21) Form of Purchase Agreement (Robeco Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund-Institutional Class) between Registrant and Robeco Investment Management Inc. is incorporated hereby by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 160 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 23, 2013.

 

(22) Form of Purchase Agreement (Robeco Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund-Investor Class) between Registrant and Robeco Investment Management Inc. is incorporated hereby by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 160 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 23, 2013.

 

(23) Form of Purchase Agreement (SGI Global Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments Global Low Volatility Fund, f/k/a Scotia Dynamic U.S. Growth Fund) between Registrant and Scotia Institutional Asset Management US, Ltd. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 168 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 30, 2014.

 

(24) Form of Purchase Agreement (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund) between Registrant and Abbey Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 168 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 30, 2014.

 

(25) Form of Purchase Agreement (Adara Smaller Companies Fund (f/k/a Altair Smaller Companies Fund)) between Registrant and Altair Advisers LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 172 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 17, 2014.

 

(26) Form of Purchase Agreement (Campbell Core Trend Fund) between Registrant and Campbell & Company, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 175 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 23, 2014.
  24  

 

(27) Purchase Agreement (Boston Partners Emerging Markets Long/Short Fund) between Registrant and Robeco Investment Management, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 187 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 29, 2015.

 

(28) Form of Purchase Agreement (SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments Small Cap Low Volatility Fund) between Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 195 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 30, 2016.

 

(29) Form of Purchase Agreement (MFAM Global Opportunities Fund (f/k/a Motley Fool Independence Fund) and MFAM Mid-Cap Growth Fund (f/k/a Motley Fool Great America Fund)) between Registrant and Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 206 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 21, 2016.

 

(30) Form of Purchase Agreement (Orinda Income Opportunities Fund) between Registrant and Orinda Asset Management LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 219 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 1, 2017.

 

(31) Form of Purchase Agreement (Campbell Managed Futures 10V Fund) between Registrant and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 220 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 9, 2017.

 

(32) Form of Purchase Agreement (Boston Partners Emerging Markets Fund) between Registrant and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 226 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on August 23, 2017.

 

(33) Form of Purchase Agreement (Motley Fool 100 Index ETF) between Registrant and Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 235 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on January 19, 2018.

 

(34) Purchase Agreement (Aquarius International Fund) between Registrant and Altair Advisers LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.

 

(35) Form of Purchase Agreement (Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund) between Registrant and Abbey Capital Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 243 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 23, 2018.

 

(36) Purchase Agreement (MFAM Small-Cap Growth ETF (f/k/a Motley Fool Small-Cap Growth ETF)) between Registrant and Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 247 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 23, 2018.

 

(37) Purchase Agreement (Boston Partners Global Equity Advantage Fund) between Registrant and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 254 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 21, 2019.
  25  

 

(38) Purchase Agreement (Campbell Advantage Fund) between Registrant and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 254 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 21, 2019.

 

(39) Purchase Agreement (SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity VI Portfolio) between Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC will be filed by amendment.

 

(40) Purchase Agreement (SGI Peak Growth Fund, SGI Prudent Growth Fund, and SGI Conservative Fund) between Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC will be filed by amendment.

 

(m) Rule 12b-1 Plan.

 

(1) Plan of Distribution (Boston Partners Mid Cap Value Fund - Investor Class) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 9, 1997.

 

(2) Plan of Distribution (Boston Partners Small Cap Value Fund II (formerly Micro Cap Value) - Investor Class) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 53 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on April 10, 1998.

 

(3) Amendment to Plans of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 63 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 14, 1998.

 

(4) Plan of Distribution (Boston Partners Long/Short Equity Fund (formerly Market Neutral) - Investor Class) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on November 12, 1998.

 

(5) Plan of Distribution (Boston Partners Fund (formerly Long Short Equity) - Investor Class) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 65 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 19, 1999.

 

(6) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Boston Partners All-Cap Value Fund) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 80 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on November 1, 2002.

 

(7) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Robeco Boston Partners Long/Short Research Fund — Investor Class) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 141 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2010.

 

(8) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Robeco Boston Partners Global Equity Fund — Investor Class) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 142 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 14, 2011.

 

(9) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Robeco Boston Partners International Equity Fund — Investor Class) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 142 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 14, 2011.

 

(10) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments U.S. Low Volatility Equity Fund — Retail Class) is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 144 to Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 15, 2011.
  26  

 

(11) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments U.S. Low Volatility Equity Fund – Class A) is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 144 to Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 15, 2011.

 

(12) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Robeco Boston Partners Global Long/Short Fund — Investor Class) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 154 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on July 11, 2013.

 

(13) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund — Class A) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 168 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 30, 2014.

 

(14) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund — Class C) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 168 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on June 30, 2014.

 

(15) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (SGI U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments U.S. Low Volatility Equity Fund —Class C) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 184 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on October 30, 2015.

 

(16) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (SGI U.S. Small Cap Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments Small Cap Low Volatility Fund – Retail Class) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 195 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 30, 2016.

 

(17) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (SGI U.S. Small-Cap Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments Small Cap Low Volatility Fund – Class C) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 195 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 30, 2016.

 

(18) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Abbey Capital Futures Strategy Fund — Class T) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 216 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on April 10, 2017.

 

(19) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Orinda Income Opportunities Fund — Class A) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 219 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 1, 2017.

 

(20) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Orinda Income Opportunities Fund — Class D) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 219 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on May 1, 2017.

 

(21) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Campbell Systematic Macro Fund — Class A) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 257 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 27, 2019.
  27  

 

(22) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Campbell Systematic Macro Fund — Class P) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 257 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 27, 2019.

 

(23) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Campbell Systematic Macro Fund — Class C) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 257 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 27, 2019.

 

(24) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (SGI Global Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments Global Low Volatility Fund – Class A Shares (formerly Class II Shares)) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 232 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2017.

 

(25) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (SGI Global Equity Fund, f/k/a Summit Global Investments Global Low Volatility Fund – Class C Shares (formerly Institutional Shares)) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 232 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2017.

 

(26) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund – Class A Shares) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 243 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 23, 2018.

 

(27) Plan of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (Abbey Capital Multi Asset Fund – Class C Shares) is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 243 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on March 23, 2018.

 

(n) Rule 18f-3 Plan.

 

Amended Rule 18f-3 Plan is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.

 

(p) Code of Ethics.

 

(1) Code of Ethics of the Registrant is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 232 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 28, 2017.

 

(2) Code of Ethics of Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.

 

(3) Code of Ethics of Schneider Capital Management Company is filed herewith.

 

(4) Code of Ethics of Bogle Investment Management, L.P. is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.

 

(5) Code of Ethics of Matson Money, Inc. is filed herewith.

 

(6) Code of Ethics of Foreside Funds Distributors LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 260 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 14, 2020.
  28  

 

(7) Code of Ethics of Summit Global Investments, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 145 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 30, 2011.

 

(8) Code of Ethics of Abbey Capital Limited is filed herewith.

 

(9) Code of Ethics of Altair Advisers LLC is filed herewith.

 

(10) Code of Ethics of Aperio Group, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.

 

(11) Code of Ethics of Driehaus Capital Management LLC is filed herewith.

 

(12) Code of Ethics of Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC is filed herewith.

 

(13) Code of Ethics of Pier Capital LLC is filed herewith.

 

(14) Code of Ethics of River Road Asset Management, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 261 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 28, 2020.

 

(15) Code of Ethics of Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC is filed herewith.

 

(16) Code of Ethics of Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC is filed herewith.

 

(17) Code of Ethics of Quasar Distributors, LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 260 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 14, 2020.

 

(18) Code of Ethics of Orinda Asset Management LLC is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on December 20, 2019.

 

(19) Code of Ethics of Mawer Investment Management Ltd. is filed herewith.

 

(20) Code of Ethics of Setanta Asset Management Limited is incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 261 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement (No. 33-20827) filed on February 28, 2020.

 

Item 29. PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON CONTROL WITH REGISTRANT

 

None.

 

Item 30. INDEMNIFICATION

 

Sections 1, 2, 3 and 4 of Article VIII of Registrant’s Articles of Incorporation, as amended, incorporated herein by reference as Exhibits (a)(1) and (a)(3), provide as follows:

  29  

 

Section 1. To the fullest extent that limitations on the liability of directors and officers are permitted by the Maryland General Corporation Law, no director or officer of the Corporation shall have any liability to the Corporation or its shareholders for damages. This limitation on liability applies to events occurring at the time a person serves as a director or officer of the Corporation whether or not such person is a director or officer at the time of any proceeding in which liability is asserted.

 

Section 2. The Corporation shall indemnify and advance expenses to its currently acting and its former directors to the fullest extent that indemnification of directors is permitted by the Maryland General Corporation Law. The Corporation shall indemnify and advance expenses to its officers to the same extent as its directors and to such further extent as is consistent with law. The Board of Directors may by law, resolution or agreement make further provision for indemnification of directors, officers, employees and agents to the fullest extent permitted by the Maryland General Corporation law.

 

Section 3. No provision of this Article shall be effective to protect or purport to protect any director or officer of the Corporation against any liability to the Corporation or its security holders to which he would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office.

 

Section 4. References to the Maryland General Corporation Law in this Article are to the law as from time to time amended. No further amendment to the Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation shall decrease, but may expand, any right of any person under this Article based on any event, omission or proceeding prior to such amendment. Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

Section 12 of the Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (“Boston Partners”) (f/k/a Robeco Investment Management, Inc.), incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(9), provides for the indemnification of Boston Partners against certain losses.

 

Section 12 of the Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Bogle Investment Management, L.P. (“Bogle”), dated September 15, 1999 and incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(2) provides for the indemnification of Bogle against certain losses.

 

Section 12 of the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Schneider Capital Management (“Schneider”) incorporated herein by reference as exhibit (d)(1) provides for the indemnification of Schneider against certain losses.

 

Section 12 of each of the Investment Advisory Agreements between the Registrant and Matson Money, Inc. (f/k/a Abundance Technologies, Inc.), (“Matson Money”) incorporated herein by reference as exhibits (d)(3) and (d)(39) provides for the indemnification of Matson Money against certain losses.

  30  

 

Section 12 of each of the Investment Advisory Agreements between the Registrant and Summit Global Investments, LLC (“SGI”) incorporated herein by reference as exhibits (d)(7), (d)(11) and (d)(34) provides for the indemnification of SGI against certain losses.

 

Section 12 of each of the Investment Advisory Agreements with Abbey Capital Limited (“Abbey Capital”) incorporated herein by reference as exhibits (d)(13), (d)(60) and (d)(61) provides for the indemnification of Abbey Capital against certain losses.

 

Section 13 of each of the Investment Advisory Agreements with Abbey Capital incorporated herein by reference as exhibits (d)(14) and (d)(71) provides for the indemnification of Abbey Capital against certain losses.

 

Section 12 of each of the Investment Advisory Agreements between the Registrant and Altair Advisers LLC (“Altair”) incorporated herein by reference as exhibits (d)(23) and (d)(55) provide for indemnification of Altair against certain losses.

 

Section 12 of each of the Investment Advisory Agreements between the Registrant and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC (“CCIA”) incorporated herein by reference as exhibits (d)(25), (d)(26), (d)(46), (d)(47), (d)(77), and (d)(78) provide for indemnification of CCIA against certain losses.

 

Section 12 of the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant, Boston Partners, and CCIA incorporated herein by reference as exhibit (d)(75) provides for indemnification of Boston Partners and CCIA against certain losses.

 

Section 12 of each of the Investment Advisory Agreements between the Registrant and Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC (“Motley Fool”) incorporated herein by reference to exhibits (d)(51), (d)(54), and (d)(73) provides for indemnification of Motley Fool against certain losses.

 

Section 12 of the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Orinda Asset Management LLC (“Orinda”) incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (d)(44) provides for indemnification of Orinda against certain losses.

 

Section 8 of each of the Distribution Agreements between Registrant and Quasar Distributors, LLC incorporated herein by reference to exhibits (e)(1) – (e)(8), (e)(10) and (e)(14) provide for the indemnification of Quasar Distributors, LLC against certain losses.

 

Section 7 of the Distribution Agreement between Registrant and Foreside Funds Distributors, LLC incorporated herein by reference to exhibit (e)(9) provides for the indemnification of Foreside Funds Distributors, LLC against certain losses.

 

Item 31. BUSINESS AND OTHER CONNECTIONS OF THE INVESTMENT ADVISERS.

 

1. Bogle Investment Management, LP:

 

The sole business activity of Bogle Investment Management, LP (“Bogle”), 2310 Washington Street, Suite 310, Newton Lower Falls, MA 02462, is to serve as an investment adviser. Bogle is registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

 

The directors and officers have not held any positions with other companies during the last two fiscal years.

  31  

 

2. Schneider Capital Management Company:

 

The sole business activity of Schneider Capital Management Company (“Schneider”), 1000 Westlakes Drive, Suite 150, Berwyn, Pennsylvania 19312, is to serve as an investment adviser. Schneider is registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. Information as to the directors and officers of Schneider is as follows:

 

Name and Position with Schneider Other Company Position With Other Company
Arnold C. Schneider, III Turnbridge Management Partners Corp. President
President and Chief Investment Officer    

 

3. Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc.

 

The sole business activity of Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc. (“Boston Partners”), One Grand Central Place, 60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1550, New York, New York 10165, is to serve as an investment adviser. Boston Partners provides investment advisory services to the Boston Partners Funds and the WPG Partners Funds.

 

Boston Partners is registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and serves as an investment adviser to domestic and foreign institutional investors, investment companies, commingled trust funds, private investment partnerships and collective investment vehicles. Information as to the directors and officers of Boston Partners is as follows:

 

Name and Position with Boston Partners Other Company Position With Other Company

Joseph F. Feeney, Jr.

Chief Executive Officer,
Chief Investment Officer

Robeco US Holding, Inc. Director

William George Butterly, III

General Counsel, Director of Sustainability & Engagement

Robeco Institutional Asset Management US Inc.

 

Chief Legal Officer, Chief Compliance Officer & Secretary

 

  Boston Partners Securities LLC Chief Legal Officer
  Robeco Trust Company Chief Operating Officer, Secretary & Director
  RobecoSAM USA, Inc. Chief Legal Officer, Chief Compliance Officer & Secretary
  Robeco Boston Partners (UK) Limited Director, Chief Operating Officer & Secretary
Gregory Varner
Chief Financial Officer
   

Matthew Davis

Chief Administrative Officer

Robeco Institutional Asset Management US Inc.  President, Treasurer & Director 
  Boston Partners Securities LLC Chief Financial Officer
  Robeco Trust Company Director, President, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer & Director
  Robeco Boston Partners (UK) Limited Chief Financial Officer
  32  

 

Mark Kuzminskas

Chief Operating Officer

   

David Steyn

Director

Orix Corporation Europe N.V. Chief Executive Officer

Leni M. Boeren

Director

Orix Corporation Europe N.V. Chief Operating Officer
  Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. Director
  RobecoSAM AG Director
  RobecoSAM USA, Inc. Director

Martin Mlynár

Director

Corestone Investment Managers AG Chief Executive Officer
  Source Capital AG Board Member
  Source Capital Holding AG Board Member

 

4. Matson Money, Inc.:

 

The sole business activity of Matson Money, Inc. (“Matson Money”), 5955 Deerfield Blvd., Mason, Ohio 45040, is to serve as an investment adviser. Matson Money is registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

 

Below is a list of each executive officer and director of Matson Money indicating each business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each such person has been engaged within the last two years, for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, partner or trustee.

 

Name and Position with Matson Money, Inc. Name of Other Company Position With Other Company

Mark E. Matson

CEO

Keep It Tight Fitness, LLC

 

50% owner

 

Mark E. Matson

CEO

The Matson Family Foundation

100% owner

 

Michelle Matson

Vice President/ Secretary

None None

Daniel J. List

Chief Compliance Officer

None None
  33  

 

5. Summit Global Investments, LLC:

 

The sole business activity of Summit Global Investments, LLC (“SGI”), 620 South Main Street, Bountiful, Utah 84010, is to serve as an investment adviser. SGI is registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

 

The only employment of a substantial nature of each of SGI’s directors and officers is with SGI.

 

6. Abbey Capital Limited:

 

The only employment of a substantial nature of each of Abbey Capital Limited directors and officers is with Abbey Capital Limited.

 

7. Altair Advisers LLC:

 

The only employment of a substantial nature of each of Altair Advisers LLC directors and officers is with Altair Advisers LLC.

 

8. Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC:

 

The principal business activity of Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC (“CCIA”), 2850 Quarry Lake Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21209, is to serve as an investment adviser. CCIA is registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

 

Below is a list of each executive officer and director of CCIA indicating each business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which each such person has been engaged within the last two years, for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, partner or trustee.

 

Name and Position with CCIA Name of Other Company Position With Other Company

G. Williams Andrews

Chief Executive Officer

Campbell & Company, LP

 

Chief Executive Officer

 

  Campbell & Company, LLC Director and Chief Executive Officer
  Campbell Financial Services, LLC Director
  Campbell Core Offshore Limited Director
  Campbell  Equity Advantage Offshore Fund Limited Director
  Campbell Advantage Offshore Limited Director
  Campbell Offshore Fund Limited Director

Dr. Kevin Cole

Chief Investment Officer

Campbell & Company, LP

 

Chief Investment Officer

 

  Campbell & Company, LLC Director and Chief Investment Officer
  34  

 

Thomas P. Lloyd

General Counsel & Secretary

Campbell & Company, LP General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and Secretary
  Campbell & Company, LLC Director and Secretary
  Campbell Core Offshore Limited Director
 

Campbell Financial Services, LLC

 

Director, President, Chief Compliance Officer, and Secretary
  Campbell Advantage Offshore Limited Director

Gabriel A. Morris

Chief Operating Officer

Campbell & Company, LP

 

Chief Operating Officer 
 

Campbell Financial Services, LLC

 

Director, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Treasurer 
  Campbell & Company, LLC Director and Chief Operating Officer

 

9. Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC:

 

A description of any other business, profession, vocation, or employment of a substantial nature in which Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC and each director, officer, or partner of Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC is or has been engaged within the last two fiscal years for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, employee, partner or trustee, is set forth in the Form ADV of Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC, as filed with the SEC on September 9, 2019, and is incorporated herein by this reference.

 

10. Orinda Asset Management, LLC:

 

A description of any other business, profession, vocation, or employment of a substantial nature in which Orinda Asset Management, LLC and each director, officer, or partner of Orinda Asset Management, LLC is or has been engaged within the last two fiscal years for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, employee, partner or trustee, is set forth in the Form ADV of Orinda Asset Management LLC, as filed with the SEC on October 7, 2019, and is incorporated herein by this reference.

 

Item 32. PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITER

 

(a)(1) Quasar Distributors, LLC, acts as principal underwriter for the following investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended:

 

Advisors Series Trust Managed Portfolio Series
Aegis Funds Manager Directed Portfolios
Allied Asset Advisors Funds Matrix Advisors Fund Trust
Alpha Architect ETF Trust Matrix Advisors Value Fund, Inc.
Angel Oak Funds Trust Monetta Trust
Barrett Opportunity Fund, Inc. Nicholas Equity Income Fund, Inc.
Bridges Investment Fund, Inc. Nicholas Family of Funds, Inc.
  35  

 

Brookfield Investment Funds North Capital Funds Trust
Buffalo Funds Permanent Portfolio Family of Funds
CG Funds Trust Perritt Funds, Inc.
Chestnut Street Fund PRIMECAP Odyssey Funds
Cushing® Mutual Funds Trust Procure ETF Trust I
DoubleLine Funds Trust Procure ETF Trust II
ETF Series Solutions Professionally Managed Portfolios
First American Funds, Inc. Prospector Funds, Inc.
FundX Investment Trust Provident Mutual Funds, Inc.
Glenmede Fund, Inc. Rainier Investment Management Mutual Funds
Glenmede Portfolios The RBB Fund, Inc.
GoodHaven Funds Trust RBC Funds Trust
Greenspring Fund, Inc. Series Portfolios Trust
Harding Loevner Funds, Inc. Thompson IM Funds, Inc.
Hennessy Funds Trust TIGERSHARES Trust
Horizon Funds TrimTabs ETF Trust
Hotchkis & Wiley Funds Trust for Professional Managers
Intrepid Capital Management Funds Trust Trust for Advised Portfolios
Jacob Funds, Inc. USA Mutuals
Jensen Quality Growth Fund Inc. USCA Fund Trust
Kirr Marbach Partners Funds, Inc. USQ Core Real Estate Fund
LKCM Funds Wall Street EWM Funds Trust
LoCorr Investment Trust Westchester Capital Funds
Lord Asset Management Trust Wisconsin Capital Funds, Inc.
MainGate Trust YCG Funds

 

(a)(2) Foreside Funds Distributors LLC serves as principal underwriter for the following investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended:

 

1. FundVantage Trust
2. GuideStone Funds
3. Matthews International Funds (d/b/a Matthews Asia Funds)
4. MFAM Funds, series of The RBB Fund, Inc.
5. New Alternatives Fund
6. Old Westbury Funds, Inc.
7. The Torray Fund
8. Versus Capital Multi-Manager Real Estate Income Fund LLC (f/k/a Versus Global Multi-Manager Real Estate Income Fund LLC)
9. Versus Capital Real Assets Fund LLC
  36  

 

(b)(1) The directors and executive officers of Quasar Distributors, LLC are as follows:

 

Name and Principal Business Address Position and Offices with Quasar Distributors, LLC Positions and Offices with Registrant
Teresa Cowan(1) President, Board Member, Board Chairperson None
Andrew M. Strnad(2) Vice President, Secretary None
Joseph C. Neuberger(1) Board Member None
Anita M. Zagrodnik(1) Board Member None
Stephanie J. Parise(1) Board Member None
Susan LaFond(1) Vice President, Treasurer, Co-Chief Compliance Officer None
Peter A. Hovel(1) Chief Financial Officer None
Jennifer Brunner(1) Vice President, Co-Chief Compliance Officer None
Brett Scribner(3) Assistant Treasurer None
Thomas A. Wolden(3) Assistant Treasurer None

 

(1) This individual is located at 777 East Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53202.
(2) This individual is located at 10 West Market Street, Suite 1150, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46204.
(3) This individual is located at 800 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55402.

 

(b)(2) The following are the Officers and Manager of Foreside Funds Distributors LLC, one of the Registrant’s underwriters. The main business address is 899 Cassatt Road, 400 Berwyn Park, Suite 110, Berwyn, Pennsylvania 19312.

 

Name Address Position with Underwriter Position with Registrant
Richard J. Berthy Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME  04101 President, Treasurer and Manager None
Mark A. Fairbanks Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101 Vice President None
Jennifer K. DiValerio 899 Cassatt Road, 400 Berwyn Park, Suite 110, Berwyn, PA 19312 Vice President None
Susan K. Moscaritolo 899 Cassatt Road, 400 Berwyn Park, Suite 110, Berwyn, PA 19312 Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer None
Jennifer E. Hoopes Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME  04101 Secretary None

  

(c) Not Applicable

 

Item 33. LOCATION OF ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS

 

(1) Boston Partners Global Investors, Inc., One Grand Central Place, 60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1550, New York, New York 10165 (records relating to its function as investment adviser).

 

(2) Schneider Capital Management Co., 1000 Westlakes Drive, Suite 150, Berwyn, Pennsylvania 19312 (records relating to its function as investment adviser).

 

(3) Bogle Investment Management, L.P., 2310 Washington Street, Suite 310, Newton Lower Falls, Massachusetts 02462 (records relating to its function as investment adviser).
  37  

 

(4) Matson Money, Inc. (formerly Abundance Technologies, Inc.), 5955 Deerfield Blvd., Mason, Ohio 45040 (records relating to its function as investment adviser).

 

(5) Summit Global Investments, LLC, 620 South Main Street, Bountiful, Utah 84010 (records relating to its function as investment adviser).

 

(6) Abbey Capital Limited, 1-2 Cavendish Row, Dublin 1, Ireland (records relating to its function as investment adviser).

 

(7) Altair Advisers LLC, 303 West Madison, Suite 600, Chicago, Illinois 60606 (records relating to its function as investment adviser).

 

(8) Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC, 2850 Quarry Lake Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21209 (records relating to its function as investment adviser).

 

(9) Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC, 2000 Duke Street, Suite 275, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 (records relating to its function as investment adviser).

 

(10) Orinda Asset Management, LLC, 3390 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, Suite 250, Lafayette, California 94549 (records relating to its function as investment adviser).

 

(11) U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 (records relating to its function as administrator, transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent).

 

(12) U.S. Bank, N.A., 1555 North RiverCenter Drive, Suite 302, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53212 (records relating to its function as custodian).

 

(13) Quasar Distributors, LLC, 777 East Wisconsin Avenue, Floor 6, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 (records relating to its function as underwriter).

 

(14) Foreside Funds Distributors LLC, 899 Cassatt Road, 400 Berwyn Park, Suite 110, Berwyn, Pennsylvania 19312 (records related to its function as underwriter).

 

Item 34. MANAGEMENT SERVICES

 

None.

 

Item 35. UNDERTAKINGS

 

(a) Registrant hereby undertakes to hold a meeting of shareholders for the purpose of considering the removal of directors in the event the requisite number of shareholders so request.

 

(b) Registrant hereby undertakes to furnish each person to whom a prospectus is delivered a copy of Registrant’s latest annual report to shareholders upon request and without charge.
  38  

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment to its Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized, in the City of Chadds Ford, and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on March 25, 2020.

 

  THE RBB FUND, INC.  
     
  By: /s/ Salvatore Faia  
    Salvatore Faia  
    President  

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the 1933 Act, this Amendment to Registrant’s Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.

 

SIGNATURE   TITLE   DATE
         
/s/ Salvatore Faia   President (Principal Executive Officer) and Chief Compliance Officer    March 25, 2020
Salvatore Faia      
         
/s/ James G. Shaw   Treasurer (Chief Financial Officer)   March 25, 2020
James G. Shaw   and Secretary    
         
*J. Richard Carnall   Director   March 25, 2020
J. Richard Carnall        
         
*Julian A. Brodsky   Director   March 25, 2020
Julian A. Brodsky        
         
*Arnold M. Reichman   Director   March 25, 2020
Arnold M. Reichman        
         
*Robert Sablowsky   Director   March 25, 2020
Robert Sablowsky        
         
*Robert Straniere   Director   March 25, 2020
Robert Straniere        
         
*Nicholas A. Giordano   Director   March 25, 2020
Nicholas A. Giordano        
         
*Gregory P. Chandler   Director   March 25, 2020
Gregory P. Chandler        
         
*Brian T. Shea   Director   March 25, 2020
Brian T. Shea        

 

*By: /s/ Salvatore Faia  
Salvatore Faia  
Attorney-in-Fact  
  39  

 

THE RBB FUND, INC.

 

(the “Company”)

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Know All Men by These Presents, that the undersigned, Julian A. Brodsky, hereby constitutes and appoints Salvatore Faia, Michael P. Malloy, James G. Shaw, Edward Paz, and Robert Amweg, his true and lawful attorneys, to execute in his name, place, and stead, in his capacity as Director or officer, or both, of the Company, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto and all instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith, and to file the same with the Securities and Exchange Commission; and said attorneys shall have full power and authority to do and perform in his name and on his behalf, in any and all capacities, every act whatsoever requisite or necessary to be done in the premises, as fully and to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, said acts of said attorneys being hereby ratified and approved.

  

DATED: February 16, 2017  
     
  /s/ Julian A. Brodsky  
     
  Julian A. Brodsky  
  40  

 

THE RBB FUND, INC.

 

(the “Company”)

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Know All Men by These Presents, that the undersigned, J. Richard Carnall, hereby constitutes and appoints Salvatore Faia, Michael P. Malloy, James G. Shaw, Edward Paz, and Robert Amweg, his true and lawful attorneys, to execute in his name, place, and stead, in his capacity as Director or officer, or both, of the Company, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto and all instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith, and to file the same with the Securities and Exchange Commission; and said attorneys shall have full power and authority to do and perform in his name and on his behalf, in any and all capacities, every act whatsoever requisite or necessary to be done in the premises, as fully and to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, said acts of said attorneys being hereby ratified and approved.

 

DATED: February 16, 2017  
     
  /s/ J. Richard Carnall  
     
  J. Richard Carnall  
  41  

 

THE RBB FUND, INC.

 

(the “Company”)

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Know All Men by These Presents, that the undersigned, Nicholas A. Giordano, hereby constitutes and appoints Salvatore Faia, Michael P. Malloy, James G. Shaw, Edward Paz, and Robert Amweg, his true and lawful attorneys, to execute in his name, place, and stead, in his capacity as Director or officer, or both, of the Company, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto and all instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith, and to file the same with the Securities and Exchange Commission; and said attorneys shall have full power and authority to do and perform in his name and on his behalf, in any and all capacities, every act whatsoever requisite or necessary to be done in the premises, as fully and to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, said acts of said attorneys being hereby ratified and approved.

 

DATED: February 16, 2017  
     
  /s/ Nicholas A. Giordano  
     
  Nicholas A. Giordano  
  42  

 

THE RBB FUND, INC.

 

(the “Company”)

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Know All Men by These Presents, that the undersigned, Arnold M. Reichman, hereby constitutes and appoints Salvatore Faia, Michael P. Malloy, James G. Shaw, Edward Paz, and Robert Amweg, his true and lawful attorneys, to execute in his name, place, and stead, in his capacity as Director or officer, or both, of the Company, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto and all instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith, and to file the same with the Securities and Exchange Commission; and said attorneys shall have full power and authority to do and perform in his name and on his behalf, in any and all capacities, every act whatsoever requisite or necessary to be done in the premises, as fully and to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, said acts of said attorneys being hereby ratified and approved.

 

DATED: February 16, 2017  
     
  /s/ Arnold M. Reichman  
     
  Arnold M. Reichman  
  43  

 

THE RBB FUND, INC.

 

(the “Company”)

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Know All Men by These Presents, that the undersigned, Robert Sablowsky, hereby constitutes and appoints Salvatore Faia, Michael P. Malloy, James G. Shaw, Edward Paz, and Robert Amweg, his true and lawful attorneys, to execute in his name, place, and stead, in his capacity as Director or officer, or both, of the Company, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto and all instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith, and to file the same with the Securities and Exchange Commission; and said attorneys shall have full power and authority to do and perform in his name and on his behalf, in any and all capacities, every act whatsoever requisite or necessary to be done in the premises, as fully and to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, said acts of said attorneys being hereby ratified and approved.

 

DATED: February 16, 2017  
     
  /s/ Robert Sablowsky  
     
  Robert Sablowsky  
  44  

 

THE RBB FUND, INC.

 

(the “Company”)

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Know All Men by These Presents, that the undersigned, Robert A. Straniere, hereby constitutes and appoints Salvatore Faia, Michael P. Malloy, James G. Shaw, Edward Paz, and Robert Amweg, his true and lawful attorneys, to execute in his name, place, and stead, in his capacity as Director or officer, or both, of the Company, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto and all instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith, and to file the same with the Securities and Exchange Commission; and said attorneys shall have full power and authority to do and perform in his name and on his behalf, in any and all capacities, every act whatsoever requisite or necessary to be done in the premises, as fully and to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, said acts of said attorneys being hereby ratified and approved.

 

DATED: February 16, 2017  
     
  /s/ Robert Straniere  
     
  Robert Straniere  
  45  

 

THE RBB FUND, INC.

 

(the “Company”)

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Know All Men by These Presents, that the undersigned, Gregory P. Chandler, hereby constitutes and appoints Salvatore Faia, Michael P. Malloy, James G. Shaw, Edward Paz, and Robert Amweg, his true and lawful attorneys, to execute in his name, place, and stead, in his capacity as Director or officer, or both, of the Company, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto and all instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith, and to file the same with the Securities and Exchange Commission; and said attorneys shall have full power and authority to do and perform in his name and on his behalf, in any and all capacities, every act whatsoever requisite or necessary to be done in the premises, as fully and to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, said acts of said attorneys being hereby ratified and approved.

 

DATED: February 17, 2017  
     
  /s/ Gregory P. Chandler  
     
  Gregory P. Chandler  
  46  

 

THE RBB FUND, INC.

 

(the “Company”)

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Know All Men by These Presents, that the undersigned, Brian T. Shea, hereby constitutes and appoints Salvatore Faia, Michael P. Malloy, James G. Shaw, Edward Paz, and Robert Amweg, his true and lawful attorneys, to execute in his name, place, and stead, in his capacity as Director or officer, or both, of the Company, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto and all instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith, and to file the same with the Securities and Exchange Commission; and said attorneys shall have full power and authority to do and perform in his name and on his behalf, in any and all capacities, every act whatsoever requisite or necessary to be done in the premises, as fully and to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, said acts of said attorneys being hereby ratified and approved.

 

DATED: May 10, 2018  
     
  /s/ Brian T. Shea  
     
  Brian T. Shea  
  47  

 

PEA 263/267

 

EXHIBIT DESCRIPTION
(a)(106) Articles Supplementary of Registrant (SGI Peak Growth Fund, SGI Prudent Growth Fund, and SGI Conservative Fund)
(i)(1) Opinion of Counsel
(i)(2) Consent of Counsel
(p)(3) Code of Ethics of Schneider Capital Management Company
(p)(5) Code of Ethics of Matson Money, Inc.
(p)(8) Code of Ethics of Abbey Capital Limited
(p)(9) Code of Ethics of Altair Advisers LLC
(p)(11) Code of Ethics of Driehaus Capital Management LLC
(p)(12) Code of Ethics of Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC
(p)(13) Code of Ethics of Pier Capital LLC
(p)(15) Code of Ethics of Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC
(p)(16) Code of Ethics of Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC
(p)(19) Code of Ethics of Mawer Investment Management Ltd.
  48  

 

THE RBB FUND, INC.

 

ARTICLES SUPPLEMENTARY

 

THE RBB FUND, INC., a Maryland corporation (the “Corporation”), hereby certifies to the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland that:

 

FIRST: In accordance with the requirements of Section 2-208 of the Maryland General Corporation Law, and under a power contained in the charter of the Corporation (the “Charter”), the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”) adopted resolutions classifying an aggregate of 300,000,000 authorized but unclassified and unissued shares of common stock, par value $.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Corporation as follows:

 

1. Class DDDDDDD. 100,000,000 shares of authorized but unclassified and unissued shares of Common Stock (the “Undesignated Common Stock”) are hereby classified and designated as Class DDDDDDD shares of Common Stock representing interests in the SGI Peak Growth Fund.

 

2. Class EEEEEEE. 100,000,000 shares of the Undesignated Common Stock are hereby classified and designated as Class EEEEEEE shares of Common Stock representing interests in the SGI Prudent Growth Fund.

 

3. Class FFFFFFF. 100,000,000 shares of the Undesignated Common Stock are hereby classified and designated as Class FFFFFFF shares of Common Stock representing interests in the SGI Conservative Fund.

 

SECOND: A description of the shares so classified with the preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends and other distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption as set or changed by the Board of Directors is as set forth in Article VI, Section (6) of the Corporation’s Articles of Incorporation and as set forth elsewhere in the Charter with respect to stock of the Corporation generally, and as follows:

 

1. To the full extent permitted by applicable law, the Corporation may, without the vote of the shares of any class of capital stock of the Corporation then outstanding and if so determined by the Board of Directors:

 

(A)(1) sell and convey the assets belonging to Class DDDDDDD, Class EEEEEEE, and Class FFFFFFF (each a “Class”) to another trust or corporation that is a management investment company (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended) and is organized under the laws of any state of the United States for consideration, which may include the assumption of all outstanding obligations, taxes and other liabilities, accrued or contingent, belonging to such Class and which may include securities issued by such trust or corporation. Following such sale and conveyance, and after making provision for the payment of any liabilities belonging to such Class that are not assumed by the purchaser of the assets belonging to such Class, the Corporation may, at its option, redeem all outstanding shares of such Class at the net asset value thereof as determined by the Board of Directors in accordance with the provisions of applicable law, less such redemption fee or other charge, if any, as may be fixed by resolution of the Board of Directors. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Charter to the contrary, the redemption price may be paid in any combination of cash or other assets belonging to such Class, including but not limited to the distribution of the securities or other consideration received by the Corporation for the assets belonging to such Class upon such conditions as the Board of Directors deems, in its sole discretion, to be appropriate and consistent with applicable law and the Charter;

     

 

(2) sell and convert the assets belonging to a Class into money and, after making provision for the payment of all obligations, taxes and other liabilities, accrued or contingent, belonging to such Class, the Corporation may, at its option, redeem all outstanding shares of such Class at the net asset value thereof as determined by the Board of Directors in accordance with the provisions of applicable law, less such redemption fee or other charge, if any, as may be fixed by resolution of the Board of Directors upon such conditions as the Board of Directors deems, in its sole discretion, to be appropriate and consistent with applicable law and the Charter; or

 

(3) combine the assets belonging to a Class with the assets belonging to any one or more other classes of capital stock of the Corporation if the Board of Directors reasonably determines that such combination will not have a material adverse effect on the stockholders of any class of capital stock of the Corporation participating in such combination. In connection with any such combination of assets, the shares of each Class then outstanding may, if so determined by the Board of Directors, be converted into shares of any other class or classes of capital stock of the Corporation with respect to which conversion is permitted by applicable law, or may be redeemed, at the option of the Corporation, at the net asset value thereof as determined by the Board of Directors in accordance with the provisions of applicable law, less such redemption fee or other charge, or conversion cost, if any, as may be fixed by resolution of the Board of Directors upon such conditions as the Board of Directors deems, in its sole discretion, to be appropriate and consistent with applicable law and the Charter. Notwithstanding any other provision of these Articles Supplementary or the Charter to the contrary, any redemption price, or part thereof, paid pursuant to this section may be paid in shares of any other existing or future class or classes of capital stock of the Corporation;

 

(B) provide that all shares of a Class now or hereafter authorized shall be subject to redemption and redeemable at the option of the holder thereof in accordance with and pursuant to procedures or methods prescribed or approved by the Board of Directors and, if so determined by the Board of Directors, shall be redeemable only in aggregations of such number of shares and on such days as may be determined by, or determined pursuant to procedures or methods prescribed by or approved by, the Board of Directors from time to time; and

  -2-  

 

(C) without limiting the foregoing, at its option, redeem shares of a Class for any other reason if the Board of Directors has determined that it is in the best interest of the Corporation to do so. Any such redemption shall be at the net asset value of such shares of such Class being redeemed less such redemption fee or other charge, if any, as may be fixed by resolution of the Board of Directors and shall be made and effective upon such terms and in accordance with procedures approved by the Board of Directors at such time.

 

2. The shares of Class DDDDDDD, Class EEEEEEE, and Class FFFFFFF Common Stock will be issued without stock certificates.

 

THIRD: The shares aforesaid have been duly classified by the Board of Directors under the authority contained in the Charter. The aggregate number of authorized shares of stock of the Corporation is not changed by these Articles Supplementary.

 

FOURTH: Immediately after the classification of shares of Undesignated Common Stock as shares of Class DDDDDDD, Class EEEEEEE, and Class FFFFFFF Common Stock:

 

(a) the Corporation has the authority to issue 100,000,000,000 shares of its Common Stock, par value $.001 per share, and the aggregate par value of all the shares of all classes is $100,000,000; and

 

(b) the number of authorized shares of each class of Common Stock is as follows:

 

Class A - 100,000,000
Class B - 100,000,000
Class C - 100,000,000
Class D - 100,000,000
Class E - 500,000,000
Class F - 500,000,000
Class G - 500,000,000
Class H - 500,000,000
Class I - 1,500,000,000
Class J - 500,000,000
Class K - 500,000,000
Class L - 1,500,000,000
Class M - 500,000,000
Class N - 500,000,000
Class O - 500,000,000
Class P - 100,000,000
Class Q - 100,000,000
Class R - 500,000,000
Class S - 500,000,000
  -3-  

 

Class T - 500,000,000
Class U - 500,000,000
Class V - 500,000,000
Class W - 100,000,000
Class X - 50,000,000
Class Y - 50,000,000
Class Z - 50,000,000
     
Class AA - 50,000,000
Class BB - 50,000,000
Class CC - 50,000,000
Class DD - 100,000,000
Class EE - 100,000,000
Class FF - 50,000,000
Class GG - 50,000,000
Class HH - 50,000,000
Class II - 100,000,000
Class JJ - 100,000,000
Class KK - 100,000,000
Class LL - 100,000,000
Class MM - 100,000,000
Class NN - 100,000,000
Class OO - 100,000,000
Class PP - 100,000,000
Class QQ - 100,000,000
Class RR - 100,000,000
Class SS - 100,000,000
Class TT - 100,000,000
Class UU - 100,000,000
Class VV - 100,000,000
Class WW - 100,000,000
Class YY - 100,000,000
Class ZZ - 100,000,000
     
Class AAA - 100,000,000
Class BBB - 100,000,000
Class CCC - 100,000,000
Class DDD - 100,000,000
Class EEE - 100,000,000
Class FFF - 100,000,000
Class GGG - 100,000,000
Class HHH - 100,000,000
Class III - 100,000,000
Class JJJ - 100,000,000
Class KKK - 100,000,000
Class LLL - 100,000,000
Class MMM - 100,000,000
Class NNN - 100,000,000
  -4-  

 

Class OOO - 100,000,000
Class PPP - 100,000,000
Class QQQ - 2,500,000,000
Class RRR - 2,500,000,000
Class SSS - 100,000,000
Class TTT - 50,000,000
Class UUU - 50,000,000
Class VVV - 50,000,000
Class WWW - 50,000,000
Class XXX - 100,000,000
Class YYY - 100,000,000
Class ZZZ - 100,000,000
     
Class AAAA - 50,000,000,000
Class BBBB - 700,000,000
Class CCCC - 700,000,000
Class DDDD - 700,000,000
Class EEEE - 100,000,000
Class FFFF - 100,000,000
Class GGGG - 100,000,000
Class HHHH - 100,000,000
Class IIII - 100,000,000
Class JJJJ - 100,000,000
Class KKKK - 100,000,000
Class LLLL - 100,000,000
Class MMMM - 100,000,000
Class NNNN - 100,000,000
Class OOOO - 100,000,000
Class PPPP - 100,000,000
Class QQQQ - 100,000,000
Class RRRR - 100,000,000
Class SSSS - 100,000,000
Class TTTT - 100,000,000
Class UUUU - 100,000,000
Class VVVV - 100,000,000
Class WWWW - 100,000,000
Class XXXX - 100,000,000
Class YYYY - 100,000,000
Class ZZZZ - 100,000,000
     
Class AAAAA - 100,000,000
Class BBBBB - 750,000,000
Class CCCCC - 100,000,000
Class DDDDD - 100,000,000
Class EEEEE - 100,000,000
Class FFFFF - 100,000,000
Class GGGGG - 100,000,000
Class HHHHH - 100,000,000
  -5-  

 

Class IIIII - 100,000,000
Class JJJJJ - 100,000,000
Class KKKKK - 300,000,000
Class LLLLL - 100,000,000
Class MMMMM - 100,000,000
Class NNNNN - 100,000,000
Class OOOOO - 100,000,000
Class PPPPP - 100,000,000
Class QQQQQ - 100,000,000
Class RRRRR - 100,000,000
Class SSSSS - 100,000,000
Class TTTTT - 300,000,000
Class UUUUU - 100,000,000
Class VVVVV - 100,000,000
Class WWWWW - 100,000,000
Class XXXXX - 100,000,000
Class YYYYY - 100,000,000
Class ZZZZZ - 100,000,000
     

Class AAAAAA - 100,000,000
Class BBBBBB - 100,000,000
Class CCCCCC - 100,000,000
Class DDDDDD - 100,000,000
Class EEEEEE - 100,000,000
Class FFFFFF - 100,000,000
Class GGGGGG - 100,000,000
Class HHHHHH - 100,000,000
Class IIIIII - 100,000,000
Class JJJJJJ - 100,000,000
Class KKKKKK - 100,000,000
Class LLLLLL - 100,000,000
Class MMMMMM - 100,000,000
Class NNNNNN - 100,000,000
Class OOOOOO - 100,000,000
Class PPPPPP - 100,000,000
Class QQQQQQ - 100,000,000
Class RRRRRR - 100,000,000
Class SSSSSS - 100,000,000
Class TTTTTT - 100,000,000
Class UUUUUU - 100,000,000
Class VVVVVV - 100,000,000
Class WWWWWW - 100,000,000
Class XXXXXX - 100,000,000
Class YYYYYY - 100,000,000
Class ZZZZZZ - 100,000,000

 

Class AAAAAAA - 100,000,000
Class BBBBBBB - 100,000,000
  -6-  

 

Class CCCCCCC - 100,000,000
Class DDDDDDD - 100,000,000
Class EEEEEEE - 100,000,000
Class FFFFFFF - 100,000,000
     
Class Select - 700,000,000
Class Beta 2 - 1,000,000
Class Beta 3 - 1,000,000
Class Beta 4 - 1,000,000
Class Principal Money - 700,000,000
Class Gamma 2 - 1,000,000
Class Gamma 3 - 1,000,000
Class Gamma 4 - 1,000,000
     
Class Bear Stearns Money - 2,500,000,000
Class Bear Stearns Municipal Money - 1,500,000,000
Class Bear Stearns Government Money - 1,000,000,000
     
Class Delta 4 - 1,000,000
Class Epsilon 1 - 1,000,000
Class Epsilon 2 - 1,000,000
Class Epsilon 3 - 1,000,000
Class Epsilon 4 - 1,000,000
Class Zeta 1 - 1,000,000
Class Zeta 2 - 1,000,000
Class Zeta 3 - 1,000,000
Class Zeta 4 - 1,000,000
Class Eta 1 - 1,000,000
Class Eta 2 - 1,000,000
Class Eta 3 - 1,000,000
Class Eta 4 - 1,000,000
Class Theta 1 - 1,000,000
Class Theta 2 - 1,000,000
Class Theta 3 - 1,000,000
Class Theta 4 - 1,000,000

 

for a total of 87,823,000,000 shares classified into separate classes of Common Stock.

 

FIFTH: The undersigned President of the Corporation acknowledges these Articles Supplementary to be the corporate act of the Corporation and, as to all matters or facts required to be verified under oath, the undersigned President acknowledges that, to the best of his knowledge, information and belief, these matters and facts are true in all material respects and that this statement is made under the penalties for perjury.

 

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]

  -7-  

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, The RBB Fund, Inc. has caused these presents to be signed in its name and on its behalf by its President and attested by its Secretary on the 13th day of March, 2020.

 

ATTEST:   THE RBB FUND, INC.  
         
/s/ James G. Shaw   By: /s/ Salvatore Faia  
James G. Shaw     Salvatore Faia  
Secretary     President  
  -8-  

 

Exhibit (i)(1)

  

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

One Logan Square

Suite 2000

Philadelphia, PA 19103-6996

(215) 988-2700 (Phone)

(215) 988-2757 (Facsimile)

www.faegredrinker.com

 

March 24, 2020

The RBB Fund, Inc.

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

Re: Shares Registered by Post-Effective Amendment No. 263 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A (File No. 33-20827)

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as counsel to The RBB Fund, Inc. (the “Company”) in connection with the preparation and filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Post-Effective Amendment No. 263 (the “Amendment”) to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Board of Directors of the Company has authorized the issuance and sale by the Company of the following classes and numbers of shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share (collectively, the “Shares”), with respect to the Company’s SGI Peak Growth Fund, SGI Prudent Growth Fund, and SGI Conservative Fund:

 

PORTFOLIO CLASS AUTHORIZED SHARES
SGI Peak Growth Fund DDDDDDD 100 million
SGI Prudent Growth Fund EEEEEEE 100 million
SGI Conservative Fund FFFFFFF 100 million

 

The Amendment seeks to register an indefinite number of the Shares.

 

We have reviewed the Company’s Articles of Incorporation, ByLaws, resolutions of its Board of Directors, and such other legal and factual matters as we have deemed appropriate. This opinion is based exclusively on the Maryland General Corporation Law and the federal law of the United States of America.

 

 

March 24, 2020

Page 2

 

Based upon and subject to the foregoing, it is our opinion that the Shares, when issued for payment as described in the Company’s Prospectus offering the Shares and in accordance with the Company’s Articles of Incorporation for not less than $0.001 per share, will be legally issued, fully paid and non-assessable by the Company.

 

We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Amendment to the Company’s Registration Statement.

 

  Very truly yours,  
     
  /s/ Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP  
  Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP  

 

Exhibit (i)(2)

 

CONSENT OF COUNSEL

 

We hereby consent to the use of our name and to the reference to our Firm under the caption “Counsel” in the Statement of Additional Information that is included in Post-Effective Amendment No. 263 to the Registration Statement (No. 33-20827; 811-5518) on Form N-1A of The RBB Fund, Inc., under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, respectively. This consent does not constitute a consent under section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, and in consenting to the use of our name and the references to our Firm under such caption we have not certified any part of the Registration Statement and do not otherwise come within the categories of persons whose consent is required under said section 7 or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder.

 

  /s/ Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP  
  FAEGRE DRINKER BIDDLE & REATH LLP  

 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

March 24, 2020

Effective 9-20-16 Version #10

 

CODE OF ETHICS
OF

SCHNEIDER CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

 

I. PREAMBLE

 

This Code of Ethics (“Code”) is being adopted in compliance with the requirements of Sections 204A and 206 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”) and Rules 204-2 and 204A-1 under the Advisers Act and Section 17(j) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Investment Company Act”) and Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act, to effectuate the purposes and objectives of those provisions of the Advisers Act, the Investment Company Act and the rules promulgated thereunder. Section 204A of the Advisers Act requires the establishment and enforcement of policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent the misuse of material, nonpublic information by investment advisers. Rule 204A-1 requires advisers to establish, maintain and enforce a written code of ethics. Rule 204-2 imposes record keeping requirements with respect to personal securities transactions of access persons (defined below). Section 206 of the Advisers Act makes it unlawful for certain persons including Schneider Capital Management (the “Firm”):

 

1. To employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud any client or prospective client;

 

2. To engage in any transaction, practice or course of business which operates as a fraud or deceit upon any client or prospective client;

 

3. Acting as principal for his own account, knowingly to sell any security to or purchase any security from a client; or acting as broker for a person other than such client, knowingly to effect any sale or purchase of any security for the account of such client, without disclosing to such client in writing before the completion of such transaction, the capacity in which he is acting and obtaining the consent of the client to such transaction. The prohibitions of this paragraph (3) shall not apply to any transaction with a customer of a broker or dealer if such broker or dealer is not acting as an investment adviser in relation to such transaction; or

 

4. To engage in any act, practice, or course of business which is fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative.

 

Similarly, Rule 17j-1(b) of the Investment Company Act makes it unlawful for any affiliated person of the investment adviser of an investment company in connection with the purchase or sale, directly or indirectly, by such person of a Security Held or to be Acquired by the investment company:

 

(1) to employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud the investment company; 

- 2 -

 

Effective 9-20-16 Version #10

 

(2) to make any untrue statement of a material fact to the investment company or to omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made to the investment company, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading;

 

(3) to engage in any act, practice or course of business that operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit on the investment company; or

 

(4) to engage in any manipulative practice with respect to the investment company.

 

This Code contains provisions reasonably necessary to prevent persons from engaging in acts in violation of the above standards and contains procedures reasonably necessary to prevent violations of the Code.

 

A. Standard of Conduct

 

The Firm is committed to ethical conduct and integrity in all aspects of the conduct of our business. The fulfillment of our fiduciary duties to our clients is paramount, and will not be compromised for financial or other goals.

 

The Firm and its employees have a duty of loyalty to our clients. This duty requires that we: act for the benefit of clients; avoid conflicts of interest, or if unavoidable, disclose the conflict and obtain client consent; deal honestly, fairly and in good faith with clients; avoid intentional misconduct; and refrain from competing with or seizing opportunities of our clients, avoid violations of Federal securities laws and comply with the SCM Compliance Manual. In furtherance of our duty to our clients, it is our goal to provide disinterested, impartial advice.

 

The Firm and its employees also have a duty of care to our clients. This duty requires that we use care to manage investments prudently, reflecting the high level of skills possessed by the employees of the Firm, and consider suitability in light of the respective client's investment purpose and restrictions, among other relevant considerations.

 

Each employee of the Firm has a duty to prevent the misuse of material nonpublic information, which includes a complete prohibition against the misuse of material nonpublic information about the Firm's securities recommendations and client securities holdings and transactions.

 

No set of rules can possibly anticipate all the potential trading conflicts of interest between clients and personnel. Any situation subject to interpretation should be decided in favor of the protection of the best interests of the clients. For instance, it would be unethical to execute a personal trade in a security if the person knew or had reason to know that a substantial order in the security in question was likely to be implemented for a client in the foreseeable future, even though to execute the personal trade would be within the letter of the law. 

- 3 -

 

Effective 9-20-16 Version #10

 

This Code of Ethics is adopted by the Board of Directors of the Firm. In summary, this Code is based upon the principle that the directors and officers of the Firm, and certain affiliated persons of the Firm, owe a fiduciary duty to, among others, the clients of the Firm to conduct their affairs, including their personal securities transactions, in such manner to avoid (i) serving their own personal interests ahead of clients; (ii) taking inappropriate advantage of their position with the Firm; and (iii) engaging in any actual or potential conflicts of interest or any abuses of their position of trust and responsibility. This fiduciary duty includes the duty of the Personal Trading Compliance officer and Chief Compliance Officer of the Firm to report violations of this Code of Ethics to the Firm’s Board of Directors. All violations of this Code of Ethics are required to be reported promptly to the Chief Compliance Officer of the Firm.

 

II. POLICY STATEMENT ON INSIDER TRADING

 

The Firm forbids any officer, director or employee from trading, either personally or on behalf of others, including accounts managed by the Firm, on material nonpublic information or communicating material nonpublic information to others in violation of the law. This conduct is frequently referred to as “insider trading.” The Firm’s policy applies to every officer, director and employee and extends to activities within and outside their duties at the Firm. Any questions regarding the Firm’s policy and procedures should be referred to the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

The Term “insider trading” is not defined in the federal securities laws, but generally is used to refer to the use of material nonpublic information to trade in securities (whether or not one is an “insider”) or to communications of material nonpublic information to others. The “manipulative and deceptive devices” prohibited by Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, include the purchase or sale of a security of any issuer, on the basis of material nonpublic information about that security or issuer, in breach of a duty of trust or confidence that is owed directly, indirectly, or derivatively, to the issuer of that security or the shareholders of that issuer, or to any other person who is the source of the material nonpublic information.

 

While the law concerning insider trading is not static, it is generally understood that the law prohibits:

 

1. trading by an insider, while in possession of material nonpublic information, or

 

2. trading by a non-insider, while in possession of material nonpublic information, where the information either was disclosed to the non-insider in violation of an insider’s duty to keep it confidential or was misappropriated, or

 

3. communicating material nonpublic information to others.

- 4 -

 

Effective 9-20-16 Version #10

 

The concept of “insider” is broad. It includes officers, directors and employees of a company. In addition, a person can be a “temporary insider” if he or she enters into a special confidential relationship in the conduct of a company’s affairs and as a result is given access to information solely for the company’s purposes. A temporary insider can include, among others, a company’s attorneys, accountants, consultants, bank lending officers, and the employees of such organizations. In addition, an employee of the Firm may become a temporary insider of a company he or she advises or for which he or she performs other services. For that to occur, the company must expect the Firm employee to keep the disclosed nonpublic information confidential and the relationship must at least imply such a duty before the Firm employee will be considered an insider.

 

Trading on inside information is not a basis for liability unless the information is material. “Material information” generally is defined as information for which there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider it important in making his or her investment decisions, or information that is reasonably certain to have a substantial effect on the price of a company’s securities. Information that officers, directors and employees should consider material includes, but is not limited to, dividend changes, earnings estimates, changes in previously released earnings estimates, significant merger or acquisition proposals or agreements, major litigation, liquidation problems, and extraordinary management developments.

 

Information is nonpublic until it has been effectively communicated to the market place. One must be able to point to some fact to show that the information is generally public. For example, information found in a report filed with the SEC, or appearing in Dow Jones, Reuters Economic Services, The Wall Street Journal or other publications of general circulation would be considered public.

 

Penalties for trading on or communicating material nonpublic information are severe, both for individuals involved in such unlawful conduct and their employers. A person can be subject to some or all of the penalties below even if he or she does not personally benefit from the violation. The penalties include:

 

civil damages
treble damages
jail sentences
fines for the person who committed the violation of up to three times the profit gained or loss avoided, whether or not the person actually benefited: and fines for the employers or other controlling persons of up to the greater of $1,000,000 or three times the amount of the profit gained or loss avoided.

 

Any violation of this Insider Trading Policy can be expected to result in serious sanctions by the Firm, including dismissal of the persons involved.

 

Before trading for yourself or others in the securities of a company about which you may have potential inside information, ask yourself the following questions: 

- 5 -

 

Effective 9-20-16 Version #10

 

1. Is the information material? Is this information that an investor would consider important in making his or her investment decisions? Is this information that would substantially effect the market price of the securities if generally disclosed?

 

2. Is the information nonpublic? To whom has this information been provided? Has the information been effectively communicated to the marketplace?

 

If, after consideration of the above, you believe that the information is material and nonpublic, or if you have questions as to whether the information is material and nonpublic, you should take the following steps.

 

1. Report the matter immediately to the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

2. Do not purchase or sell the securities on behalf of yourself or others.

 

3. Do not communicate the information inside or outside the Firm, other than to the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

4. Upon a determination by the Chief Compliance Officer that the information is material and nonpublic, instructions will be issued promptly to:

 

(a) halt temporarily all trading by the Firm in the security or securities of the pertinent issuer and all recommendations of such security or securities;

 

(b) ascertain the validity and non-public nature of the information with the issuer of the securities;

 

(c) request the issuer or other appropriate parties to disseminate the information promptly to the public, if the information is valid and non-public; or

 

(d) in the event the information is not publicly disseminated, consult counsel and request advice as to what further steps should be taken, including possible publication by the Firm of the information, before transactions or recommendations in the securities are resumed.

 

5. Upon a determination by the Firm’s Chief Compliance Officer that the information is public or not material, you will be allowed to trade and communicate the information.

- 6 -

 

Effective 9-20-16 Version #10

 

Information in your possession that you identify as material and nonpublic may not be communicated to anyone, including persons within the Firm, except as provided above. In addition, care should be taken so that such information is secure. For example, files containing material nonpublic information should be sealed; access to computer files containing material nonpublic information should be restricted.

 

Investment decisions made by the Firm may not be disclosed to anyone other than Firm clients, including a spouse or other relative or a social or business acquaintance.

 

The role of the Chief Compliance Officer and the Personal Trading Compliance Officer is critical to the implementation and maintenance of the Firm’s policy and procedures against insider trading. The Firms’ Supervisory Procedures can be divided into two classifications - prevention of insider trading and detection of insider trading.

 

To prevent insider trading, the Firm will:

 

1. provide, on a regular basis, an education program to familiarize officers, directors and employees with the Firm’s policy and procedures, and

 

2. when it has been determined that an officer, director or employee of the Firm has material nonpublic information,

 

a) implement measures to prevent dissemination of such information, and

 

b) if necessary, restrict officers, directors and employees from trading the securities.

 

To detect insider trading, the Personal Trading Compliance Officer and the Chief Compliance Officer will:

 

3. review the trading activity reports filed by each officer, director and employee, and

 

4. review the trading activity of accounts managed by the Firm.

 

III. DEFINITIONS

 

A. “Access Person” means any of the Firm’s supervised persons, including any temporary employee, who has access to nonpublic information regarding any client’s purchase or sale of securities, or nonpublic information regarding the portfolio holdings of any “reportable fund”, or who is involved in making securities recommendations to clients, or who has access to recommendations that are nonpublic. A “reportable fund” is any fund for which the Firm serves as investment adviser, or any fund whose investment adviser or principal underwriter controls the Firm, is controlled by the Firm, or is under common control with the Firm. All of the Firm’s directors and officers are access persons.

- 7 -

 

Effective 9-20-16 Version #10

 

B. “Advisory Person” means (a) any employee of the Firm (or any company in a control relationship to the Firm) who, in connection with his or her regular functions or duties, normally makes, participates in, or obtains information regarding the purchase or sale of Covered Securities (as defined below) by the Firm on behalf of its Clients (as defined below), or whose function relates to making of any recommendations with respect to such purchases or sales; and (b) any natural person in a control relationship to the Firm who obtains information concerning recommendations made to a Client with regard to the purchase or sale of a security by the Firm on behalf of its Clients.

 

C. “Automatic investment plan” means a program in which regular periodic purchases (or withdrawals) are made automatically in (or from) investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation. An automatic investment plan includes a dividend reinvestment plan.

 

D. A security is “being considered for purchase or sale” or is “being purchased or sold” when a recommendation to purchase or sell the security has been made and communicated, which includes when the Firm has a pending “buy” or “sell” order with respect to a security, and, with respect to the person making the recommendation, when such person is seriously considering making such a recommendation. “Purchase or sale of a Covered Security” includes the writing of an option to purchase or sell a Covered Security.

 

E. “Beneficial ownership” shall be interpreted in the same manner as it would be under Rule 16a-1(a)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) in determining whether a person is the beneficial owner of a security for purposes of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder. Generally speaking, beneficial ownership encompasses those situations where the beneficial owner has the right to enjoy some economic benefit from the ownership of the security. A person is normally regarded as the beneficial owner of securities held in the name of his or her spouse or minor children living in his or her household. Reports required by this Code may contain a statement that the report will not be construed as an admission that the person making the report has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership in the security to which the report relates.

 

F. “Client” includes both private accounts managed by the Firm and Investment Companies and Proprietary Accounts as defined below.

 

G. “Control” shall have the same meaning as that set forth in Section 202(a) (12) of the Advisers Act and 2(a)(9) of the Investment Company Act. These sections generally provide that “control” means the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a company, unless such power is solely the result of an official position with such company.

 

H. “Covered Security” means a security as defined in Section 2(a)(36) of the Investment Company Act and Section 202(a)(18) of the Advisers Act, except that it shall not include direct obligations of the Government of the United States, bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments (any instrument that has a maturity at issuance of less than 366 days and is rated in one of the two highest categories by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization) including repurchase agreements, shares issued by money market funds, and shares issued by open-end investment companies other than reportable funds, and shares issued by unit investment trusts that are invested exclusively in one or more open-end funds, unless the adviser or a control affiliate acts as the investment adviser or principal underwriter for the fund. An Exchange Traded Fund (ETF’s) is considered a Covered Security.

- 8 -

 

Effective 9-20-16 Version #10

 

I. “Federal securities laws” means the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, Title V of the Gramm-Leach- Bliley Act, any rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under any of these statues, the Bank Secrecy Act as it applies to investment companies and investment advisers, and any rules adopted thereunder by the SEC or the Department of the Treasury.

 

J. “Initial Public Offering” means an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933, the issuer of which, immediately before the registration was not subject to the reporting requirements of Sections 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act.

 

K. “Investment Company” means a company registered as such under the Investment Company Act or any series thereof for which the Firm is the adviser or sub-adviser.

 

L. “Investment Personnel” means (a) any Portfolio Manager of the firm as defined below; or (b) any employee of the Firm (or any company in a control relationship to the Firm) who in connection with his or her regular functions or duties, makes or participates in making recommendations regarding the purchase or sale of securities by the Firm on behalf of its Clients; or (c) any natural person who controls the Firm and who obtains information concerning recommendations made by the Firm on behalf of its Clients regarding the purchase or sale of securities by the Firm on behalf of its Clients.

 

M. “Limited Offering” means an offering that is exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) pursuant to Section 4(2) or Section 4(6) or pursuant to Rule 504, Rule 505 or Rule 506 under the Securities Act.

 

N. “Portfolio Manager” means an employee of the Firm entrusted with the direct responsibility and authority to make investment decisions.

 

O. A “Security Held or to be Acquired” by the Firm on behalf of a Client means: (i) any Covered Security which within the most recent 7 days: (a) is or has been held by a Client; or (b) is being or has been considered by the Firm for purchase by the Firm on behalf of a Client; and (ii) any option to purchase or sell and any security convertible into or exchangeable for a Covered Security described above.

- 9 -

 

Effective 9-20-16 Version #10

 

P. “Proprietary Account” means an account that is managed by the Firm and the Firm or principle of the Firm owns a substantial interest. For purposes of applying this Code of Ethics, Proprietary Accounts are considered a Client accounts for trading, reporting and recordkeeping purposes.

 

IV. PROHIBITED TRANSACTIONS

 

The prohibitions set forth below shall apply to Access Persons, Investment Personnel and Portfolio Managers.

 

1. No person shall engage in any act, practice or course of conduct, which would violate the provisions of Section 206 and Rule 17j-1 set forth above.

 

2. No person shall:

 

a) purchase or sell, directly or indirectly, any Covered Security in which he or she has or by reason of such transaction acquires, any direct or indirect beneficial ownership and which to his or her actual knowledge at the time of such purchase or sale:

 

(1) is being considered for purchase or sale by the Firm on behalf of any Client, or

 

(2) is being purchased or sold by the Firm on behalf of any Client.

 

b) No person shall reveal to any other person (except in the normal course of his or her duties on behalf of a Client) any information regarding securities transactions by a Client or consideration by a Client or the Adviser of any such securities transaction.

 

c) No person shall, in the absence of prior approval by the Compliance Officer, sell any Covered Security that was purchased, or purchase cover a Covered Security that was sold short, within the prior 60 calendar days. Purchases or sales which are non-volitional on the part of the person, including expiration of any options or futures position that was opened within 60 calendar days, are exempt from this requirement. A form for pre-approval is attached hereto as Exhibit D.

- 10 -

 

Effective 9-20-16 Version #10

 

d) No person shall acquire any securities in an Initial Public Offering;

 

e) No person shall purchase any securities in a Limited Offering, without prior approval of the Chief Compliance Officer of the Firm or other officer designated by the Board of Directors. Any person authorized to purchase securities in a private placement shall disclose that investment when they play a part in any subsequent consideration by the Firm of an investment in the issuer. In such circumstances, the Firm’s decision to purchase securities of the issuer shall be subject to the independent review by Investment Personnel with no personal interest in the issuer. A record of any decision and the reason supporting the decision to approve the acquisition by Access Persons of a Limited Offering shall be maintained as described below. Limited Offerings include private investment funds and hedge funds.

 

f) No person shall serve on the board of directors of any publicly traded company or membership in an investment organization without prior authorization of the President or other duly authorized officer of the Firm. Any such authorization shall be based upon a determination that the board service would be consistent with the interests of the Firm’s Clients. Authorization of board service shall be subject to the implementation by the Firm of “Chinese Wall” or other procedures to isolate such Investment Personnel from the Investment Personnel making decision about trading in that company’s securities. Certain employees of the Firm shall disclose any board positions (including charitable organizations or other non-profit organizations) on an annual basis.

 

g) No person shall buy or sell a Covered Security within seven (7) calendar days before and after any Client of the Firm trades in that security if the Covered Security was being considered for purchase or sale at the time of the person’s transaction. For purposes of counting the days, the last trade date by the firm is counted as day one (1). (Example: last trade by Firm was executed on May 1; personal trade may be executed on May 8th). Any trades made within the proscribed period shall be unwound, if possible. Otherwise, any profits realized on trades within the proscribed period shall be disgorged.

- 11 -

 

Effective 9-20-16 Version #10

 

The Personal Trading Compliance Officer of the Firm shall identify all persons who are considered to be Access Persons, Investment Personnel and Portfolio Managers and shall notify and inform such persons of their respective obligations under this Code, and shall deliver a copy of this Code of Ethics and any amendments to each such person. Each person shall acknowledge, in writing, his or her receipt of the Code and any amendments.

 

V. EXEMPTED TRANSACTIONS

 

A. The prohibitions of Section IV shall not apply to:

 

1. purchases or sales effected for, or held in, in any account over which the Access Person has no direct or indirect influence or control;

 

2. purchases or sales which are non-volitional on the part of either the Access Person or the Firm;

 

3. purchases which are part of an automatic investment plan, including an automatic dividend reinvestment plan;

 

4. purchases effected upon the exercise of rights issued by an issuer pro rata to all holders of a class of its securities, to the extent such rights were acquired from such issuer, and sales of such rights so acquired;

 

5. purchases or sales of securities which are not related economically to securities purchased, sold or held by the Firm;

 

6. transactions which appear upon reasonable inquiry and investigation to present no reasonable likelihood of harm to the Firm’s Clients and which are otherwise in accordance with this Code, Section 206 of the Advisers Act and Rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act; for example, such transactions would normally include

 

a) purchases or sales by a Person of up to 1,000 shares of a security which is being considered for purchase or sale by the Firm (but not then being purchased or sold) and the issuer has a market capitalization of over $1 billion;

 

b) or if the security and shares being considered for purchase or sale by the Firm (but not then being purchased or sold) is less than one percent of the average daily reported volume of trading in such securities on all national securities exchanges and/or reported through the automated quotation system of a registered securities association, during the four calendar weeks prior to the individual’s personal securities transaction;

 

c) or the purchase or sale by the Firm is less than 1000 shares or less than $25,000 and the issuer has a market capitalization of over $1 billion (generally following portfolio rebalancing from cash flows) and all client orders have been executed or withdrawn.

- 12 -

 

Effective 9-20-16 Version #10

 

7. purchases or sales effected for, or held in a Proprietary Account, except where prohibited under the Adviser Act, Investment Company Act or any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder.

 

VI. COMPLIANCE PROCEDURES

 

A. Pre-clearance

 

1. All Access Persons shall receive prior written approval from the Chief Compliance Officer, Personal Trading Compliance Officer, or other officer designated by Chief Compliance Officer before purchasing or selling Covered Securities (See Exhibit E). Any approval is valid only for one day after authorization is received. If an Access Person is unable to effect the securities transaction during such period, he or she must re-obtain approval prior to effecting the securities transaction. The Personal Trading Compliance Officer shall receive pre-approval from the Chief Compliance Officer or Senior Trader before purchasing or selling Covered Securities.

 

The Personal Trading Compliance Officer will decide whether to approve a personal securities transaction for an Access Person after considering the specific restrictions and limitations set forth in, and the spirit of, this Code of Ethics, including whether the security at issue is being considered for purchase or sale for a Client. The Personal Trading Compliance Officer is not required to give any explanation for refusing to approve a securities transaction.

 

2. Purchases or sales of Covered Securities which are not eligible for purchase or sale by the Firm or any Client of the Firm that serves as the basis of the individual’s “Access Person” status shall be entitled to clearance automatically from the Personal Trading Compliance Officer.

 

B. Disclosure of Personal Holdings

 

1. Within 10 days after initially becoming an Access Person and between January 1 and January 30 of each calendar year, all Access Persons shall disclose to the Personal Trading Compliance Officer of the Firm (a) the title and type of Security, the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, number of shares and principal amount of each Covered Security in which the Access Person has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership (b) the name of any broker, dealer or bank with whom the Access Person maintains an account in which any securities were held for the direct or indirect benefit of the Access Person; and (c) the date the Access Person submits the report. Information must be current as of a date no more than 45 days before the report is submitted. The initial holdings report shall be made on the form attached as Exhibit A and the annual holdings report shall be made on the form attached as Exhibit B. Such reports shall be delivered to the Personal Trading Compliance Officer of the Firm. An Access Person shall not be required to make a report with respect to transactions effected for, and Covered Securities held in, any account over which such person does not have any direct or indirect influence.

- 13 -

 

Effective 9-20-16 Version #10

 

C. Certification of Compliance with Code of Ethics

 

1. Every Access Person shall certify annually that:

 

a) they have read and understand the Code of Ethics; and

 

b) they have complied with the requirements of the Code of Ethics; and

 

c) they have reported all personal securities transactions and beneficial holdings in Covered Securities required to be reported pursuant to the requirements of the Code of Ethics.

 

2. The annual report shall be made on the form attached as Exhibit B and delivered to the Personal Trading Compliance Officers of the Firm.

 

D. Quarterly Reporting Requirements

 

1. Every Access Person shall report to the Personal Trading Compliance Officer of the Firm the information described in Sub-paragraph (D)(2) of this Section with respect to transactions in any security in which such person has, or by reason of such transaction acquires or disposes of, any direct or indirect beneficial ownership in a Covered Security; provided, however, that an Access Person shall not be required to make a report with respect to transitions effected for a Proprietary Account orCovered Securities held in, any account over which such person does not have any direct or indirect influence.

 

2. Reports required to be made under this Paragraph (D) shall be made not later than 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter in which the transaction to which the report relates was effected. Every Access Person shall be required to submit a report for all periods, including those periods in which no securities transactions were effected. A report shall be made on the form attached hereto as Exhibit C or on any other form containing the following information:

 

a) the date of the transaction, the title, the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, the interest rate and maturity date (if applicable), class and the number of shares, and the principal amount of each Covered Security involved;

- 14 -

 

Effective 9-20-16 Version #10

 

b) the nature of the transaction (i.e., purchases, sales or any other type of acquisition or disposition);

 

c) the price of the Covered Security at which the transaction was effected;

 

d) the name of the broker, dealer or bank and applicable account with or through whom the transaction was effected;

 

e) the date that the report was submitted by the Access Person; and

 

f) with respect to any account established by an Access Person in which any securities were held during the quarter for the direct or indirect benefit of the Access Person:

 

(i) the name of the broker, dealer or bank with whom the Access Person established the account; (ii) the date the account was established; (iii) the account number and (iv) the date that the report was submitted by the Access Person.

 

3. Any such report may contain a statement that the report shall not be construed as an admission by the person making such report that he or she has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership in the security to which the report relates.

 

4. Every Access Person shall direct their brokers to supply to the Personal Trading Compliance Officer of the Firm, on a timely basis, duplicate copies of the confirmation of all personal securities transactions and copies of all periodic statements for all securities transactions that were effected. Every Access Person shall submit the report referred to in Section VI(D)(2). Notwithstanding Section VI(D)(2) of the Code an Access Person need not make a quarterly transaction report where the report would duplicate information contained in broker trade confirmations or account statements received by the Firm in the time period required herein if all of the information required by Section VI(D)(2) is contained in such confirmation or account statements.

 

E. Miscellaneous

 

1. Reports submitted to the Personal Compliance Officer of the Firm pursuant to this Code of Ethics shall be confidential and shall be provided only to the Chief Compliance Officer, the compliance administrator, and directors of the Firm, counsel or regulatory authorities upon appropriate request.

- 15 -

 

Effective 9-20-16 Version #10

 

2. These reporting requirements shall apply whether or not one of the exemptions listed in Section V applies except that an Access Person shall not be required to make a report with respect to securities transactions effected for, and any Covered Securities held in, any account over which such Access Person does not have any direct or indirect influence or control, or transactions effected pursuant to an automatic investment plan.

 

F. Conflict of Interest

 

1. Every Access Person shall notify the Chief Compliance Officer of the Firm of any personal conflict of interest relationship which may involve the Firm’s Clients such as the existence of any economic relationship between their transactions and securities held or to be acquired by any Client of the Firm. Such notification shall occur in the pre-clearance process.

 

VII. DUTY TO REPORT VIOLATION

 

Employees have a duty to immediately report to the Chief Compliance Officer or the President of SCM any matters that may constitute violations of this Code, securities laws or activity that may be considered fraudulent or illegal in nature, or potentially injurious to the good reputation of SCM. Employees may report matters directly or anonymously if so desired without fear of retaliation by any supervisor or officer of SCM.

 

VIII. REPORTING OF VIOLATIONS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

A. The Personal Trading Compliance Officer and the Chief Compliance Officer shall be responsible for the review of the quarterly transaction reports, the initial holdings reports and annual holdings reports required under Section VI of this Code of Ethics. In connection with the review of these reports, the Personal Trading Compliance Officer and the Chief Compliance Officer shall take appropriate measures to determine whether each Access Person has complied with the provisions of this Code of Ethics. The Chief Compliance Officer of the Firm shall prepare an annual report relating to this Code of Ethics to the Board of Directors of the Firm and each Investment Company as requested. Such annual report shall:

 

1. describe any issues arising under the Code since the last report including, but not limited to information about material violations of the Code and sanctions imposed in response to material violations;

 

2. summarize existing procedures concerning personal investing and any changes in the procedures made during the past year;

- 16 -

 

Effective 9-20-16 Version #10

 

3. identify any recommended changes in the existing restrictions or procedures based upon the Firm’s experience under its Code of Ethics, evolving industry practices or developments in applicable laws or regulations; and

 

4. certify to the Board of Trustees/Directors that the Firm has adopted procedures that are reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating this Code of Ethics.

 

IX. SANCTIONS

 

A. Upon discovering a violation of this Code, the Board of Directors may impose such sanctions as they deem appropriate, including, among other things, a letter of censure or suspension or termination of the employment of the violator. In addition, as part of any sanction, the Firm may require the Access Person or other individual involved to reverse the trade(s) at issue and forfeit any profit or absorb any loss from the trade.

 

X. RETENTION OF RECORDS

 

A. This Code of Ethics, a record of all persons, currently or within the past five years, who are or were required to make reports, a record of all persons, currently or within the past five years, who are or were responsible for reviewing reports, a copy of each initial holdings, annual holdings and quarterly transaction report (including any brokerage confirmation or account statements provided in lieu of the reports) made by an Access Person hereunder, a copy of each board report made pursuant to Section VII, a record of any decision and the reason supporting the decision to approve the acquisition by Investment Personnel of Limited Offerings; each memorandum made by the Personal Trading Compliance Officer or Chief Compliance Officer of the Firm hereunder and a record of any violation hereof and any action taken as a result of such violation, shall be maintained by the Firm as required by the Advisers and the Investment Company Act, including as required by Rules 204-2(a)(12) and 204-2(a)(13) under the Advisers Act.

 

XI. EXCEPTIONS TO THE CODE

 

Although exceptions to the Code will rarely, if ever, be granted, the Chief Compliance Officer may make exceptions on a case by case basis, from any of the provisions of this Code, upon a determination that the conduct at issue involves a negligible opportunity for abuse or otherwise merits an exception from the Code. No waiver of compliance with any Code provision required by Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act will be granted. All such exceptions must be received in writing by the person requesting the exception before becoming effective. The Chief Compliance Officer shall report any exception to the board of directors/trustees of any Investment Company with respect to which the exception applies at its next regularly scheduled Board meetings. 

- 17 -

 

Effective 9-20-16 Version #10

 

XII. APPROVAL OF CODE OF ETHICS AND AMENDMENTS TO THE CODE OF ETHICS

 

The board of trustees/directors of each Investment Company shall approve this Code of Ethics. Any material amendments to this Code of Ethics must be approved by the board of trustees/directors of each Investment Company no later than six months after the adoption of the material change. Before their approval of this Code of Ethics and any material amendments hereto, the Firm shall provide a certification to the board of trustees/directors of each such Investment Company that the Firm has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating the Code of Ethics.

 

- 18 -

 

Exhibit A

1 of   

 

SCHNEIDER CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

 

CODE OF ETHICS

 

INITIAL REPORT

 

To the Personal Trading Compliance Officer of Schneider Capital Management:

 

1. I hereby acknowledge receipt of a copy of the Code of Ethics for Schneider Capital Management, Corporation, the (“Firm”).

 

2. I have read and understand the Code and recognize that I am subject thereto in the capacity of an “Access Person.”

 

3. Except as noted below, I hereby certify that I have no knowledge of the existence of any personal conflict of interest relationship which may involve Firm Clients, such as any economic relationship between my transactions and securities held or to be acquired by the Firm Clients or any related portfolios.

 

4. As of the date below, I have a direct or indirect beneficial ownership in the following Covered Securities which are required to be reported under the Firm’s Code of Ethics (see attached form):

 

Title and type of Security

Number of Shares

Principal Amount

Exchange ticker Symbol or CUSIP

       
       
       

 

The name of any broker, dealer or bank with whom I maintain an account in which my Covered Securities are held for my direct or indirect benefit are as follows:

 

NAME OF

BROKER/BANK

ACCOUNT

NUMBER

BROKER

BANK/ADDRESS

DATE

ESTABLISHED

       
       
       
       
       

 

This report (i) excludes transactions with respect to which I had no direct or indirect influence or control, (ii) excludes other transactions not required to be reported, and (iii) is not an admission that I have or had any direct or indirect beneficial ownership in the securities listed above.

 

Date:     Signature:  
         
      Print Name:   

 

 

Exhibit A

2 of   

 

SCHNEIDER CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

 

CODE OF ETHICS

 

INITIAL REPORT

 

Title and type of Security Number of Shares Principal Amount Exchange ticker Symbol or CUSIP Account
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         

 

 

Exhibit B

1 of   

 

SCHNEIDER CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

 

CODE OF ETHICS

 

ANNUAL REPORT

 

To the Personal Trading Compliance Officer of Schneider Capital Management:

 

1. I have read and understand the Code and recognize that I am subject thereto in the capacity of an “Access Person.”

 

2. I hereby certify that, during the year ended_______________, 200 , I have complied with the requirements of the Code and I have reported all securities transactions and beneficial holdings, required to be reported pursuant to the Code.

 

3. Except as noted below, I hereby certify that I have no knowledge of the existence of any personal conflict of interest relationship which may involve Firm Clients, such as any economic relationship between my transactions and securities held or to be acquired by Firm Clients or any related portfolios.

 

4. As of the date below, I have a direct or indirect beneficial ownership in the following Covered Securities which are required to be reported under the Firm’s Code of Ethics (see attached form):

 

Title and type of Security Number of Shares Principal Amount Exchange ticker Symbol or CUSIP
       
       
       

 

The name of any broker, dealer or bank with whom I maintain an account in which my securities are held for my direct or indirect benefit are as follows:

 

NAME OF BROKER/BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER BROKER BANK/ADDRESS DATE ESTABLISHED
       
       
       
       
       

 

This report (i) excludes transactions with respect to which I had no direct or indirect influence or control, (ii) excludes other transactions not required to be reported, and (iii) is not an admission that I have or had any direct or indirect beneficial ownership in the securities listed above.

 

Date:     Signature:  
         
      Print Name:   

 

 

Exhibit B

2 of   

 

SCHNEIDER CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

 

CODE OF ETHICS

 

ANNUAL REPORT

 

Title and type of Security Number of Shares Principal Amount Exchange ticker Symbol or CUSIP Account
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         

 

 

Exhibit C

1 of 2

 

SCHNEIDER CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

 

Securities Transactions Report for the Calendar Quarter Ended:______________________________

 

To the Personal Trading Compliance Officer of Schneider Capital Management, Inc. (the “Firm”):

 

During the quarter referred to above, the following transactions were effected in securities of which I had, or by reason of such transaction acquired, direct or indirect beneficial ownership, and which are required to be reported pursuant to the Code of Ethics adopted by the Firm (see attached form).

 

Security Date of Transaction Number of Shares Principal Amount Interest Rate and Maturity Date (if applicable) Nature of Transaction (Purchase, Sale, Other) Price Broker/Dealer or Bank Through Whom Effected Exchange ticker Symbol or CUSIP
                 
                 
                 

 

During the quarter referred to above, I established the following accounts in which securities were held during the quarter for my direct or indirect benefit:

 

NAME OF BROKER/BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER BROKER BANK/ADDRESS DATE ESTABLISHED
       
       
       

 

This report (i) excludes transaction with respect to which I had no direct or indirect influence or control, (i) excludes other transactions not required to be reported, and (iii) is not admission that I have or had any direct or indirect beneficial ownership in the securities listed above.

 

Except as noted on the reverse side of this report, I hereby certify that I have no knowledge of the existence of any personal conflict of interest relationship between my transactions and securities held or to be acquired by Firm Clients or any related portfolios.

 

NOTE: Do not report transactions in direct obligations of the U.S. Government, bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments and shares issued by open-end investment companies.

 

Date:     Signature  

 

  Print Name    
       
  Title:    

 

 

Exhibit C

2 of 2

 

Security Date of Transaction Number of Shares Principal Amount Interest Rate and Maturity Date (if Applicable Nature of Transaction (Purchase, Sale, Other) Price Broker/Dealer or Bank Through Whom Effected Exchange ticker Symbol or CUSIP
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 

 

 

Exhibit D

1 of   

 

SCHNEIDER CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

 

Securities Transactions Report Relating to Short Term Trading

 

For the Sixty Day Period from________________________to ________________________

 

To the Personal Trading Compliance Officer of Schneider Capital Management, (the “Firm”):

 

During the 60 calendar day period referred to above, the following purchases and sales, or short sales and cover purchases, of the same (or equivalent) securities are proposed to be effected in securities of which I have, or by reason of such transaction acquired, direct or indirect beneficial ownership (see attached form).

 

Security Number of Shares Principal Amount

Interest Rate and Maturity

Date (if applicable)

Nature of Transaction (Purchase, Sale, Other) Exchange ticker Symbol or CUSIP
           
           
           

 

This report (1) excludes transactions with respect to which I had no direct or indirect influence or control, (2) excludes other transactions not required to be reported, and (3) is not admission that I have or had any direct or indirect beneficial ownership in the securities listed above.

 

With respect to (1) portfolios of the Firm’s Clients that serve as the basis for my “investment personnel” status with the Firm; and (2) transactions in the securities set forth in the table above, I hereby certify that:

 

a) I have no knowledge of the existence of any personal conflict of interest relationship which may involve Firm Clients, such as front-running transactions or the existence of any economic relationship between my transactions and securities held or to be acquired by Firm Clients;

 

b) such securities, including securities that are economically related to such securities, involved in the transaction are not (i) being considered for purchase or sale by Firm Clients, or (ii) being purchased or sold by Firm Clients; and

 

c) the transactions are in compliance with the Code of Ethics of the Firm.

 

 

Exhibit D

2 of   

 

Date:     Signature    
           
      Print Name    
           
      Title:    

 

In accordance with the provisions of Section IV.A.2(c) of the Code of Ethics of the Firm, the transaction proposed to be effected as set for in this Report is:

 

Authorized: [          ]
Unauthorized: [          ]

 

Date:     Signature:  
      Personal Trading Compliance Officer or Designee

 

 

Exhibit D

3 of   

 

SCHNEIDER CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

 

Security Number of Shares Principal Amount Interest Rate and Maturity Date (if applicable) Nature of Transaction (Purchase, Sale, Other) Exchange ticker Symbol or CUSIP
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           

 

 

Exhibit E

1 of 1

 

SCHNEIDER CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

 

PRE-CLEARANCE NOTIFICATION

 

Date:_______

 

BUY / SELL

Are you selling or covering a position that was opened within the last 60 days?

Yes:____No:____If Yes, you must complete the Short Term Trading Request Form

 

SECURITY:    
     
SHARES/AMOUNT:    
     
APPROXIMATE PRICE:    
     
BROKERAGE ACCOUNT:    

 

Are you or any family member (defined as a person’s parents, mother-in-law or father-in-law, spouse, brother or sister, brother-in-law or sister-in-law, son-in-law or daughter-in-law, or child) an officer or board member of the company in which you intend to take a position?

Yes: ____     No: ____         Uncertain____(please see CCO)

 

Within the past three months, have you had any non-public communication (i.e. communication outside of a publicly attended conference), either oral or written, whether face to face, telephone, mail or email with any officer, director, employee or “temporary insider” of the company? (A temporary insider of a company includes, among others, analyst, investment bankers, attorneys, accountants, consultants, bank lending officers, and employees of such organizations)

Yes: ____     No: ____        Uncertain_____(please see CCO)

 

If Yes, do you believe all information provided by this person about this company is either public or non-public and non-material? 

Yes: ____     No: ____       Uncertain_____(please see CCO)

 

Has any other person advised you of any material non-public information about this company?

Yes: ____     No: ____      Uncertain_____(please see CCO)

 

I certify the proposed transaction does not involve the use of material non-public information in the decision process as outlined within Rule 10b-5 under Section 10 of the SEC Act of 1934, and detailed within SCM’s Code of Ethics: 

 

     
Signature   Approved – Personal Trading Compliance Officer or
    Compliance Officer or Designee.

 

Reminder: Approval good for today only!

 

To be completed by the approving officer:

___ SCM has not traded this security within the past 7 days. (Reviewed accounting system trade blotter)

___ SCM has no pending buys or sells orders open (Reviewed trade order management system)

___ Determined to be an EXEMPTED TRANSACTION (describe briefly) ____________________________ 

 

 

MATSON MONEY, INC.

 

CODE OF ETHICS

 

Effective Date: February 1, 2005

Revised Date: November 11, 2008

Revised Date: December 30, 2009

Revised Date: April 11, 2013

Revised Date: June 30, 2016

Revised Date: August 23, 2019

 

1.0 Introduction

 

This Code of Ethics (the “Code”) establishes rules of conduct for persons who are officers, directors, and employees of Matson Money, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as “Matson”). The Code governs their personal investments and conduct.

 

This Code of Ethics is being adopted to effectuate the purposes and objectives of Sections 204A and 204A-1 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 as amended (the “Advisers Act”) and Rule 204-2 under the Advisers Act. Section 204A of the Advisers Act requires the establishment and enforcement of policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent the misuse of material, non-public information by investment advisers, including Matson. Rule 204A-1 requires an adviser to have a code of ethics that sets forth standards of conduct and requires compliance with federal securities laws by all of the adviser’s officers, directors and employees, requires pre-clearance of access persons’ personal securities transactions including transactions in any affiliated mutual funds, and requires reporting of access persons’ personal securities transactions. Rule 204-2 imposes record keeping requirements with respect to personal securities transactions of certain persons employed by investment advisers.

 

The purpose of this Code of Ethics is to (i) remind officers, directors and employees that Matson’s responsibility to its clients is to provide effective and proper professional investment management advice based upon unbiased independent judgment; (ii) set standards for employee conduct in those situations where conflicts of interest are most likely to arise; (iii) assure that officers, directors and employees understand their responsibilities under the federal securities laws; (iv) protect Matson from reputational damage; and (v) develop procedures that allow Matson to monitor officers, directors and employees’ activity for compliance with Matson’s Code of Ethics.

 

It is the desire of Matson that the Code of Ethics be conscientiously followed and effectively enforced. The prime responsibility for following it rests with each officer, director and employee. While Matson will oversee compliance with the Code of Ethics, a conscientious and professional attitude on the part of each officer, director and employee will ensure that Matson fulfills the highest ethical standards.

  1  

 

Violations of the Code may cause Matson loss of business, legal liability, fines and other punishments. Violations of the Code may result in demotion, suspension, firing, fines and other punishments for individuals.

 

2.0 Applicability of Code

 

The Code applies all of the firm’s officers, directors and employees (hereinafter referred to as “Supervised Persons” or “Access Persons”) unless the Compliance Officer specifies otherwise in writing.

 

3.0 Personal Trading Policy

 

3.1 Definitions

 

3.1.1 Covered Security

 

Any financial instrument treated as a security for investment purposes and any related instrument such as options, futures, warrants, convertible securities, forward or swap contracts entered into with respect to one or more securities, a basket of or an index of securities or components of securities. However, the term Covered Security does not include direct obligations issued by the Government of the United States, bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper, or shares of registered open-end investment companies.

 

3.1.2 Access Person Accounts

 

The account of any employee, his/her spouse, minor children, immediate family members sharing the same household as the employee, trusts or estates of which the employee is a beneficiary.

 

3.2 Initial Public Offerings and Private Placements

 

Access Person Accounts are prohibited from participating in initial public offerings and private placements.

 

3.3. Reports

 

Every Access Person must submit a quarterly report containing the information set forth in Exhibit A with respect to transactions in any Covered Security in which such Access Person or any of his/her Access Person Accounts has acquired or by reason of such transactions will acquire any direct or indirect beneficial ownership; provided, however, that:

  2  

 

3.3.1 An Access Person need not make a report with respect to any transaction effected for any account over which such person does not have any direct or indirect influence or control.

 

3.3.2 An Access Person must submit this report to the CCO no later than 30 calendar days after the end of the calendar quarter in which the transaction to which the report relates was effected.

 

3.3.3 Any report submitted to comply with the requirements of this Section may contain a statement that the report shall not be construed as an admission by the person making such report that he has any direct or indirect benefit ownership in the security to which the report relates.

 

3.3.4 Within 30 days of initial association or employment with Matson, each Access Person shall disclose all current personal securities holdings in any of his Access Person Accounts, a list of brokers holding such Access Person Accounts and the additional information required by Exhibit B. Such Access Person must also authorize any brokers that hold any of such Access Person’s Accounts to submit duplicate statements and confirmations to Matson’s CCO.

 

3.3.5 Within 45 days of the end of each calendar year, each Access Person must disclose all current personal securities holdings in any account in which such Access Person has an interest, a list of brokers holding such Access Person Accounts and the additional information required by Exhibit B.

 

3.3.6 Within 30 days of association or employment with Matson and within ten days of adoption of this Code of Ethics, each Access Person must certify that he has received, read and understands the Code and recognizes that he is subject to such Code. (Exhibit C)

 

3.3.7 Annually each Access Person must certify that he has read and understands the Code and recognizes that he is subject to such Code. In addition, annually each Access Person must certify that he has disclosed or reported all personal securities transactions required to be disclosed or reported under the Code. (Exhibit D)

 

3.4 Review of reports

 

The CCO or his designee shall be responsible for reviewing all confirmations of transactions for all Access Person Accounts, Initial Holdings Reports, Annual Holdings Reports, Certification of Compliance forms, Personal Securities Transaction Quarterly Reports and any other documents deemed necessary to assure compliance with this Code of Ethics. Given that Matson purchases and sells open-end mutual funds for clients and the only individual securities Matson purchases or sells for clients’ accounts are sales of securities held in a client’s existing account, the review by the CCO or his designee shall be limited as described below.

  3  

 

3.4.1 Quarterly Reviews

 

The CCO or his designee is responsible for review and monitoring personal securities transactions of Access Persons of the firm in accordance with the following procedures:

 

1. The CCO is responsible for reviewing the list of Access Persons against the quarterly securities reports each quarter to assure reporting compliance by all Access Persons.

 

2. The CCO shall prepare a written report each quarter to Matson’s CEO in the event that any issues arose during the previous quarter under this policy.

 

3.4.2 Annual Reviews

 

1. The CCO is responsible for reviewing a list of all Access Persons against Initial and Annual Securities Holdings Reports to assure compliance with the reporting requirements.

 

2. In addition, the securities holdings reports should be compared to a sample of quarterly securities transaction reports and/or statements from financial institutions holding the accounts to assure the Access Person is reporting personal securities transactions as required.

 

3.4.3 Ongoing Reviews

 

The CCO is responsible for the following additional procedures relating to personal securities transactions of Access Persons:

 

1. Create and maintain a listing of all Access Persons; and

 

2. Promptly report any apparent violations of the Code to the CEO in writing.

 

4.0 Standard of Business Conduct

 

Matson’s Supervised Persons are in a position of trust with respect to Matson’s clients. This position requires Matson’s Supervised Persons to act at all times with the utmost integrity. Matson’s Supervised Persons should perform their duties with complete propriety and should not take advantage of their position. These persons should use reasonable care and exercise independent professional judgment. In any act in which a Supervised Person engages, the Supervised Person should consider the reputation of the firm, whether his conduct is not only legal, but also ethical, whether he is acting in the best interests of Matson’s clients, and whether his act or omission to act is consistent with Matson’s ideals of integrity, openness, honesty and trust. The Supervised Person shall not engage in any professional conduct involving fraud, dishonesty, deceit or misrepresentation of a material fact.

  4  

 

Supervised Persons should keep in mind the following fundamental fiduciary principles that govern their activities:

 

1. The interests of clients must come first;

 

2. Supervised Persons must not take inappropriate advantage of their positions;

 

3. Information concerning clients’ investments must be kept confidential; and

 

4. Supervised Persons shall deal fairly and objectively with all clients and prospects when disseminating investment recommendations, disseminating material changes in prior investment recommendations, and taking investment action.

 

4.1 Conflicts of Interest

 

The Code is intended to (a) minimize conflicts of interest and even the appearance of conflicts of interest, between Matson’s Supervised Persons and Matson’s clients in the securities markets and (b) assure that personal securities transactions of Matson’s Supervised Persons are made in compliance with applicable securities laws.

 

Matson’s general policy is to avoid conflicts of interest wherever possible and, where they unavoidably occur, to resolve them in favor of clients.

 

4.2 Compliance with applicable federal securities laws.

 

Matson Supervised Persons are not permitted in connection with the purchase or sale by such person of a security held or to be acquired by Matson for a client:

 

1. To employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud any client(s) or prospective clients;
2. To make any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state to a client or prospective client a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances in which they are made, not misleading;
3. To engage in any transaction, practice or course of business which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon any client or prospective client; or
4. To engage in any act, practice, or course of business which is fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative.
  5  

 

In addition, Matson Supervised Persons shall comply with the applicable provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Advisers Act, the Investment Company Act of 1940, and Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999 and the rules thereunder. In summary, these laws and rules:

 

· require registration of publicly traded securities,
· place restrictions on the manner privately offered securities are offered and sold,
· require registration of an investment company unless an exemption is available
· mandate full disclosure of all material facts when offering or selling a security, advising a client or managing an investment company,
· prohibit fraud in connection with the offer and sale of securities,
· prohibit fraud on the securities markets,
· require registration of investment companies and investment advisers unless an exemption is available: and,
· set forth requirements to protect the privacy of client personal information.

 

4.3 Delivery of Code of Ethics to Each Supervised Person

 

Matson shall deliver a copy electronically of this Code of Ethics and each amendment or amended version to each Supervised Person.

 

4.4 Ethical Restraint

 

All Access Persons are required to comply with ethical restraints relating to clients and their accounts, including restrictions on giving gifts to, and receiving gifts from, clients in violation of the firm’s gift policy. Access Persons shall not accept from an advisor or client, or give to an advisor or client, any thing(s) or service(s) having an aggregate value in excess of $100 in any calendar year. Any violation of this provision shall be promptly reported to the CCO or the Vice President of Operations of Matson, and may be the cause of disciplinary action against the Access Person, including demotion, suspension, or termination.

 

5.0 Safeguarding Data

 

Supervised Persons must safeguard material, non-public information about Matson client transactions and adhere to Matson’s Privacy Policy. This includes, but is not limited to adherence to physical and technical security of data.

 

5.1 Supervised Persons may not share access codes or passwords with other Supervised Persons, contractors, or agency employees.

 

5.2 Supervised Persons are prohibited from electronically or otherwise transmitting client transactions to unauthorized entities. Authorized entities include, but are not limited to:
  6  

 

1. Brokers or Dealers with a business need.
2. Vendors with a contractual need and who have executed a non- disclosure agreement with Matson.

 

6.0 Disclosure of Code of Ethics on the Form ADV Part 2A

 

Matson will summarize the key provisions of its Code of Ethics in response to Section 11 on its Form ADV Part 2A, in accordance with the SEC’s required ADV renewal schedule. The disclosure will state that Matson will provide a copy of its Code of Ethics to any client or prospective client upon request.

 

The CCO or his designee will make a record of all requests and the date and to whom the Code was delivered.

 

7.0. Reports of Violations of Code of Ethics

 

Any Supervised Person who becomes aware of any apparent violation of the Code of Ethics shall promptly report such apparent violation to the CEO, CCO or the Vice President of Operations.

 

8.0 Whistleblower Policy

 

As articulated in this Code’s statement on Standard of Business Conduct, central to Matson's compliance culture is an ingrained commitment to fiduciary principles. The policies and procedures set forth here and in our Compliance Manual, and their consistent implementation by all supervised persons of the firm evidence Matson Money's unwavering intent to place the interests of clients ahead of self-interest for Matson Money, our management and staff.

 

Every employee has a responsibility for knowing and following Matson Money’s policies and procedures. Every person in a supervisory role is also responsible for those individuals under his/her supervision.

 

Recognizing our shared commitment to our clients, all employees are required to conduct themselves with the utmost loyalty and integrity in their dealings with our clients, customers, stakeholders and one another. Improper conduct on the part of any employee puts Matson Money and company personnel at risk. Therefore, while managers and senior management ultimately have supervisory responsibility and authority, these individuals cannot stop or remedy misconduct unless they know about it. Accordingly, all employees are not only expected to, but are required to report their concerns about potentially illegal conduct as well as violations of our company’s policies.

  7  

 

8.1 Reporting Potential Misconduct

 

To ensure consistent implementation of such practices, it is imperative that supervised persons have the opportunity to report any concerns or suspicions of improper activity at Matson (whether by a supervised person or other party) confidentially and without retaliation.

 

Matson Money’s Whistleblower Policy covers the treatment of all concerns relating to suspected illegal activity or potential misconduct.

 

Supervised persons may report potential misconduct by submitting a 'Report a Violation' form available on the main web portal of the NRS website, or by submitting the violation via written complaint to the CCO. By default, reports submitted via the NRS portal shall be submitted anonymously unless the individual unchecks the box that indicates the sender wishes to remain anonymous. Reports of violations or suspected violations must be reported to CCO, or, provided the CCO also receives such reports, to other designated members of senior management. Supervised persons may report suspected improper activity by the CCO to Matson Money’s other senior management.

 

8.2 Responsibility of the Whistleblower

 

A person must be acting in good faith in reporting a complaint or concern under this policy and must have reasonable grounds for believing a deliberate misrepresentation has been made regarding accounting or audit matters or a breach of Matson Money’s Code of Ethics. A malicious allegation known to be false is considered a serious offense and shall be subject to disciplinary action that may include termination of employment.

 

8.3 Handling of Reported Improper Activity

 

Matson Money shall take seriously any report regarding a potential violation of Firm policy or other improper or illegal activity, and recognizes the importance of keeping the identity of the reporting person from being widely known. Supervised persons are to be assured that Matson Money will appropriately manage all such reported concerns or suspicions of improper activity in a timely and professional manner, confidentially and without retaliation.

 

In order to protect the confidentiality of the individual submitting such a report and to enable Matson Money to conduct a comprehensive investigation of reported misconduct, supervised persons should understand that those individuals responsible for conducting any investigation are generally precluded from communicating information pertaining to the scope and/or status of such reviews.

 

8.4 No Retaliation Policy

 

It is Matson Money’s policy that no supervised person who submits a complaint made in good faith will experience retaliation, harassment, or unfavorable or adverse employment consequences. A supervised person who retaliates against a person reporting a complaint will be subject to disciplinary action, which may include termination of employment. A supervised person who believes s/he has been subject to retaliation or reprisal as a result of reporting a concern or making a complaint is to report such action to the CCO or to Matson Money’s other senior management in the event the concern pertains to the CCO.

  8  

 

9.0 Sanctions

 

The sanctions for violation of the Code of Ethics may include any or all of the following:

(1) a letter of censure, (2) a fine, (3) temporary or permanent suspension of trading for any Access Person Accounts, (4) temporary suspension of employment, (5) termination of employment, (6) disgorgement of any ill-gotten profits or avoidance of losses, (7) and/or any other sanction deemed appropriate by the Chief Compliance Officer and the CEO of Matson.

 

10.0 Compliance Oversight of Code of Ethics

 

10.1 The CCO’s responsibilities which he may delegate to another person include the following:

 

1. Create and maintain a list of all Supervised Persons and Access Persons.
2. Monitor personal securities transactions and reporting in accordance with the procedures in Section 3;
3. Monitor compliance with the Standards of Business Conduct in accordance with the procedures in Section 4;
4. Require Supervised Persons to read this Code of Ethics and obtain required acknowledgments in accordance with the procedures in Section 3;
5. Monitor requests for a copy of the firm’s Code of Ethics and subsequent delivery in accordance with Section 6;
6. Monitor ADV disclosure regarding the firm’s Code of Ethics for accuracy;
7. Report all Code violations or apparent violations to Matson’s CEO in writing promptly upon discovery;
8. Review the Code for adequacy and effectiveness at least annually and report the results to Matson’s CEO; and
9. Maintain required books and records in accordance with the provisions of Section 10.0.

 

10.2. The CEO and the CCO are responsible for the review and evaluation of the full details of any suspected violations of the Code of Ethics and imposition of sanctions when necessary.
  9  

 

11.0. Required Records

 

The CCO or his designee will ensure that the following books and records are maintained in, as appropriate, electronic or hard copy form for at least five years, two years in an easily accessible place:

 

1. A copy of each Code that has been in effect at any time during the past five years;
2. A record of any violation of the Code and any action taken as a result of such violation for five years from the end of the fiscal year in which the violation occurred;
3. A record of all written acknowledgements of receipt of the Code and amendments for each person who is currently, or within the past five years was, a Supervised Person; (These records must be kept for five years after the individual ceases to be a Supervised Person of Matson.)
4. Holdings and transactions reports made pursuant to the Code, including any brokerage confirmation and account statements made in lieu of these reports; and
5. A list of the names of persons who are currently, or within the past five years were Access Persons of Matson.
  10  

 

EXHIBIT A1

 

PERSONAL SECURITIES TRADING REPORTING FORM MATSON MONEY, INC.

 

NO TRANSACTION CERTIFICATION

 

Quarter for which transactions are reported:            to           (the _____“Quarter”).

 

Capitalized terms have the meanings given to them in the Code of Ethics.

 

I hereby certify that my Access Person Accounts have not made any transactions during the ______ Quarter. Securities issued by the United States Treasury or shares of an open-end mutual fund are excluded from this report.

 

Date:          
      Signature:    
           
      Print Name:    

  11  

 

EXHIBIT A2

 

PERSONAL SECURITIES TRADING REPORTING FORM MATSON MONEY, INC.

 

Quarter for which transactions are reported:_______to________(the_____“Quarter”).

 

Capitalized terms have the meanings given to them in the Code of Ethics.

 

My Access Person Accounts have made transactions in the following securities, except securities issued by the United States Treasury or shares of an open-end mutual fund, during the____Quarter:

 

Security And class (the “Security”)   Date of Transaction   No. of Shares   Dollar Amount of Transaction  

Nature of Transaction

(Purchase, sale)

  Price Per Share   Broker or Bank Through Whom Effected
                         
                         
                         
                         
                         
                         
                         

 

Except as noted on the reverse side of this report, I hereby certify that I have no knowledge of the existence of any personal conflict of interest relationship which may involve Matson Money, Inc.’s (“Matson”) clients, such as the existence of any economic relationship between my transactions and securities held or to be acquired by Matson’s clients.

 

Date:          
      Signature:    
           
      Print Name:    

  12  

 

EXHIBIT B 

INITIAL AND ANNUAL HOLDINGS REPORT

 

To the Board of Directors of Matson Money, Inc. (“Matson”):

 

1. I have read and understand the Code of Ethics for Matson (the “Code”) and recognize that I am subject thereto as an officer, director or employee of Matson. I understand that capitalized terms used herein have the same meaning as in the Code.

 

2. I hereby certify that the following is a list of all securities, except securities issued by the United States Treasury or shares of an open-end mutual fund, any Access Person Account of mine own as of________________(Date):

 

Name of Security Number of Shares or Size of Interest
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

  

3. I hereby certify that the following is a list of all the brokerage accounts of my Access Person Accounts:

 

Name of Brokerage Firm Account Number Branch Name
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

  

4. Except as noted below, I hereby certify that I have no knowledge of the existence of any personal conflict of interest relationship which may involve Matson’s clients, such as any economic relationship between transactions in my Access Person Account(s) and securities held or to be acquired by Matson’s clients.

 

Date:    
     
Signature:    
     
Print Name:    

  13  

 

EXHIBIT C

INITIAL CERTIFICATION

 

To the Board of Directors of Matson Money, Inc. (“Matson”):

 

1. I have read and understand the Matson Code of Ethics and recognize that I am subject thereto as an employee of Matson.

 

2. I hereby certify that the following is a list of all securities, except securities issued by the United States Treasury or shares of an open-end mutual fund, my Access Person Accounts own as of_____________________, 20 :

 

Name of Security Number of Shares or Size of Interest
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

  

3. I hereby certify that the following is a list of all the brokerage accounts that are in the name of any of my Access Person Accounts:

 

Name of Brokerage Firm Account Number Branch Name
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

  

4. Except as noted below, I hereby certify that I have no knowledge of the existence of any personal conflict of interest relationship which may involve Matson’s clients, such as any economic relationship between my securities’ holdings and securities held or to be acquired by Matson’s clients.

 

Date:    
     
Signature:    
     
Print Name:    

  14  

 

EXHIBIT D 

ANNUAL CERTIFICATION

 

To the Board of Directors of Matson Money, Inc. (“Matson”):

 

1. I have read and understand the Matson Code of Ethics for Matson and recognize that I am subject thereto as an employee of Matson.

 

2. I hereby certify that, during the year ended December 31, 20 . I have complied with the requirements of the Code and I have reported all securities transactions each calendar quarter.

 

3. I hereby certify that the following is a list of all securities, except securities issued by the United States Treasury or shares of an open-end mutual fund, my Access Person Accounts own as of_____________________, 20 :

 

Name of Security Number of Shares or Size of Interest
   
   
   
   
   
   

  

4. I hereby certify that the following is a list of all the brokerage accounts that are in the name of any of my Access Person Accounts:

 

Name of Brokerage Firm Account Number Branch Name
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

  

5. Except as noted below, I hereby certify that I have no knowledge of the existence of any personal conflict of interest relationship which may involve Matson’s clients, such as any economic relationship between my transactions and securities held or to be acquired by Matson’s clients.

 

Date:    
     
Signature:    
     
Print Name:    

  15  

 

  

CODE OF ETHICS

 

1. Objective:

 

Abbey Capital Limited (“Abbey Capital” or the “Firm”) is a registered Investment Adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), and is authorized as an Alternative Investment Fund Manager, by the Central Bank of Ireland, under Regulation 9 of the European Union (Alternative Investment Fund Managers) Regulations 2013 (“AIFMD”). As a result of the laws and regulations that apply to Abbey Capital, including Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act“) and Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (The “1940 Act”) Abbey Capital has adopted the following Code of Ethics which is required to be adhered to by Abbey Capital and its officers and employees (“Abbey Staff”).

 

Abbey Capital must provide a copy of the Code of Ethics (“Code”) to all Abbey Staff upon joining and annually thereafter, and Abbey Staff must read the Code in its entirety. It requires your compliance, as follows:

 

· Become familiar with and understand the contents of the Code of Ethics.
· Sign the Acknowledgement of Receipt through the MyComplianceOffice system and forward it to the Chief Compliance Officer.
· Notify the Chief Compliance Officer of possible violations of the Code that may exist now or which may arise during your employment with the Firm. In the event that you have any questions regarding the Code of Ethics or particular business dealings, please contact the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

This Code is intended to help Abbey Staff understand his or her obligation to comply with the highest ethical standards and all applicable Federal securities laws. The Code of Ethics should be kept by Abbey Staff for future reference and its guidelines made an active part of the employee’s normal course of business. This Code of Ethics should be read in conjunction with Abbey Capital’s Compliance Manual, and other compliance policies.

 

It is the responsibility of Abbey Staff to become familiar with any modifications to the Code.

 

Code of Ethics

 

This policy applies to Abbey Staff and others working on behalf of the Firm wherever located. The Code is designed to, among other things, provide guidelines of the general standards of conduct required by Abbey Capital.

 

Abbey Staff must:

 

Private & Confidential.   1–2 Cavendish Row T. +353 1 828 0400 info@abbeycapital.com
Past results are not indicative of future results.   Dublin 1, Ireland F. +353 1 828 0499 abbeycapital.com

  2

 

 

1. Act honestly and fairly and with due skill, care, competence, diligence, respect and integrity in relation to any dealings with clients, which are the funds managed by Abbey Capital,(the “Funds”), investors (the Funds’ shareholders), prospective Fund investors, service providers, and colleagues.
2. Use reasonable care and exercise independent professional judgment in conducting research within the industry, in making investment decisions and in the general activities undertaken as part of their role with Abbey Capital.
3. Abbey Staff must at all times place the interests of Abbey Capital’s clients first, place the integrity of the market, and the interests of investors in the Funds/customers above their own personal interests.
4. Act in an ethical manner and encourage colleagues to do so, ensuring that Abbey Capital is represented in a professional way, that reflects well on themselves and on the industry.
5. Adhere to the rules governing the markets/industry that Abbey Capital operates in, including the applicable United States federal securities laws.
6. Strive to maintain high standards of professional competence and endeavor to improve their skills and the skills of other colleagues.

 

Standards of Professional Conduct

 

Abbey Staff must act in accordance with the following Standards:

 

1. Professionalism.

 

a. Knowledge of the Law – Abbey Staff members must understand and comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations of the government, regulatory organizations, licensing agencies and other professional associations that govern their professional activities. In the event of conflict, Abbey Staff members must comply with the more strict law, rule or regulation. Abbey Staff members must not knowingly participate or assist in and dissociate from any violation of such laws, rules or regulations.
b. Independence and Objectivity – Abbey Staff members must use reasonable care and judgment to achieve and maintain independence and objectivity in their professional activities. Abbey Staff members must not offer, solicit or accept any gift, benefit, compensation or consideration that reasonably could be expected to compromise their own or another’s independence and objectivity.

 

Private & Confidential.   1–2 Cavendish Row T. +353 1 828 0400 info@abbeycapital.com
Past results are not indicative of future results.   Dublin 1, Ireland F. +353 1 828 0499 abbeycapital.com

  2

 

 

c. Misrepresentation – Abbey Staff members must not knowingly make any misrepresentations in relation to investment analysis, Commodity Trading Advisor (“CTA”) research, recommendations or actions in relation to the portfolios, or other professional activities.
d. Misconduct – Abbey Staff members must not engage in any professional conduct involving dishonesty, fraud or deceit or commit any act that reflects adversely on their professional reputation, integrity or competence.

 

2. Duties to Clients (the Funds)

 

As an investment adviser, Abbey Capital has a fiduciary duty to its clients.

 

a. Loyalty, Prudence and Care – Abbey Staff members have a duty of loyalty to clients and must act with reasonable care and exercise prudent judgment. Abbey Staff members must act for the benefit of the clients and place clients’ interests before Abbey Capital’s or their own interests. In relationships with clients, Abbey Staff must determine applicable fiduciary duty and must comply with such duty to persons and interest to whom it is owed. Abbey Capital has adopted a Conflicts of Interest Policy which is designed to ensure that all conflicts are managed appropriately, including that all conflicts are identified, understood and assessed; the means to address conflicts of interest are identified; conflicts of interest are monitored, mitigated and managed; and conflicts of interest are disclosed properly. Abbey Staff members are required to adhere to Abbey Capital’s Conflict of Interest Policy. While it is not possible to list all situations that might involve conflicts of interest, the Firm’s Conflicts of Interest policy together with the separately maintained Conflicts of Interest Register, lists actual and potential conflicts the Firm is exposed to including financial interests, inducement and outside business interests. If you have any doubts or questions as to the appropriateness of any interests or activities, you should contact the Chief Compliance Officer. Any existing interest or activity that may constitute a conflict of interest under this Code must be fully disclosed to the Chief Compliance Officer, so that the Firm may determine whether such interest or activity should be disposed of, discontinued or limited.

 

Private & Confidential.   1–2 Cavendish Row T. +353 1 828 0400 info@abbeycapital.com
Past results are not indicative of future results.   Dublin 1, Ireland F. +353 1 828 0499 abbeycapital.com

  2

 

 

 

b. Fair dealing – Abbey Staff members must deal fairly and objectively with all clients, when taking investment action or engaging in other professional activities.
c. Suitability – Abbey Staff members must ensure that a potential Fund investor receives the prospectus or private placement memorandum (“PPM”) for the Fund, and acknowledges in the subscription agreement, where applicable that they understand the risks. Private Placement Fund investors must meet the qualified eligible person (QEP) and accredited investor requirements.
d. Performance presentation – When communicating investment performance information, Abbey Staff members must make reasonable efforts to ensure that it is fair, accurate, relevant, timely and complete. Abbey Staff members must not misrepresent the performance of individual funds.
e. Preservation of Confidentiality – Abbey Staff members must keep information about current, former and prospective clients, investors and CTAs confidential unless (i) the information concerns illegal activities on the part of the party in question, (ii) disclosure is required by law, or (iii) the party permits disclosure of the information.

 

3. Duties of Abbey Capital

 

a. Loyalty – in matters related to employment, Abbey Staff must act for the benefit of Abbey Capital and not deprive Abbey Capital of the advantage of their skills and abilities, divulge confidential information or otherwise cause harm to Abbey Capital.
b. Additional Compensation Arrangements – In accordance with Abbey Capital’s Gifts and Entertainment Policy, Abbey Staff must not accept gifts, benefits, compensation or consideration that competes with, or might reasonably be expected to create a conflict of interest with, Abbey Capital’s interests unless they obtain written consent from Abbey Capital.

 

Private & Confidential.   1–2 Cavendish Row T. +353 1 828 0400 info@abbeycapital.com
Past results are not indicative of future results.   Dublin 1, Ireland F. +353 1 828 0499 abbeycapital.com

  2

 

 

 

c. Responsibilities of supervisors – Abbey Staff members must make reasonable efforts to detect and prevent violations of applicable laws, rules, regulations and the Employee handbook rules, by anyone subject to their supervision or authority.

 

4. Investment Analysis, Process and Action

 

a. Diligence and reasonable basis – Abbey Staff members must (i) exercise diligence, independence and thoroughness in analyzing investments and taking investment actions, and (ii) have a reasonable and adequate basis, supported by appropriate research for any investment analysis or action.

b. Portfolio Management – Abbey Staff members must, when managing the Funds according to a specific mandate and fund strategy (i) take only investment actions that are consistent with the stated objectives and constraints of that Fund; and (ii) provide adequate disclosures and information so investors can consider whether any proposed changes in the investment style or strategy meet their investment needs. Abbey Staff members must have evaluated the investment objective, tolerance for risk and any other relevant information that would affect investment policy.
c. Communication with Investors and Prospective investors – Abbey Staff members must ensure that all prospective investors receive the PPM and have an opportunity to ask questions and receive answers, and that any presentations provided distinguish between fact and opinion in relation to investment analysis.
d. Record retention – Abbey Capital members must develop and maintain appropriate records to support their investment analysis, actions, and other investment related communications with customers/investors and potential customers/investors. All such records are to be maintained in the Workbench system.
e. Best Execution – Abbey Staff members must follow best execution standards.

 

5. Training

 

As a result of Abbey Capital’s fiduciary duty to its clients and, as provided for under the laws and regulations that apply to Abbey Capital, including Rule 204A-1 of the Investment Advisers Act 1940; NFA Compliance Rule 2-9 (Ethics and Training Requirements); the CFTC’s Statement of Acceptable Practices; and AIFMD. All staff are required to complete annual compulsory Compliance Training, a training log is kept for each session.

 

Private & Confidential.   1–2 Cavendish Row T. +353 1 828 0400 info@abbeycapital.com
Past results are not indicative of future results.   Dublin 1, Ireland F. +353 1 828 0499 abbeycapital.com

  2

 

 

 

The mandatory Compliance Training covers the various rules that are relevant pursuant to Abbey Capital's authorisation and registration with the Central Bank of Ireland, the U.S. National Futures Association (“NFA”), the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and the U,S. Commodities Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”). Training on compliance policies, including the Ethics Policy, Conflicts of Interest Policy, Gifts and Entertainment Policy and Personal Trading Policy is provided periodically and at least annually. All Abbey Staff who are registered with the NFA as Associated Persons must complete an online ethics training course every two years.

 

6. Reporting Violations:

 

Pursuant to Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act, Abbey Staff members must promptly report any violations of this Code of Ethics to the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

7. Record Keeping:

 

In compliance with Rule 204-2(a)(12) of the Advisers Act, the Chief Compliance Officer will ensure the following records are maintained:

 

-    Written copies of this Ethics Policy.

-    Records of violations of this Ethics Policy and actions taken as a result of the violations.

-    Abbey Staff members’ written acknowledgements of receipt of the Ethics Policy.

 

8. Personal Account Dealing

 

In compliance with Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act, Abbey Staff must report, and the Chief Compliance Officer must review, their personal securities transactions and holdings periodically as provided in Abbey Capital’s Personal Trading Policy.

 

Private & Confidential.   1–2 Cavendish Row T. +353 1 828 0400 info@abbeycapital.com
Past results are not indicative of future results.   Dublin 1, Ireland F. +353 1 828 0499 abbeycapital.com

  2

 

 

Altair Advisers LLC Policy Number: 10
Code of Ethics Revised: June 2018

 

Rule/Requirement Reference: Section 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended and Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended
Owner Responsibility: All departments
Oversight Responsibility: Board of Managers
   

 

10.01 - Overview

 

This code of ethics (“Code”) has been adopted by Altair Advisers LLC (“Altair”) in compliance with Section 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”) and Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). Unless otherwise defined, terms that are capitalized in this Code have the meanings set forth in section 10.26.

 

This Code applies to all "Access Persons" which includes any of the following persons in connection with their duties to Altair’s clients (“Clients”) or to Altair: (1) officers; (2) employees; (3) interns; and (4) any other persons in a control relationship who obtains information concerning the recommendations made to a Client with respect to the purchase and/or sale of Securities by a Client.

 

This Code is based on the principle that Access Persons have a duty to place the interests of Clients ahead of their own interests. Access Persons must act with integrity and good faith at all times, but particularly when their personal interests may conflict with the interests of Clients. As such, Access Persons must:

  

Place the interests of Clients first;
Not take inappropriate advantage of their positions with Altair; and
Conduct all personal Securities Transactions in full compliance with this Code.

 

Receipt of this Code satisfies Altair’s obligation to notify Access Persons of their reporting obligations under the 1940 Act.

 

Access Persons must promptly report any violation of this Code to a member of Altair’s Compliance Department (“Compliance”).

 

Access Persons should direct any questions with respect to the Code to Compliance at compliance@altairadvisers.com

 

A.       Professional Conduct

 

Policy/Practices Employee Implementation Commentary

10.02 - Standards of Conduct

 

Access Persons, in connection with the purchase or sale, either directly or indirectly, of a Security held or to be acquired by a Client must not: Following the standards of conduct in this Code is a critical expectation, and is consistent with Altair’s culture that we at all times deal with Clients honestly, openly and in good faith.

 

 

Altair Advisers LLC Policy Number: 10
Code of Ethics Revised: June 2018

 

Policy/Practices Employee Implementation Commentary

 

1.   Make any oral or written statements, including those made to Clients, prospective clients, or their representatives that are inaccurate or misleading in any way;

2.   Defraud any Client in any manner;

3.   Do anything that would have the effect of defrauding or deceiving any Client;

4.   Falsify a material fact to any Client;

5.   Omit to state a material fact to any Client in any communication if the fact is necessary to ensure that such communication is not misleading in light of the circumstances;

6.   Engage in any manipulative practice with respect to any Client; or

7.   Engage in any act, practice or course of conduct which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon any Client.

 

Further, Access Persons must, at all times, comply with applicable laws, including relevant federal and state securities laws and regulations and stock exchange rules.

 

 

10.03 - Conflicts of Interest

 

A. Avoid Conflicts of Interest When Possible

 

Access Persons should seek to avoid any activity that might detract from or conflict with any Clients’ or Altair's interests. An actual or potential conflict of interest occurs when an Access Person is in a position to influence a decision that may result in a personal gain for the Access Person or his or her Immediate Family as a result of Altair's or a Clients’ business dealings.

 

B. Report Conflicts of Interest

 

Access Persons must report any conflicts of interest or potential conflicts of interest promptly upon becoming aware of such to Compliance. Compliance will review details of any actual or potential conflicts of interest and (1) instruct Access Persons to avoid the identified activities; or (2) obtain reasonable assurance that the necessary disclosures are made (if any) and appropriate controls instituted.

It is your responsibility to identify and inform Compliance of any actual or potential conflicts of interest, both in connection with Compliance’s periodic requests and throughout the year.

 

Please see the Employee Handbook for additional information covering Altair’s expectation that employees avoid all conflicts between their personal interests and those of Altair and/or clients.

 

Examples of conflicts to report may include:

 

•    Strong personal (not born from your work at Altair) or familial relationships with individuals or companies with whom Altair does business, including clients; and

•    A client or Altair vendor provides an extravagant gift to an Altair employee (such as a ski trip or tickets to the Super Bowl).

 

 

Altair Advisers LLC Policy Number: 10
Code of Ethics Revised: June 2018

 

Policy/Practices Employee Implementation Commentary

 

Although it is impossible to present a complete list of actions or interests that present or may present a conflict of interest, this policy is intended to provide general direction concerning the expectations and requirements with respect to an Access Person’s conduct.

 

10.04 - Personal Gain

 

An Access Person must disqualify himself or herself from exerting influence in any business transaction where the Access Person’s personal interests may compete with the best interests of any Client or Altair (or any of their affiliates) or where the Access Person may gain any benefit at any Clients’ or Altair's (or their affiliates) injury or expense.

 

In connection with your role with Altair, you must always place the interests of Clients above your own interests. Again, this is consistent with Altair’s culture and core expectations when working with clients.

10.05 - Records and Confidential Information

 

Proprietary and/or confidential information about Clients and Altair are valuable company assets. Altair takes care to ensure that such information is maintained and handled in a manner that is safe, private and accessible only to authorized users.

 

Access Persons are obligated to protect the confidentiality of Clients’, Altair's, and their affiliates’ confidential information which includes investment analyses; nonpublic trading records; performance and identity of specific investments; the identity of current and prospective

investors and Clients; internal financial and operating records, policies and procedures; marketing practices; and investor relations techniques and practices. Proprietary and/or confidential information or materials of Altair or its affiliates are solely for the use of Altair or its affiliates, as applicable, and are not to be used for personal purposes.

 

When using proprietary and/or confidential information in your possession, ensure that:

 

•     Such information is not available to any unauthorized persons;

•     You do not discuss it with any unauthorized persons; and

•   You take all reasonable precautions to ensure that access to the information continues to be restricted after use.

 

Questions regarding the handling of Clients’, Altair’s or their affiliates’ information should be brought to Compliance.

 

 

Altair Advisers LLC Policy Number: 10
Code of Ethics Revised: June 2018

 

Policy/Practices Employee Implementation Commentary

 

Access Persons are required to sign a non-disclosure agreement in which they agree to protect and not to disclose any confidential and/or proprietary information imparted to or learned by them related to Altair or to Clients.

 

10.06 - Outside Employment, Business Activities and Directorships

 

As described in the Employee Handbook, Access Persons are prohibited from undertaking additional or outside employment, including self-employment, business ventures and employment with other companies. Any exceptions to this prohibition must be pre-approved in writing by the Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”).

 

Any service as a director or trustee of governmental, commercial or not-for-profit organizations must also be pre-approved in writing by the CCO.

 

Engaging in outside for-profit work is generally prohibited, as described in the Employee Handbook.

 

Err on the side of caution, and request approval from Compliance for any outside activity, including any board activity. It is important for Altair to ascertain whether any outside business activities present a conflict with Altair’s business. As an extreme example, an employee selling insurance products on the side would be viewed as a conflict to Altair’s core business and therefore would be not permitted.

10.07 - Gifts and Entertainment

 

A. Accepting Gifts and Benefits

 

On occasion, because of their association with Altair, Access Persons may be offered, or may receive without notice, gifts from clients, brokers, vendors, or other persons or entities.

 

Employees may not accept any gift, favor, gratuity or invitation offered by any broker, Client, Approved Company, supplier, or other person or organization with whom Altair has a business relationship, except those extended as a customary courtesy. Any such courtesy, gift or benefit received by Access Persons:

The purpose of this policy is to minimize potential conflicts that may arise by giving or accepting gifts. However, it is not intended to stop Altair from conducting business with clients, vendors or other investment managers used by Altair. Therefore, customary business entertainment events are permitted, so long as the individual hosting attends the event and you believe attending the event improves Altair’s business relationship with the other party or furthers Altair’s general business standing.

 

You are advised to err on the side of caution, and ask Compliance if you have questions regarding this policy or what represents a gift or acceptable entertainment. Bear in mind events should be valued at the market value and not the face value. For example, tickets to the Masters Golf Tournament are worth far more than the face value of the ticket.

 

 

Altair Advisers LLC Policy Number: 10
Code of Ethics Revised: June 2018

 

Policy/Practices Employee Implementation Commentary

 

•     Must not be extraordinary or extravagant;

•     Must be of nominal value (i.e., under $250 cumulative from each source per year); and

•     Must not be in the form of cash, cash equivalents or negotiable instruments.

 

B. Soliciting Gifts or Benefits

 

Access Persons may not solicit gifts, benefits or gratuities at any time.

 

C. Giving Gifts

 

Access Persons may not give any gift with a value in excess of $250 per year to persons associated with any broker, Client, Approved Company, supplier, or other person or organization with which Altair has a business relationship.

 

D. Entertainment

 

Business meals and entertainment (e.g., sporting events) are not subject to the $250 limit on gifts and may be accepted if:

 

1.    The entertainment is appropriate and reasonable in frequency, value and type;

2.    The person inviting the Access Persons to an event or providing the entertainment must attend the event, meal or other entertainment; and

3.    Altair or the Access Person pays for all travel expenses associated with the event.

 

Altair does not expect employees to receive gifts which require reporting to Compliance. However, you should consult with Compliance anytime you are offered a gift of substantial value (i.e., in excess of

$250).

 

It is your responsibility to track the annual cumulative values of any gifts you receive from others to ensure this cumulative value remains under $250 from each source for the year. Compliance will not do this for you.

10.08 - Corporate Opportunities

 

Access Persons must not take personal advantage of any opportunity of which the Access Person knew or should have known properly belongs to Clients or Altair. The prohibition on not taking personal advantage of opportunities belonging to Altair or to Clients includes acquiring Securities for your own account (or in the account of an Access Person’s Immediate Family) that would otherwise be acquired by or for a Client.

 

 

Altair Advisers LLC Policy Number: 10
Code of Ethics Revised: June 2018

 

Policy/Practices Employee Implementation Commentary

10.09 - Undue Influence

 

Access Persons may not cause or attempt to cause any Client to purchase, sell or hold any Security in a manner intended to create any personal benefit to the Access Person.

If you learn that you or your Immediate Family may benefit from an investment decision for a Client which you are recommending or in which you are participating, you must bring this conflict to the immediate attention of Compliance, prior to making any such investment decision.

 

Altair’s business model minimizes the inherent risk of this potential conflict.

 

B.       Personal Trading Requirements

 

Policy/Practices Employee Implementation Commentary

10.10 - Personal Securities Transactions

 

Access Persons and their Immediate Family must conduct their personal account Securities Transactions in a manner so as to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest or any abuse of their position of trust.

 

The personal account policies and procedures contained in this Code are designed to reduce the possibility of any conflict or appearance of impropriety.

For ease of reference, refer to the Personal Securities Transactions Chart included as Appendix A.

10.11 - Restrictions

 

The following Securities Transactions by an Access Person or his or her Immediate Family are prohibited:

 

1.   Any transaction in a Security in anticipation or with knowledge of an order from or on behalf of a Client (i.e., front running).

2.   Any transaction of a Security included on the Restricted List, maintained and updated from time to time within the Online Compliance Tool, as to which one or more individuals at Altair, including Access Persons, may have material information which has not yet been publicly disclosed.

Follow these restrictions carefully, and consult them before placing any trade. As Altair does not require preclearance for most trades, it is your responsibility to understand whether you are able to execute a trade. Of course, you may confer with Compliance before placing a trade.

 

Altair’s inherent business model may result in Access Persons receiving material nonpublic information. It is critical that you consult the Restricted List before placing a trade in any Security, and avoid trading in Securities included on the Restricted List.

 

 

 

Altair Advisers LLC Policy Number: 10
Code of Ethics Revised: June 2018

 


Policy/Practices
Employee Implementation Commentary

3.   Any Securities Transaction in an Initial Public Offering.

4.   Any short sale transaction or transaction where the Access Person or his or her Immediate Family is selling or promising to deliver Securities for which he, she or they (as the case may be) does not have present Beneficial Ownership.

5.   Trading in a manner which mimics or closely adheres to the trading activity of any third-party money manager used by Altair.

Contact Compliance if you need to sell a holding of a Security included on the Restricted List.

 

You are expected to not use information provided by third-party money managers used by Altair in connection with your personal trading activities.

Please see Compliance with questions related to this general expectation.

 

Third-party money managers used by Altair are required to adopt and implement a Code of Ethics and Personal Trading Policy, and should not share anticipated trading information with Altair personnel. Contact Compliance if any third-party money manager shares trading information with you ahead of the third-party money manager’s trades.

10.12 - Preclearance

 

Access Persons are not required to preclear trades, with the exception of Securities Transactions within Limited Offerings as described below.

 

Access Persons or their Immediate Family that desire to purchase or sell Limited Offerings, including private funds or investments in private companies, must receive written preclearance from Compliance via the Online Compliance Tool. After an Access Person has formally requested preclearance, the Access Person will receive notification through the Online Compliance Tool whether the requested Securities Transaction has been cleared.

 

No Access Person shall have authority to authorize his or her own preclearance requests or preclearance requests related to his or her Immediate Family.

 

A request for preclearance may be declined if Compliance determines that the Access Person may potentially benefit from, or that the Securities Transaction is in conflict with or appears to be in conflict with, a Securities Transaction or position of a Client.

Altair has determined its business model presents a sufficiently low risk to not require preclearance of most Security trades within personal investment accounts. However, Compliance retains the right to require preclearance of trades as it deems appropriate.

 

Preclearance of a trade is valid and in effect only for the time period allotted by Compliance (generally 30 days for Limited Offerings). If, after receiving preclearance for a trade, you become aware of facts or circumstances that would prevent the proposed Securities Transaction from being precleared by Compliance, you must advise Compliance and seek their direction prior to taking any action with respect to the proposed Securities Transaction.

 

The CCO will approve preclearance requests, and a member of Altair’s Board of Managers will approve a preclearance request of the CCO.

 

 

Altair Advisers LLC Policy Number: 10
Code of Ethics Revised: June 2018

 

Policy/Practices Employee Implementation Commentary

 

Preclearance of a trade grants the Access Person permission to trade and does not obligate the Access Person to trade.

 

10.13 - Exempt Transactions

 

Access Persons may engage in the following Securities Transactions without being subject to the Reporting Requirements (also, Exempt Transactions”):

 

1.    Securities held in an account over which the Access Person (or members of his or her Immediate Family) has no direct or indirect influence or control. For example, Securities Transactions effected for an Access Person by a third-party money manager who has sole discretionary trading authority and where the Access Person is neither consulted nor advised of the trade before it is executed. Documentation evidencing such arrangements must be furnished to the CCO;

2.   Any open-end mutual funds registered in the U.S., except for any such funds managed or advised by Altair (“Altair Fund”);

3.   Money market instruments and bank certificates of deposits;

4.   Securities directly issued by the U.S. Government;

5.   Bankers’ acceptances;

6.   Commercial paper;

7.   High quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements; and

8.   Other Securities as from time to time may be designated in writing by the CCO on the grounds that the risk of abuse is minimal or nonexistent.

 

These Exempt Transactions are considered by Altair to represent low risk Securities Transactions. Therefore, you may freely invest in any such Exempt Transactions without the need to report either Securities Transactions or holdings of such Securities.

 

You should provide a copy of the discretionary agreement you sign with the third-party money manager to Compliance before you engage the third-party money manager to manage your personal investment account. If you engage the third-party manager on a discretionary basis via Altair’s master agreement, you must provide evidence that you have communicated in writing with the third-party manager that you are not to have any form of discretion over the account.

 

All activity within third-party manager accounts over which you have any authority to effect or impact trades do not qualify as an Exempt Transaction.

 

Compliance will periodically test the activity within your third-party managed accounts, and you may be required to provide a recent statement to Compliance upon request.

 

All third-party managed accounts are required to be reported within the Online Compliance Tool.

10.14 - Automatic Investment Plans

 

Purchasing Securities under an “Automatic Investment Plan” does not require preclearance or reporting of Securities Transactions on a quarterly basis. However, any holdings within accounts subject to an Automatic Investment Plan are required to be included within the Access Persons’ annual holdings reports. The policy is intended to make it easier for employees to engage in Automatic Investment Plan activity, including automatic purchases of securities within Altair’s 401k plan.
 

 

Altair Advisers LLC Policy Number: 10
Code of Ethics Revised: June 2018

 

Policy/Practices Employee Implementation Commentary

 

An Automatic Investment Plan is a program in which regular periodic purchases or withdrawals are made automatically in or from investment accounts according to a predetermined schedule and allocation. An Automatic Investment Plan includes a dividend reinvestment plan.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the initial Securities Transaction(s) following changes to an Automatic Investment Plan by an Access Person or his or her Immediate Family must be reported through the Online Compliance Tool.

 

Do not forget to report holdings annually of all securities purchased within an Automatic Investment Plan via the Online Compliance Tool, except for those securities outlined within Section 10.13 above.

  

C.       Reporting Requirements

 

Reports are required to be submitted via the Online Compliance Tool. See Compliance if you are not able to manually input your holdings, accounts or Securities Transactions directly into the Online Compliance Tool. Compliance will work with you to assist in arranging for an alternate reporting process for you, as appropriate.

 

Policy/Practices

Employee Implementation Commentary

10.15 - Limited Personal Brokerages

Unless approved by Compliance, employees are required to transfer their personal accounts to Charles Schwab (“Schwab”) in an effort to improve Altair’s compliance monitoring processes. As an additional option, Access Persons with non-Schwab accounts may elect to convert such non-Schwab accounts to discretionary accounts managed by a third-party adviser, thereby eliminating potential reporting and monitoring issues.

 

Access Persons maintaining their accounts at Schwab must authorize Schwab to electronically download their Securities holdings, Securities Transactions and accounts (including accounts over which they have Beneficial Ownership and accounts of their Immediate Family) periodically to Compliance, via the Online Compliance Tool.

 

You are required to hold your personal accounts at Schwab unless otherwise approved by Compliance.

 

Reporting requirements under this Code are intended to identify conflicts of interest that could arise and to promote compliance with this Code.

 

The reporting requirements of this Code apply to you and to members of your Immediate Family.

 

 

Altair Advisers LLC Policy Number: 10
Code of Ethics Revised: June 2018

 

Policy/Practices

Employee Implementation Commentary

 

As described throughout this policy, any personal investment account which is not retained at Schwab will require the Access Person to manually input relevant holdings and account activity directly into the Online Compliance Tool along with attaching a copy of the scanned relevant statements into the Online Compliance Tool.

 

10.16 - Initial Holdings and Accounts Report

 

Any person who becomes an Access Person must submit, within 10 days of becoming an Access Person, an initial holdings and accounts report to Compliance listing all accounts and Securities in which the Access Person or their Immediate Family has a Beneficial Interest (other than Excepted Transactions based on information that is current as of a date not more than 45 days prior to the date such person became an Access Person. Such reports shall be submitted:

 

1.   Preferably, via a direct feed from Schwab through the Online Compliance Tool; or

2.   Alternatively, via inputting the necessary information directly into the Online Compliance Tool along with a scanned copy of the relevant statements into the Online Compliance Tool.

 

Access Persons are not required to report holdings within accounts which:

 

•     Maintain only holdings of Exempt Transactions as described within Section 10.13; and

•     Do not have the ability to invest in Securities other than Exempt Transactions described within Section 10.13 above.

Practically speaking, if you do not have an existing Schwab account, you will likely not be able to open a Schwab account before your start of employment. Therefore, you will need to manually input the required information for your initial holdings and accounts report (as well as attach a scanned copy of your statements) directly into the Online Compliance Tool.

 

This initial holdings and accounts report must contain: the name or title and type of Security, and, as applicable, the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP, the number of shares or the principal amount of each Security for which the Access Person or his or her Immediate Family has Beneficial Ownership, the name and address of any broker, dealer, bank, or other institution that maintained any account holding of any Securities for which Access Person or his or her Immediate Family have Beneficial Ownership, the account numbers and names of the persons for whom the accounts are held and a statement for account number verification.

 

Do not forget to report all holdings of the Altair Smaller Companies Fund.

 

 

Altair Advisers LLC Policy Number: 10
Code of Ethics Revised: June 2018

 

Policy/Practices

Employee Implementation Commentary

10.17 - Quarterly Reporting Requirements

 

Access Persons must report all Securities Transactions executed within their and Immediate Family member accounts during the prior quarter, unless excepted by section 10.13 above, no later than 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter. All such reports must be made through the Online Compliance Tool via:

 

1.   A direct feed from the Access Person’s Schwab account; or

2.   Manual input by the Access Persons for those accounts not eligible to be maintained at Schwab, along with attaching a scanned copy of any relevant statements.

 

Access Persons are excused from submitting Quarterly Transaction Reports due to a lack of information to report, but must nevertheless affirm within the Online Compliance Tool that (a) all pertinent information regarding their personal trading for the past calendar quarter has been provided to Altair in the form of trade confirmations and account statements; or (b) they had no personal trades to report during the last calendar quarter.

 

Any report of a Securities Transaction for the benefit of a person other than the individual in whose account the Securities Transaction is placed may contain a statement that the report should not be construed as an admission by the person making the report that he or she has any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership in the Security to which the report relates.

All information in the quarterly Securities Transactions report must be current as of a date no more than 45 days before the report is submitted and indicate the date on which the report is submitted.

 

Quarterly Securities Transactions reports must include these details related to each Securities Transaction:

 

   The date of the transaction;

   The name or title and as applicable, the exchange ticker symbol, CUSIP, interest rate and maturity date;

•    The number of shares or principal amount;

   The nature of the transaction (i.e., purchase or sale);

•    The price of the Security; and

•    The name of the broker, dealer, bank, or other institution with or through which the trade was effected.

 

If you are required to manually input your Securities Transactions, you will also be expected to attach a scanned version of your statement.

 

Do not forget to report transactions in the Altair Smaller Companies Fund.

10.18 - New Accounts

 

If an existing Access Person (or his or her Immediate Family) establishes a new personal trading account, the Access Person must report any such account to Compliance through the Online Compliance Tool by no later than 30 days following the end of the calendar quarter in which the account was established.

 

Any personal Securities trading account for an Access

Person (or their Immediate Family member(s) not opened with Schwab must be approved in advance by Compliance.

As a reminder, you and your Immediate Family members need to open all new personal Securities accounts through Schwab and link such accounts to the Online Compliance Tool.
 

 

Altair Advisers LLC Policy Number: 10
Code of Ethics Revised: June 2018

 

Policy/Practices

Employee Implementation Commentary

10.19 - Annual Holdings and Accounts Report

 

Access Persons must affirm annual holdings and accounts via the Online Compliance Tool, listing all Securities accounts and Securities in which the Access Person or his or her Immediate Family has a Beneficial Interest. The Access Person must:

 

•     Review and affirm holdings and accounts for accounts included within the Online Compliance Tool, either via a direct feed from Schwab or as previously manually input by the Access Persons; or

•     Manually input and affirm holdings and accounts not already included within the Online Compliance Tool, along with attaching a scanned copy of any relevant statements.

 

The information in the annual holdings report must be current as of a date no more than 45 days before the report is submitted. The completed report shall be submitted to Compliance promptly following the end of the calendar year, but in any event no later than February 14 of each year.

 

Access Persons are not required to report holdings within accounts which:

 

•     Maintain only holdings of Exempt Transactions as described within Section 10.13; and

•     Do not have the ability to invest in Securities other than Exempt Transactions described within Section 10.13 above.

The annual holdings report must contain:

 

    The name or title and type of Security, and as applicable, the ticker symbol or CUSIP, the number or shares or principal amount of each Security for which the Access Person or his or her Immediate Family has Beneficial Ownership;

•     The name and address of any broker, dealer, bank, or other institution that maintained any account holding any Securities for which the Access Person or his or her Immediate Family had Beneficial Ownership, as well as the account numbers and names of the persons for whom the accounts are held and the date when each account was established; and

•     The date that the report is submitted.

 

If you are required to manually input your holdings, you will also be expected to attach a scanned version of your statement.

 

Do not forget to report all holdings of the Altair Smaller Companies Fund.

10.20 - Review of Reports

 

Compliance will review all reports and personal Securities holdings and Securities Transactions submitted by Access Persons.  No Access Person  shall be responsible for reviewing and reconciling his or her own personal account trading activity. A member of Altair’s Board of Managers will review the CCO’s reports.

 

D.       Administration

 

 

Altair Advisers LLC Policy Number: 10
Code of Ethics Revised: June 2018

 

Policy/Practices

Employee Implementation Commentary

10.21 - Investigating Violations of the Code

 

Compliance is responsible for investigating any suspected violation of the Code and shall report the results of any investigation to Altair’s CCO, Compliance Committee and Board of Managers. You must cooperate with any review or investigation by Compliance into actual or potential violations of this Code.

10.22 - Remedies

 

A.       Sanctions

 

If the Board of Managers determines that an Access Person has committed a violation of the Code following a report of Compliance, the Board of Managers may impose sanctions and take other actions as deemed necessary and/or appropriate.

 

Any Access Person to which a violation of the Code relates must recuse himself or herself from any discussion or decision with respect to the handling and/or imposition of sanctions regarding such violation.

 

B.       Sole Authority

 

The Board of Managers has sole authority to determine the remedy for any violation of the Code, including appropriate disposition of any monies forfeited pursuant to the Code.

 

Failure to promptly abide by a directive to reverse a trade or forfeit profits may result in further sanctions.

You should take your responsibilities outlined within this Code seriously, as Altair takes violations of the Code seriously.

 

Sanctions or actions the Board of Managers may impose include:

 

•     Issuing a letter of caution or warning, suspending personal trading rights, suspending employment (with or without compensation);

•     Civil referral to the Securities and Exchange Commission,

•     Criminal referral;

•     Terminating (for cause) employment; and

•     Reversing any trade(s) made in violation of the Code and forfeiting any profit or absorbing any loss derived therefrom, with the amount of any profit forwarded to Altair who will in turn forward the funds to a charitable organization from Altair’s list of approved, non-political charities.

10.23 - Exceptions to the Code

 

The CCO may grant exceptions to the requirements of the Code on a case-by-case basis if granting an exception is consistent with applicable law and the CCO finds that the proposed conduct presents negligible opportunity for abuse. All such exceptions must be in writing, and will be subsequently reported to the Compliance Committee. See Compliance if you need to request an exception to the Code’s requirements. Compliance will consider such requests on a case-by-case basis.

 

 

Altair Advisers LLC Policy Number: 10
Code of Ethics Revised: June 2018

 

Policy/Practices

Employee Implementation Commentary

10.24 - Compliance Certification

 

All Access Persons and newly-hired Access Persons shall certify via the Online Compliance Tool that they have received, read and understood the Code by providing a certification of compliance with the Code via the Online Compliance Tool. In addition, on an annual basis, all Access Persons will be required to re- certify (via the Online Compliance Tool) that they have read and understood the Code, complied with the requirements of the Code, and reported all Securities Transactions to the extent required by the Code.

 

All certifications are managed through the Online Compliance Tool.

10.25 - Duty to Report Violations

 

A.       Reporting Violations

 

All Access Persons are required to promptly report, orally or in writing, to Compliance, information by which they believe or reasonably suspect that a violation of this Code has been or is likely to be committed. This includes an Access Person reporting his or her own violations or potential violations of this Code.

 

B.       Confidentiality and Non-Retaliation

 

Any such reports will be treated confidentially (to the extent permitted by applicable law) and investigated promptly and appropriately. Further, retaliation in any form by an Access Person against another Access Person for reporting a potential violation in good faith is strictly prohibited and will, at a minimum, be deemed a violation of this Code.

You are encouraged to seek advice from Compliance with respect to any action or transaction which may violate this Code.

 

You should refrain from any action or transaction which might lead to the appearance of impropriety or a violation of this Code.

 

Please also refer to the Employee Handbook for additional information regarding Altair’s approach to protecting employees who, in good faith, report violations or suspected violations.

 

 

Altair Advisers LLC Policy Number: 10
Code of Ethics Revised: June 2018

 

10.26 - Definitions

 

"Approved Company" means a company whose securities are held by a Client.

 

"Beneficial Interest" means the opportunity, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, to profit, or share in any profit derived from, a transaction in the subject Securities. An Access Person is deemed to have a Beneficial Interest in Securities owned by members of his or her Immediate Family. Common examples of Beneficial Interest include joint accounts, spousal accounts, UTMA accounts, partnerships, trusts and controlling interests in corporations. Questions as to whether an Access Person has a Beneficial Interest in a Security will be resolved in accordance with, and this definition shall be subject to, the definition of "beneficial owner" found in Rules 16a-1(a)(2) and (5) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

Immediate Family”  includes any of the following persons of an Access Person who reside in the same household as the Access Person: child, stepchild, grandchild, spouse, sibling, parent, stepparent, grandparent, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, sister-in-law, and brother-in-law. Immediate Family includes adoptive relationships and any other relationship (whether or not recognized by law) which Compliance determines could lead to the possible conflicts of interest, diversions of corporate opportunity, or appearances of impropriety which this Code is intended to prevent.

 

Initial Public Offeringis an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended by an issuer who immediately before the registration of such securities was not subject to the reporting requirements of sections 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

Limited Offering” means an offering that is exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended pursuant to section 4(2) or section 4(5) or pursuant to Rule 504, 505 or 506 of Regulation D under the Act.

 

Online Compliance Tool” means Schwab Compliance Technology or any other online compliance platform or software program used by Compliance to facilitate monitoring of Altair’s compliance program, including reporting required under this Code.

 

Restricted Listmeans the list of Securities on which one or more individuals at Altair, including Access Persons, may have material information which has not yet been publicly disclosed.

 

"Security" includes stock, notes, bonds, debentures, and other evidences of indebtedness (including loan participations and assignments), limited partnership interests, investment contracts, and all derivative instruments of the foregoing, such as options and warrants. Though the definition of "security" under applicable law generally does not include futures, options on futures, or commodities, such instruments are nevertheless included within the definition of Securities for purposes of this Code.

 

"Securities Transaction" means a purchase or sale of Securities in which an Access Person or a member of his or her Immediate Family has or acquires a Beneficial Interest. 

 

 

  

Altair Advisers LLC Policy Number: 10
Code of Ethics Appendix A - Trading Guidelines

 

Instrument (Type of Security) or Type of Transaction Code Reference Eligibility Are you able to trade? Preclearance Do you need to preclear the trade? Reporting Requirements Do you need to report these transactions?
Funds        
Open-end mutual funds that are not Altair Funds (including Altair Smaller Companies Funds) 10.13 Yes No No
Altair Funds (including Altair Smaller Companies Fund) 10.13 Yes No Yes
Exchange-traded funds 10.10 Yes No Yes
Closed-end funds 10.10 Yes No Yes
Private funds (including hedge funds) 10.12 Yes Yes Yes
Individual Investment Instruments        
Stocks – Long 10.10 Yes* No Yes
Short Sales (of any investment instrument) 10.11 No n/a n/a
Bonds 10.10 Yes* No Yes
Futures 10.10 Yes No Yes
Options 10.10 Yes* No Yes
Commodities 10.10 Yes No Yes
Initial Public Offerings 10.11 No n/a n/a
Limited offerings (including investments in private companies) 10.12 Yes Yes Yes
Money market instruments and bank certificates of deposit 10.13 Yes No No
Securities directly issued by the U.S. government 10.13 Yes No No
Bankers' acceptances 10.13 Yes No No

High quality short-term debt

instruments, including repurchase agreements

10.13 Yes No No
Commercial paper 10.13 Yes No No
Other
Securities held in an account with no direct or indirect influence or control 10.13 Yes No No

Securities included on the Restricted

List included on the Online Compliance Tool

10.11 No n/a n/a
Corporate reorganizations or distributions applicable to all holders of the same class of Securities, including stock dividends, dividend reinvestments, stock splits, reverse stock splits, mergers, consolidations and spin-offs 10.10 Yes No Yes, if the type of instrument is required to be reported under the Code

 

 

Altair Advisers LLC Policy Number: 10
Code of Ethics Appendix A - Trading Guidelines

 

Instrument (Type of Security) or Type of Transaction Code Reference Eligibility Are you able to trade? Preclearance Do you need to preclear the trade? Reporting Requirements Do you need to report these transactions?
Automatic Investment Plans 10.14 Yes No No
Changes to Automatic Investment Plans 10.14 Yes No Yes – only initial transactions following change
Acquiring securities issued to the holders of a class of Securities pro rata 10.10 Yes No

Yes, if the type of instrument is required

to be reported

  

* Confirm the issuing company is not included on the Restricted List maintained within the Online Compliance Tool. All securities included on the Restricted List are not eligible to be traded. Please see Compliance with questions.

 

 

 

Confidential

 

 

    18

 

Driehaus Capital Management LLC

Driehaus Securities LLC

Driehaus Mutual Funds

Driehaus Capital Management (USVI) LLC

 

CODE OF ETHICS AND BUSINESS CONDUCT

 

Statement of General Policy and Business Principles

 

This Code of Ethics and Business Conduct (“Code”) has been adopted under Rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“Rule 17j-1”) and Rule 204A-1 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Rule 204A-1”). Rule 17j-1 is applicable because Driehaus Capital Management LLC (the “Adviser”) is the investment adviser to Driehaus Mutual Funds (the “Fund”), a registered investment company, and Driehaus Securities LLC (“DS LLC”) is the Fund’s principal underwriter. The Code also applies to any registered investment company that the Adviser may serve as an investment adviser or sub-adviser. The Code covers all Employees of the Adviser, DS LLC and Driehaus Capital Management (USVI) LLC (collectively the “Firm,” “we” or “us”); the Fund’s Disinterested Trustees and Advisory Board Members; and others as may be designated from time to time by the Firm (“Access Persons”).1 Our Employees are also subject to the Firm’s policies and procedures, including the compliance manuals and employee handbooks that are readily accessible on our Firm’s intranet, which may impose additional restrictions on their conduct, including personal securities transactions.

 

The Code is specifically and reasonably designed for how we conduct our activities and addresses the particular conflicts of interest that we may encounter. A long-standing core business principle of our Firm is our commitment to maintaining the highest legal and ethical standards in the conduct of our business. We have built our reputation for excellence on Client trust and confidence in our professional abilities and integrity. The Code seeks to prevent Employee misuse of material non-public information regarding current and prospective investments we make for our Clients, investment research we perform for our Clients and actual and proposed trading on behalf of our Clients. Together with this Code, we have adopted and implemented various internal policies and procedures to detect and prevent the misuse of material non-public information. Compliance with this Code as well as additional policies and procedures is monitored and enforced by our legal and compliance professionals, who are supported by our strong “culture of compliance.”

 

Integral to our investment management process is “real time” internal sharing of information by the Adviser’s Portfolio Managers and research analysts within the equity and credit strategies. The investment personnel for the equity strategies are required to systematically enter research information about the securities held by or under consideration for purchase or sale for a Client, Restricted Strategy or Restricted Account in our Internal Research Notes database (“IRN”) before placing any orders in our Order Management System (“OMS”) for execution. The data in the IRN is accessible to, among others, Employees, including the Credit Strategies investment personnel, responsible for the Firm’s investment and trading activities on behalf of our Clients. However, the investment personnel for the Credit Strategies are not required to use the IRN, except for long-only equity securities, because the instruments researched and traded by them, e.g. bonds, options and swaps, cannot be entered into this system. Rather, information sharing occurs on a regular and continuous basis among the portfolio management team of the Credit Strategies. The Adviser believes that even though Credit Strategies research (other than for long-only equity securities) is not entered into the IRN, the equity strategies are not disadvantaged because of the marked differences between the strategies and their portfolio holdings. The transactions of the Credit Strategies are monitored by the Compliance Department for potential conflicts of interest with Clients and the results of such monitoring are reported to the Ethics Committee.

 

 

1 Capitalized terms used in the Code are defined when first used or in Section 1 of the Code.
   

 

We believe that these information sharing and trading procedures, along with the comprehensive Employee education and training, personal securities transaction reporting, compliance monitoring and the imposition of sanctions, where appropriate, work collectively to ensure that as fiduciaries we and all Access Persons do not place our interests above our Clients’ interests and comply with the applicable Federal securities laws, rules and regulations.

 

Any questions regarding the Code’s operation should be directed to the Firm’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”). Throughout the Code, there are also specific references to the assistance that the CCO can provide to Access Persons. The CCO shall act in accordance with the Firm’s policies and procedures, the Code, guidance from the Ethics Committee and in consultation with counsel.

 

1. DEFINITIONS OF TERMS USED

 

(a) “Access Person” means (i) any Fund Trustee, Fund officer, Advisory Board Member or Employee of the Fund or the Firm; and (ii) any natural person who is employed by an entity which controls, is controlled by or is under common control with the Fund or the Firm who obtains or has access to information concerning the purchase or sale of Covered Securities or those under consideration for purchase or sale or current holdings of the Fund or a Client.

 

(b) “Acknowledgment” means the initial and annual written certification by each Access Person of receipt and compliance with the Code.

 

(c) “Adviser” means Driehaus Capital Management LLC.

 

(d) “Advisory Board Member” means any individual serving as a member of an Advisory Board appointed by the Board of Trustees of the Fund.

 

(e) “Automatic Investment Plan” means a program in which regular periodic purchases (or withdrawals) are made automatically in (or from) investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation. An Automatic Investment Plan includes a dividend reinvestment plan.
  2  

 

(f) “Beneficial Interest” shall be interpreted in the same manner as it would be in determining whether a person is subject to the provisions of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and rules thereunder, which includes any interest in which a person, directly or indirectly, has or shares a direct or indirect pecuniary interest. A pecuniary interest is the opportunity, directly or indirectly, to profit or share in any profit derived from any transaction. Each Access Person will be assumed to have a pecuniary interest, and therefore, beneficial interest or ownership, in all securities held by the Access Person, the Access Person’s spouse or domestic partner, all minor children, all dependent adult children and adults sharing the same household with the Access Person (other than mere roommates) and in all accounts subject to their direct or indirect influence or control and/or through which they obtain the substantial equivalent of ownership, such as trusts in which they are a trustee or beneficiary, partnerships in which they are the general partner, except where the amount invested by the general partner is limited to an amount reasonably necessary in order to maintain the status as a general partner, corporations in which they are a controlling shareholder, except any investment company, mutual fund trust or similar entity registered under applicable U.S. or foreign law, or any other similar arrangement. Any questions an Access Person may have about whether an interest in a security or an account constitutes beneficial interest or ownership should be directed to the Firm’s CCO.

 

(g) “Client” means an advisory client of the Adviser, including the Fund and a Sub- Advised Fund. Client shall not include an Employee or Restricted Account.

 

(h) “Covered Security” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a)(36) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Company Act”) and Section 202(a)(18) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”), including any right to acquire such security, such as puts, calls, other options or rights in such securities, and securities-based futures contracts, except that it shall not include securities which are direct obligations of the Government of the United States, shares issued by registered open-end investment companies other than those for which the Adviser serves as the investment adviser or sub-adviser or DS LLC serves as principal underwriter, bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit or commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements.

 

(i) “Credit Strategies” are the investment strategies of the Adviser that invest primarily in fixed income and floating rate securities, of both investment and non-investment grade credit quality, and engage in a variety of short-term trading strategies involving both fixed income and equity securities.

 

(j) “Disinterested Trustee” means any trustee of a Fund who is not an interested person of the Firm, is not an officer of the Fund and is not otherwise an “interested person” of the Fund as defined in the Company Act.

 

(k) “DS LLC” means Driehaus Securities LLC.
  3  

 

(l) “Employee” means any person employed by the Firm, whether on a full or part- time basis, all officers, shareholders and directors of the Firm and any natural person who is employed by an entity which controls, is controlled by or is under common control with the Fund or the Firm who obtains or has access to information concerning the purchase or sale of Covered Securities or those under consideration for purchase or sale or current holdings of the Fund or a Client.

 

(m) The “Ethics Committee” shall consist of at least three but no more than five members who shall be Employees. One of the members shall be the Firm’s General Counsel. The Ethics Committee shall be comprised of Employees with sufficient experience and knowledge of the legal obligations and regulatory responsibilities of the Fund and the Firm. The Ethics Committee shall promptly advise the Fund’s Board of Trustees of any appointment or resignation by a member of the Ethics Committee. The Ethics Committee as a whole and each member shall act in accordance with Section 11 below.

 

(n) “Federal Securities Laws” has the same meaning as that term is defined in Rule 204A-1(e)(4) under the Advisers Act, and includes the Securities Act of 1933 (“Securities Act”), the Exchange Act, the Company Act, the Advisers Act, Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, any rules adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under any of these statutes, the Bank Secrecy Act as it applies to funds and investment advisers, and any rules adopted thereunder by the SEC or the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

 

(o) “Fund” means Driehaus Mutual Funds.

 

(p) “IRN” is the Adviser’s Internal Research Notes database, a proprietary software application that Employees of the Adviser’s Investment Management and Research Department are required to use to enter, update, make available and maintain research information about securities held by or under consideration for purchase or sale for a Client, Restricted Strategy or Restricted Account. The IRN data is available to Employees, including those with responsibility for investment management and research, trading, and legal and regulatory compliance.

 

(q) “Limited Offering” includes private placements and means an offering that is exempt from registration under Section 4(2) or Section 4(6) under the Securities Act or pursuant to Rule 504, Rule 505, or Rule 506 under the Securities Act.

 

(r) “New Issue” means an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act, the issuer of which, immediately before the registration, was not required to file reports under Sections 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

 

(s) “Personal Benefit” includes any intended benefit for oneself or any other individual, company, group or organization of any kind whatsoever except a benefit for a Client or any entity that adopts this Code.
  4  

 

(t) “Restricted Account” means an account of the Adviser in which Employees own a Beneficial Interest of 25% or more.

 

(u) “Restricted Strategy” means an investment strategy of the Adviser in which Employees own a Beneficial Interest of 25% or more.

 

(v) “Schwab Compliance Technologies” or “SchwabCT” is the Firm’s vended web- based compliance and personal trading system, which is primarily used for tracking Employees’ holdings, securities transactions, gifts and political contributions.

 

(w) “Segregated Account” means a Restricted Account which is subject to information barriers from internally-generated stock-specific research information, order and execution information and current holdings information regarding Covered Securities held by or under consideration for purchase or sale for a non-Segregated account or strategy of the Adviser.

 

(x) “Segregated Strategy” means a Restricted Strategy which is subject to information barriers from internally-generated stock-specific research information, order and execution information and current holdings information regarding Covered Securities held by or under consideration for purchase or sale for a non-Segregated account or strategy of the Adviser.

 

(y) “Sub-Advised Fund” means a Client fund sub-advised by the Adviser that is an investment company registered under the Company Act.

 

2. STANDARDS OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS

 

Access Persons are required at all times to comply with the Federal Securities Laws as applicable in conducting the business of the Firm or the Fund. Accordingly, a violation of the Federal Securities Laws will be a violation of this Code and may subject an Access Person to sanctions or other appropriate remedial action under the Code.

 

In addition, as a SEC registered investment adviser subject to the Advisers Act, the Adviser has fiduciary obligations to its Clients. Further, the Code requires that the conduct of Access Persons comply with the fundamental principles of integrity, honesty and trust.

 

The Code is designed to ensure that Access Persons understand and comply with their fiduciary obligations and to protect Clients by deterring misconduct. The Code also educates Access Persons about the expectations of the Firm and the Fund regarding their behavior and the Federal Securities Laws that govern their conduct, as applicable.

 

The Code and related policies and procedures contain provisions reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from engaging in acts in violation of the Code. Access Persons are required to report any violations of the Code to the CCO. The CCO is primarily responsible for monitoring compliance with the Code and reporting material violations of the Code to the Ethics Committee to ensure the Code’s enforcement.

  5  

 

3. TRANSACTIONS WITH A FUND

 

No Access Person shall sell to, or purchase from, a Fund any security or other property (except merchandise in the ordinary course of business), in which such Access Person has or would acquire a Beneficial Interest, unless such purchase or sale involves shares of that Fund.

 

4. DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION

 

No Access Person shall discuss with or otherwise inform others of any security held or to be acquired by a Client except in the performance of employment duties or in an official capacity and then only for the benefit of the Client, and in no event for Personal Benefit or for the benefit of others.

 

No Access Person shall release information to dealers or brokers or others (except to those concerned with the execution and settlement of a transaction) as to any changes in a Client’s investments, proposed or in process, except (i) upon the completion of such changes, or (ii) when the disclosure results from the publication of a prospectus, or (iii) in conjunction with a regular report to shareholders or to any governmental authority resulting in such information becoming public knowledge, or (iv) in connection with any report to which shareholders are entitled by reason of provisions of the declaration of trust, by-laws, rules and regulations, contracts or similar documents governing the operations of the Client.

 

5. PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT, GIFTS AND BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT

 

As fiduciaries to the Firm’s Clients (including the Fund and Sub-Advised Funds), Employees must always place the Firm’s Clients’ interests first and Employees are prohibited from allowing gifts or entertainment opportunities to influence the actions they take on behalf of the Firm’s Clients. Employees are prohibited from soliciting, seeking, or accepting favors, preferential treatment, gifts, entertainment opportunities, charitable or political contributions for themselves, on behalf of Clients, prospects, or others, or from receiving any other Personal Benefit arising from their association with the Firm or a Client.

 

Gifts and Business Entertainment from Broker-Dealers. Employees are prohibited from accepting from any source, including broker-dealers, any compensation, including gifts or entertainment, for the purchase or sale of any property, including securities and other portfolio holdings, to or for the Fund or a Sub-Advised Fund. This includes compensation, including gifts or entertainment, from companies in which the Fund or a Sub-Advised Fund may invest.

 

· This includes, but is not limited to, receipt of all gifts from broker-dealers (not including branded promotional items of de minimis value, i.e., less than $25), attendance at dinners hosted by broker-dealers that do not serve a valid and direct business purpose or benefit to a Client, and all concerts, sporting events, cocktail parties, golf outings and other similar events or performances hosted by broker- dealers.
  6  

 

· This prohibition does not include on- or off-site meetings and conferences that serve a valid and direct business purpose or benefit to a Client (e.g., road shows, meetings with investment strategists, economists, company management, etc.) that may also include incidental meals hosted by a broker-dealer as such incidental meals are not provided by the broker-dealer as compensation for the purchase or sale of any property to or for the Fund or a Sub-Advised Fund.

 

Gifts from all other non-broker-dealer vendors. Employees may only accept gifts of nominal value (i.e., less than $100) from current or prospective vendors that are not engaged in the business of purchasing or selling property to or for the Fund or a Sub- Advised Fund (i.e., vendors that are not broker-dealers). Employees may only accept such gifts when the value involved clearly will not place the Employee under any real or perceived obligation to the giftor or raise any question of impropriety.

 

· Under no circumstances may an Employee accept a gift of cash, including a cash equivalent such as a gift certificate or a security, regardless of the amount.

 

· If an Employee receives a gift that violates the Code, they must return the gift or consult with the CCO to determine appropriate action under the circumstances, which can include donating such gift to charity.

 

Business entertainment from all other non-broker-dealer vendors. In addition to the receipt of gifts, attendance at dinners, cocktail parties, golf outings, sporting events, theater and other similar events or performances also may create or appear to create a conflict of interest between the Firm and its Clients. Attendance at such events where the person offered the invitation and the person extending the invitation are both in attendance and discuss business benefitting a Client (e.g., the purpose of the outing is relationship building or is otherwise business-related) is considered “business entertainment.”

 

· No Employee shall seek or accept any business entertainment from any person or entity that does business with the Firm or a Client or that is seeking to do business with the Firm or a Client other than usual and customary business entertainment that is not excessive in value.

 

· If an Employee is unsure as to whether something might be considered excessive in value, he or she must check with the CCO or another member of the Firm’s Compliance Department prior to accepting the usual and customary business entertainment.

 

Reporting. Employees are required to promptly report all gifts and business entertainment to the CCO no later than thirty days after the calendar quarter during which the business entertainment took place. Such reporting should be made through SchwabCT. The CCO shall report any exceptions to the gifts and business entertainment policy to the Ethics Committee for appropriate action consistent with enforcement of the Code.

  7  

 

6. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

 

If any Access Person is aware of a personal interest that is, or might be, in conflict with the interest of a Client, that Access Person should disclose the situation or transaction and the nature of the conflict to the CCO for appropriate consideration by the Ethics Committee. The Ethics Committee may consult with counsel with respect to any appropriate action that should be taken.

 

7. SERVICE AS A DIRECTOR

 

Employees are prohibited from serving on the boards of directors of unaffiliated for- profit or not-for-profit corporations, business trusts or similar business entities, whether or not their securities are publicly traded, absent prior written approval by the Ethics Committee, based upon a determination that the board service would not be inconsistent with the interests of the Firm and the Fund. Copies of all written approvals obtained under this paragraph must be provided to and maintained by the CCO.

 

8. MATERIAL NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION

 

Securities laws and regulations prohibit the misuse of material non-public information when trading or recommending securities.

 

Material non-public information obtained by any Access Person from any source must be kept strictly confidential. All material non-public information should be kept secure, and access to files and computer files containing such information should be restricted. Access Persons shall not act upon or disclose material non-public information except as may be necessary for legitimate business purposes on behalf of a Client or the Firm as appropriate. Questions and requests for assistance regarding material non-public information should be promptly directed to the CCO of the Firm.

 

Material non-public information may include, but is not limited to, knowledge of pending orders or research recommendations, corporate finance activity, mergers or acquisitions, and other material non-public information that could reasonably be expected to affect the price of a security.

 

Client account information and Fund shareholder account information are also confidential and must not be discussed with any individual whose responsibilities do not require knowledge of such information.

 

9. RESTRICTIONS ON PERSONAL SECURITY TRANSACTIONS

 

No Access Person shall knowingly take unlawful advantage of his or her position with the Firm or with the Fund for Personal Benefit, or take action inconsistent with such Access Person’s obligations to the Firm, or any Client. All personal securities transactions must be consistent with this Code and must be conducted in a manner designed to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest or any abuse of any Access Person’s position of trust and responsibility. Any transaction effected with the purpose of profiting as a result of one or more transactions effected or anticipated for a Client (“scalping” or “frontrunning”) is prohibited.

  8  

 

(a) All Employees:

 

No Employee shall purchase or sell a Covered Security within four calendar days of a Client trade in that Covered Security. This four day blackout restriction shall not apply to the following exceptions, unless the Ethics Committee determines that the conduct is inconsistent with the Code or the Federal Securities Laws.

 

1. “IRN Entries” An Employee may buy or sell a Covered Security for a Restricted Strategy or Restricted Account after the security name and research information about the security has been entered into the IRN.

 

2. “ERISA Account Transactions” Trades may be effected for an account of a qualified employee benefit plan subject to the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, including an account maintained for the benefit of Employees.

 

3. “Excepted Securities” Transactions may be effected in U.S. Government securities, bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper, high quality short-term debt instruments including repurchase agreements and shares of U.S. registered open-end investment companies, non-volitional purchases and sales, such as dividend reinvestment programs or “calls” or redemptions of securities.

 

4. “Credit Strategies” Transactions may be effected for the Adviser’s Credit Strategies, except for long-only equity transactions, which must be entered into the IRN.

 

5. “Short Sales” Short sale transactions may be effected and buys to cover short sale transactions may be effected.

 

6. “Investment Companies” Transactions may be effected in U.S. registered closed-end investment companies and foreign registered open-end and closed-end investment companies.

 

7. “Segregated Accounts and Segregated Strategies” Transactions may be effected for the Adviser’s Segregated Accounts and Segregated Strategies.

 

8. “Managed Accounts” Transactions may be effected in a Managed Account as long as the account is managed on a discretionary basis and/or that you (or, if applicable, your spouse or domestic partner) do not exercise investment discretion or otherwise have direct or indirect influence or control over investment decisions. Managed Accounts must receive pre-approval from and be reported to the Compliance Department along with written confirmation from the manager, investment adviser or trustee managing the account, who may not be affiliated with the Firm or the Fund, that it is managed on a discretionary basis.

  9  

 

(b) Limited Offerings and New Issues: No Employee shall directly or indirectly acquire a Beneficial Interest in Limited Offering securities or securities in a New Issue without the prior consent of the Ethics Committee. Consideration will be given to whether the opportunity should be reserved for a Client. The Ethics Committee will review these proposed investments on a case-by-case basis except for those circumstances in which advance general approval may be appropriate because it is clear that conflicts are very unlikely to arise due to the nature of the opportunity for investing in the New Issue or Limited Offering. Additionally, Limited Offering securities and New Issue securities may not be purchased for Firm employee profit sharing plans and other Firm employee savings or benefits plans without the prior consent of the Ethics Committee.

 

(c) Related Instruments: When anything in this section 9 prohibits the purchase or sale of a security, it also prohibits the purchase or sale of any related securities, such as puts, calls, other options or rights in such securities and securities-based futures contracts and any securities convertible into or exchangeable for such security.

 

(d) Disinterested Trustees and Advisory Board Members: No Disinterested Trustee or Advisory Board Member of a Fund shall purchase or sell, directly or indirectly, any Covered Security in which he or she has, or by reason of such transaction acquires, any direct or indirect beneficial ownership or interest when the Disinterested Trustee or Advisory Board Member knows that securities of the same class are being purchased or sold or are being considered for purchase or sale by the Fund, until such time as the Fund’s transactions have been completed or consideration of such transaction is abandoned.

 

(e) Sanction Guidelines: Unless an exception exists, if a Restricted Account or Restricted Strategy trades in violation of this section 9, the Ethics Committee will determine the appropriate sanction consistent with the Sanction Guidelines of the Code, which may include disgorgement of profits to a charity selected by the Ethics Committee. A copy of the Sanction Guidelines will be provided to the Fund’s Board of Trustees annually.

 

10. REPORTING PROCEDURES

 

Unless a noted exception is applicable, each Access Person must follow these procedures for all securities or accounts in which he or she has a Beneficial Interest:

 

(a) Reports - All Access Persons:

 

(1) Brokerage confirmations and statements: Each Access Person must provide to the Firm’s CCO identifying information for all securities or commodities brokerage accounts in which that Access Person has a Beneficial Interest in Covered Securities, including in any Managed Accounts. Before opening any brokerage account, including a Managed Account, each Access Person shall submit a completed Securities and Commodities Brokerage Account Report or otherwise provide the information required on such report to the CCO of the Firm. The CCO will arrange to receive trade confirmations and monthly/quarterly account statements from the Access Person’s broker-dealer, bank and/or financial institution either directly in hard copy or electronically through SchwabCT.
  10  

 

To the extent that a security transaction in which an Access Person has any Beneficial Interest or ownership is not reported on brokerage confirmations and statements either in hard copy or through SchwabCT, such transaction must be reported to the Firm’s CCO as part of the quarterly transactions report set forth in section 10(a)(2).

 

(2) Initial and Annual Holdings Reports and Quarterly Transactions Reports: Each Access Person must provide a holdings report within 10 days after becoming an Access Person (an “Initial Holdings Report”) and annually thereafter (an “Annual Holdings Report”). The Annual Holdings Report must be current within 45 days of the date of the report, and should be made through SchwabCT. Any supplemental supporting documentation should be submitted to the CCO in hard copy, if necessary.

 

Each Access Person must also provide a quarterly transactions report within 30 days after the close of a quarter for each transaction during the quarter in a Covered Security in which the Access Person had any Beneficial Interest, including any Managed Accounts, and provide information for any account established by the Access Person during the quarter. The quarterly transaction reports should be made through SchwabCT. Any supplemental supporting documentation should be submitted to the CCO in hard copy, if necessary.

 

Each report must state the title, number of shares and principal amount of each Covered Security in which the Access Person had any Beneficial Interest, the broker/dealer, bank and/or financial institution maintaining the account for the Access Person in which any securities were held for the benefit of the Access Person, and the date that the report is submitted by the Access Person. In addition, the quarterly transaction report must state the date of the transaction, the interest rate and maturity date of the Covered Security (if applicable), the nature of the transaction (i.e., purchase, sale or other), the purchase or sale price, and the date the account was established if established in the current reporting quarter.

  11  

 

(b) Exceptions to Reporting:

 

(1) Access Persons need not file a quarterly transaction report if the information would duplicate information that the CCO received in a broker’s confirmation or account statement or that is contained in the records of the Firm, including within SchwabCT.

 

(2) An Access Person need not make a quarterly transaction report hereunder with respect to transactions effected pursuant to an Automatic Investment Plan.

 

(3) A Disinterested Trustee or Advisory Board Member who would be required to make a report referenced in Section 10(a) solely by virtue of being a Trustee or Advisory Board Member is not required to make a report unless Section 10(c)(1) applies.

 

(4) An Access Person who is not an Employee of the Firm may provide required reports to the CCO in hard copy in lieu of using SchwabCT.

 

(c) Reports - Disinterested Trustees and Advisory Board Members:

 

(1) A Disinterested Trustee or Advisory Board Member must provide a quarterly report to the Ethics Committee of any purchase or sale of any Covered Security in which such person has, or by virtue of such transaction acquires, any Beneficial Interest if at the time of the transaction the Disinterested Trustee or Advisory Board Member knew, or in the ordinary course of fulfilling his or her official duties as a Trustee or Advisory Board Member of a Fund should have known that, on the date of the transaction or within 15 days before or after the transaction, purchase or sale of that class of security was made or considered for the Fund. The form of the report must conform to the provisions of subsection (a)(2) above.

 

(2) This subsection (c) shall not apply to non-volitional purchases and sales, such as dividend reinvestment programs or “calls” or redemptions.

 

(d) Review of Reports:

 

The CCO of the Firm or a designee of the CCO will review reports submitted by Access Persons, except no person shall be permitted to review his or her own reports. Any report required to be filed shall not be construed as an admission by the person making such report that he/she has any direct or indirect Beneficial Interest in the security to which the report relates.

 

11. ETHICS COMMITTEE

 

The Ethics Committee will take whatever action it deems necessary and appropriate, consistent with its Sanction Guidelines, with respect to any Access Person of the Firm or the Fund other than as noted below who violates any provision of this Code, and will inform the Fund’s Board of Trustees as to the nature of such violation and the action taken by the Committee. However, any information received by the Ethics Committee relating to questionable practices or transactions by a Disinterested Trustee or an Advisory Board Member of a Fund shall immediately be forwarded to the Audit Committee of the Fund for that committee’s consideration and such action as it, in its sole judgment, shall deem warranted.

  12  

 

At least once a year, each Fund, the Adviser and DS LLC must provide a written report prepared by the Ethics Committee to the Fund’s Board of Trustees that describes any issues arising under the Code or procedures since the last report to the Board of Trustees, including, but not limited to, information about material violations of the Code or procedures and sanctions imposed in response to the material violations. The report will also certify to the Board of Trustees that each Fund and the Firm each have adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating the Code. The Report should also address any significant conflicts of interest that arose involving the Fund and Firm’s personal investment policies, even if the conflicts have not resulted in a violation of the Code.

 

12. WAIVERS

 

The Ethics Committee may, in its discretion, waive compliance with any provision of the Code after considering whether the waiver (i) is necessary or appropriate to alleviate undue hardship, or in view of unforeseen circumstances, (ii) will not be inconsistent with the purposes and policies of the Code; (iii) will not adversely affect the interests of any Client or the interests of the Firm and/or (iv) will not result in a transaction or conduct that would violate provisions of applicable laws or rules. Normally, all waiver applications must be made in advance and in writing. A written record shall be kept of all waivers granted by the Ethics Committee, including a brief summary of the reasons for the waiver.

 

13. CODE REVISIONS

 

Any material changes to this Code will be approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees prior to the effective date of such changes.

 

14. RECORD KEEPING REQUIREMENTS

 

The Firm shall maintain records, at its principal place of business, of the following: a copy of each Code in effect during the past five years; a record of any violation of the Code and any action taken as a result of the violation for at least five years after the end of the fiscal year in which the violation occurs; a copy of each report made by Access Persons as required in this Code, including any information provided in place of the reports during the past five years after the end of the fiscal year in which the report is made or the information is provided; a copy of each Fund trustee report made during the past five years; a copy of each Acknowledgment of the Code made by Access Persons during the past five years; a record of all Access Persons required to make reports currently and during the past five years; a record of all who are or were responsible for reviewing these reports during the past five years; and, for at least five years after approval, a record of any decision and the reasons supporting that decision, to approve an Access Person’s purchase of a New Issue or a Limited Offering.

  13  

 

15.        CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT OR SERVICE

 

All Access Persons shall conduct themselves at all times in the best interests of Clients. Compliance with the Code is a condition of employment or continued affiliation with a Fund or the Firm. Conduct not in accordance with the Code is grounds for sanctions which may include, but are not limited to, a reprimand, a restriction on activities, disgorgement, termination of employment or removal from office. All Access Persons shall certify annually to the Ethics Committee that they have read and agree to comply in all respects with this Code and that they have disclosed or reported all personal securities transactions, holdings and accounts required to be disclosed or reported by this Code.

 

Effective: June 15, 2015

  14  

 

Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC

 

Code of Ethics

 

December 19, 2017

     

 

Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC

 

Code of Ethics

 

2/2/2015 to Current

 

Table of Contents

 

1 - Statement of General Policy 3
2 - Definitions 5
3 - Standards of Business Conduct 6
4 - Prohibition against Insider Trading 7
5 - Personal Securities Transactions 10
6 – Social Media 12
7 - Gifts and Entertainment 16
8 – Political Contributions 17
9 - Protecting the Confidentiality of Client Information 21
10 - Service as an Officer or Director 24
12 - Compliance Procedures 25
12 - Certification 28
13 - Records 29
14 - Reporting Violations and Sanctions 30
15 – Amendments 31
  2 December 19, 2017

 

1- Statement of General Policy

 

This Code of Ethics (“Code”) has been adopted by Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC and is designed to comply with Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Advisers Act”).

 

This Code establishes rules of conduct for all employees of Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC and is designed to, among other things, govern personal securities trading activities in the accounts of employees, immediate family/household accounts and accounts in which an employee has a beneficial interest. The Code is based upon the principle that Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC and its employees owe a fiduciary duty to Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC's clients to conduct their affairs, including their personal securities transactions, in such a manner as to avoid (i) serving their own personal interests ahead of clients, (ii) taking inappropriate advantage of their position with the firm and (iii) any actual or potential conflicts of interest or any abuse of their position of trust and responsibility.

 

The Code is designed to ensure that the high ethical standards long maintained by Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC continue to be applied. The purpose of the Code is to preclude activities which may lead to or give the appearance of conflicts of interest, insider trading and other forms of prohibited or unethical business conduct. The excellent name and reputation of our firm continues to be a direct reflection of the conduct of each employee.

 

Pursuant to Section 206 of the Advisers Act, both Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC and its employees are prohibited from engaging in fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative conduct. Compliance with this section involves more than acting with honesty and good faith alone. It means that Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC has an affirmative duty of utmost good faith to act solely in the best interest of its clients.

 

Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC and its employees are subject to the following specific fiduciary obligations when dealing with clients:

 

· The duty to have a reasonable, independent basis for the investment advice provided;
· The duty to obtain best execution for a client’s transactions where the Firm is in a position to direct brokerage transactions for the client;
· The duty to ensure that investment advice is suitable to meeting the client’s individual objectives, needs and circumstances; and
· A duty to be loyal to clients.

 

In meeting its fiduciary responsibilities to its clients, Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC expects every employee to demonstrate the highest standards of ethical conduct for continued employment with Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC. Strict compliance with the provisions of the Code shall be considered a basic condition of employment with Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC. Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC's reputation for fair and honest dealing with its clients has taken considerable time to build. This standing could be seriously damaged as the result of even a single securities transaction being considered questionable in light of the fiduciary duty owed to our clients. Employees are urged to seek the advice of the Chief Compliance Officer, for any questions about the Code or the application of the Code to their individual circumstances. Employees should also understand that a material breach of the provisions of the Code may constitute grounds for disciplinary action, including termination of employment with Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC.

  3 December 19, 2017

 

The provisions of the Code are not all-inclusive. Rather, they are intended as a guide for employees of Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC in their conduct. In those situations where an employee may be uncertain as to the intent or purpose of the Code, he/she is advised to consult with the Chief Compliance Officer. The Chief Compliance Officer may grant exceptions to certain provisions contained in the Code only in those situations when it is clear beyond dispute that the interests of our clients will not be adversely affected or compromised. All questions arising in connection with personal securities trading should be resolved in favor of the client even at the expense of the interests of employees.

 

The Chief Compliance Officer will periodically report to senior management/board of directors of Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC to document compliance with this Code.

  4 December 19, 2017

 

2 - Definitions

 

For the purposes of this Code, the following definitions shall apply:

 

· “Access person” means any supervised person who: has access to nonpublic information regarding any clients’ purchase or sale of securities, or nonpublic information regarding the portfolio holdings of any Reportable fund our firm or, if applicable (both in this reference and throughout this document), its control affiliates manage or has access to such recommendations; or is involved in making securities recommendations to clients that are nonpublic.
· “Account” means accounts of any employee and includes accounts of the employee’s immediate family members (any relative by blood or marriage living in the employee’s household), and any account in which he or she has a direct or indirect beneficial interest, such as trusts and custodial accounts or other accounts in which the employee has a beneficial interest, controls or exercises investment discretion.
· “Beneficial ownership” shall be interpreted in the same manner as it would be under Rule 16a- 1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 in determining whether a person is the beneficial owner of a security for purposes of Section 16 of such Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.
· “Fund” means an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act.
· “Reportable fund” means any registered investment company, i.e., mutual fund, for which our Firm, or a control affiliate, acts as investment adviser, as defined in section 2(a) (20) of the Investment Company Act, or principal underwriter.
· “Reportable security” means any security as defined in Section 202(a)(18) of the Advisers Act, except that it does not include: (i) Transactions and holdings in direct obligations of the Government of the United States; (ii) Bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and other high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements; (iii) Shares issued by money market funds; (iv) Transactions and holdings in shares of other types of open-end registered mutual funds, unless Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC or a control affiliate acts as the investment adviser or principal underwriter for the fund; and (v) Transactions in units of a unit investment trust if the unit investment trust is invested exclusively in mutual funds, unless Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC or a control affiliate acts as the investment adviser or principal underwriter for the fund.
· “Supervised person” means directors, officers and partners of Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC (or other persons occupying a similar status or performing similar functions); employees of Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC; and any other person who provides advice on behalf of Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC and is subject to Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC's supervision and control.
  5 December 19, 2017

 

3 - Standards of Business Conduct

 

Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC places the highest priority on maintaining its reputation for integrity and professionalism. That reputation is a vital business asset. The confidence and trust placed in our firm and its employees by our clients is something we value and endeavor to protect. The following Standards of Business Conduct set forth policies and procedures to achieve these goals. This Code is intended to comply with the various provisions of the Advisers Act and also requires that all supervised persons comply with the various applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

 

Section 204A of the Advisers Act requires the establishment and enforcement of policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent the misuse of material, nonpublic information by investment advisers.

Such policies and procedures are contained in this Code. The Code also contains policies and procedures with respect to personal securities transactions of all Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC's supervised persons as defined herein. These procedures cover transactions in a reportable security in which a supervised person has a beneficial interest in or accounts over which the supervised person exercises control as well as transactions by members of the supervised person’s immediate family.

 

Section 206 of the Advisers Act makes it unlawful for Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC or its agents or employees to employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud any client or prospective client, or to engage in fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative practices. This Code contains provisions that prohibit these and other enumerated activities and that are reasonably designed to detect and prevent violations of the Code, the Advisers Act and rules thereunder.

  6 December 19, 2017

 

4 - Prohibition Against Insider Trading

 

Introduction

 

Trading securities while in possession of material, nonpublic information, or improperly communicating that information to others may expose supervised persons and Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC to stringent penalties. Criminal sanctions may include a fine of up to $1,000,000 and/or ten years imprisonment. The SEC can recover the profits gained or losses avoided through the illegal trading, impose a penalty of up to three times the illicit windfall, and/or issue an order permanently barring you from the securities industry. Finally, supervised persons and Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC may be sued by investors seeking to recover damages for insider trading violations.

 

The rules contained in this Code apply to securities trading and information handling by supervised persons of Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC and their immediate family members.

 

The law of insider trading is unsettled and continuously developing. An individual legitimately may be uncertain about the application of the rules contained in this Code in a particular circumstance. Often, a single question can avoid disciplinary action or complex legal problems. You must notify the Chief Compliance Officer immediately if you have any reason to believe that a violation of this Code has occurred or is about to occur.

 

General Policy

 

No supervised person may trade, either personally or on behalf of others (such as investment funds and private accounts managed by Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC), while in the possession of material, nonpublic information, nor may any personnel of Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC communicate material, nonpublic information to others in violation of the law.

 

1. What is Material Information?

 

Information is material where there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider it important in making his or her investment decisions. Generally, this includes any information the disclosure of which will have a substantial effect on the price of a company’s securities. No simple test exists to determine when information is material; assessments of materiality involve a highly fact-specific inquiry. For this reason, you should direct any questions about whether information is material to the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

Material information often relates to a company’s results and operations, including, for example, dividend changes, earnings results, changes in previously released earnings estimates, significant merger or acquisition proposals or agreements, major litigation, liquidation problems, and extraordinary management developments.

 

Material information also may relate to the market for a company’s securities. Information about a significant order to purchase or sell securities may, in some contexts, be material. Prepublication information regarding reports in the financial press also may be material. For example, the United States Supreme Court upheld the criminal convictions of insider trading defendants who capitalized on prepublication information about The Wall Street Journal’s “Heard on the Street” column.

  7 December 19, 2017

 

You should also be aware of the SEC’s position that the term “material nonpublic information” relates not only to issuers but also to Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC's securities recommendations and client securities holdings and transactions.

 

2. What is Nonpublic Information?

 

Information is “public” when it has been disseminated broadly to investors in the marketplace. For example, information is public after it has become available to the general public through the Internet, a public filing with the SEC or some other government agency, the Dow Jones “tape” or The Wall Street Journal or some other publication of general circulation, and after sufficient time has passed so that the information has been disseminated widely.

 

3. Identifying Inside Information

 

Before executing any trade for yourself or others, including investment funds or private accounts managed by Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC (“Client Accounts”), you must determine whether you have access to material, nonpublic information. If you think that you might have access to material, nonpublic information, you should take the following steps:

 

· Report the information and proposed trade immediately to the Chief Compliance Officer.
· Do not purchase or sell the securities on behalf of yourself or others, including investment funds or private accounts managed by the firm.
· Do not communicate the information inside or outside the firm, other than to the Chief Compliance Officer.
· After the Chief Compliance Officer has reviewed the issue, the firm will determine whether the information is material and nonpublic and, if so, what action the firm will take.

 

You should consult with the Chief Compliance Officer before taking any action. This high degree of caution will protect you, our clients, and the firm.

 

4. Contacts with Public Companies

 

Contacts with public companies may represent an important part of our research efforts. The firm may make investment decisions on the basis of conclusions formed through such contacts and analysis of publicly available information. Difficult legal issues arise, however, when, in the course of these contacts, a supervised person of Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC or other person subject to this Code becomes aware of material, nonpublic information. This could happen, for example, if a company’s Chief Financial Officer prematurely discloses quarterly results to an analyst, or an investor relations representative makes selective disclosure of adverse news to a handful of investors. In such situations, Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC must make a judgment as to its further conduct. To protect yourself, your clients and the firm, you should contact the Chief Compliance Officer immediately if you believe that you may have received material, nonpublic information.

  8 December 19, 2017

 

5. Tender Offers

 

Tender offers represent a particular concern in the law of insider trading for two reasons: First, tender offer activity often produces extraordinary gyrations in the price of the target company’s securities. Trading during this time period is more likely to attract regulatory attention (and produces a disproportionate percentage of insider trading cases). Second, the SEC has adopted a rule which expressly forbids trading and “tipping” while in the possession of material, nonpublic information regarding a tender offer received from the tender offeror, the target company or anyone acting on behalf of either. Supervised persons of Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC and others subject to this Code should exercise extreme caution any time they become aware of nonpublic information relating to a tender offer.

 

6. Restricted/Watch Lists

 

Although Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC does not typically receive confidential information from portfolio companies, it may, if it receives such information take appropriate procedures to establish restricted or watch lists in certain securities.

 

The Chief Compliance Officer may place certain securities on a “restricted list.” Supervised persons are prohibited from personally, or on behalf of an advisory account, purchasing or selling securities during any period they are listed. Securities issued by companies about which a number of supervised persons are expected to regularly have material, nonpublic information should generally be placed on the restricted list. The Chief Compliance Officer shall take steps to immediately inform all supervised persons of the securities listed on the restricted list.

 

The Chief Compliance Officer may place certain securities on a “watch list.” Securities issued by companies about which a limited number of supervised persons possess material, nonpublic information should generally be placed on the watch list. The list will be disclosed only to the Chief Compliance Officer and a limited number of other persons who are deemed necessary recipients of the list because of their roles in compliance.

  9 December 19, 2017

 

5 - Personal Securities Transactions

 

General Policy

 

Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC has adopted the following principles governing personal investment activities by Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC's supervised persons:

 

· The interests of client accounts will at all times be placed first;
· All personal securities transactions will be conducted in such manner as to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest or any abuse of an individual’s position of trust and responsibility; and
· Supervised persons must not take inappropriate advantage of their positions.

 

Pre-Clearance Required for Participation in IPOs

 

No supervised person shall acquire any beneficial ownership in any securities in an Initial Public Offering for his or her account, as defined herein without the prior written approval of the Chief Compliance Officer who has been provided with full details of the proposed transaction (including written certification that the investment opportunity did not arise by virtue of the supervised person’s activities on behalf of a client) and, if approved, will be subject to continuous monitoring for possible future conflicts.

 

Private or Limited Offerings in Publicly Traded Companies

 

No supervised person shall acquire beneficial ownership of any securities in a limited offering or private placement that invests in publicly traded companies, or placements in companies that will invest in publicly traded companies, unless full discretion is given to the manager of such Private or Limited Offering. Supervised person(s) also represent that the investment opportunity did not arise by virtue of the supervised person’s activities on behalf of a client.

 

Pre-Clearance Required for Trading in Securities owned in a Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC client account

 

No supervised person shall purchase or sell, directly or indirectly for their own account, any security which is also held in a Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC client account without the prior written approval of the Chief Compliance Officer or the President who has been provided with full details of the proposed transaction (including written certification that the investment opportunity did not arise by virtue of the supervised person’s activities on behalf of a client) and, if approved, will be subject to continuous monitoring for possible future conflicts.

 

Pre-Clearance Required for Trading in US Exchanged Traded Securities with a Market Capitalization between $25 million and $2 billion

 

No supervised person shall purchase or sell, directly or indirectly, any security traded on a US Exchange with a market capitalization between $25 million and $2 billion without the prior written approval of the Chief Compliance Officer or the President, who has been provided with full details of the proposed transaction (including written certification that the investment opportunity did not arise by virtue of the supervised person’s activities on behalf of a client) and, if approved, will be subject to continuous monitoring for possible future conflicts.

  10 December 19, 2017

 

Blackout Periods

 

No supervised person shall purchase or sell, directly or indirectly, any security in which Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC has a pending buy or sell order for a client’s account until that order is executed or withdrawn.

 

Additionally, no supervised person shall purchase or sell, directly or indirectly, any security in which he or she has, or by reason of such transaction acquires, any direct or indirect beneficial interest within seven (7) calendar days after any client trades in that security unless all of the transactions contemplated by the client in that security have been completed prior to such transaction. If a securities transaction is executed by a client within seven (7) calendar days after an access person executed a transaction in the same security, the Chief Compliance Officer will review the supervised person’s and the client’s transactions to determine whether the supervised person did not meet his or her fiduciary duties to the client in violation of this Code.

  11 December 19, 2017

 

6 - Social Media

 

General Policy

 

It is Pacific Ridge Capital Partners’ policy to monitor employee use of social media, networking and similar communications. There should be no expectation of privacy in the use of the Firm's Internet, emails, any use of blogs, instant messages, company- owned cellular phones and text messages on company-owned equipment under this policy. Every message leaves an electronic trail that's both traceable to a specific individual and accessible by Pacific Ridge Capital Partners even if it is deleted. Blogging or other forms of social media or technology include but are not limited to: video or wiki postings, sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, chat rooms, podcasts, virtual worlds, personal blogs, microblogs or other similar forms of online journals, diaries or personal newsletters.

 

General Provisions

 

Unless specific to job scope requirements, employees are not authorized to and therefore may not speak on behalf of Pacific Ridge Capital Partners through social media or otherwise. Employees may not publicly discuss clients, investment strategies or recommendations, investment performance, other products or services offered by our Firm, employees or any work-related matters, whether confidential or not, outside company-authorized communications. Employees are required to protect the privacy of Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, its clients and employees, and are prohibited from disclosing personal employee and non-employee information and any other proprietary and nonpublic information to which employees have access. Such information includes but is not limited to customer information, trade secrets, financial information and strategic business plans.

 

Personal Blogs and Social Networking Sites. Bloggers and commenters are personally responsible for their commentary on blogs and social media sites. Bloggers and commenters can be held personally liable for commentary that is considered defamatory, obscene, proprietary or libelous by any offended party, not just Pacific Ridge Capital Partners.

 

It is Pacific Ridge Capital Partners’ policy that no employee may use employer-owned equipment, including computers, company-licensed software or other electronic equipment, nor facilities or company time, to conduct unauthorized personal blogging or social networking activities. Employees cannot use blogs or social media sites to harass, threaten, discriminate or disparage against employees or anyone associated with or doing business with Pacific Ridge Capital Partners.

  12 December 19, 2017

 

Employees cannot post on personal blogs or other sites the name, trademark or logo of Pacific Ridge Capital Partners or any business with a connection to Pacific Ridge Capital Partners. Employees cannot post company-privileged information, including copyrighted or trademarked information or company-issued documents.

 

Text Messaging Policy. As Pacific Ridge Capital Partners is unable to capture text communications, no Pacific Ridge Capital Partners business communications may be conducted via text messaging.

 

Internet Monitoring. Employees are cautioned that they should have no expectation of privacy while using company equipment or facilities for any purpose, including authorized blogging. Employees are cautioned that they should have no expectation of privacy while using the Internet. Your postings can be reviewed by anyone, including Pacific Ridge Capital Partners. Pacific Ridge Capital Partners reserves the right to monitor comments or discussions about the company, its employees, clients and the industry, including products and competitors, posted on the Internet by anyone, including employees and non-employees. Pacific Ridge Capital Partners may use blog- search tools and software, and/or may engage outside service providers to periodically monitor forums such as blogs and other types of personal journals, diaries, personal and business discussion forums, and social networking sites.

 

Pacific Ridge Capital Partners’ Social Media policy, however, will not be construed or applied to limit employees' rights under the under the National Labor Relations Act ("NLRA") or applicable law.

 

Background

 

Social media and/or methods of publishing opinions or commentary electronically is a fast growing phenomenon which takes many forms, including internet forums, blogs and microblogs, online profiles, wikis, podcasts, picture and video posts, virtual worlds, email, instant messaging, text messaging, music and other file-sharing, to name just a few. Examples of social media applications include, among others, LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, Yelp, Flickr, Second Life, Yahoo groups, Wordpress, and ZoomInfo. The proliferation of such electronic communications presents new and ever changing regulatory risks for our firm.

 

As a registered investment adviser, use of social media by our Firm and/or related persons of the Firm must comply with applicable provisions of the federal securities laws, including, but not limited to the following laws and regulations under the Advisers Act, as well as additional rules and regulations identified below:

  13 December 19, 2017

 

Anti-Fraud Provisions: Sections 206(1), 206(2), and 206(4), and Rule 206(4)-1 thereunder;

 

Advertising: Rule 206(4)-1

 

Compliance/Supervision: Rule 206(4)-7

 

Privacy: Regulation S-P

 

Recordkeeping: Rule 204(2)

 

For example, business or client related comments or posts made through social media may breach applicable privacy laws or be considered "Advertising" under applicable regulations triggering content restrictions and special disclosure and recordkeeping requirements. Employees should be aware that the use of social media for personal purposes may also have implications for our Firm, particularly where the employee is identified as an officer, employee or representative of the firm. Accordingly, Pacific Ridge Capital Partners seeks to adopt reasonable policies and procedures to safeguard the Firm and our clients.

 

Responsibility

 

The Chief Compliance Officer has the responsibility for the implementation and monitoring of our firm's Social Media policy, practices, and recordkeeping.

 

Procedure

 

Pacific Ridge Capital Partners has adopted procedures to implement Pacific Ridge Capital Partners’ policy, and conducts internal reviews to monitor and ensure that the policy is observed, implemented properly, and amended or updated, as appropriate. These include the following:

 

1. Pacific Ridge Capital Partners’ email policy has been communicated to all persons within the Firm and any changes in our policy will be promptly communicated.
2. All employees are required to sign a written acknowledgement of our Social Media policy.
3. All employees will be required to provide annual certification that they understand and are complying with our Social Media policy.
4. Emails and any other electronic communications relating to Pacific Ridge Capital Partners advisory services and client relationships will be maintained on an on-going basis.
  14 December 19, 2017

 

5. Electronic communications records will be maintained and arranged for easy access and retrieval so as to provide true and complete copies with appropriate backup and separate storage for the required periods.
6. The Chief Compliance Officer will periodically monitor a random sampling of employee electronic communications and maintain documentary evidence of such surveillance in an applicable location.
7. Pacific Ridge Capital Partners reserves the right to use content management tools to monitor, review or block content on company blogs that violate company blogging rules and guidelines.
8. Pacific Ridge Capital Partners requires employees to report any violation, or possible or perceived violation, to the Chief Compliance Officer. Violations include discussions of Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, its clients and/or employees, any discussion of proprietary information (including trade secrets, or copyrighted or trademarked material) and any unlawful activity related to blogging or social networking.
9. Pacific Ridge Capital Partners investigates and responds to all reports of violations of the social media policy and other related policies. Violation of the company’s social media policy will result in disciplinary action up to and including immediate termination. Any disciplinary action or termination will be determined based on the nature and factors of any blog or social networking post, or any unauthorized communication. Pacific Ridge Capital Partners reserves the right to take legal action where necessary against employees who engage in prohibited or unlawful conduct. If you have any questions about this policy or a specific posting on the web, please contact the Chief Compliance Officer.
  15 December 19, 2017

 

7 - Gifts and Entertainment

 

Giving, receiving or soliciting gifts in a business setting may create an appearance of impropriety or may raise a potential conflict of interest. Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC has adopted the policies set forth below to guide supervised persons in this area.

 

General Policy

 

Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC's policy with respect to gifts and entertainment is as follows:

 

· Giving, receiving or soliciting gifts in a business may give rise to an appearance of impropriety or may raise a potential conflict of interest;
· Supervised persons should not accept or provide any gifts or favors that might influence the decisions you or the recipient must make in business transactions involving Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC, or that others might reasonably believe would influence those decisions;
· Modest gifts and favors, which would not be regarded by others as improper, may be accepted or given on an occasional basis. Entertainment that satisfies these requirements and conforms to generally accepted business practices also is permissible;
· Where there is a law or rule that applies to the conduct of a particular business or the acceptance of gifts of even nominal value, the law or rule must be followed.

 

Reporting Requirements

 

· Any supervised person who accepts, directly or indirectly, anything of value from any person or entity that does business with or on behalf of Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC, including gifts and gratuities with value in excess of $300 per year, must obtain consent from the Chief Compliance Officer before accepting such gift.
· Pacific Ridge Capital Partners does not allow employees to either give or receive cash or cash equivalents related to Pacific Ridge. Receiving cash or a cash equivalent from a third party related to Pacific Ridge is acceptable if it is to reimburse a normal and ordinary business expense which the employee advanced for a non-employee and that expense is reported to the company on an expense report. Likewise giving money to a non-employee related to Pacific Ridge is acceptable if it is to pay for an ordinary and normal business expense which is in turn reported to the company on an expense report.
· Pacific Ridge Capital Partners recognizes that entertainment varies widely based upon the situation, whether traveling or not, and if traveling the region visiting, the people in attendance, etc., and as such, does not place a specific dollar amount or value on entertainment deemed excessive. As such, employees are allowed to determine what is appropriate based on the circumstances of each specific situation. However, Pacific Ridge employees are expected to evaluate and recognize the appearance of excess when making the decision to provide or receive entertainment gifts and seek pre approval from the CCO when in doubt. For entertainment expenditures Pacific Ridge reserves the right to refuse reimbursement for any gifts or entertainment the company deems excessive.
  16 December 19, 2017

 

· This reporting requirement does not apply to bona fide dining or bona fide entertainment if, during such dining or entertainment, you are accompanied by the person or representative of the entity that does business with Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC.
· This gift reporting requirement is for the purpose of helping Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC monitor the activities of its employees. However, the reporting of a gift does not relieve any supervised person from the obligations and policies set forth in this Section or anywhere else in this Code. If you have any questions or concerns about the appropriateness of any gift, please consult the Chief Compliance Officer.
  17 December 19, 2017

 

8 - Political Contributions / Pay-to-Play

 

Policy

 

It is Pacific Ridge Capital Partners’ policy to permit the firm, and its covered associates, to make political contributions to elected officials, candidates and others, consistent with this policy and regulatory requirements.

 

Pacific Ridge Capital Partners recognizes that it is never appropriate to make or solicit political contributions, or provide gifts or entertainment for the purpose of improperly influencing the actions of public officials. Accordingly, our firm's policy is to restrict certain political contributions made to government officials and candidates of state and state political subdivisions who can influence or have the authority for hiring an investment adviser.

 

SEC regulations limit political contributions to Covered Government Officials by employees of investment advisory firms and certain affiliated companies. The SEC’s “Pay-to-Play” Rule 206(4)-5 (the “Rule”) prohibits advisers from receiving any compensation for providing investment advice to a government entity within two years after a contribution has been made by the adviser or one of its covered associates. The two-year time out is triggered by a political contribution to an official of a government entity. The date of the contribution starts the time out.

 

The Rule permits contributions of up to $350 per person for any election to an elected official or candidate for whom the individual is entitled to vote, and up to $150 per person for any election to an elected official or candidate for whom the individual is not entitled to vote. Many U.S. cities, states and other government entities have also adopted regulations restricting political contributions by associates of investment management firms seeking to provide services to a governmental entity. While contributions to candidates in federal elections would generally not raise any issues under state or local laws, contributions to state and local officials may not be approved depending on the circumstances. Pacific Ridge Capital Partners’ employees must receive approval from the LCR Department through MCO before making personal political contributions at all levels. Political contributions which require pre- approval include, but are not limited to, the following:

 

· Covered Government Officials;

 

· Federal candidate campaigns and affiliated committees;

 

· Political Action Committees (PACs) and Super PACs; and

 

· Non-profit organizations that may engage in political activities, such as 501(c)(4) and 501(c)(6) organizations.

 

Note: U.S. national political party donations (e.g. Democratic or Republican) do not require pre- clearance.

 

Contributions include:

 

· Monetary contributions, gifts or loans;
  18 December 19, 2017

 

· “In kind” contributions (e.g. donations of goods or services or underwriting or hosting fundraisers);

 

· Contributions to help pay a debt incurred in connection with an election (including transition or inaugural expenses, purchasing tickets to inaugural events);

 

· Contributions to joint fund-raising committees; or

 

· Contributions made by a PAC that is controlled by an Access Person.

 

Responsibility

 

Our firm's Chief Compliance Officer has the responsibility for the implementation and monitoring of our firm's political contribution policy, practices, disclosures and recordkeeping.

 

Procedure

 

Pacific Ridge Capital Partners has adopted various procedures to implement the firm's policy, conducts reviews to monitor and ensure the firm's policy is observed, implemented properly and amended or updated, as appropriate, which include the following:

 

· the Compliance Officer, or other designated officer, determines who is deemed to be a "Covered Associate" of the firm and promptly advises those individuals of their status as such; maintains records including the names, titles, and business and residence addresses of all covered associates;
· the Compliance Officer, or other designated officer, obtains appropriate information from new employees (or employees promoted or otherwise transferred into positions) deemed to be covered associates, regarding any political contributions made within the preceding two years (from the date s/he becomes a covered associate) if such person will be soliciting municipal business; such review may include an online search of the individual's contribution history as part of the firm's general background check;
· political contributions made by covered associates must not exceed the rule's de minimis amount (currently $350, if an election that the person can vote in, or $150, if an election the person cannot vote in);
· prior to accepting a new advisory client that is a government entity, the Compliance Officer, or other designated officer will conduct a review of political contributions made by covered associates to ensure that any such contribution(s) did not exceed the rule's permissible de minimis amount (currently $350, if an election that the person can vote in, or $150, if an election the person cannot vote in);
· the Compliance Officer, or other designated officer, annually monitors and maintains records identifying all government entities to which Pacific Ridge Capital Partners provides advisory services, if any;
· the Compliance Officer, or other designated officer, monitors and maintains records detailing political contributions made by the firm and/or its covered associates;
· such records will be maintained in chronological order and will detail:
i. the name and title of the contributor;
  19 December 19, 2017

 

ii. the name and title (including any city/county/state or other political subdivision) of each recipient of a contribution or payment;
iii. the amount and date of each contribution or payment; and
iv. whether any such contribution was the subject of the exception for certain returned contributions.
· the Compliance Officer, or other designated officer, will maintain appropriate records following the departure of a covered associate who made a political contribution triggering the two-year 'time out' period;
· the Compliance Officer, or other designated officer, maintains records reflecting approval of political contributions made by the firm and/or its covered associates;
· prior to engaging a third party solicitor to solicit advisory business from a government entity, the Compliance Officer, or other designated officer, will determine that such solicitor is (1) a "regulated person" as defined under this Rule and (2) determined that such individual has not made certain political contributions or otherwise engaged in conduct that would disqualify the solicitor from meeting the definition of "regulated person";
· at least annually, the Compliance Officer, or other designated officer, will require covered associates and any third party solicitors to confirm that such person(s) have reported any and all political contributions, and continue to meet the definition of "regulated person";
· the Compliance Officer, or other designated officer, maintains records of each regulated person to whom the firm provides or agrees to provide (either directly or indirectly) payment to solicit a government entity for advisory services on its behalf; and
· the Compliance Officer, or other designated officer, will monitor states' registration and/or reporting requirements pursuant to the firm's use of any 'placement agents' (including employees of the firm and/or its affiliates) for the solicitation of or arrangements for providing advisory services to any government entity or public pension plan.
  20 December 19, 2017

 

9 - Protecting the Confidentiality of Client Information

 

Confidential Client Information

 

In the course of investment advisory activities of Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC, the firm gains access to non-public information about its clients. Such information may include a person's status as a client, personal financial and account information, the allocation of assets in a client portfolio, the composition of investments in any client portfolio, information relating to services performed for or transactions entered into on behalf of clients, advice provided by Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC to clients, and data or analyses derived from such non-public personal information (collectively referred to as 'Confidential Client Information'). All Confidential Client Information, whether relating to Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC's current or former clients, is subject to the Code's policies and procedures. Any doubts about the confidentiality of information must be resolved in favor of confidentiality.

 

Non-Disclosure of Confidential Client Information

 

All information regarding Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC's clients is confidential. Information may only be disclosed when the disclosure is consistent with the firm's policy and the client's direction. Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC does not share Confidential Client Information with any third parties, except in the following circumstances:

 

· As necessary to provide service that the client requested or authorized, or to maintain and service the client's account. Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC will require that any financial intermediary, agent or other service provider utilized by Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC (such as broker-dealers or sub-advisers) comply with substantially similar standards for non-disclosure and protection of Confidential Client Information and use the information provided by Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC only for the performance of the specific service requested by Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC;
· As required by regulatory authorities or law enforcement officials who have jurisdiction over Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC, or as otherwise required by any applicable law. In the event Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC is compelled to disclose Confidential Client Information, the firm shall provide prompt notice to the clients affected, so that the clients may seek a protective order or other appropriate remedy. If no protective order or other appropriate remedy is obtained, Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC shall disclose only such information, and only in such detail, as is legally required;
· To the extent reasonably necessary to prevent fraud, unauthorized transactions or liability.

 

Employee Responsibilities

 

All supervised persons are prohibited, either during or after the termination of their employment with Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC, from disclosing Confidential Client Information to any person or entity outside the firm, including family members, except under the circumstances described above. A supervised person is permitted to disclose Confidential Client Information only to such other supervised persons who need to have access to such information to deliver the Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC's services to the client.

  21 December 19, 2017

 

Supervised persons are also prohibited from making unauthorized copies of any documents or files containing Confidential Client Information and, upon termination of their employment with Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC, must return all such documents to Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC.

 

Any supervised person who violates the non-disclosure policy described above will be subject to disciplinary action, including possible termination, whether or not he or she benefited from the disclosed information.

 

Security of Confidential Personal Information

 

Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC enforces the following policies and procedures to protect the security of Confidential Client Information:

 

· The Firm restricts access to Confidential Client Information to those supervised persons who need to know such information to provide Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC's services to clients;
· Any supervised person who is authorized to have access to Confidential Client Information in connection with the performance of such person's duties and responsibilities is required to keep such information in a secure compartment, file or receptacle on a daily basis as of the close of each business day;
· All electronic or computer files containing any Confidential Client Information shall be password secured and firewall protected from access by unauthorized persons;
· Any conversations involving Confidential Client Information, if appropriate at all, must be conducted by supervised persons in private, and care must be taken to avoid any unauthorized persons overhearing or intercepting such conversations.

 

Privacy Policy

 

As a registered investment adviser, Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC and all supervised persons, must comply with SEC Regulation S-P, which requires investment advisers to adopt policies and procedures to protect the 'nonpublic personal information' of natural person clients. 'Nonpublic information,' under Regulation S-P, includes personally identifiable financial information and any list, description, or grouping that is derived from personally identifiable financial information. Personally identifiable financial information is defined to include information supplied by individual clients, information resulting from transactions, any information obtained in providing products or services. Pursuant to Regulation S-P Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC has adopted policies and procedures to safeguard the information of natural person clients.

 

Enforcement and Review of Confidentiality and Privacy Policies

 

The Chief Compliance Officer is responsible for reviewing, maintaining and enforcing Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC's confidentiality and privacy policies and is also responsible for conducting appropriate employee training to ensure adherence to these policies. Any exceptions to this policy requires the written approval of the Chief Compliance Officer.

  22 December 19, 2017

 

Whistleblower Rule

 

Under Rule 21F-17 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, also known as the whistleblower rule, “no person may take any action to impede an individual from communicating directly with the Commission staff about a possible securities law violation, including enforcing, or threatening to enforce, a confidentiality agreement . . . with respect to such communications.” Based on the adopting release for the Rule, an investment advisor’s employment agreement with a confidentiality provision could potentially be deemed to impede employees from communicating potential securities violations to the SEC. Pacific Ridge Capital Partners encourages all employees to immediately report potential violations to the Chief Operating Officer. Such reports need not be in person, but may be reported anonymously. Pacific Ridge Capital Partners values the open communication necessary to handle possible violations and encourages employees to immediately report any possible violations preventing Pacific Ridge Capital Partners from maintaining compliance with securities laws.

 

As such, Pacific Ridge Capital Partners recognizes that a confidentiality provision in an employment agreement in no way prevents current or former employees from voluntarily discussing potential securities violations with the SEC of from receiving a Whistleblower reward. In the event that a possible violation is reported to the CCO, employees still have a 120 day during which they can report to the SEC sand remain eligible to receive a whistleblower reward.

  23 December 19, 2017

 

10 - Service as an Officer or Director

 

No supervised person shall serve as an officer or on the board of directors of any publicly or privately traded company without prior authorization by the Chief Compliance Officer or a designated supervisory person based upon a determination that any such board service or officer position would be consistent with the interest of Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC's clients. Where board service or an officer position is approved, Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC shall implement a “Chinese Wall” or other appropriate procedure, to isolate such person from making decisions relating to the company’s securities.

  24 December 19, 2017

 

11 - Compliance Procedures

 

Pre-clearance

 

A supervised person may, directly or indirectly, acquire or dispose of beneficial ownership of a reportable security only if: (i) such purchase or sale has been approved by a supervisory person designated by Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC firm; (ii) the approved transaction is completed by the close of business on the second trading day after approval is received; and (iii) the designated supervisory person has not rescinded such approval prior to execution of the transaction. Post-approval is not permitted.

 

Clearance must be obtained by completing and signing the Pre-clearance Form provided for that purpose by the Chief Compliance Officer. The Chief Compliance Officer monitors all transactions by all access persons in order to ascertain any pattern of conduct which may evidence conflicts or potential conflicts with the principles and objectives of this Code, including a pattern of front running.

 

Advance trade clearance in no way waives or absolves any supervised person of the obligation to abide by the provisions, principles and objectives of this Code.

 

Reporting Requirements

 

Every supervised person shall provide initial and annual holdings reports and quarterly transaction reports to the Chief Compliance Officer which must contain the information described below. It is the policy of Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC that each supervised person must arrange for their brokerage firm(s) to send automatic duplicate brokerage account statements to the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

1. Initial Holdings Report

 

Every supervised person shall, no later than ten (10) days after the person becomes a supervised person, file an initial holdings report containing the following information:

 

· The title and exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, type of security, number of shares and principal amount (if applicable) of each reportable security in which the supervised person had any direct or indirect beneficial interest ownership when the person becomes a supervised person;
· The name of any broker, dealer or bank, account name, number and location with whom the supervised person maintained an account in which any securities were held for the direct or indirect benefit of the supervised person; and
· The date that the report is submitted by the supervised person.

 

The information submitted must be current as of a date no more than forty-five (45) days before the person became a supervised person.

  25 December 19, 2017

 

2. Annual Holdings Report

 

Every supervised person shall, no later than January 30 each year, file an annual holdings report containing the same information required in the initial holdings report as described above. The information submitted must be current as of a date no more than forty-five (45) days before the annual report is submitted.

 

3. Quarterly Transaction Reports

 

Every supervised person must, no later than thirty (30) days after the end of each calendar quarter, file a quarterly transaction report containing the following information:

 

With respect to any transaction during the quarter in a reportable security in which the supervised persons had any direct or indirect beneficial ownership:

 

· The date of the transaction, the title and exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, the interest rate and maturity date (if applicable), the number of shares and the principal amount (if applicable) of each covered security;
· The nature of the transaction (i.e., purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition);
· The price of the reportable security at which the transaction was effected;
· The name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through whom the transaction was effected; and
· The date the report is submitted by the supervised person.

 

4. Exempt Transactions

 

A supervised person need not submit a report with respect to:

 

· Transactions effected for, securities held in, any account over which the person has no direct or indirect influence or control;
· Transactions effected pursuant to an automatic investment plan, e.g. a dividend retirement plan;
· A quarterly transaction report if the report would duplicate information contained in securities transaction confirmations or brokerage account statements that Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC holds in its records so long as the firm receives the confirmations or statements no later than 30 days after the end of the applicable calendar quarter;
· Any transaction or holding report if Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC has only one supervised person, so long as the firm maintains records of the information otherwise required to be reported.

 

5. Monitoring and Review of Personal Securities Transactions

 

The Chief Compliance Officer, or a designee, will monitor and review all reports required under the Code for compliance with Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC's policies regarding personal securities transactions and applicable SEC rules and regulations. The Chief Compliance Officer may also initiate inquiries of supervised persons regarding personal securities trading. Supervised persons are required to cooperate with such inquiries and any monitoring or review procedures employed Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC. Any transactions for any accounts of the Chief Compliance Officer will be reviewed and approved by the President, or other designated supervisory person. The Chief Compliance Officer shall at least annually identify all supervised persons who are required to file reports pursuant to the Code and will inform such supervised persons of their reporting obligations.

  26 December 19, 2017

 

12 - Certification

 

Initial Certification

 

All supervised persons will be provided with a copy of the Code and must initially certify in writing to the Chief Compliance Officer that they have: (i) received a copy of the Code; (ii) read and understand all provisions of the Code; (iii) agreed to abide by the Code; and (iv) reported all account holdings as required by the Code.

 

Acknowledgement of Amendments

 

All supervised persons shall receive any amendments to the Code and must certify to the Chief Compliance Officer in writing that they have: (i) received a copy of the amendment; (ii) read and understood the amendment; (iii) and agreed to abide by the Code as amended.

 

Annual Certification

 

All supervised persons must annually certify in writing to the Chief Compliance Officer that they have: (i) read and understood all provisions of the Code; (ii) complied with all requirements of the Code; and (iii) submitted all holdings and transaction reports as required by the Code.

 

Further Information

 

Supervised persons should contact the Chief Compliance Officer regarding any inquiries pertaining to the Code or the policies established herein.

  27 December 19, 2017

 

13 - Records

 

The Chief Compliance Officer shall maintain and cause to be maintained in a readily accessible place the following records:

 

· A copy of any Code of Ethics adopted by the Firm pursuant to Advisers Act Rule 204A-1 which is or has been in effect during the past five years;
· A record of any violation of Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC's Code and any action that was taken as a result of such violation for a period of five years from the end of the fiscal year in which the violation occurred;
· A record of all written acknowledgements of receipt of the Code and amendments thereto for each person who is currently, or within the past five years was, a supervised person which shall be retained for five years after the individual ceases to be a supervised person of Pacific Ridge Capital Partners, LLC;
· A copy of each report made pursuant to Advisers Act Rule 204A-1, including any brokerage confirmations and account statements made in lieu of these reports;
· A list of all persons who are, or within the preceding five years have been, access persons;
· A record of any decision and reasons supporting such decision to approve a supervised persons' acquisition of securities in IPOs and limited offerings within the past five years after the end of the fiscal year in which such approval is granted.
  28 December 19, 2017

 

14 - Reporting Violations and Sanctions

 

All supervised persons shall promptly report to the Chief Compliance Officer or an alternate designee all apparent violations of the Code. Any retaliation for the reporting of a violation under this Code will constitute a violation of the Code.

 

The Chief Compliance Officer shall promptly report to senior management all apparent material violations of the Code. When the Chief Compliance Officer finds that a violation otherwise reportable to senior management could not be reasonably found to have resulted in a fraud, deceit, or a manipulative practice in violation of Section 206 of the Advisers Act, he or she may, in his or her discretion, submit a written memorandum of such finding and the reasons therefore to a reporting file created for this purpose in lieu of reporting the matter to senior management.

 

Senior management shall consider reports made to it hereunder and shall determine whether or not the Code has been violated and what sanctions, if any, should be imposed. Possible sanctions may include reprimands, monetary fine or assessment, or suspension or termination of the employee’s employment with the firm.

  29 December 19, 2017

 

14 - Reporting Violations and Sanctions

 

Date of Amendment:

December 19, 2017 Updated

Gifts & Entertainment/Pay-to-Play Policy

 

Date of Amendment: December 15, 2016

Updated Gift & Entertainment policy and added new Whistleblower Policy

 

Date of Amendment: December 17, 2015

Updated text messaging guidelines and replaced Political Contributions section with updated version

 

Date of Amendment: February 2, 2015

Add additional Blackout language re pending firm orders as recommended by the ICI, add definition of Covered Associate and other minor edits.

 

Date of Amendment: April 29, 2014

Fine tuned which securities transactions need pre-clearance

 

Date of Amendment: June 29, 2012

Added selections on Political Contributions and Social Media.

Substantially revised section on Personal Trading.

  30 December 19, 2017

 

 

 

 

Code of Ethics

 

 

 

 

Code of Ethics – Index:

 

1. Standards of Conduct and Compliance with the Laws
2. Protection of Material Non-public Information
    Prohibiting Against Trading On or Tipping Inside Information
    Confidentiality
3. Personal Trading Policy
    About the Policy
    General Pre-Clearance, Reporting & Approval Rules
    IPO and Private Placements Policy
    Rules for Personal Trading in Equity Options
    Rules for Shorting in Personal Trading
    Rules for Personal Trading in Equities
      o Approval Rules
      o Restricted Period Rule
      o Special Requirement for the Analysts and Portfolio Managers
      o Approval Process
      o Violations to Personal Trading Policy
    Rules for Personal Trading in Fixed Income
      o Approval Rules
      o Approval Process
      o Violations to Personal Trading Policy
    Reviewing Personal Trading
4. Conflicts of Interests
    Outside Activities and Investments
    Finder’s Fees and Financial Relationships
    Gifts, Gratuities and Entertainment
    Raffle Policy
    Authority to Act on Behalf of Pier Capital, LLC
    Political Contributions and Activities
    Pay to Play Rules regarding Political Contributions
    Regulatory Matters
    Books and Records
    Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
5. Whistleblower / Reporting Violations

CONFIDENTIAL

 PAGE 2

4/27/2017

 

1  

 

 

 

Standards of Conduct and Compliance with Laws

 

Pier Capital, LLC places the utmost importance on ethical conduct and challenges all of its partners, officers, and employees to live up not only to the letter of the law, but also to the ideas of the organization.

 

Pier Capital, LLC has a specific Code of Ethics, which applies to all of its employees, officers and partners. For the purpose of this document, employees, officers and partners will be referred to as “supervised persons”. The Code of Ethics summarizes the company’s philosophy on standard of business conduct and the company’s fiduciary obligations to its clients. Specifically:

 

1. As an investment adviser, Pier Capital, LLC has an obligation to act in the best interest of its clients. Therefore, the company requires that all supervised persons exercise fiduciary duty to Pier’s clients at all times.

 

It is important, that everyone at Pier understands the meaning of a “fiduciary duty.” A fiduciary duty is the highest standard of care imposed at either equity or law. A fiduciary is expected to be extremely loyal to the person to whom they owe the duty (the "principal"): they must not put their personal interests before the duty, and must not profit from their position as a fiduciary, unless the principal consents. A person acting in a fiduciary capacity is required to make truthful and complete disclosures to those placing trust in him, and he is forbidden to obtain an unreasonable advantage at the latter's expense.

 

As an investment adviser, Pier Capital, LLC’s fiduciary duty encompasses more than just being honest and avoiding negligence. Advisers owe an affirmative duty of loyalty, which means that an adviser must always put the client’s interest first. Some of the basic fiduciary duties of and investment adviser are:

 

Duty to provide only disinterested advice.

 

Duty to give thorough written disclosures of potential or actual conflicts of interests through the Form ADV and advisory agreement.

 

Duty to maintain strict confidentially.

 

Duty to refrain from fraud and misconduct.

 

In simple terms, as fiduciaries, advisers owe a higher duty to their clients. A breach of the fiduciary duty is the most serious transgression an adviser can commit. Even an inadvertent breach of the fiduciary duty can trigger legal, financial, and regularity actions

 

2. All supervised persons are required to comply with applicable federals securities laws.

 

As part of this requirement, all supervised persons at Pier may not, directly or indirectly, in connection with the purchase or sale of a security held or to be acquired by a client:

 

Defraud such client in any manner;

 

Mislead such client, including by making a statement that omits material fact;

CONFIDENTIAL

 PAGE 3

4/27/2017

 

Engage in any act, practice or course of such conduct which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon such client;

 

Engage in any manipulative practice with respect to such client; or

 

Engage in any manipulative practice with respect to securities, including price manipulation

 

Furthermore, all supervised persons must make themselves familiar with the company’s policy regarding client privacy, confidentially and anti-money laundering; all related to federal securities laws. The Privacy and Anti-Money Laundering policies can be found in the company’s Policies & Procedures manual.

 

3. All supervised persons shall conduct themselves in such a manner that transactions for the company’s clients have priority over transactions in securities of which they are a beneficial owner, and so that transactions in securities in which supervised persons have such beneficial ownership do not operate adversely to clients’ interests.

 

No supervised person shall seek to utilize his/her position with the company to influence the price of securities purchased or sold for his/her personal account.

 

Prior to purchasing or selling for their own accounts or for the accounts of family members all supervised persons shall obtain an advance confirmation from the company’s Chief Investment Officer (or another designated person) that the company is not in the process of buying or selling such securities for its clients’ portfolios. Company’s Personal Trading policy lists in detail the required procedures necessary for pre-clearance and reporting of personal transactions. All supervised persons at Pier Capital, LLC are required to conform to its requirements.

 

4. The following procedure is hereby established for the enforcement of the foregoing Code of Ethics:

 

A copy of this Code of Ethics shall be delivered annually to each supervised person within thirty days after January 1st. All supervised persons are required to certify in writing to the Compliance Officer (example document below):

 

Whether or not he /she is in compliance with the requirements of this Code of Ethics; and

 

Whether or not there is any interest, affiliation or activity, of any sort, on the part of such partner, officer or other employee, which conflicts or which such person believes is likely to conflict with his or her official duties, and

 

Require all company’s personnel to provide a complete list of personal brokerage accounts.

CONFIDENTIAL

 PAGE 4

4/27/2017

 

2  

 

 

 

Protection of Material Non-Public Information

 

Prohibiting Against Trading on or Tipping Inside Information

 

In 1988, Congress enacted legislation expanding liability for insider trading and “tipping” inside information. This is an extremely important matter and the company urges you to read the following with care.

 

No supervised person of the company may use any material inside information – concerning the company or concerning any other corporation or business about which material inside information has been obtained – in purchasing or selling any securities.

 

The federal securities laws generally prohibit the use of material inside information by any person in purchasing or selling securities, as well as the communication of such information to any other person for such use. Material information is any information that a reasonable investor would consider important in determining whether to buy, sell or hold securities. Inside information is information that has not been effectively disseminated to the investing public. The Securities & Exchange Commission views the term “material non-public information” as related not only to issuers but also to the adviser’s securities recommendations and client securities holdings and transactions.

 

It is the policy of the company that material inside information concerning the company, as well as any other corporation or business about which personnel of the company obtain material inside information, may not, directly or indirectly, be used by any company personnel in purchasing or selling any securities. It is also the policy of the company that all inside information concerning the company – or, for that matter, any other corporation or business – which is obtained by company personnel in the course of their employment may not be communicated to any other person (including relatives, friends or business associates and regardless of the purpose for which such communication may be made), except to the extent necessary to perform work for the company.

 

A determination as to whether information is material or whether it is inside information depends on all of the related facts and circumstances. Information that you should consider material includes, but is not limited to, dividend changes, earnings estimates, changes in previously related earnings estimates, significant merger, acquisition or divestiture proposals or agreements, major litigation, significant product news and extraordinary management developments. In addition, it should be emphasized that material information does not have to relate to a company’s business; information about the contents of a forthcoming publication in the financial press that is expected to affect the market price of a security could well be material.

CONFIDENTIAL

 PAGE 5

4/27/2017

 

Confidentiality

 

No supervised person of the company shall, without proper authority, give or release to anyone not employed by the company, or to another employee who is not authorized to receive or access the information, data or information of a confidential nature concerning the company without proper authorization to do so. To verify access level information supervised persons should contact their immediate supervisor or the firm’s Chief Compliance Officer.

 

All internal information concerning the company and any other corporation or business about which company personnel may obtain information in the course of their employment must be kept strictly confidential and should not be discussed with any person inside or outside of the company except to the extent necessary to perform work for the company, nor should such information be discussed with any person within the company under circumstances where it could be overheard. Written information should be appropriately safeguarded and should not be left where it may be seen by persons not entitled to the information. The unauthorized disclosure of such information could result in serious consequences to the company, whether or not such disclosure is made for the purpose of facilitating improper trading.

 

In addition to other circumstances in which it may be applicable, this confidentiality policy must be strictly adhered to in responding to inquiries about the company that may be made by the press, financial analysts or other members of the financial community. It is important that responses to any such inquiries be made on behalf of the company by a duly designated officer. Accordingly, company personnel should not respond to such inquiries unless expressly authorized to do so.

 

Furthermore, all supervised persons must be familiar with Pier’s Privacy Policy. This document can be found in Pier’s Policies and Procedures manual as well as on our website.

 

We expect all supervised persons to abide by the foregoing policies and procedures. Again, it should be emphasized that any violation may result in serious legal difficulties and may also constitute grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. Any questions concerning the policies and procedures set forth in this memorandum, as well as any inquiries that may be made about the company by persons outside of the company, should be directed to the firm’s Chief Compliance Officer.

 

Supervised persons should refer to the firm’s “Whistleblower / Reporting Violations” policy regarding reporting of compliance-related violations infernally or to the regulators.

CONFIDENTIAL

 PAGE 6

4/27/2017

 

3  

 

 

 

Personal Trading Policy

 

About the Policy

 

This policy applies to personal trades made by supervised persons at Pier Capital, LLC. The company’s intention is to ensure that employees will not benefit from knowledge of the company’s trading on behalf of its clients (by trading ahead of clients), or in any way profit from situations where our clients should have benefited. Nor should any supervised person provide anyone with such knowledge

 

Since Pier Capital, LLC and Hillswick Asset Management, LLC (successors to SEB Asset Management America, Inc) have an agreement to share administrative services and office space, it is necessary to consider both Pier’s and Hillswick’s investment portfolios as they relate to any employee trading. Thus, all supervised persons at Pier must receive approval for trading not just in reportable equities but also in reportable fixed income instruments. As such, approval for trading equities or equity derivatives shall be directed to Pier and approval for fixed income or fixed income derivatives shall be directed to an authorized person at Hillswick Asset Management, LLC.

 

Supervised persons are required to have duplicates of monthly account statements forwarded directly from their brokers to the Compliance Officer at Pier. Statements are required for all immediate family members (wife/husband, any under-age children and/or any living with the employee).

CONFIDENTIAL

 PAGE 7

4/27/2017

 

General Pre-Clearance, Reporting & Approval Rules

 

Generally, all personal trades in individual securities (or derivatives of such securities) require prior approval (pre-clearance) from the person(s) designated in this policy.

 

Specifically, transactions in the following types of securities/investments must receive pre-clearance and must be reported:

 

o Individually traded securities
o Derivatives of individually traded securities
o Private placements
o Limited offerings
o IPOs
o Hedge funds
o Limited partnership
o Investment clubs
o Closed-ended Mutual Funds
o Foreign Mutual Funds
o Pier Capital Commingled Small Cap Growth Fund
o Hillswick Macro Strategy Fund
o Dunham Small Cap Growth Funds
o Altair/RBB Smaller Companies Fund
o ETFs based on an industry sub-sector (* see an example below)

 

(*) An example of an ETF based on an industry sub-sector would be Pharmaceutical HOLDRs (symbol PPH) because it focuses only on pharmaceutical companies within the broad Health Care sector.

 

Transactions in the following types of securities/investments must be reported but do not need pre-clearance:

 

o Indices
o Currency
o Commodities
o ETFs based on commodities or currency
o ETFs based on a broad index or broad sector (* see the explanation below)
o Derivatives of the above

 

(*) In order to qualify for the pre-clearance exemption in ETFs, the ETF must be based on broad-based securities index or on a broad based industry sector and be open-ended; all other forms of ETFs must receive pre-clearance.

 

Broad based index ETFs have as their underlying tracking instrument an index or other financial product made up of a well diversified number of stocks among various industries.

 

Broad based sector ETFs have as their underlying tracking instrument an index or other financial product based on a general industry sector, such as, but not limited to: Technology, Financials, Energy, Health Care, Consumer Staples, Industrials, Consumer Discretionary, Materials, Utilities, Telecommunications, Corporate Bonds, Mortgage Backed Securities, Municipalities, Agencies, Treasuries, and Sovereign, Supranational, and Foreign Bonds”.

 

Transactions in the following types of securities do not need to be pre-cleared or reported:
o Open-ended Mutual Funds
o Direct obligations of the US government
o Money Market funds and instruments
o Unit Investment Trusts

CONFIDENTIAL

 PAGE 8

4/27/2017

 

Personal trading in a security on the same day as Hillswick/Pier is executing trades in the security for client’s portfolio is not allowed.

 

The exceptions to the same-day rule may be:

o if Pier’s/Hillswick’s rules require supervised person sell such security
o if Pier/Hillswick is executing a “program trade” in client portfolio(s) as a result of client’s contribution/withdrawal after an approval was granted
o securities which do not require pre-clearance are exempt from the same day rule
o supervised person’s investment/redemption in Pier’s/Hillswick’s commingled fund(s)
o other exceptions may be granted by the Chief Compliance Officer but must be the result of unexpected circumstance and must be clearly documented

 

IPO and Private Placements Policy

 

All employees and partners must receive pre-clearance for investments in IPOs and Private Placements.

 

Generally, participation in IPO’s (initial public offerings prior to listing) is not allowed; however, upon management approval, exceptions can be made in cases of family at the issuing company.

 

Rules for Personal Trading in Equity Options

 

All Options related pre-clearance requests must clearly state that the transaction is an option, name the option type, and identify the underlying security symbol.

 

Buying an option: needs an approval just like regular trading AND needs another approval when exercising:

buying calls = approval like for buying shares
buying puts = approval like selling shares

 

Selling options you own: (selling is not the same as writing)

selling calls = approval like for selling shares
selling puts = approval like buying shares

 

Writing options:

not allowed inside Pier’s investment universe

 

Exercising options:

requires pre-clearance

 

Rules for Shorting in Personal Trading

 

Pier’s Shorting Rule:

Analysts and Portfolio Managers are NOT allowed to short stocks owned the Fund. Trader may approve shorting stocks the Fund does not own; otherwise shorting requests must be approved by either AY/JP. Buying back shares that have been shorted requires the same approval process as “regular” buying.

 

Hillswick’s Shorting Rule:

Generally, the Analysts and Portfolio Managers are NOT allowed to short securities owned in the client’s portfolios. However, this rule does not apply to securities that are exempt from the pre- clearance requirement (as listed under the “General Pre-Clearance, Reporting & Approval Rules” section above).

CONFIDENTIAL

 PAGE 9

4/27/2017

 

Rules for Personal Trading in Equities

 

Approval Rules for Personal Trading in Equities:

 

If Pier’s Client Owns the Security:

If Pier is not currently considering trading the stock, approval will be given.

 

If Pier’s Client Does Not Own the Security:

Sells will be approved.

Purchases will be approved, if Pier is not currently considering purchasing the stock.

 

Restricted Period Rules (for personal Sell transactions only):

 

Restricted period applies only to securities, which are not held by Pier’s client(s) at the time of employee/partner personal purchase. For the purpose of this rule, there is no difference whether Pier is purchasing a completely new name or if Pier is investing in a security which was owned by Pier’s client(s) in the past.

 

If Pier does not own a security but decides to purchase it within 90 days following the supervised person’s purchase, then the supervised person will be required to postpone his/her sell of this security until (whichever comes first):

A) 90 days passes since Pier’s purchase, or

B) Pier has sold all of its shares

 

Note Exception: If the above situation occurs and time allows, a supervised person who is aware of this transaction is allowed to sell his/her personal holdings in such security on the same day but prior to Pier’s entering into an order. If this occurs, the individual must include this explanation in his/her pre-clearance request.

 

In order to facilitate compliance with the Restricted Period rule, each supervised person is required to follow the below procedure when attempting a sale transaction for his/her personal account:

 

1. Send an e-mail to the trader asking for permission to sell.
If Pier does not own the stock, an approval will be granted
If Pier owns the stock, the trader will request an employee to refer to Restricted Period worksheet.

 

2. If the employee/partner believes he/she is in compliance with the Blackout Period rule after referring to the Restricted Period List worksheet, then he/she must reply to the trader with this information, which can be either:
Restricted period has expired (provide the date it expired), or
Security was purchased by the supervised person more than 90 days prior Pier’s purchase (provide the date it was purchased).

OR

Employee/Partner can send an e-mail to the trader with the date he/she purchased the stock and ask the trader to look it up in the Restricted Period List.

CONFIDENTIAL

 PAGE 10

4/27/2017

 

Special Requirement for the Analysts & Portfolio Mangers:

 

If an employee directly involved in the research process (Analysts and PM’s) asks for an approval to purchase a stock, an explanation must be given as to why Pier should not be investing in that stock. The person approving the trade (Alex/Jan) should give an approval on the basis that Pier is not actively considering investing in the stock, and that we are not currently interested in doing so.

 

If an employee not directly involved in the research process (all not listed above, including the trader) asks for an approval to purchase a stock, no explanation is needed. Furthermore, the person approving the trade need only to give approval based on the knowledge that we are not currently considering/researching said stock.

 

Approval Process for Personal Trading in Equities:

 

Personal equity trades shall be approved by the Trader (currently NW) and if necessary also by either Alex Yakirevich (AY) or Jan Parsons (JP), and are valid only on the day they are given. The process will be as follows:

 

1. The employee/partner asks NW for trading approval by sending an email containing such a request. Every effort shall be made by to grant or deny request within 15 minutes.

 

2. NW may grant approval without asking AY/JP in the following cases: securities Pier would not trade anyway, including stocks where the market cap is too small or too large (currently below $100m or above market cap limits where Pier is not allowed purchase), closed-end mutual funds, ETF’s, or similar such securities, as well as sales of securities Pier does not currently own. All approvals given directly by NW must include an explanation of why AY/JP involvement was not needed.

 

For approval in all other cases, NW shall forward the original email request for clearance to AY/JP, who will in turn forward the same email to the employee/partner granting or denying approval (AY/JP may also reply to NW with the approval or denial and NW will forward that message to the person requesting the pre-clearance).

 

3. AY/JP/NW will immediately reply to the email sent by the employee confirming the approval (however, if communicated verbally, an email reply must occur within 48 hours).

 

4. The employee will then forward this email to mytrade@piercap.com with the actions he took and the date of such action. Such e-mail must include a complete trade history (request for approval, approval of trade, and action taken), and should be completed within one day of the trade, and if later than this, an explanation for the delay must be given.

 

All emails to mytrade@piercap.com are automatically copied to Natalie Wright, Jan Parsons and Kathy Mienko for compliance purposes.

 

Personal trades by NW need approval from either AY/JP.

 

Violations to Personal Trading Policy:

 

If there is any question as to whether an executed personal trade might be in violation of these rules, we would expect that individual to reverse his/her trade before Pier trades (even if that trade occurs on the same day Pier trades). Pier reserves the right to ask the employee to reverse any transaction it deems inappropriate, and expects the employee to follow such instructions, and accept any losses that might be incurred.

 

If a person is deemed to have traded inappropriately, any profits (including losses avoided) from such a trade, will be donated to charity. After a second offence/warning within 6 months, that person will be prohibited from personal trading for 3 months. A third offence/warning will be grounds for dismissal.

CONFIDENTIAL

 PAGE 11

4/27/2017

 

Rules for Personal Trading in Fixed Income

 

Approval Rules for Personal Trading in Fixed Income:

 

To prevent a possibility of front-running, personal trading in a security on the same day as Hillswick or Pier is executing trades in the security for client’s portfolio is not allowed.

 

If there is any question as to whether an executed personal trade might be in violation of these rules, we would expect that individual to reverse his/her trade before Hillswick or Pier trades . Hillswick reserves the right to ask any supervised person to reverse any transaction it deems inappropriate, and expects the individual to follow such instructions, and accept any losses that might be incurred.

 

Approval Process for Personal Trading in Fixed Income:

 

Personal fixed income trades shall be approved by Anders Ekernas (AE) or his substitute (Mark McDonnell or Radha Lai) and are valid only on the day they are given. Below is a three-step process required for each personal transaction:

 

1. The supervised person asks AE or his substitute for trading approval electronically (by e- mail). In cases when an approval was received verbally, it must be followed by an electronic message, which can be sent by someone other the person executing the trade, as long as an explanation is provided as to why the approval was given verbally and/or why the message is sent by someone else.

 

2. AE will reply to the individual’s e-mail (at their Hillswick email address) that he/she may or may not place the personal trade.

 

3. The individual will forward the entire e-mail (the e-mail must include steps 1 -2) to "mytrade@hillswickasset.com" as soon as possible after the trade has been executed, confirming if it was a buy or a sell and the security information.

 

The e-mails sent to mytrade@hillswickasset.com are automatically forwarded to the Chief Compliance Officer and to the Compliance Officer for review and record-keeping.

 

Violations to Personal Trading Policy:

 

If a person has traded inappropriately, any profits (including avoided losses) from such a trade will be donated to charity. After a second offence/warning within 6 months, that person will be prohibited from personal trading for 3 months. A third offence/warning will be grounds for dismissal.

CONFIDENTIAL

 PAGE 12

4/27/2017

 

Reviewing Personal Trading

 

The Securities and Exchange Commission requires that all investment advisors carefully review employees’ personal trading. Therefore, all supervised persons are required to provide a copy of all their monthly statements, which must include holdings and transactions (not trade confirmations) directly to our offices to the attention of the Compliance Department (see sample letter below).

 

All supervised persons’ personal statements must include holdings and transactions and will be kept confidential. If monthly statements are not available, all affected individuals must submit at least quarterly statements no later than 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter.

 

In addition to the monthly/quarterly statements, all supervised persons must annually provide copies all personal brokerage/bank statements of all of their reportable and non-reportable investment holdings. These statements are collected as of December 31st and must be produced to the Compliance Department within 30 day after that date.

 

Newly hired supervised persons must provide the Firm’s Compliance Department with copies of personal brokerage/bank statements of all of their reportable and non-reportable investment holdings as of the most recent date within 5 days of their employment start date.

 

The Compliance Officer is required conduct a monthly review all supervised persons’ personal trading activities. During this process, personal trading activity is cross-referenced with transactions in the company’s portfolio management system and with the established pre- clearance procedures. The Compliance Officer maintains two worksheets: one to ensure that all personal statements are received and another to log employee personal transactions and to test their compliance with the established procedures. A quarterly e-mail is sent out to all employees by the Compliance Officer detailing findings or commenting on their personal trading activity during the period. All statements are kept under the lock and key and the worksheet are stored on the Compliance Officer’s private network drive.

 

Attn: Compliance Department
   
   
   
Date XXXX  

 

To Whom It May Concern:

 

Please send duplicate copies of my monthly statements (including those of my immediate family members) to my employer at the below address. Please do not send my employer individual trade confirmations.

 

Pier Capital, LLC

Attn: Compliance Department

600 Summer Street

Suite 600

Stamford, CT 06901

 

My account(s) information is:

Name:

Address:

Acct. No.:

 

If you have any questions, please call me at                                                                     .

 

Thank you.

 

XXXXXXX

CONFIDENTIAL

 PAGE 13

4/27/2017

 

4  

 

 

 

Conflict of Interests

 

To maintain our clients’ confidence in our integrity, it is important that all supervised persons avoid activities, interests or relations that might interfere, or even appear to interfere, with our ability to act in the best interests of the firm and its clients. Investment advisers are required to, not just avoid conflicts of interests, but also to avoid situations that might be perceived as creating a conflict of interest, even if none exists.

 

In any area where there may be a conflict between the interests of the firm and those of a client, the client’s interests must always come first. Because it is impossible to describe every potential conflict, Pier Capital, LLC relies upon the commitment of its supervised persons to exercise sound judgment, to seek advice when appropriate, and to adhere to the highest ethical standards in the conduct of our relationships with each other, the firm, its clients, and the public.

 

Outside Activities and Investments

 

Any time a supervised person performs duties or invests away from Pier Capital, LLC there is a potential risk to the firm and its clients. Some activities or investments may conflict, or appear to conflict, with Pier’s interests, while others may carry the risk of confusing the public or our clients that Pier Capital, LLC is somehow involved in such an activity. Moreover, various regulatory agencies/institutions require that employees of securities firms obtain prior permission from their employers for many outside activities and investments.

 

Therefore, as a rule, you may not engage in any outside business activity or investments without prior written consent from the Compliance Department, unless such activities are stated to be exempt from reporting in our Code of Ethics policy.

 

This means that no supervised person shall receive, without a prior approval, in addition to his/her regular salary, fees or other compensation as fixed by the partners, any money or thing of value, directly or indirectly, or through any substantial interest in any non-affiliated corporation or business of any sort, or through any personal relationship, for negotiating, procuring, recommending, or aiding in any purchase, sale or rental of property or to any loan made by or to the company or for endeavoring so to do. Nor shall any supervised person have any pecuniary or other personal interest, directly or indirectly, or through any other non-affiliated corporation or business or through any personal relationship, in or with respect to any such purchase, sale, rental or loan.

CONFIDENTIAL

 PAGE 14

4/27/2017

 

Definition of Outside Activities and Investments

 

Outside activities and investments include:

Engaging in any business activities other then those on behalf of Pier Capital, LLC.
Being employed or compensated by any entity or person other than Pier Capital, LLC.
Serving as an officer, director, employee, or consultant for a business or organization or other entity, other than Pier Capital, LLC.
Investing in financial products, businesses, partnerships, or investment clubs, (other than securities described as exempted in our Personal Trading policy), or soliciting others to invest to in such securities.

 

Prohibited Outside Activities

 

No supervised person of the company shall knowingly compete, or aid or advise any person, firm or corporation in competing, with the Company in any way, or engage in any activity in which his/her personal interests in any manner conflict, or might conflict, with those of the company.

 

Kindred Business:

As a supervised person of Pier Capital, LLC you are prohibited from becoming associated (whether compensated or otherwise) with any venture that is or plans to operate as “kindred business,” such as investment advisor, investment company, hedge fund, broker-dealer, venture capital business, financial consulting business or any other business in any way involving securities or other financial products. Such an association would create a conflict of interest and confusion for clients that no amount of disclosure, integrity, or honorable practice could relieve.

 

Selling Away:

As a supervised person of Pier Capital, LLC you are prohibited from soliciting anyone to purchase or participate in investments away from the firm, whether you are compensated for this activity or not. These prohibited activities include the solicitation of clients, potential clients, Pier’s employees or the public to invest in non-Pier-sponsored financial products and/or services.

CONFIDENTIAL

 PAGE 15

4/27/2017

 

Finder’s Fees and Financial Relationships

 

No supervised person of the company shall accept or request, directly or indirectly, any favor or thing of value from any person, firm, or non-affiliated corporation negotiating, contracting or in any way dealing with the company or likely to negotiate, contract or deal with the Company, if such favor or thing of value is such as might influence him or her in negotiating, contracting, dealing with such person, firm or corporation; and any partner, officer or other employee who is offered any such favor or thing of value, directly or indirectly by any such person, firm or corporation shall immediately report such offer to the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

Rebates, Referral Fees and Finder’s Fees

 

No supervised person may, directly or indirectly, pay or receive any rebate, referral fee, finder’s fee or any other sort of fee or compensation other than as permitted by Pier’s normal compensation structure. Notwithstanding this, there are a few narrow exceptions which require the prior written approval from the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

Financial Relationships with Clients

 

Entering into financial relationship with a client creates a direct conflict of interest between the interests of the client and those of the supervised person, thus it is generally prohibited. Any exceptions must be approved in writing in advance by one of the executive officers at Pier Capital, LLC. Prohibited relationships may include, but are not limited to:

 

Extending credit or loans to clients.
Endorsing or guaranteeing loans to clients.
Acting as agent for a client in arranging a bank loan or for any other purpose.
Receiving loans or credit from clients, except in the ordinary course of the client’s business.
Sharing, or agreeing to share, in the profits or losses of any client’s account or any transaction effected therein.
Guaranteeing, or in any way representing that you or the firm will guarantee, a client against loss in any account or on any transaction.
Pooling funds with the client for investment purposes.

CONFIDENTIAL

 PAGE 16

4/27/2017

 

Gifts, Gratuities and Entertainment

 

No supervised person of the company shall, directly or indirectly, give any favor or thing of value to or engage in the entertainment of any person, firm or non-affiliated corporation, negotiating, contracting, or in any way dealing with the Company, except as may be consistent with generally acceptable ethical standards and accepted business practices and not in violation of any applicable law.

 

To prevent the appearance of impropriety, conflict of interest or a quid pro quo arrangement, no supervised persons at Pier Capital, LLC may give or accept (directly or indirectly) gifts or gratuities to or from persons or entities outside of the firm, except in accordance with the firm’s guidelines.

 

The gift reporting requirement is for the purpose of helping Pier Capital, LLC monitor the activities of its supervised persons. However, the reporting of a gift does not relieve any supervised persons from the obligations and policies set forth in this Section or anywhere else in this Code or Compliance Manual. If you have any questions or concerns about the appropriateness of any gift, please consult the Compliance Department.

 

Giving Gifts or Gratuities

 

A supervised person may not give a gift or gratuity (including Pier’s promotional merchandise) exceeding an aggregate of $250 (or foreign currency equivalent) per person, per year, directly or indirectly to any:

Client or individual associated with the client
Securities or financial institution
News or financial information media
Party where the payment or gratuity is related to the business of the recipient or his or her employer

 

Any gift in excess of the $250 threshold must be reported to and approved by the Compliance Department.

 

Accepting Gifts or Gratuities

 

A supervised person may not solicit or encourage another to give him/her gifts or gratuities that are related, in any way, to his/her business activities on behalf of the company Supervised persons may not represent or suggest that any service or business will be given in exchange for a gift or gratuity.

 

Supervised persons generally may not accept gifts or gratuities reasonably valued at $250 (or foreign currency equivalent) or more (including vendor promotional merchandise), aggregated annually from any other person or entity that:

Does or seeks to do business with Pier Capital, LLC.
Gives the gift or gratuity because of employee’s position with Pier Capital, LLC.

 

Any gift or gratuity under either of the above circumstances valued at $250 (or foreign currency equivalent) or more, either alone or aggregated annually, must be reported to and pre-approved by the Compliance Department.

CONFIDENTIAL

 PAGE 17

4/27/2017

 

Entertainment

 

Any service, meal, beverage or paid admission to an event given to a supervised person at Pier Capital, LLC from an outside entity, where at least one individual from the outside entity is present is considered Entertainment and is not considered a gift for the purpose of the Gift and Gratuities policy within the Code of Ethics. If the event is attended without the presence of the outside entity, it will be considered a gift and will fall under the Gift and Gratuity policy described above.

 

Supervised persons may provide to, and accept from, persons outside of the firm customary and reasonable business meals and entertainment as long as both you and the other person(s) are present; these will not be included in the $250 (or foreign currency equivalent) per person, per year gift and gratuity limitations. These events do not have to be reported or approved by the Compliance Department, as long they are not extravagant or excessive in value. An extravagant or excessive form of entertainment may be that which exceeds a value of $150 per person per occurrence. While there is no limit to the dollar amount a supervised person of Pier Capital, LLC can spend and/or receive within the limits of customary and reasonable business activities, an employee must be aware that excessive entertainment can be perceived as a conflict of interest. Supervised persons should not accept inappropriate favors, entertainment or special accommodations that could influence their decision-making or make them feel beholden to a person or firm. Similarly, supervised persons should not offer inappropriate favors, entertainment or special accommodations that could be viewed as overly generous or aimed at influencing decision-making or making a client feel beholden to the firm or the supervised person.

 

Supervised persons are expected to adhere to their fiduciary duty to clients and abstain from business meals and entertainment actives, which are or may be viewed as extravagant or excessive.

 

If you have any questions or concerns about the appropriateness of any entertainment, please consult the Compliance Department.

 

Department of Labor Gift Reporting & Government Officials

 

Department of Labor Gift Reporting: The Department of Labor released guidance in July 2005 for investment advisers, broker-dealers, other financial institutions and employers, which have specified financial dealings with union-affiliated pension plans, typically, Taft Hartley plans. The guidance clarifies requirements that any employer e.g., adviser that makes a gift of money, client dinners, tickets, or loans, etc., or entertains a person associated with a union must report the gift or entertainment on Form LM-10 to the Department of Labor's Office of Labor Management standards. The reporting threshold is now $250 in value. Any form LM-10 filings are to be made within 90 days of the filer's fiscal year end. Penalties for failing to report are severe. (For further information, see http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/olms/LM10_FAQ.htm).

 

Government Officials: Firms that engage in certain types of business, such as managing state or municipal pension funds may be subject to certain laws or rules in various jurisdictions that may prohibit or limit gifts or entertainment extended to public officials.

 

Pier Capital, LLC requires that all supervised persons report and receive prior approval before engaging in any event related to gift and/or entertainment with any union-affiliated individuals or government official.

CONFIDENTIAL

 PAGE 18

4/27/2017

 

Raffle Policy

 

The Raffle policy is separate from our Gifts and Entertainment policy.

 

Employee and partner participation in raffles is allowed. Raffle prizes won at an event related directly or indirectly to our firm’s business activities must be reported and pre-cleared by the Compliance Department. At a minimum, the below information needs to be reported:

 

Event details (name, place, date, category, etc)
Name of raffle sponsor
Prize details: name, brand, model, etc
Estimated value of the prize

 

Prizes valued at or below $25 are excluded from pre-clearance and maybe kept by the employee/partner without reporting to Compliance.

Prizes declined do not need to be reported to Compliance.

 

Compliance Department will evaluate each situation on a case by case basis to ensure that the raffle winnings do not create actual or potential conflict of interest. Compliance Department will use the below, not all inclusive, guidelines to make the determination:

 

Entries in raffles that create a conflict of interest or a perception of a conflict of interest are not allowed.
Quid pro quo relation may not exist.
Entry in raffles sponsored directly by the firm’s clients is not allowed.
If the value of the prize exceeds $500, the employee/partner must either: 1) decline the acceptance of the prize or 2) turn the prize over to the firm (the firm will then donate the prize to a charity of its choice unrelated to the raffle sponsor).

 

Raffle winnings will be logged in the firm’s Gift Log.

 

Authority to Act on Behalf of Pier Capital, LLC

 

No supervised person shall participate on behalf of the company in any negotiations or dealing of any sort with any person, firm or non-affiliated corporation in which he/she has an interest, whether through a personal relationship which is more that mere acquaintance, or through stockholding or otherwise, except an ordinary investment not sufficient to in any way affect his/her judgement, conduct, or attitude in the matter, or give him/her a personal interest therein.

 

As a supervised person of Pier Capital, LLC, you are prohibited from speaking for, representing, or obligating Pier Capital, LLC, contractually or otherwise, unless you are authorized to do so. If you are acting in your personal capacity and there could be any doubt on the part of others about the capacity in which you are acting, you must make clear that you are not acting in a professional capacity or on behalf of Pier Capital, LLC.

CONFIDENTIAL

 PAGE 19

4/27/2017

 

Political Contributions and Activities

 

Political contributions and activities by Pier Capital, LLC and its supervised persons are strictly regulated. These policies and procedures are designed to avoid any conflicts of interests, assure full compliance with all applicable law and regulations and avoid the imposition of restrictions on the firms business.

 

Political Contributions and Solicitation

 

These policies apply to all employees who wish to make or solicit political contributions:

Neither Pier Capital, LLC’s name, facilities, equipment nor other resources (including computers, letterhead and employee services) may be used in connection with any political contribution or campaign activity without the prior written approval from the Compliance Department.
No political contribution may be made for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business, or unlawfully influencing an official decision.
Supervised persons may not “bundle” political contributions by (1) collecting and forwarding contributions to campaigns or (2) providing stamped and addressed envelopes in which to send contributions. Political contributions must be sent directly to the indented recipient and not through Pier’s supervised persons.
Pier Capital, LLC may not reimburse or compensate its supervised persons in any way, and no supervised person may seek reimbursement or compensation from any other source, for individual political contributions.
Soliciting Pier’s supervised persons for political contributions requires prior written approval from the Compliance Department.

 

Contributions and Solicitations by Pier Capital, LLC

 

Corporate contributions to candidates for federal, state or local offices are prohibited. Under certain limited circumstances, the Firm may contribute to political parties and ballot measures where no money is used in connection with any election. Any such contributions require the prior written approval of the Chief Compliance Officer. To request such approval, please submit a request for approval for Pier Capital, LLC contribution at least ten days prior to the proposed contribution.

 

All political activity of Pier’s supervised persons must receive prior approval from the Compliance Department.

 

Employees will be required to complete a pre-approval questionnaire for each political contribution approval request.

CONFIDENTIAL

 PAGE 20

4/27/2017

 

Pay to Play Rules regarding Political Contributions - Rule 206(4)-5

 

Summary of the Rule:

Under the Rule, if an adviser or a covered associate of the adviser makes a contribution to an official of a government entity who is in a position to influence the award of the government entity’s business, then the adviser is prohibited from receiving compensation for providing advisory services to that government entity for two years thereafter (this is referred to as “time- out” period). The time-out period does not change even if the covered associate leaves the employment of the adviser.

 

The Rule also prohibits funnelling of political contribution through third parties, including, for example, consultants, attorneys, family members, friends or companies affiliated with the adviser as a means to circumvent the Rule.

 

In addition the Rule restricts advisers from “bundling” a large number of small employee contributions to influence an election, or making contributions (or payments) indirectly through a state or local political party.

 

Definitions:

Contribution: Any gift, subscription, loan, advance, or deposit of money or anything of value made for:

The purpose of influencing any election for federal, state, or local office
The payment of debt incurred in connection with any such election
Transition or inaugural expenses incurred by a successful candidate for state or local office

Covered associate:

General partner, managing member, executive officer or other individual with a similar status or function
Employee who solicits a government entity for the investment adviser (and any person who supervises, directly or indirectly, such an employee)
PAC controlled by the investment adviser or by any of its covered associates

 

Exceptions:

1. Instead a two-year time out period, there is a six-month look-back provision for “new” covered persons who does not solicit clients. The two-year timeout remains for new covered persons who solicit clients.
2. The de minimis exception allows a covered associate of an adviser that is a natural person to contribute:
up to $350 to an official per election (with primary and general elections counting separately) if the covered associate was entitled to vote for the official at the time of the contribution, and
up to $150 to an official per election (with primary and general elections counting separately) if the covered associate was not entitled to vote for the official at the time of the contribution.
3. Exception for certain returned contributions:
The investment adviser must have discovered the contribution which resulted in the prohibition within four months of the date of such contribution; and
Such contribution must not have exceeded $350; and
The contributor must obtain a return of the contribution within 60 calendar days of the date of discovery of such contribution by the investment adviser.
There are strict limitations on how many times during a year the adviser is allowed to use the returned contribution exception.

CONFIDENTIAL

 PAGE 21

4/27/2017

 

Recordkeeping Requirements:

The Rule requires additional recordkeeping obligations on advisers that provide investment advisory services to a government entity or a covered investment pool in which a government entity is an investor. Advisers must now maintain:

The names, titles, and business and residence addresses of all covered associates of the adviser.
Information about all government entities to which the adviser provides or has provided investment advisory services (directly or indirectly through a covered investment pool) in the last five years.
All direct and indirect contributions made by the adviser or its covered associates to an official of a government entity or direct or indirect payments made to a political party or PAC.
The name and business address of each regulated person to which the adviser agrees to provide direct or indirect payment to solicit a government entity.

 

In Summary:

1. All employees/partners must request a preapproval from Compliance before making any direct or indirect political contributions.
2. All employees/partners must certify annually if they have or have not made any direct or indirect political contributions and that they have not funnelled any political contributions through third parties in order to circumvent the Rule. If political contributions were made, employees/partners must list the exact: a) date the contribution was made, b) amount of the contribution, and 3) the person or party who received the contribution.
3. New employees/partners must certify in writing prior to employment start that they have read and acknowledged our Political Contribution policy and must list in detail any political contributions made:
a. In the last two years – if the employee is a covered person who will be soliciting clients
b. In the last six months – if the employee is a covered person and will not be soliciting clients
4. Departing employees/partners must certify in writing if they have or have not made any direct or indirect political contributions without company’s preapproval since the time of the last certification until the time they cease their employment with our firm. If political contribution(s) was made, the departing employee/partner must provide the required details and if needed, agree to request and confirm the return of the contribution.

CONFIDENTIAL

 PAGE 22

4/27/2017

 

Regulatory Matters

 

Regulatory and Legal Proceedings Involving Supervised Persons

 

Pier Capital, LLC is required to notify regulatory organizations and/or take other action when certain events occur regarding its supervised persons. Accordingly, all supervised persons must notify the Compliance Department if they are:

 

The subject of an investigation (foreign or domestic) by any governmental agency, self- regulatory organization or financial, business or professional organization;
The defendant or respondent in any private, governmental or self-regulatory litigation or proceeding (foreign or domestic) related to securities industry activities or alleging violations of any securities rules or regulations, or of any agreement, rule or standard of conduct of any governmental agency, self-regulatory organization or financial, business or professional organization (collectively, "Securities Laws or Regulations");

Named in any written or verbal customer complaint alleging violation(s) of the Securities Laws or Regulations;
Denied registration, membership or continued membership in, or expelled, enjoined, directed to cease and desist, suspended or otherwise disciplined by, any (foreign or domestic) financial industry regulator or self-regulatory organization;
Associated in any business capacity with any person or entity that has been barred, suspended, expelled, or disqualified from the financial industry, had its registration denied or revoked, or was convicted of, or pleaded no contest to, any felony or misdemeanour;
Denied a bond, had a bond revoked by a bonding company, or had a claim paid out on a bond covering him/her;
Charged or arrested, arraigned, indicted, convicted of, plead guilty or no contest to, any criminal offence (other than minor traffic violations); or
Petitioning for bankruptcy protection, declared bankrupt, or the owner of 10% or more of a corporation that petitioned for bankruptcy or was declared bankrupt, or have unsatisfied judgments or liens against you.

 

Oral and Written Complaints

 

Any verbal or written statement that directly or indirectly alleges the mishandling of an account or transaction or improper conduct on the part of a Pier’s supervised persons must be immediately reported to the Compliance Department. Any settlement must be pursued through the Firm's dispute resolution channels. Under no circumstances may a supervised person attempt to settle complaints or disputes on his or her own.

 

Contact with Industry Regulators

 

Supervised persons must immediately notify the Compliance Department in the event of an inquiry from a financial industry regulator whether via telephone, correspondence or personal visit.

 

Receipt of Legal Documents

 

On occasion, supervised persons may be served with legal documents, such as subpoenas and regulatory requests, relating to securities or other industry-related activities. Should a supervised person receive any such document, he/she must notify the Compliance Department immediately and forward the document(s) to the Compliance Department without any delay.

CONFIDENTIAL

 PAGE 23

4/27/2017

 

Retention of Outside Counsel

 

Supervised persons may neither retain outside counsel on behalf of the Firm nor obligate the Firm to pay for the services of outside counsel that employee may retain or cause to be retained unless he/she have received prior approval from the Compliance Department.

 

Books and Records

 

Accurate and complete books and records are critical to the integrity and operation of our business and an important legal and regulatory obligation. All supervised persons must help to assure that the books and records of the Firm accurately and fairly reflect the activities of the Firm and that all transactions and dispositions of assets are recorded in reasonable detail. No undisclosed or unrecorded fund or asset may be established or maintained for any purpose.

Employees are prohibited from making false or misleading entries in the Firm's books and records and from assisting others, including clients and counterparties, in creating false or misleading books or entries.

 

Federal securities regulations and other applicable rules and regulations specify minimum retention requirements relating to certain business records of financial institutions. Supervised persons should be familiar with the document retention requirements relating to their business activities.

 

No document that is subject to subpoena or other legal request for information may be altered or destroyed.

 

Any questions regarding documents retention requirements should be referred to the Compliance Department.

 

Signing On Behalf Of Another

 

In connection with employment with Pier Capital, LLC, all supervised persons are prohibited from signing or initialling any document on behalf of a client, potential client or anyone else with whom Pier does or may do business, regardless of the employee’s intention, even when authorized by the other party or done for the other party's convenience.

 

Tax and/or Legal Advice

 

While supervised persons may be sensitive to tax considerations in the course of doing business, they are prohibited from offering or providing tax or legal advice to clients (other than that which the Firm explicitly provides), even if the supervised person is an accountant or an attorney.

Clients must be instructed to seek the assistance of an attorney, tax professional or accountant of their own choosing.

CONFIDENTIAL

 PAGE 24

4/27/2017

 

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

 

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act "FCPA" makes it a federal offence for any US person or entity, directly, or indirectly, to pay any foreign government official to obtain or retain business. The Firm requires its supervised persons to comply with the FCPA, as well as applicable local laws, to avoid the appearance of impropriety or conflict of interest and to maintain the highest ethical standards of business conduct.

 

Any business activity with foreign government official(s) must receive prior approval from the Compliance Department ahead.

CONFIDENTIAL

 PAGE 25

4/27/2017

 

 

 

 

Whistleblower / Reporting Violations

 

As fiduciaries to our clients, we each have an absolute obligation to place the interests of the client ahead of those of our firm or any individual associated with it. A cornerstone of our business is our unconditional commitment to conduct all our activities ethically.

 

Any action that calls into question our firm's integrity can jeopardize the company's success and potentially the security of our employees. Improper conduct on the part of any employee puts the firm and personnel at risk and the firm’s management cannot stop or remedy misconduct unless they know about it. Accordingly, all employees are not only expected to, but are required to report their concerns about potentially illegal conduct as well as violations of our company’s policies.

 

Our firm’s policy absolutely prohibits any form of retaliation in response to such communications that are made in good faith. If you elect to report anonymously, no one within our company will know or be able to identify the source of the report. All such reports will be promptly investigated.

 

Reporting Potential Misconduct

 

Reports of violations or suspected violations must be reported to the Chief Compliance Officer. Supervised persons may report suspected improper activity by the Chief Compliance Officer directly to the firm’s President.

 

To report anonymously, simply use a Gmail account set up for this purpose and log in with the following credentials:

- E-mail address to Gmail: https://accounts.google.com  
- E-mail account address: iwanttoreportthis (“i want to report this” without any spaces”)
- Password: piercompliance (“pier compliance” without any spaces”)

 

Responsibility of the Whistleblower

 

A person must be acting in good faith in reporting a complaint or concern under this policy and must have reasonable grounds for believing a deliberate misrepresentation has been made regarding the issue that is being reported. A malicious allegation known to be false is considered a serious offense and shall be subject to disciplinary action that may include termination of employment.

 

Handling of Reported Improper Activity

 

The firm shall take seriously any report regarding a potential violation of firm’s policy or other improper or illegal activity, and recognizes the importance of keeping the identity of the reporting person from being widely known. Supervised persons are to be assured that the firm will appropriately manage all such reported concerns or suspicions of improper activity in a timely and professional manner, confidentially and without retaliation.

 

In order to protect the confidentiality of the individual submitting such a report and to enable to conduct a comprehensive investigation of reported misconduct, supervised persons should understand that those individuals responsible for conducting any investigation are generally precluded from communicating information pertaining to the scope and/or status of such reviews.

CONFIDENTIAL

 PAGE 26

4/27/2017

 

No Retaliation Policy

 

It is the firm’s policy that no supervised person who submits a complaint made in good faith will experience retaliation, harassment, or unfavorable or adverse employment consequences. A supervised person who retaliates against a person reporting a complaint will be subject to disciplinary action, which may include termination of employment. A supervised person who believes s/he has been subject to retaliation or reprisal as a result of reporting a concern or making a complaint is to report such action to the CCO or to the firm’s other senior management in the event the concern pertains to the CCO.

 

Reporting Violations to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

 

Neither this policy nor any other company policy prevents any supervised persons (or formerly supervised persons) from voluntarily communicating with the SEC or other authorities regarding possible violation of law or from recovering a SEC Whistleblower award.

CONFIDENTIAL

 PAGE 27

4/27/2017

 

Code of Ethics

 

 

 

Code of Ethics

 

Effective Date Last Revision Date Last Review Date Process Owner Approval
June 2005 October 2017 December 2018 Philippe Pradel Tom Lloyd, Chief Compliance Officer

 

Overview

 

Campbell & Company and Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC (collectively "Campbell") seek to foster and maintain a reputation for integrity and professionalism. That reputation is a vital business asset and must be protected. As a result, any activity that (1) gives rise to or appears to give rise to any breach of fiduciary duty we owe to a Client; (2) creates even the suspicion of misuse of material, non- public information by you or Campbell; or (3) creates any actual or potential conflict of interest or even the appearance of a conflict of interest between our Client and you or Campbell, must be avoided. We have adopted this Code of Ethics in compliance with applicable laws and to help guide your conduct, avoid or mitigate conflicts of interest and comply with the law. The Code of Ethics establishes specific requirements related to your use of insider information, personal investing and giving and receiving of gifts and entertainment.

 

The Code of Ethics is administered by the Chief Compliance Officer; any questions regarding the Code of Ethics should be directed to the Compliance Department. You are required to comply with the Code of Ethics and to acknowledge upon hire and annually thereafter that you have read, understand and agree to comply with this Code and its policies. Protegent PTA is the application used to monitor Code of Ethics and other compliance requirements. You will receive a login to Protegent PTA upon the start of your employment.

 

All Employees are required to report violations of this Code and its policies to the Chief Compliance Officer, promptly after learning of such violations.

 

  Failure to comply with the rules and requirements set forth in the Code of Ethics constitutes a breach of an Employee's obligation to conduct himself/herself in accordance with Campbell's Policies and Procedures, and in certain cases may result in a violation of the law. Appropriate remedial action by Campbell many include censure, fine, restriction on activities, or suspension or termination of employment.
   
  Employees may report Code of Ethics violations or any other illegal activity anonymously through Protegent PTA by selecting Incident Report.

 

The Code of Ethics is organized into the following sections: 

 

 

Standards of Conduct

 

Standards of Conduct

 

Campbell expects all employees to maintain a high standard of integrity and professionalism. We believe such standards are important to our success as an investment manager and also promote a pleasant and satisfying work environment for others. The following set of principles frame the professional and ethical conduct that Campbell expects from all of you, its employees:

 

· Act with integrity, competence, diligence, respect, and in an ethical manner with the public, Clients, prospective Clients, employers, employees, colleagues in the investment profession and other participants in the global financial markets;
· Place the integrity of the investment profession, the interests of Clients and the interests of Campbell above your own personal interests;
· Adhere to the fundamental standard that you should not take inappropriate advantage of your position;
· Use reasonable care and exercise independent professional judgment when conducting investment analysis, making investment recommendations, taking investment actions and engaging in other professional activities;
· Practice and encourage others to practice in a professional and ethical manner that will reflect credit on himself or herself and the profession;
· Promote the integrity of, and uphold the rules governing, global financial markets;
· Maintain and improve your professional competence and strive to maintain and improve the competence of other professionals;
· Comply with applicable provisions of the federal securities laws and Campbell’s business policies, Compliance Manual and IT Policies, including but not limited to Employee Responsibilities outlined therein.
· Maintain the confidentiality of all non-public information regarding Campbell’s business methods, operations and financial status;
· Engage in conduct that promotes a cooperative, team oriented environment with respect and harmonious working relationships;
· Respect property owned by the Company, other employees, vendors, and/or clients; and
  · Report any fraud or other conduct that violates Campbell's policies.

 

 

Conflicts of Interest

 

Conflicts of Interest

 

Campbell must eliminate or make full and fair disclosure of all material conflicts of interest that arise in connection with performing our business. We must disclose all matters that could reasonably be expected to impair our independence and objectivity or interfere with the duties we owe our Clients. At times, we may be required to obtain consent of a Client in order to engage in a practice that poses a potential conflict.

 

A conflict of interest, generally, is a scenario where a person or firm has an incentive to serve one interest at the expense of another interest or obligation. This might mean serving the interest of the firm over that of a client, or serving the interest of one client over another client’s, or an employee or group of employees serving their own interests over those of Campbell or our clients. While violations of the law could certainly be a conflict, so to could something that, while not technically illegal, could affect Campbell’s reputation. A conflict exists if Campbell’s interests or your personal interests interferes with or impairs our ability to perform our duties in the best interests of our Clients.

 

Because conflicts may be apparent to any employee, you each have a role in recognizing new potential conflicts and elevating them by promptly reporting the situation to the Chief Compliance Officer. As our business evolves and changes, new conflicts can arise rapidly. It is best to err on the side of caution and report potential conflicts. The CCO will determine if a conflict exists, whether it material, whether it has been accurately and fully disclosed and whether Client consent is required under the circumstances. Examples of conflicts of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

 

· An employee uses Campbell property or equipment or their position at Campbell to pursue personal interests or the interests of another organization;
· An employee accepts a personal gift or benefit that arises out of employment with Campbell, other than those in compliance with our Gifts and Entertainment guidelines;
· Giving preferential treatment to one client over another, due to financial incentives or personal relationships;
· Portfolio management activities that involve taking additional risks to generate higher fees;
  · An action taken by Campbell that benefits its proprietary funds or accounts over that of its Clients;
· Any behavior that may create regulatory or reputational risks for the business;
· Personal relationships and outside activities that could reasonably present a material conflict of interest, given your role with Campbell;
· Receiving Client referrals from brokerage firms and then using those firms to execute our clients' trades;
· You, or an immediate family member, serving as an employee, officer or director of (or otherwise has a substantial interest in or business relationship with) a Client, a competitor of Campbell or a service provider or vendor;
· An employee who has a financial, family or personal relationship with a Vendor and approves the use of the Vendor or negotiates the terms of the agreement with the Vendor;
· Providing investment advice or portfolio management services for compensation to any person, other than a Campbell Client; and
· Recommending or directing any transaction for a Client if you have a personal interest in that security or market.

 

 

Statement on Insider Trading

 

Statement on Insider Trading

 

Campbell prohibits conduct that may be deemed insider trading. Federal securities laws prohibit illegal insider trading, which is the trading of securities by individuals with access to material, non-public information. Information is “material” when there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider the information important in making investment decisions. Information is “non-public” until it has been disseminated broadly to investors throughout the marketplace. Information is “public” after it has become available to the general public through a public filing with the SEC or some other general circulation publication such as Bloomberg, and only after sufficient time has passed to allow for the information to be disseminated widely.

 

Insider Information affects Employees in two ways –

 

1. Campbell has material, non-public information that must be protected. Employees are prohibited from disclosing to anyone information about the positions we are trading and you may not trade in your personal accounts based on this knowledge.
2. Employees could receive material, non-public information about a publicly-traded company. You should not discuss or pass along that information, and you should avoid trading in your personal account or developing models that trade those positions.

 

The law of insider trading is complex; therefore, an Employee may legitimately be uncertain concerning the application of insider trading laws to a particular circumstance. Insider trading may expose an Employee or Campbell to stringent penalties; criminal sanctions may include, but are not limited to, a fine of up to $1,000,000 and/or ten years’ imprisonment. Furthermore, the SEC may recover the profits gained or losses avoided through insider trading, obtain a penalty of up to three (3) times the illicit windfall, and/or issue an order permanently barring a person from the securities industry. Investors may also sue seeking to recover damages for insider trading violations. Regardless of whether a federal inquiry would occur, Campbell views seriously any violation of this policy. Any such violation constitutes grounds for disciplinary sanctions, including, but not limited to, dismissal.

 

An Employee must notify the Chief Compliance Officer immediately if he or she has reason to believe a violation of this policy has occurred or is about to occur. If you believe you have access to material, non- public information, you should:

 

· Immediately alert Campbell's Chief Compliance Officer;

· Refrain from trading the security on your behalf or for others (including Campbell); and
· Refrain from communicating the information to anyone, whether within or external to Campbell, with the exception of the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

 

Return to COE

 

Employee Personal Trading Policy

 

Employee Personal Trading Policy

 

· Employee Personal Trading Policy Overview
· Policy and Procedures
· Frontrunning Client Orders is Prohibited
· Trading Futures Interests is Prohibited
· 30 Day Holding Period
· Trades Must be Precleared Prior to Execution
· Personal Trading Must be Conducted through a Campbell Approved Broker
· Preclearance Procedures
· Transactions Subject to Preclearance
· Procedures for Preclearance
· Reporting Procedures
· Initial Holdings Report
· Quarterly Reports
· Annual Reports
· Review of Reports

 

Overview

 

As employees of a financial services firm, Employees must take steps to avoid conflicts of interest that may arise when trading in the same securities as Campbell. Employees are required to conduct themselves and their personal financial transactions in a manner that complies with all applicable securities laws and the fiduciary duty Campbell owes its clients. The policies and procedures described below were designed to help Employees avoid potential conflicts of interest.

 

Policy and Procedures

 

Frontrunning Client Orders is Prohibited

 

Employees may not knowingly engage in a transaction in a Security that is also the subject of a transaction by or on behalf of a Client, if the Employee’s transaction would disadvantage or appear to disadvantage the Client or if the Employee would profit from or appear to profit from the knowledge that a Client is also conducting a transaction in the same security. In other words, if you are aware of Campbell’ s pending orders, you must refrain from trading those securities in your own personal account. For example, if Campbell has a large order pending that could affect the price of a stock and prior to Campbell executing its order you purchase that security for your own account, it could appear that you were trying to benefit from a price movement that could occur when Campbell executes its order. In order to protect Campbell and yourself from potentially frontrunning an order the Code of Ethics requires that you receive permission before engaging in certain Securities transactions. This is called Preclearance.

All employees are required to pre-clear Securities transactions in Protegent PTA. Preclearance is discussed in further detail, below.

 

Trading Futures Interests is Prohibited

 

All Campbell Employees are prohibited from trading Futures Interests. Campbell may take large positions in futures interest transactions (such as futures and forward contracts on commodities, interest rates, stock indices, or foreign exchange) and therefore Employee trading in these instruments poses a high risk to Campbell. Unless you receive an exception from the Chief Compliance Officer in writing, Employees may not engage in the trading of Futures Interests. If an exception is granted, Preclearance and reporting procedures will be established on a case-by-case basis. Such Preclearance and reporting procedures may be substantively identical to or materially different from those governing the trading of Securities by Employees. The Chief Compliance Officer reserves the right to refuse any transaction that appears to violate the Code and/or for which appropriate Preclearance and reporting procedures cannot be identified.

 

  Notwithstanding the provisions above, purchases of commodity or futures interests through exchange-traded products (ETPs) are permitted, and are subject to the 30 day holding period outlined below.

 

 

30 Day Holding Period

 

Exchange Traded Products must be held for at least 30 days from the date of purchase.

 

Trades Must be Precleared Prior to Execution

 

Prior to executing a transaction, employees must receive approval to enter the trade. Preclearance of trades is required for Securities, Exchange Traded Products, virtual currencies, IPOs, tender offers and Private Placements. Exempt Transactions, such as transactions for Excluded Securities or non- discretionary transactions executed in a managed account or trust account, do not have to be approved prior to execution. See Preclearance Procedures below for instructions on how to preclear transactions.

 

Preclearance and disclosure are not required for the purchase and sale of Physical Commodities so long as the Employee takes delivery of the commodity and the assets are not held in a custody account on behalf of the Employee. Conversely, disclosure and preclearance requirements do apply if the Employee does not take physical delivery.

 

Personal Trading Must be Conducted through a Campbell Approved Broker

 

Employees must hold their accounts and transact their personal trading at Approved Brokers, unless they receive a written exception from the Chief Compliance Officer. Employees may not engage, or permit any other person or entity to engage, in any transaction (other than Exempt Transactions) of which the Employee has, or by reason of the transaction will acquire, Beneficial Ownership, except through a Campbell Approved Broker. Notwithstanding the foregoing and pending approval from the Compliance Department, Employees are permitted to hold the following account types with non-approved brokers: .

 

· Mutual Fund Only accounts
· Non-discretionary investment accounts (i.e. Managed Accounts and Trust Accounts)
  · 529 College Savings Plans
· Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), and 401k retirement accounts established on behalf of the Employee by prior employers.

 

All Securities transactions executed within these accounts, which are not Exempt Transactions, are subject to preclearance, disclosure, and reporting requirements in Protegent PTA as outlined in this policy. Additional periodic disclosures may be required in the form of providing the Compliance Department with a current statement showing holdings and transactions within the account.

 

If an employee would like to trade Physical Commodities through a custodian firm, the Employee must receive an exception in writing from the Chief Compliance Officer. In addition, Compliance will determine what procedures are required to monitor the transactions, including but not limited to requiring receipt of copies of the account statements.

 

Preclearance Procedures

 

The following procedures shall govern all transactions in which an Employee has or seeks to obtain any B eneficial Ownership.

 

Transactions Subject to Preclearance

 

As described herein, certain Employee transactions (other than Exempt Transactions) are subject to preclearance and subsequent review by the Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee. A transaction for an Employee Account may be disapproved if it is determined by the Chief Compliance Officer that the Employee is unfairly benefiting from, or that the transaction is in conflict with or appears to be in conflict with, any “Client Transaction,” any of the above trading restrictions, or this Code and its policies. Client Transactions include transactions for any Client or any other account managed or advised by Campbell & Company.

 

The determination that an Employee may unfairly benefit from or that an Employee transaction may conflict with or appear to conflict with a Client Transaction will be subjective and individualized, and may include questions about timely and adequate dissemination of information, availability of bids and offers, and other factors deemed pertinent to the transaction or series of transactions in question. It is possible that a disapproval of a transaction could be costly to an Employee or an Employee’s family; therefore, each Employee should take great care to adhere to Campbell’s trading restrictions and avoid conflicts or the appearance of conflicts. 

 

 

Procedures for Preclearance

 

Preclearance procedures apply to all Employees and include: a) all accounts in the name of the employee or the employee’s immediate family member living in the same household; and b) all accounts in which the employee has a beneficial ownership interest and over which the employee exercises day-to- day trading authority.

 

1. After opening an account at one of Campbell's Approved Brokers, the Employee will add that account to the Protegent PTA system and will inform the Compliance Department of the account details. Alternatively, the employee may provide Compliance with the account details and Compliance may add to Protegent on the Employee’s behalf.
2. Once an account is added to the PTA system, the Employee must use the PTA system to preclear transactions (other than Exempt Transactions). Only after Preclearance is granted by the system may the Employee engage in the transaction. Please see here for procedures on how to preclear trades in Protegent PTA.
3. Market order approvals are valid until close of business on the day the approval has been granted. Accordingly, an order must be entered by the close of business on the same day. Any material change to that order requires a new Preclearance through the PTA system.
4. Limit order approvals are valid for a period of 30 days after approval has been granted in the PTA system. Limit orders to liquidate or cover a position may only be entered into the PTA system after the mandatory 30 day holding period. A limit price must be specified in the preclearance request details.

 

All other Employee transactions in Securities (e.g., initial public offerings or participation in privately- negotiated transactions) must be cleared in writing by the Chief Compliance Officer prior to the Employee entering into the transaction. You may email your request to the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

Reporting Procedures

 

Each Employee must provide to Campbell periodic written reports about his or her holdings, transactions and accounts (and the holdings, transactions and accounts of other persons if he or she has a Beneficial Ownership interest in such holdings, transactions and accounts). The nature and content of these reports are generally controlled and governed by certain requirements promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The reports are intended to identify conflicts of interest that could arise when an Employee invests in a Security or holds an account(s) that permits such investments, and to promote compliance with this Code. Campbell is sensitive to privacy concerns, and will employ its best efforts to ensure that any such reports are not disclosed to anyone unnecessarily.

 

Initial Holdings Report

 

Within ten (10) days after a new employee commences employment with Campbell, he or she must submit to Campbell a report (a form of which is attached hereto as Appendix II) based on information that is current as of a date not more than forty-five (45) days prior to the date of employment, that contains the following:

 

1. The name/title and symbol, and the number of equity shares of (or the principal amount of debt represented by) each Security (excluding Excluded Securities) in which you had any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership interest when you commenced employment with Campbell. You may provide this information by referring to attached copies of broker transaction confirmations or account statements that contain such information.
2. The name and address of any broker, dealer, bank or other institution (such as a general partner of a limited partnership or transfer agent of a company) that maintained any account in which any Securities were held for your direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership when you commenced employment with Campbell, and the account numbers and names of the persons for whom the accounts are held.
3. The date as of which you submitted the report.

 

Quarterly Reports

 

Within thirty (30) days after the end of each calendar quarter, you must submit to Campbell the following reports through the Protegent PTA:

 

Certification: Broker Accounts

 

This report should include the name and address of any broker, dealer, bank or other institution (such as a general partner of a limited partnership or transfer agent of a company) that maintained any account in which any Securities were held during the quarter for your direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership, the account numbers and names of the persons for whom the accounts were held, and the date when each account was established. 

 

 

Quarterly Certificate of Transactions

 

This report should include information with respect to any transactions during the quarter in a Security (excluding Exempt Transactions) in which you had any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership interest, including if you engaged in any such transactions other than through a broker approved by Campbell:

 

· The date of the transaction, the name/title and symbol, interest rate and maturity date (if applicable), and the number of equity shares of (or the principal amount of debt represented by) each Security involved;
· The nature of the transaction (i.e., purchase, sale or other type of acquisition or disposition);
· The price at which the transaction in the security was effected;
· The name of the broker, dealer, bank or other institution with or through which the transaction was effected.

 

  Exempt Transactions, such as transactions in open ended mutual funds or a managed account, do not need to be disclosed in the Quarterly Certificate of Transactions, unless specifically requested to do so by Campbell. However, you must identify the existence of the account in which you engage in such transactions in your list of securities accounts.

 

Annual Reports

 

Annually, you must submit to Campbell the following information:

 

Annual Holdings Report

 

The report will be completed in Protegent PTA and requires: The name/title and symbol, and the number of equity shares of (or the principal amount of debt represented by) each Security (excluding Excluded Securities) in which you had any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership interest as of a date not more than 45 days prior to the date the report is submitted.

 

Non-Discretionary Account Disclosure & Certification

 

On an annual basis, you must certify that you have disclosed all investment accounts over which you have no direct or indirect influence or control, and that you are, and will continue to be, uninvolved in the day-to-day trading activities for such accounts.

 

Managed Account Letter

 

For any account over which you do not exercise day-to-day trading authority, such as an account managed by a professional investment adviser, you must submit evidence, in the form of a certification signed by the manager, that you are not involved in the day-to-day trading decisions.

 

Trust Certification Letter

 

For any Trust Account of which you are the Beneficiary, and over which you have no direct or indirect influence or control and do not exercise day-to-day trading authority, you must submit evidence, in the form of a certification signed by the Trustee of the account, that you are not involved in the day-to-day trading decisions of the account.

 

On an as-requested basis, employees must furnish the Compliance Department with periodic statements reflecting the assets held within the following:

 

· Any account for which the Employee has received prior approval from the Compliance department to be held at a non-approved broker
· Any non-discretionary managed or trust account

 

The Compliance department will determine the timing and frequency of when these statements must be provided. All transactions executed within such accounts, which are not Exempted Transactions, are subject to preclearance requirements in Protegent PTA.

 

Review of Reports

 

The Compliance Department is responsible for administering the reports and will promptly review reports submitted by Employees, as well as each hard copy account statement received from any institution that maintains an account of an Employee. Please consult with the Chief Compliance Officer if you have any questions concerning the nature and content of Campbell’s reporting requirements. 

 

 

Return to COE

 

Gifts & Entertainment

 

Gifts & Entertainment

 

Overview

 

Campbell is built on a foundation of trust - the trust of our clients, regulators and the general public. Maintaining this trust is an obligation of every employee. The cornerstone of maintaining that trust is that we must always act in the best interests of our clients and never even appear to put our own interests ahead of those of our clients. We have full confidence in the integrity of our employees. However, by accepting or giving gifts, entertainment or other personal benefits in connection with our employment, we may raise questions about our impartiality and ethical values. At the same time, we believe that building strong relationships with our current and prospective brokers, trading partners, other service providers, and clients (collectively “Business Partners”) is prudent business, supporting our overall goal of delivering investment performance to our clients. We have adopted this Gifts and Entertainment Policy to ensure within reason that gifts and entertainment received or given by our employees do not interfere with the employee’s judgment and do not create the appearance of a conflict of interest.

 

In considering whether or not giving or accepting a gift or entertainment is appropriate, the following guidelines and questions should be considered:

 

· Is it difficult to justify the reason for the gift or entertainment?
· Would you be embarrassed if your supervisor, colleagues or clients knew of the gift or entertainment?
· Could this gift in any way be interpreted as, or appear to be, inappropriate? What would you think if your manager or peers gave or accepted similar gifts or entertainment?
· Are you compromising your personal ethics in any way by giving or accepting the gift or entertainment?

 

   When in doubt, seek approval.

 

Policy and Procedures

 

Giving and Receiving Gifts

 

· No Solicitation Permitted - Employees may not solicit gifts or entertainment from Business Partners (for example, tickets to events or other entertainment) for either themselves or others.
· $100 Limit - No employee may give or accept more than $100 of gifts in a calendar year from a single Business Partner without the approval of the Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”). If you receive a gift that exceeds the limit, you must report it to the CCO who will make a determination whether or not it may be accepted or should be returned.
· Promotional Items Not Considered Gifts - We recognize that the giving and receiving of promotional items (such as caps, shirts, umbrellas, etc. that bear a company’s logo) is an ordinary and usual practice, which has the legitimate business purpose of promoting that company’s brand name. As such, these promotional items are not considered “gifts” within the meaning of this gift policy and you are not required to track the giving or receipt of promotional items.
· No Home Delivery of Gifts - All gifts from Business Partners must be delivered to Campbell’s office. No employee should make arrangements for any gift to be delivered to their home without first notifying his or her supervisor, even if the gift is appropriate.
· No Cash Gifts - Cash gifts may not be accepted under any circumstances. If a cash gift is ever offered by a Business Partner it must be reported to the CCO immediately.
· Gifts - Employees must disclose (in Protegent PTA) each gift given or received with an estimated market value of over $25, with the exception of promotional items as noted above.

 

 

The record should note the date of the gift, the Business Partner (both the firm and the individual) who provided the gift, a description of the gift and the estimated value of the gift. Gifts with an estimated market value under $25 do not need to be reported. (See- Gifts & Entertainment Disclosure Procedures)

· Sharing of Gifts - In appropriate circumstances, a supervisor, in consultation with the CCO, may decide that a gift sent to one of his or her reports may be accepted by Campbell and distributed to a group of employees. If a gift is distributed to a group of employees, the supervisor will complete the gift record. The record should note the date of the gift, the Business Partner (both the firm and the individual) who provided the gift, the names of the employees receiving the gift, a description of the gift and the estimated value of the gift. Gifts with an estimated market value under $25 do not need to be reported. (See below - “Keeping Track”). The value of a gift distributed to a group of employees will not count towards the annual $100 limit for the employees.

 

Giving and Receiving Business Entertainment

 

For purposes of this Policy, “business entertainment” is defined as an event or dinner hosted by or received by Campbell employees, where the Business Partner is in attendance and it is used to discuss business or the business relationship. If the Business Partner bears the expense, it is Business Entertainment "received" by Campbell and if Campbell bears the expense, it is Business Entertainment "given" by Campbell. The key for Business Entertainment is that the Business Partner must be in attendance. If the Business Partner is not in attendance, the entertainment is considered a gift and must comply with the requirements for Giving and Receiving Gifts, above.

 

  Example. If a Business Partner invites Campbell employees to an Orioles game and attends the game with the employees, the event is considered "Business Entertainment." If the Business Partner invites Campbell employees to an Orioles game, but at the last minute decides they will not attend, but gives the tickets to the Campbell employees, the tickets are considered a gift and must comply with the requirements of receiving gifts. Entertainment gifts are considered gifts under this policy and count toward the $100 limit that an employee may receive as gifts from a single source.

 

Giving and receiving business entertainment must be limited to reasonable amounts (in terms of overall frequency and value per event). What is reasonable will vary in different circumstances. However, a good guideline for frequency would be once per quarter for business dinners. With regard to value, that will vary with the location. It is understood, for example, that a dinner in New York will likely cost more than a comparable dinner in a less expensive city. However, if you have any questions regarding whether a given situation is reasonable, you should contact the CCO for guidance.

 

Any business entertainment event that includes travel and/or lodging must be pre-approved by the employee’s supervisor and the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

“Big Ticket” events such as major sporting events (for example, the Super Bowl, the Masters, etc.) must also receive pre-approval from the employee’s supervisor and the CCO. The event may be approved if the employee is accompanied by the Business Partner and demonstrates that attendance will foster a legitimate Campbell business purpose. Except as noted below, Business Entertainment received must be included in a gift and entertainment record and be reported, but does not need to be valued. The record should note the date, Business Partner (both the firm and the individual), and a detailed description of the entertainment provided. (See - Gifts & Entertainment Disclosure Procedures )

 

Routine Business Entertainment

 

The following Business Entertainment is regarded as "routine" and does not require prior approval

from the Compliance Department. However, Employees may be required to receive approval from their direct manager. The following items do not need to be disclosed as a Gift and Entertainment record in Pr otegent PTA:

 

· Business breakfasts, lunches and dinners with employees of Business Partners.
· Food received by a Campbell department or team for consumption during business hours (e.g., holiday gift baskets, etc.)

 

However, employees should exercise their judgment on the frequency and/or extravagance of both of these types of Business Entertainment and raise any questions they may have with the CCO.

 

Gifts and Entertainment Disclosure

 

Employees will disclose Gift and Entertainment details in Protegent PTA . Employees may complete a Gift and Entertainment Report by 1) Logging on to Protegent PTA ; 2) Clicking on the “Disclosures” tab on the top of the screen; and 3) Selecting the “Gift and Entertainment Report.” Compliance will periodically review these records. The record should include the date of the gift, the Business Partner’s name, the Business Partner’s firm name, the description of gift, and the estimated value of gift. For Business Entertainment, the record should include the date of the event, the Business Partner’s name, the Business Partner’s firm name, and a description of the Business Entertainment. If the item required preapproval or an exception by the CCO, the details of the approval or exception should be noted by the Employee. 

 

As noted above, routine Business Entertainment and Promotional Items do not have to be recorded.

 

 

Return to COE

 

Administration of COE

 

Administration of the Code of Ethics

 

Overview

 

The Compliance Department is responsible for the administering, monitoring and enforcing the Code of Ethics.

 

Retention of Records

 

The Compliance Department will maintain, for a period of five years, the records listed below. Such records will be maintained at Campbell’s principal place of business in an easily accessible, but secure, location.

 

1. A list of all persons subject to this Code and its policies during the period in question.
2. The Annual Certificate of Compliance, signed by all persons subject to this Code and its policies, acknowledging that such persons have read, understand and agree to comply with this Code and its policies and recognizing that you are subject to this Code and its policies. The Annual Compliance Certificate will also affirm that such persons have complied with the requirements of this Code and its policies during the prior year, and have disclosed, reported or caused to be reported all holdings required hereunder and all transactions during the prior year in Securities and Futures Interests (other than Excluded Securities) of which such persons had or acquired Beneficial Ownership.
3. A copy of each Code of Ethics, and any related policies, in effect at any time during the five-year period in question.
4. A copy of each report filed pursuant to this Code and its policies, and a record of any known violations and actions taken as a result thereof during the period in question.
5. A record of any decision, and the reasons supporting such decision, to approve the acquisition of Securities by Employees, for at least five years after the end of the fiscal year in which such approval is granted.

 

Quarterly Reports

 

The Chief Compliance Officer, or his or her delegate, will report quarterly to the management of Campbell and the Directors of any applicable Registered Investment Company as to whether there have been any material violations of this Code and its policies during the previous quarter, including describing each significant remedial action taken in response to a violation of this Code and its policies. A significant remedial action means any action that has a significant financial effect on the violator, including, but not limited to, disgorgement of profits, imposition of a substantial fine, demotion, suspension or termination.

 

Annual Reports

 

The Chief Compliance Officer, or his or her delegate, will report annually to the management of Campbell and the Directors of any applicable Registered Investment Company with regard to efforts to ensure compliance by Employees of Campbell with their fiduciary obligations to Clients. The annual report will, at a minimum, include the following:

 

1. A description of any material violations of this Code and its policies and sanctions imposed in response to such material violations; and
2. A certification that Campbell has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Employees from violating this Code and its policies.

 

Review of Code of Ethics

 

This Code and its policies shall from time to time be reviewed by the Chief Compliance Officer to ensure that it is meeting its objectives, is functioning fairly and effectively, and is not unduly burdensome to Campbell or to Employees. Employees are encouraged to contact the Chief Compliance Officer with any comments, questions or suggestions regarding the implementation or improvement of this Code and its policies. 

 

 

Return to COE 

 

Definitions

 

Definitions

 

Approved Brokers. “Approved Brokers” refer to brokerage firms that Campbell has partnered with to hold Employee investment accounts. These firms have agreed to provide duplicate copies of confirmations and statements electronically to our monitoring application, Protegent PTA. A list of approved brokers can be found here.

 

Beneficial Ownership. One will be deemed to have “Beneficial Ownership” in a Security or of a Futures Interest if:

 

1. one has a Pecuniary Interest in such Security or Futures Interest;
2. one has voting power with respect to the Security, meaning the power to vote or direct the voting of such Security; or
3. one has the power to dispose of, or direct the disposition of, such Security or Futures Interest.

 

If you have any questions about whether an interest in a Security or Futures Interest, or in an account, constitutes Beneficial Ownership, please contact the Compliance Department.

 

Beneficiary. Any individual eligible to receive distributions from a trust.

 

Chief Compliance Officer. The Chief Compliance Officer is Thomas P. Lloyd.

 

Client. The term “Client” means any individual, investment entity or account advised or managed by Campbell, including, but not limited to, registered investment companies.

 

Futures Interest. The term “Futures Interest” means commodities, futures, forwards and options, whether traded on an organized exchange or otherwise, including, but not limited to, cash foreign exchange instruments.

 

Employee. The term “Employee” includes: (i) All individuals employed at Campbell (including all Advisory Persons), whether on a full-time or part-time basis, including interns (unless an exception is made by the CCO); and (ii) each member, director or officer of Campbell.

 

Exchange Traded Products. The term “Exchange Traded Products” or “ETPs” means exchange-traded funds or exchange-traded notes, which are traded on a securities exchange.

 

Excluded Securities. The term “Excluded Securities” means:

 

· U.S. government securities
· bankers’ acceptances
· bank certificates of deposit
· commercial paper
· high-quality short-term debt instruments (defined as any instrument that has a maturity at issuance of less than 366 days and is rated in one or more of the two highest rating categories by a Nationally Registered Statistical Rating Organization), including, but not limited to, repurchase agreements, shares issued by money market funds
· open ended mutual funds, or shares issued by open-end investment companies registered under the 1940 Act (other than registered investment companies advised by Campbell & Company or Campbell & Company Investment Adviser LLC).

 

 

· Physical commodities for which the employee takes delivery, and which are not held in a custody account

 

Exempt Transactions. The following transactions are exempt from pre-clearance, 30 day holding periods and restrictions on Futures Interests:

 

1. Purchases and sales of Excluded Securities.
2. Any transaction in an account over which you do not exercise day-to-day trading authority, such as an account managed by a professional investment adviser.
3. Transactions effected in automatic investment plans, dividend reinvestment plans or under an employer-sponsored, automatic payroll deduction, cash purchase plan.
4. Transactions by exercise of rights issued to the holders of a class of Securities pro rata, to the extent they are issued with respect to Securities of which you have Beneficial Ownership.
5. Acquisitions or dispositions of Securities as the result of a stock dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, merger, consolidation, spin-off or other similar corporate distribution or reorganization applicable to all holders of a class of Securities of which you have Beneficial Ownership.
6. Such other classes of transactions as may be exempted from time to time by the Chief Compliance Officer, based upon a determination that the transactions are unlikely to violate Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act or Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. These transactions may still be subject to reporting.
7. Such other specific transactions as may be exempted from time to time by the Chief Compliance Officer, on a case-by-case basis when it is determined that no abuse is involved. These transactions may still be subject to reporting.

 

Independent Director. The term “Independent Director” means a Director of the Trust who is not an “interested person” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act.

 

Pecuniary Interest. One will be deemed to have a “Pecuniary Interest” in a Security or Futures Interest if one, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, has the opportunity, directly or indirectly, to profit or share in any profit derived from a transaction in such Security or Futures Interest. The term “Pecuniary Interest” is construed very broadly. The following examples illustrate this principle:

 

· Ordinarily, one will be deemed to have a “Pecuniary Interest” in all Securities and Futures Interests owned by members of one’s immediate family 1 who live in the same household;

 

  1 For purposes of this Manual, the term “immediate family” includes an Employee's child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, sibling, mother-in-law, father- in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, and includes any adoptive relationship.

 

· If one is a general partner of a general or limited partnership, one will be deemed to have a “Pecuniary Interest” in all Securities and Futures Interests owned by the partnership;
· If one is a shareholder of a corporation or similar business entity, one will be deemed to have a “Pecuniary Interest” in all Securities and Futures Interests owned by such entity if one is a controlling shareholder of the entity, or has or shares investment control over the entity’s investment portfolio;
· If one has the right to acquire Securities and/or Futures Interests through the exercise or conversion of a derivative security, one will be deemed to have a “Pecuniary Interest” in such Securities or Futures Interests, whether or not one’s right is presently exercisable;
· One’s interest as a manager-member in the Securities and/or Futures Interests held by a limited liability company; and
· Ordinarily, if one is a trustee or beneficiary of a trust where he or she, or members of one’s immediate family, has a vested interest in the principal or income of the trust, he or she will be deemed to have a “Pecuniary Interest” in all Securities and Futures Interests held by the Trust.

 

If you have any questions about whether an interest in a Security or Futures Interest, or in an account, constitutes a Pecuniary Interest”, please contact the Compliance Department.

 

Security. The term “Security” has the same meaning as it has in Section 2(a)(36) of the 1940 Act and Section 202(a)(18) of Advisers Act. The following are Securities:

 

 

Any note, stock, treasury stock, bond, exchange traded product (ETP), debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, collateral- trust certificate, preorganization certificate or subscription, transferable share, exchange traded funds, exchange traded notes, investment contract, voting-trust certificate, certificate of deposit for a security, fractional undivided interest in oil, gas, or other mineral rights, any put, call, straddle, option or privilege on any security (including a certificate of deposit) or on any group or index of securities (including any interest therein or based on the value thereof), or any put, call, straddle, option or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to foreign currency, or, in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a security, or any certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guarantee of, or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase, any security.

 

It should be noted that the term “Security” includes a right to acquire a security, as well as an interest in a collective investment vehicle (such as a limited partnership or limited liability company).

 

Trustee. An individual that holds or administers the assets of a trust for the benefit of a third party Benefi ciary.

 

 

Return to COE

 

Appendices

 

Code of Ethics Appendices

 

APPENDIX I - ACKNOWLEDGMENT CERTIFICATION

 

· PERSONAL INVESTMENT AND TRADING POLICY;
· STATEMENT ON INSIDER TRADING;AND
· CODE OF ETHICS

 

APPENDIX II - INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING INITIAL REPORT OF PERSONAL SECURITIES HOLDINGS

 

APPENDIX III - ANNUAL CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE

 

MANAGED ACCOUNT LETTER

 

 

 

TRUST ACCOUNT LETTER

 

 

 

 

 

MOTLEY FOOL ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC

MOTLEY FOOL WEALTH MANAGEMENT, LLC

 

JOINT CODE OF ETHICS

 

Section I Statement of General Fiduciary Principles

 

This Joint Code of Ethics (the "Code") has been adopted by Motley Fool Asset Management, LLC, ("MFAM"), and Motley Fool Wealth Management, LLC (“MFWM”) (each an “Adviser,” and together “Advisers”)1 The purpose of the Code is to establish standards and procedures to prevent and detect activities by which persons with knowledge of the investments and investment intentions of an Adviser could abuse their fiduciary duties to clients and to deal with other types of conflicts of interest.

 

The Code is based upon the principle that the officers, managers and personnel of each Adviser owes a fiduciary duty to its respective Clients (as defined below) to conduct their personal securities transactions in a manner that does not interfere with any Client's transactions or otherwise take unfair advantage of their relationship with any other Client. All employees of the Advisers are expected to fully understand and adhere to this general principle as well as comply with all the provisions of this Code that apply to them.

 

Technical compliance with the Code will not automatically insulate any person from scrutiny of transactions that may show a pattern of compromise or abuse of the individual's fiduciary duties to Clients. Accordingly, all Supervised Persons (as defined below) must seek to identify and mitigate, and where practical avoid, any conflicts between their personal interests and the interests of Clients. In sum, all Supervised Persons shall place the interests of Clients before their own personal interests.

 

Every Supervised Person must read and retain this Code, recognize that he or she is subject to its provisions, and comply with all applicable Federal Securities Laws (as defined below). If you have any questions about this Code, you should discuss them with the Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) or his designee, or General Counsel.

 

Although the Code is intended to provide every Supervised Person with guidance and certainty as to whether certain actions or practices are permissible, it does not cover every potential conflict you may face. In this regard, the Advisers also maintain other compliance policies and procedures that may apply to a Supervised Person’s specific responsibilities and duties (including, among others, the Code of Foolish Conduct, Policies and Procedures to Prevent and Detect Misuse of Material Non-Public Information, and Trade Error Procedures). These other policies and procedures are available to all Supervised Persons on the network shared drive or Intranet. In the event that any provisions of this Code conflict with any other policy or procedure, the provisions of this Code shall control. The Advisers shall use reasonable diligence and institute procedures reasonably necessary to prevent violations of this Code.

 

 

1 Each Adviser has adopted the Code in compliance with Rule 204A-1 ("Rule 204A-1") under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the "Advisers Act").
  1  

 

Section II Covered Persons

 

Subject to their general duty to place Clients’ interests before their own personal interest, individuals may have different obligations under this Code, depending upon their respective roles and access to sensitive information.

 

Personnel of the Advisers fall into two categories, each with its own set of responsibilities:

 

(A) "Supervised Persons”2 are

 

(1) Officers, managers (or other persons occupying a similar status or performing similar functions) and employees (a) of an Adviser, or (b) of a company in a control relationship to an Adviser who regularly perform services for an Adviser; and

 

(2) any other person who is subject to an Adviser's supervision and control.

 

(B) “Access Persons"3 are

 

(1) Supervised Persons

 

(i) who have access to nonpublic information regarding any Client's purchase or sale of Securities (including, among other things, the writing of an option to purchase or sell a Security) or nonpublic information regarding the portfolio holdings of any Reportable Fund (as defined below), Model Portfolio (as defined below) or Client account; or

 

(ii) who are involved in making Securities recommendations, or have access to such recommendations, that are nonpublic; or

 

(iii) who in connection with their regular functions or duties make, participate in, or obtain information regarding an open or intended order for the purchase or sale of any Security on behalf of a Client, or whose functions relate to the making of any recommendations with respect to such purchases or sales.

 

(C) The CCO, in consultation with General Counsel, shall maintain lists of individuals whose duties make them Supervised Persons and Access Persons and shall periodically inform them of their respective applicable statuses. The CCO or General Counsel shall promptly notify an individual upon any change in that person’s status. In addition, all Supervised Persons have an obligation to provide notice to the CCO on a timely basis if there is a change to their duties, responsibilities or title that they believe may affect their reporting status under this Code.

 

 

2 The specific obligations of Supervised Persons are described in Section IV
3 The specific obligations of Access Persons are described in Section V(A) (subject to the exceptions of V(C)), VI, and VII.
  2  

 

(D) Notwithstanding the foregoing, personnel of an Adviser, or any of their affiliates shall not be considered to be Access Persons by virtue of receiving information about their respective personal portfolios, or recommendations regarding Securities, as part of an ordinary relationship with an Adviser as a Client.

 

Section III Definitions.

 

(A) "Automatic Investment Plan" means a program in which periodic purchases (or withdrawals) are made automatically in (or from) investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation.4

 

(B) "Beneficial Ownership" has the meaning set forth in paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 16a-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act") and for purposes of this Code shall be deemed to include, without limitation, any interest by which an Access Person or any member of his or her immediate family (i.e., a person who is related by blood or marriage to, and who is living in the same household as, the Access Person) can directly or indirectly derive a monetary or other economic benefit from the purchase, sale (or other acquisition or disposition) or ownership of a Security, including (among other things) any such interest that arises as a result of:

 

(1) a general partnership interest in a general or limited partnership, or a manager/member interest in a limited liability company;

 

(2) an interest as a member of an “investment club” or an organization that is formed for the purpose of investing a pool of monies in Securities;

 

(3) a right to dividends that is separated or separable from the underlying Security;

 

(4) a right to acquire equity Securities through the exercise or conversion of any derivative Security (whether or not presently exercisable); and

 

(5) a performance related advisory fee (other than an asset based fee).5

 

You do not have Beneficial Ownership of Securities held by a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, or other entity in which you hold an equity interest unless you control (as defined below) the entity or you have or share investment control over the Securities held by the entity.

 

(C) "Chief Compliance Officer" (“CCO”), means the chief compliance officer of the Advisers or his designee or the General Counsel of each applicable Adviser.

 

 

4 A dividend reinvestment plan ("DRIP") is considered to be an Automatic Investment Plan to the extent that transactions are made automatically in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation.

 

5 Beneficial Ownership will not be deemed to exist solely as a result of any indirect interest a person may have in the investment performance of an account managed by such person, or over which such person has supervisory responsibility, which arises from such person’s compensation arrangement with the Adviser or any affiliate of the Adviser under which the performance of the account, or the profits derived from its management, is a factor in the determination of such person’s compensation.
  3  

 

(D) "Client" means any person for whom or which an Adviser serves as an "investment adviser" within the meaning of Section 202(a)(11) of the Advisers Act.

 

(E) "Control" means the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a company, unless such power is solely the result of an official position with such company, within the meaning of Section 2(a)(9) of the 1940 Act.

 

(F) "Covered Security" means any Security (as defined below) other than:

 

(1) a direct obligation of the Government of the United States;

 

(2) a banker’s acceptance, bank certificate of deposit, commercial paper, and high quality short-term debt instruments, including a repurchase agreement;

 

(3) shares issued by money market funds; or

 

(4) shares of open-end investment companies (other than exchange-traded funds ("ETFs") or Reportable Funds, as defined below) registered under the 1940 Act.

 

(G) “Discretionary Account” means an account over which the Access Person does not directly or indirectly exercise any influence or control. For example, a Discretionary Account may include a trust account over which a trustee has management authority, or a separately managed account over which a third-party investment manager has discretionary investment authority. Generally, in order for these types of accounts to qualify as Discretionary Accounts, the Access Person should not direct or suggest purchases or sales of any investments, or consult with the trustee or third-party investment manager (on an ongoing basis beyond the initial account set-up) as to the particular allocation of investments.6

 

(H) "Federal Securities Laws" means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), the 1934 Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“1940 Act”), the Advisers Act, Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, any rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") under any of these statutes, the Bank Secrecy Act as it applies to investment advisers, and any rules adopted thereunder by the SEC or the Department of the Treasury.

 

(I) "Fund" means an investment company registered under the 1940 Act.

 

(J) "Initial Public Offering" means an offering of securities registered under the 1933 Act the issuer of which, immediately before the registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the 1934 Act.

 

(K) "Limited Offering" means an offering of Securities that is exempt from registration under the 1933 Act pursuant to Section 4(2) or Section 4(6) thereof or Rule 504, Rule 505, or Rule 506 thereunder. For the avoidance of doubt, “Limited Offering” may include, but is not limited to, hedge fund, private equity fund and other similar investment fund offerings.

 

 

6 An Access Person will not be deemed to exercise direct or indirect influence or control over a Discretionary Account because: (i) the Access Person engages in discussions in which a trustee or investment managers summarizes, describes or explains account activity to the Access Person; or (ii) the Access Person may place certain securities on (or remove them from) a restricted list.
  4  

 

(L) “Model Portfolio” means model portfolios maintained and used by MFWM to create separately managed accounts for its Clients.

 

(M) “Personal Account” means any account owned by, or in the name of, an Access Person in which Covered Securities may be held or any such account in which an Access Person has a Beneficial Interest in Covered Securities.

 

(N) "Reportable Fund" means: (1) any Fund for which MFAM serves as an investment adviser or sub-adviser; or (2) any Fund whose investment adviser controls an Adviser, is controlled by an Adviser, or is under control with an Adviser.

 

(O) "Security" includes all stock, debt obligations and other securities and similar instruments of whatever kind (whether publicly or privately traded), including any warrant or option to acquire or sell a security, listed American Depositary Receipts (e.g., ADRs), and Reportable Funds. References to a Security in this Code (e.g., a prohibition or requirement applicable to the purchase or sale of a Security) shall be deemed to refer to and to include any warrant for, option in, or Security immediately convertible into that Security, and shall also include any instrument (whether or not such instrument itself is a Security) which has an investment return or value that is based, in whole or part, on that Security or index of Securities (collectively, "Derivatives"). Therefore, except as otherwise specifically provided by this Code: (1) any prohibition or requirement of this Code applicable to the purchase or sale of a Security shall also be applicable to the purchase or sale of a Derivative relating to that Security; and (2) any prohibition or requirement of this Code applicable to the purchase or sale of a Derivative shall also be applicable to the purchase or sale of a Security relating to that Derivative. For the avoidance of doubt and pending SEC guidance to the contrary, cryptocurrencies are not deemed “securities” 7 for purposes of this Code; provided, however, that regular trading in cryptocurrencies for speculative purposes is subject to the reporting requirements found in Section VIII(B) (Outside Business Activities).8

 

(P) A Security is "being considered for purchase or sale" when a recommendation to purchase or sell that Security has been made or communicated and, with respect to the person making the recommendation, when such person seriously considers making such a recommendation.

 

Any questions regarding the application of these terms should be referred to, and addressed by, the CCO or compliance staff.

 

 

7 On July 25, 2017, the SEC provided initial guidance on its views regarding whether tokens issued in “Initial Coin Offerings” (ICO’s) are “securities” under Section 2(a)(1) of the Securities Act of 1933 (and the nearly identical definition under Section 3(a)(10) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934). The SEC determined that tokens sold in ICOs may qualify as securities under certain conditions. A detailed discussion of the SEC’s legal analysis is beyond the scope of this Code, but can be found at https://www.sec.gov/litigation/investreport/34-81207.pdf.

 

8 If you have any questions regarding whether your transactions in cryptocurrencies constitutes “regular trading for speculative purposes” that is reportable under Section VIII(B) of this Code, you should discuss them with the CCO or his designee, or a member of the Legal team.
  5  

 

Section IV Objective and General Prohibitions for Supervised Persons

 

(A) Although certain provisions of this Code apply only to Access Persons, all Supervised Persons must conduct their personal activities in accordance with the standards set forth in Sections I, IV and VIII of this Code.

 

i. A Supervised Person may not engage in any investment transaction under circumstances where the Supervised Person benefits from or interferes with the purchase or sale of investments made on behalf of a Client.

 

ii. Supervised Persons may not use information concerning the investments or investment intentions of an Adviser, or their ability to influence such investment intentions, for personal gain or in a manner detrimental to the interests of a Client.

 

iii. Disclosure by a Supervised Person of such information to any person outside of the course or scope of the responsibilities of the Supervised Person to a Client, or an Adviser will be deemed to be a violation of this prohibition.

 

(B) Supervised Persons may not engage in conduct that is deceitful, fraudulent, or manipulative, or that involves false or misleading statements, in connection with the purchase or sale of investments by or for a Client. In this regard, Supervised Persons should recognize that applicable law generally provides that it is unlawful for an Adviser or any Supervised Person in connection with the purchase or sale of a Security held or to be acquired by a Client to:

 

(i) employ any device, scheme, or artifice to defraud a Client;

 

(ii) make any untrue statement of a material fact to a Client or omit to state to a Client a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading;

 

(iii) engage in any act, practice, or course of business which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon a Client; or

 

(iv) engage in any manipulative practice with respect to a Client.

 

(C) Employees of the Advisers should also recognize that violating this Code (or the underlying applicable law) may result in: (1) sanctions as provided by Section X below; or (2) administrative, civil, and, in certain cases, criminal fines, sanctions, or penalties.

 

Section V Prohibited Transactions and Pre-Clearance for Access Persons9

 

(A) Unless one of the exceptions set out in Section V(C) below applies, Access Persons must pre- clear all transactions that would result in them acquiring or selling a direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership in a:

 

 

9 The prohibitions of this Section V apply to Covered Securities acquired or disposed of in any type of transaction, including but not limited to non-brokered transactions, such as purchases and sales of privately placed Covered Securities and Covered Securities acquired directly from an issuer, except to the extent that one of the exceptions from the prohibitions set forth in Section V(C) is applicable.
  6  

 

a. Covered Security;

 

b. Initial Public Offering;

 

c. Limited Offering/Private Placement

 

(B) Access Persons must report to the Advisers any transaction precleared (or required to be pre- cleared) according to the rules laid out in Section VI.

 

(C) Exceptions:

 

The prohibitions of this Section V do not apply to:

 

(1) Purchases that are made via an Automatic Investment Plan (however, this exception does not apply to optional cash purchases pursuant to a DRIP);

 

(2) Purchases of rights issued by an issuer pro rata to all holders of a class of its Covered Securities (if such rights are acquired from such issuer), and the exercise of such rights;

 

(3) Involuntary (i.e., non-volitional) purchases, sales, and transfers of Covered Securities; and

 

(4) Transactions in the Motley Fool Holdings, Inc. stock.

 

Section VI Pre-clearance Procedures

 

(A) Obtaining Pre-Clearance.

 

All Access Persons seeking pre-clearance of a personal transaction in a Covered Security required to be approved pursuant to Section V above must obtain such pre-clearance from the Chief Compliance Officer or a person who has been authorized by the Chief Compliance Officer to pre-clear transactions (each a "Clearing Officer"). A Clearing Officer seeking pre-clearance with respect to his or her own transaction shall obtain such pre- clearance from another Clearing Officer (or, if that person is not available, from the Chief Compliance Officer or General Counsel).

 

(i) Requests for pre-clearance must be submitted to the Clearing Officer or his or her designee.

 

(ii) Upon receipt of the request for pre-clearance, the Clearing Officer or his designee will determine if:

 

a. An Adviser has any open orders for a Covered Security;

 

b. MFWM has changed the allocation of a Covered Security in a model portfolio and has not yet received notice that the transactions necessary to implement that change have been executed; or
  7  

 

c. the Covered Security is on the Restricted List maintained by the Legal Department on behalf of an Adviser.

 

If any of the preceding criteria applies, the Access Person will be denied clearance to trade in that Covered Security and must resubmit the request at a later date unless the Chief Compliance Officer determines otherwise.

 

(B) Time of Clearance.

 

(1) An Access Person may pre-clear trades only where such person has a present intention to affect a transaction in the Security for which pre-clearance is sought.

 

(a) It is not appropriate for an Access Person to obtain a general or open- ended pre-clearance to cover the eventuality that he or she may buy or sell a Security at some future time depending upon market developments.

 

(b) Consistent with the foregoing, an Access Person may not simultaneously request pre-clearance to buy and sell the same Security.

 

(2) Pre-clearance of a trade shall be valid and in effect through the close of business the day following the day upon which pre-clearance was granted (if the security is thinly traded, pre-clearance is good for seven days);

 

(a) Notwithstanding the foregoing, a pre-clearance expires upon the person becoming aware of facts or circumstances that would prevent a proposed trade from being pre-cleared. Accordingly, if an Access Person becomes aware of new or changed facts or circumstances that give rise to a question as to whether pre-clearance could be obtained if a Clearing Officer was aware of such facts or circumstances, the person shall be required to so advise a Clearing Officer (and receive new pre-clearance) before proceeding with such transaction.

 

(b) The Chief Compliance Officer or Compliance staff has discretion to either extend or reduce the time period that pre-clearance is valid, and the Chief Compliance Officer or Compliance staff will document any exception to the pre-clearance period, including (among other things) a description of the relevant facts and circumstances for any exception

 

(C) Form.

 

Pre-clearance must be obtained by (i) completing the form prescribed by the Advisers for Pre-clearance for Personal Securities Transactions, which form shall set forth the details of the proposed transaction, and (ii) obtaining the written approval (including by email) of a Clearing Officer.

  8  

 

(D) Filing.

 

Copies of all completed pre-clearance forms shall be retained electronically or in such other location that the Chief Compliance Officer, or Compliance staff shall designate.

 

(E) Factors Considered in Pre-Clearance of Personal Transactions.

 

A Clearing Officer may refuse to grant pre-clearance of a personal transaction in his or her sole discretion without being required to specify any reason for the refusal. Generally, a Clearing Officer will consider the following factors in determining whether or not to pre- clear a proposed transaction:

 

(1) Whether the amount or nature of the transaction, or the identity of the person making it, is likely to affect the price or market for the Covered Security;

 

(2) Whether the person making the proposed purchase or sale is likely to benefit from purchases or sales being made or being considered on behalf of a Client;

 

(3) Whether the transaction is likely to adversely affect a Client; and

 

(4) Whether the transaction may otherwise create an appearance of impropriety.

 

(F) Monitoring of Personal Transactions After Pre-Clearance.

 

The Chief Compliance Officer or Compliance Staff shall periodically monitor each Access Person's transactions to ascertain whether pre-cleared transactions have been executed within the time period for pre-clearance and whether such transactions were executed in the specified amounts.

 

(G) Requirements for All Personal Accounts

 

Generally, an Access Person may maintain a Personal Account with the financial firm of his or her choice, provided the firm is able to provide copies of the Access Person’s account statements to the Chief Compliance Officer or Compliance Staff and such statements are being provided. However, the Chief Compliance Officer (in consultation with the General Counsel) may require any Access Person to maintain Personal Accounts with specified firms or prohibit any Access Person from maintaining a Personal Account with a specified firm.

 

(H) Alternative Mechanisms

 

The Chief Compliance Officer or Compliance Staff may establish alternative mechanisms for the pre-clearance set out in this Section VI.

 

Section VII Certifications and Reports by Access Persons10

 

(A) Initial Certifications and Initial Holdings Reports.

 

Within ten (10) days after a person becomes an Access Person, except as provided in Section VII (D), such person shall complete and submit to the Chief Compliance Officer or Compliance Staff an Initial Certification and Holdings Report. The information contained therein must be current as of a date no more than 45 days prior to the date the person becomes an Access Person.

 

 

10 The reporting requirements of this Section VII apply to Covered Securities acquired or disposed of in all types of transactions, including but not limited to non-brokered transactions, such as purchases and sales of privately placed Covered Securities and Covered Securities acquired directly from an issuer, and short sales of Covered Securities, except to the extent that one of the exceptions from the reporting requirements applies.
  9  

 

(B) Quarterly Transaction Reports.

 

(1) Within thirty (30) days after the end of each calendar quarter, each Access Person shall make a written report to the Chief Compliance Officer or Compliance Staff of all transactions in Covered Securities occurring in the quarter in which he or she had any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership. Such report is hereinafter called a "Quarterly Transaction Report."

 

(2) Except as provided in Section VII (D), a Quarterly Transaction Report shall be on the form prescribed by the Advisers and must contain the following information with respect to each reportable transaction:

 

(i) Date and nature of the transaction (purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition);

 

(ii) Title (and as applicable, the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number), number of shares or principal amount of each Covered Security and the price at which the transaction was effected;

 

(iii) Name of the broker, dealer, or bank with or through whom the transaction was effected;

 

(iv) Date that the Access Person submitted the Quarterly Transaction Report; and

 

(v) A confirmation from the brokerage firm showing the transaction was completed.

 

(3) A Quarterly Transaction Report may contain a statement that the report is not to be construed as an admission that the person making it has or had any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership of any Security to which the report relates.

 

(C) Annual Certifications and Annual Holdings Reports.

 

Annually, by January 30 of each year, except as provided in Section VII (D), each Access Person shall complete and submit to the Chief Compliance Officer or Compliance Staff an Annual Certification and Holdings Report on the form prescribed by the Advisers. The information contained therein must be current as of a date no more than 45 days before the Annual Certification and Holding Report is submitted.

 

(D) Exceptions from Reporting Requirements.

 

(1) An Access Person need not submit an Initial Holdings Report, a Quarterly Transaction Report or an Annual Holdings Report with respect to any Covered Securities held in an account over which the Access Person does not have, directly or indirectly, Beneficial Ownership.
  10  

 

(2) An Access Person need not report Covered Securities held in Discretionary Accounts. However, the Chief Compliance Officer or Compliance staff may request a signed statement from the third-party trustee or manager certifying that he/she had full discretion for the Discretionary Account. In addition, the Chief Compliance Officer or Compliance Staff may periodically request that an Access Person provide transaction or holding reports. An Access Person relying on this exception must provide the Chief Compliance Officer or Compliance Staff with a certification annually.

 

(3) An Access Person need not submit a Quarterly Transaction Report with respect to any transaction effected pursuant to an Automatic Investment Plan.

 

(4) Statements.

 

(a) In lieu of submitting a Quarterly Transaction Report, an Access Person may arrange for the Chief Compliance Officer or Compliance Staff to be sent duplicate statements for all Personal Accounts through which transactions in Covered Securities in which the Access Person has any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership are effected, so long as the Chief Compliance Officer or Compliance Staff receives the account statements no later than thirty (30) days after the end of the calendar quarter.

 

(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Access Person must submit a Quarterly Transaction Report for any quarter during which the Access Person has acquired or disposed of direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership of any Covered Security if such transaction was not in a Personal Account for which duplicate statements are being sent.

 

(c) Access Persons who provide duplicate statements to the Chief Compliance Officer or Compliance staff for their Personal Accounts will be deemed to satisfy the requirement to submit a Quarterly Transaction Report if such statements reflect all transactions in Covered Securities required to be reported by them hereunder. The Chief Compliance Officer or Compliance Staff will review these statements to ascertain compliance with this Code.

 

(E) Any Access Person relying on this Section VI(D)(6) shall be required to certify as to the identity of all Personal Accounts through which Covered Securities in which they have direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership are purchased, sold and held. In addition, it is the responsibility of the Access Person to confirm that all duplicate statements have been delivered to the Chief Compliance Officer or Compliance Staff in a timely manner.

 

(F) The Chief Compliance Officer or Compliance Staff may establish alternative mechanisms for the reporting set out in this Section VII.

 

(G) Each Access Person must take the initiative to comply with the requirements of this Section VII. Any effort by an Adviser, to facilitate the reporting process does not change or alter that responsibility.
  11  

 

Section VIII Additional Prohibitions

 

(A) Confidentiality of Client Transactions.

 

1. Until disclosed in a public communication to shareholders, to the SEC, or otherwise in accordance with any policies regarding the selective disclosure of portfolio holdings, all information concerning the Securities held by or being considered for purchase or sale by a Reportable Fund shall be kept confidential by all Supervised Persons.

 

2. All information concerning the Securities held by or being considered for purchase or sale for the Model Portfolios or any Client shall be kept confidential by all Supervised Persons, or, with respect to the Model Portfolios, until publicly disclosed.11

 

3. In addition to portfolio information, all non-public personal information about Clients and potential clients shall be kept confidential in accordance with each Adviser’s Privacy Policy. For the avoidance of doubt, “Client” includes all employees of the Advisers or their affiliates that are clients of MFWM or shareholders of a Reportable Fund.

 

(B) Outside Business Activities, Relationships and Directorships.

 

Supervised Persons may not engage in any outside business activities or maintain a business relationship with any person or company that may give rise to conflicts of interest or jeopardize the integrity or reputation of the Advisers or any Client.12 Similarly, no such outside business activities or relationships may be inconsistent with the interests of the Advisers or any Client. Supervised Persons must submit a request pre-clearance of any outside business activity. Supervised Persons are not permitted to: (a) engage in any other financial services business for profit; (b) be employed or compensated by any other business for work performed; (c) have a significant equity interest (e.g. >5%) in any other financial services business or; (d) serve as a director or officer of any public or private company, including investment committee of any organization without prior approval of the President. The President will review the activity in consultation with the CCO and General Counsel, if necessary. Supervised Persons must pre-clear all outside business activity by completing the Conflicts Questionnaire. Supervised Persons will be required to certify their outside business activity annually and are required to update the information contained in the Conflicts Questionnaire, should the information contained therein be materially inaccurate.

 

(C) Gratuities.

 

Supervised Persons are prohibited from accepting cash; and shall not, directly or indirectly, take, accept, receive or give gifts or other consideration in merchandise, services or otherwise valued in excess of $100, except: (1) customary business gratuities such as meals, refreshments, beverages and entertainment that are associated with a legitimate business purpose, reasonable in cost, appropriate as to time and place, where the giver or a representative is present, do not influence or give the appearance of influencing the recipient and cannot reasonably be viewed as a bribe, kickback or payoff; and (2) business-related gifts of nominal value.

 

 

11 Of course, nothing in this Joint Code of Ethics shall prevent an Adviser or any Supervised Persons from disclosing a Client’s holdings to that Client in the ordinary course of business and discussing with the Adviser personnel as part of the Adviser’s business.

 

12 Regularly trading in cryptocurrencies for speculative purposes constitutes a reportable outside business activity for purposes of this Section VIII(B).
  12  

 

(D) Relationship with The Motley Fool

 

The Advisers’ relationships with The Motley Fool, LLC and other affiliates engaged in publishing information or analysis about securities ("The Motley Fool"), pose challenges in our industry. To protect the reality and appearance of integrity, neither a Supervised Person nor an Adviser may:

 

1. Seek information about securities or investments from The Motley Fool that has not been made publicly available ("Fool Information");

 

2. Use or pass on Fool Information for the benefit of an Adviser, its Clients, its Access Persons, or its investors;

 

3. Seek to influence The Motley Fool, its employees, agents, affiliates, contractors, directors, or stockholders (“Fool Persons”) to publish information or analysis for the purpose of influencing the market for any security;

 

4. Disclose any material nonpublic information of the Advisers, or their Clients, especially including Client holdings or Securities being considered for purchase or sale, to The Motley Fool, except as part of a public disclosure authorized by the President, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, or Compliance staff (e.g., as part of a public disclosure of mutual fund holdings); but

 

5. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Adviser and its employees may disclose Client information to Fool Persons for the purpose of having them perform services on an Adviser's behalf. In addition, nothing in this Code shall prevent an Adviser, its employees, or its agents from disclosing to a Client who is a Fool Person any of such Client’s portfolio information.

 

For further guidance regarding actions or practices that are permissible and prohibited, please see The Motley Fool Holdings Code of Foolish Conduct.

 

Section IX Certification by Access Persons

 

The certifications of each Access Person required pursuant to Section VII shall include certifications that the Access Person has read and understands this Code and recognizes that he or she is subject to it. Access Persons shall also be required to certify in their annual certifications that they have complied with the requirements of this Code.

 

Supervised Persons who are not Access Persons shall be provided with a copy of the Code (and any amendments) and shall provide the Adviser with a written acknowledgment of the receipt of the Code and any amendment.

 

Section X Sanctions

 

Any violation of this Code shall be subject to such sanctions by an Adviser as may be deemed appropriate under the circumstances to achieve the purposes of Rule 204A-1 and this Code. Sanctions may include, but are not limited to, suspension or termination of employment, a letter of censure, disgorgement of any profits stemming from any violation, and/or restitution of an amount equal to the difference between the price paid or received by a Client and the more advantageous price paid or received by the offending person.

  13  

 

Section XI Reporting of Violations

 

Every Supervised Person must immediately report any violation of this Code to the Chief Compliance Officer or, in the Chief Compliance Officer's absence, the General Counsel of the applicable Adviser. All reports will be treated confidentially and investigated promptly and appropriately. The Adviser will not retaliate against any Supervised Person who reports a violation of this Code in good faith and any retaliation constitutes a further violation of this Code. For additional information regarding the Advisers’ “whistleblower” protections, please see The Motley Fool Holdings Code of Foolish Conduct. The Chief Compliance Officer will keep records of any violation of this Code, and of any action taken as a result of the violation.

 

Section XII Administration and Construction

 

(A) The Chief Compliance Officer or Compliance staff shall be responsible for the administration of this Code.

 

(B) The duties of the Chief Compliance Officer or Compliance staff are as follows:

 

(1) Continuous maintenance of current lists of the names of all Supervised Persons and Access Persons with an appropriate description of their title or employment, including a notation of any directorships held by Access Persons who are partners, members, officers, or employees of an Adviser or of any company that controls the Adviser, and the date each such person became an Access Person;

 

(2) On an annual basis, providing each Supervised Person of an Adviser with a copy of this Code and informing such persons of their duties and obligations hereunder;

 

(3) Obtaining the certifications and reports required to be submitted by Access Persons under this Code and reviewing the reports submitted by Access Persons;

 

(4) Maintaining or supervising the maintenance of all records and reports required by this Code;

 

(5) Preparing listings of all securities transactions reported by Access Persons and reviewing such transactions against a listing of transactions effected by the Adviser on behalf of Clients;

 

(6) Issuance, either personally or with the assistance of counsel as may be appropriate, of any interpretation of this Code which may appear consistent with the objectives of Rule 204A-1 and this Code; and

 

(7) Conduct inspections or investigations as shall reasonably be required to detect and report, with recommendations, any apparent violations of this Code to the applicable Adviser; and
  14  

 

(8) Report a material violation of this Code as part of the Quarterly Compliance Report.

 

(C) The Chief Compliance Officer or Compliance Staff shall maintain and cause to be maintained in an easily accessible place, the following records:

 

(1) A copy of this Code and any other codes of ethics adopted pursuant to Rule 204A-1 by the Advisers for a period of five (5) years;

 

(2) A record of each violation of this Code and any other code specified in (C)(1) above, and of any action taken as a result of such violation for a period of not less than five (5) years following the end of the fiscal year of the Adviser, as applicable, in which the violation occurred;

 

(3) A copy of each report made pursuant to this Code and any other code specified in XII(C)(1) above, by an Access Person or the Chief Compliance Officer or Compliance Staff, for a period of not less than five (5) years from the end of the fiscal year of the Adviser in which such report or interpretation was made or issued, the most recent two (2) years of which shall be kept in a place that is easily accessible;

 

(4) A list of all persons, currently or within the past five (5) years, who are or were required to make reports pursuant to Rule 17j-1, Rule 204A-1 and this Code or any other code specified in (C)(1) above, or who are or were responsible for reviewing such reports; and

 

(5) A record of any decision, and the reasons supporting the decision, to approve any investment in an Initial Public Offering or a Limited Offering by Access Persons or to make a permitted exception to any provision of this Code, for at least five (5) years after the end of the fiscal year in which such approval was granted.

 

 

 

This MFAM and Motley Fool Funds Trust Code was adopted on March 25, 2009.

 

This Code, as amended, was approved by the Board of Trustees of the Trust at a meeting held on January 30, 2012; September 15, 2015 (Joint Code with MFWM); December 7, 2016 (Joint Code). On December 23, 2016, the Trust ceased to exist, and the Funds became part of the RBB Funds, Inc, a series trust. September 2017 (remove Trust), December 2017 (crypto).

 

This Code, as amended, was approved by MFAM on January 30, 2012, September 15, 2015 (Joint Code with MFWM), October 15, 2016 (Joint Code); September 2017 (remove Trust), December 2017 (crypto).

 

The MFWM Code was adopted July 2014

 

This Code, as amended, was approved by MFWM on December 2014, September 15, 2016 (Joint Code with MFAM and Trust), October 15, 2016 (Joint Code); September 2017 (remove Trust), December 2017 (crypto).

  15  

Business Conduct Business Owner: Chief Compliance Officer
Date Approved by M.C.: August 4, 2016
Effective Date: January 1, 2017
Reviewed and Updated: March 8, 2018

 

 

 

As a discretionary portfolio manager and investment fund manager in Canada and an investment adviser in the U.S., Mawer and its Registrants are bound by a fiduciary duty to its clients and investment fund unitholders which is one of its most important professional obligations. This duty is shared by all Mawer directors, officers, employees and contractors ("employees/contractors").

 

Mawer will put its clients' interests first by dealing fairly, honestly, and in good faith with clients and ensure that decisions and business activity are conducted in the best interests of each client and the investment funds we manage. This policy sets forth the framework by which our employees/contractors will support Mawer in upholding its fiduciary duty.

 

Mawer and its employees/contractors will adhere to the law and all applicable regulations in conducting our business, and in managing the reputation of Mawer in our community and industry. All employees/contractors and the firm must adhere to the CFA Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct. Mawer adheres to the CFA Institute Asset Manager Code of Professional Conduct.

 

Conflicts of Interest

 

All employees/contractors are required to avoid activities, interests, or associations which might interfere or appear to interfere with their independent exercise of judgment in the best interest of clients, Mawer, and the public, or that may harm the reputation of Mawer.

 

A conflict of interest can be described as any situation where an employee/contractor:

 

· Is given special consideration by a company, mutual fund company, money manager, other issuer or market participant, whether monetary or otherwise, in consideration for a decision or action by the employee/contractor or by Mawer
· Refers a client to a company for services in which the employee/contractor has an ownership, revenue or commission interest - and the employee/contractor may receive benefits, monetary or otherwise, for the referral

 

Should a conflict of interest or a potential conflict arise, employees/contractors are required to disclose such conflict or potential conflict to their Manager/People Leader and to Compliance within 24 hours. The People Leader must then address the conflict or potential conflict in a manner that:

 

· Is influenced only by the best interests of the client
· Demonstrates responsible business judgment
· If any client is impacted, immediately discloses the conflict in writing to the client prior to any relevant action/transaction taking place

 

Policies for managing conflicts of interest relating to the Mawer Mutual Funds as required under NI 81-107 are contained in a separate manual (IRC Conflict of Interest Manual).

 

Personal Financial Dealings with Clients

 

Employees/Contractors are prohibited from:

· Borrowing from any client for any reason
· Lending or extending credit to any client for any reason
· Engaging in any private investment schemes including:
o Investment clubs where employees/contractors and clients invest together
o Arrangements where clients invest into investments that are directly or indirectly managed or controlled by the employees/contractors
o Co-investment by clients and employees/contractors in pyramid-like schemes
· Providing or accepting substantial monetary or non-monetary benefits such as gifts or charitable donations
· Resolving any client compliant by entering into any settlement agreement with a client without prior disclosure to Compliance and prior written consent of Management Committee
1     

 

 

Gifts and Entertainment

 

It is generally acceptable to offer or accept reasonable invitations to meals, social or entertainment events, as long as they are a normal part of client or vendor relations and do not affect the employee/contractors' independence or objectivity in the performance of their professional duties. Employees/Contractors, and members of their immediate families, are not permitted to directly or indirectly accept or receive bonuses, fees, commissions, gifts, excessive entertainment, or any other similar form of consideration, from any person, business, or association which Mawer does, or seeks to do, business with, other than within the guidelines set out below:

 

· Not permitted to give gifts, gratuities or provide entertainment other than those of nominal value of less than $250.00, without the written approval of the employee/contractor's People Leader and disclosure to Compliance

· Not permitted to receive gifts, gratuities or entertainment other than those of nominal value of less than $250.00, without the written approval from the employee/contractors' People Leader and disclosure to Compliance
· Giving or receiving cash is never an acceptable as a gift or gratuity

 

Employees/contractors will make reasonable effort to obtain prior written approval. In circumstances when prior approval is not possible, disclosure will be made to their People Leader and Compliance on a timely basis after the event.

 

Powers of Attorney

 

Mawer and its employees/contractors are prohibited from accepting or acting upon a Power of Attorney (POA), executor or similar authorization (the authorization) providing Mawer or the employee/contractor any authority on behalf of a client of Mawer. A limited exception from this general prohibition permits employee/contractors to accept or act upon a POA or executorship from immediate family members (spouse, sibling, parent or child) subject to the following conditions:

 

· If the employee/contractor is a registrant, the client account must be assigned to and serviced by a registrant other than the employee/contractor named in the authorization.
o Accounts under POA must be flagged and all trades executed pursuant the authorization must be reviewed by Compliance.
o The Registrant responsible for the account must retain a copy of the POA and review all its terms and limitations to ensure that they are adhered to with respect to any activity undertaken pursuant to the authorization.

 

Outside Business Activity

 

Employees/contractors are required to disclose their outside business activities to their People Leader. Registrants must not conduct any outside business activity without the pre-approval of their people leader and prior disclosure to Compliance. An "outside business activity" is a very broad scope of activities which may include anything from activities such as volunteering, other employment, real estate rentals, holding companies, directorships, personal business interests, operating companies, or a position (paid or unpaid) that places an employee/contractor in a leadership or influential role such as coaching a sports team or leadership involvement in a religious organization. All such activity, whether paid or not, must be disclosed to the Registrant's People Leader and Compliance. A determination will be made whether the activity raises any potential conflicts of interests and whether it may be continued, what measures if any should be taken to manage any conflicts of interest arising from it, and whether the activity must be reported and disclosed to securities regulatory authorities through the National Registration Database.

 

Directors, Shareholders and Officers of Mawer are prohibited from serving as officers or directors of any company in which Mawer holds or proposes to hold investments on the part of the funds. In the event of a new position in a Fund, the Director, Shareholder or Officer will resign their post with the purchased company within 60 days and will not participate in the Company voting that may affect the interest of the Fund.

 

U.S. Pay to Play Rule

 

"Pay-to-play" refers to situations in which money or any other item of value is exchanged for the privilege of doing business or of being considered for business. The U.S. Investment Advisers Act generally prohibits:

2     

 

 

· Providing advisory services for compensation to a U.S. government entity for a two-year period after Mawer makes a political contribution to certain U.S. elected officials or candidates
· Providing or agreeing to provide, directly or indirectly, payment to any person for the solicitation of U.S. government advisory business, with certain exceptions
· Soliciting from others, or coordinating contributions to certain U.S. elected officials or candidates or payments to certain U.S. political parties, where Mawer is providing, or seeking to provide, advisory services to a U.S. government entity

 

Legal Actions

 

If any employee/contractor becomes aware of a client or vendor/service provider threatening legal action against Mawer or the employee/contractor they must immediately notify General Counsel. The employee/contractor will not communicate with/respond to any external parties or legal counsel regarding a lawsuit or potential lawsuit against Mawer.

 

Registrants are required to disclose any personal legal actions against them to their People Leader and Chief Compliance Officer which may trigger further regulatory disclosure in accordance with applicable securities regulations. All employees/contractors are required to report to their People Leader and the Chief Compliance Officer any personal criminal or civil legal matters that may impact Mawer or Mawer clients.

 

Annual Acknowledgment

 

Every employee/contractor is required to provide a signed annual acknowledgment to Compliance. This acknowledgment includes certification of their compliance with, or disclosure of any non-compliance with the Personal Trading Policy, the Business Conduct Policy, and any other policies in the Mawer Policy Manual.

 

 

Relevant Laws, Regulations or Rules:

 

· CFA Asset Manager Code of Professional Conduct, 2010, http://www.cfapubs.org/doi/pdf/10.2469/ccb.v2009.n8.1
· CFA Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct (2014)
· http://www.cfapubs.org/toc/ccb/2014/2014/6
· NI 31-103, Part 13, Division 2.
· NI 31-103CP, Part 13, Division 2.

· Rule 206(4)-5 under the Investment Advisers Act
· IRC Conflicts of Interest Manual
3