This Statement of Additional Information is meant to be read in conjunction with the prospectus for the Alpha Risk Tactical Rotation Fund, dated October 1, 2018, and is incorporated by reference in its entirety into the prospectus. Because this Statement of Additional Information is not itself a prospectus, no investment in shares of the Alpha Risk Tactical Rotation Fund should be made solely upon the information contained herein. Copies of the Alpha Risk Tactical Rotation Fund's prospectus, annual report, and/or semi-annual report may be obtained at no charge by writing or calling the Fund at the address or phone number shown above. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein have the same meanings as in the Alpha Risk Tactical Rotation Fund prospectus.
Starboard Investment Trust ("Trust") was organized on May 13, 2009, as a Delaware statutory trust and is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") as an open-end management investment company. The Alpha Risk Tactical Rotation Fund ("Fund") is a separate, diversified series of the Trust. The Fund's investment advisor is ARS Investment Management, LLC (the "Advisor").
Effective June 30, 2017, Alpha Risk Hedged Dividend Equity Fund changed its named to Alpha Risk Tactical Rotation Fund. Effective August 1, 2016, the Fund had changed its name from Cavalier Hedged Equity Fund to Alpha Risk Hedged Dividend Equity Fund.
Since August 1, 2016, the Fund's investment advisor has been ARS Investment Management, LLC. From August 20, 2015 to July 31, 2016, the Fund's investment advisor was Cavalier Investments, LLC ("Cavalier Investments"). In addition, from August 1, 2015 to August 19, 2015, the Fund's investment advisor was Compass Capital Corporation ("Compass Capital"). Prior to August 1, 2015, the Fund's investment advisor was FolioMetrix, LLC.
This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") describes the financial history, management and operation of the Fund, as well as the Fund's investment objective and policies. It should be read in conjunction with the Fund's current prospectus, dated the same date as this SAI, as supplemented from time to time (the "Prospectus").
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT POLICIES
The Prospectus describes the Fund's investment objective and principal investment strategy, as well as the principal investment risks of the Fund. All investments in securities and other financial instruments involve a risk of financial loss. No assurance can be given that the Fund's investment program will be successful. Investors should carefully review the descriptions of the Fund's investments and their risks described in the Fund's Prospectus and this SAI.
The following descriptions and policies supplement those descriptions, and also include descriptions of certain types of investments that may be made by the Fund but are not principal investment strategies of the Fund. Attached to this SAI is Appendix A, which contains descriptions of the rating symbols used by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations for securities in which the Fund may invest. Appendix B contains a copy of the Advisor's Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures.
Unless a strategy, instrument, or policy described below is specifically prohibited by the investment restrictions listed in the Fund's Prospectus, under "Investment Restrictions" in this SAI, or by applicable law, the Fund may, but will not necessarily, engage in each of the investment practices described below.
Common Stocks.
The equity portion of the Fund's portfolio will include common stocks traded on domestic securities exchanges. Prices of common stocks in which the Fund invests may fluctuate in response to many factors, including, but not limited to, the activities of the individual companies whose securities the Fund owns, general market and economic conditions, interest rates, and specific industry changes. Such price fluctuations subject the Fund to potential losses. In addition, regardless of any one company's particular prospects, a declining stock market may produce a decline in prices for all common stocks, which could also result in losses for the Fund. Market declines may continue for an indefinite period of time, and investors should understand that during temporary or extended bear markets, the value of common stocks will decline.
Derivative Instruments.
W
hen the Fund, or
other investment companies in which the Fund invests,
enter into short sales, options, futures, and other forms of financial derivatives specifically described below, the investments
involve risks different from direct investments in the underlying securities
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While transactions in derivatives may reduce certain risks, these transactions themselves entail certain other risks. Unanticipated changes in interest rates, securities prices, or currency exchange rates may result in a poorer overall performance of the Fund than if it had not entered into any derivatives transactions. Derivatives may magnify the Fund's gains or losses, causing it to make or lose substantially more than it invested.
The Fund may invest in derivative instruments for both speculative and hedging purposes. These investments can be made as a substitute for taking a direct position in the underlying asset or as part of a strategy that is intended to reduce the exposure of the Fund to various risks. To the extent that the Fund invests directly in
financial derivatives,
the Fund will comply with the applicable requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act") and the guidance of no-action letters issued by the SEC, including SEC Release 10666 that require the Fund to segregate assets or otherwise "cover" its positions in a manner that limits the Fund's risk of loss.
When used for hedging purposes, increases in the value of the securities the Fund holds or intends to acquire should offset any losses incurred with a derivative. Purchasing derivatives for purposes other than hedging could expose the Fund to greater risks.
The Fund's ability to hedge securities through derivatives depends on the degree to which price movements in the underlying index or instrument correlate with price movements in the relevant securities. In the case of poor correlation, the price of the securities the Fund is hedging may not move in the same amount, or even in the same direction as the hedging instrument. The Advisor will try to minimize this risk by investing only in those contracts whose behavior it expects to resemble with the portfolio securities it is trying to hedge. However, if the Fund's prediction of interest and currency rates, market value, volatility, or other economic factors is incorrect, the Fund may lose money, or may not make as much money as it expected.
Derivative prices can diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments, even if the characteristics of the underlying instruments are very similar to the derivative. Listed below are some of the factors that may cause such a divergence:
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current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument, and the time remaining until expiration of the contract;
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a difference between the derivatives and securities markets, including different levels of demand, how the instruments are traded, the imposition of daily price fluctuation limits or trading of an instrument stops; and
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differences between the derivatives, including different margin requirements, different liquidity of such markets, and the participation of speculators in such markets.
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Derivatives based upon a narrow index of securities may present greater risk than derivatives based on a broad index. Since narrower indices are made up of a smaller number of securities, they are more susceptible to rapid and extreme price fluctuations because of changes in the value of those securities.
While currency futures and options values are expected to correlate with exchange rates, they may not reflect other factors that affect the value of the investments of the Fund. A currency hedge should protect a yen-denominated security from a decline in the yen, but will not protect the Fund against a price decline resulting from deterioration in the issuer's creditworthiness. Because the value of the Fund's foreign-denominated investments changes in response to many factors other than exchange rates, it may not be possible to match the amount of currency options and futures to the value of the Fund's investments precisely over time.
Before a futures contract or option is exercised or expires, the Fund can terminate it only by entering into a closing purchase or sale transaction. Moreover, the Fund may close out a futures contract only on the exchange the contract was initially traded. Although the Fund intends to purchase options and futures only where there appears to be an active market, there is no guarantee that such a liquid market will exist. If there is no secondary market for the contract, or the market is illiquid, the Fund may not be able to close out a position. In an illiquid market, the Fund may:
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have to sell securities to meet its daily margin requirements at a time when it is disadvantageous to do so;
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have to purchase or sell the instrument underlying the contract;
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not be able to hedge its investments; and
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not be able to realize profits or limit its losses.
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Derivatives may become illiquid (i.e., difficult to sell at a desired time and price) under a variety of market conditions:
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an exchange may suspend or limit trading in a particular derivative instrument, an entire category of derivatives, or all derivatives, which sometimes occurs because of increased market volatility;
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unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations of an exchange;
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the facilities of the exchange may not be adequate to handle current trading volume;
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equipment failures, government intervention, insolvency of a brokerage firm or clearing house, or other occurrences may disrupt normal trading activity; or
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investors may lose interest in a particular derivative or category of derivatives.
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If the Advisor incorrectly predicts securities market and interest rate trends, the Fund may lose money by investing in derivatives. If the Fund were to write a call option based on the Advisor's expectation that the price of the underlying security would fall, but the price were to rise instead, the Fund could be required to sell the security upon exercise at a price below the current market price. Similarly, if the Fund were to write a put option based on the Advisor's expectation that the price of the underlying security would rise, but the price were to fall instead, the Fund could be required to purchase the security upon exercise at a price higher than the current market price.
Because of the low margin deposits required upon the opening of a derivative position, such transactions involve an extremely high degree of leverage. Consequently, a relatively small price movement in a derivative may result in an immediate and substantial loss (as well as gain) to the Fund and they may lose more than it originally invested in the derivative.
If the price of a futures contract changes adversely, the Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it is disadvantageous to do so to meet its minimum daily margin requirement. The Fund may lose margin deposits if a broker with whom they have an open futures contract or related option becomes insolvent or declares bankruptcy.
The prices of derivatives are volatile (i.e., they may change rapidly, substantially, and unpredictably) and are influenced by a variety of factors, including:
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actual and anticipated changes in interest rates;
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fiscal and monetary policies; and
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national and international political events.
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Most exchanges limit the amount by which the price of a derivative can change during a single trading day. Daily trading limits establish the maximum amount that the price of a derivative may vary from the settlement price of that derivative at the end of trading on the previous day. Once the price of a derivative reaches this value, the Fund may not trade that derivative at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movements during a given day and does not limit potential gains or losses. Derivative prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days, preventing prompt liquidation of the derivative.
Government Regulation of Derivatives.
It is possible that government regulation of various types of derivative instruments, including futures and swap agreements, may limit or prevent the Fund from using such instruments as a part of its investment strategy, and could ultimately prevent the Fund from being able to achieve its investment objective. It is impossible to predict fully the effects of legislation and regulation in this area, but the effects could be substantial and adverse.
The futures markets are subject to comprehensive statutes, regulations, and margin requirements. The SEC, the Commodities Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC"), and the exchanges are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of a market emergency, including, for example, the implementation or reduction of speculative position limits, the implementation of higher margin requirements, the establishment of daily price limits and the suspension of trading.
The regulation of swaps and futures transactions in the U.S., the European Union, and other jurisdictions is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial action. There is a possibility of future regulatory changes altering, perhaps to a material extent, the nature of an investment in the Fund or the ability of the Fund to continue to implement its investment strategies.
Under recently adopted rules and regulations, transactions in some types of swaps (including interest rate swaps and credit default swaps on North American and European indices) are required to be centrally cleared, and additional types of swaps may be required to be centrally cleared in the future. In a transaction involving those swaps ("cleared derivatives"), the Fund's counterparty is a clearing house, rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of clearing houses and only clearing members can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members. In cleared derivatives transactions, the Fund will make payments (including margin payments) to and receive payments from a clearing house through its accounts at clearing members. Clearing members guarantee performance of their clients' obligations to the clearing house.
In addition, U.S. regulators, the European Union, and certain other jurisdictions have adopted minimum margin and capital requirements for uncleared over-the-counter ("OTC") derivatives transactions. It is expected that these regulations will have a material impact on the Fund's use of uncleared derivatives. These rules will impose minimum margin requirements on derivatives transactions between the Fund and its swap counterparties and may increase the amount of margin the Fund is required to provide. They will impose regulatory requirements on the timing of transferring margin, which may accelerate the Fund's current margin process. They will also effectively require changes to typical derivatives margin documentation. It is expected that the Fund will become subject to variation margin requirements under such rules in 2017 and initial margin requirements under such rules in 2020. Such requirements could increase the amount of margin the Fund needs to provide in connection with uncleared derivatives transactions and, therefore, make such transactions more expensive.
The SEC has also issued a proposed rule under the 1940 Act providing for the regulation of registered investment companies' use of derivatives and certain related instruments. The ultimate impact, if any, of possible regulation remains unclear, but the proposed rule, if adopted, could, among other things, restrict the Fund's ability to engage in derivatives transactions and/or increase the costs of such derivatives transactions such that the Fund may be unable to implement its investment strategy. These and other new rules and regulations could, among other things, further restrict the Fund's ability to engage in, or increase the cost to the Fund of, derivatives transactions, for example, by making some types of derivatives no longer available to the Fund, increasing margin or capital requirements, or otherwise limiting liquidity or increasing transaction costs. The implementation of the clearing requirement has increased the costs of derivatives transactions for the Fund, since the Fund has to pay fees to its clearing members and is typically required to post more margin for cleared derivatives than it has historically posted for bilateral derivatives. The costs of derivatives transactions are expected to increase further as clearing members raise their fees to cover the costs of additional capital requirements and other regulatory changes applicable to the clearing members. These regulations are new and evolving, and their potential impact on the Fund and the financial system are not yet known.
Equity Securities.
The Fund and the other investment companies in which the Fund invests may invest in equity securities as a principal investment strategy. The equity portion of the Fund's portfolio may be comprised of common stocks traded on domestic securities exchanges or on the OTC market. In addition to common stocks, the equity portion of the Fund's portfolio may also include preferred stocks, convertible preferred stocks, convertible bonds and warrants. Prices of equity securities in which the Fund invests may fluctuate in response to many factors, including the activities of the individual companies issuing the equity securities, general market and economic conditions, interest rates, and specific industry changes. Such price fluctuations subject the Fund to potential losses. In addition, regardless of any one company's particular prospects, a declining stock market may produce a decline in prices for all equity securities, which could also result in losses for the Fund. Market declines may continue for an indefinite period of time and investors should understand that during temporary or extended bear markets, the value of equity securities will decline.
Convertible securities entitle the holder to receive interest payments or a dividend preference until the security matures or is redeemed, or the conversion privilege is exercised. As a result of the conversion feature, the interest rate or dividend preference on a convertible security is generally less than would be the case if the securities were issued in non-convertible form. Warrants entitle the holder to purchase equity securities at specific prices for a certain period of time. The prices do not necessarily move parallel to the prices of the underlying securities and the warrants have no voting rights, receive no dividends, and have no rights with respect to the assets of the issuer.
Foreign Investment Risk.
The Fund and the other investment companies in which the Fund invests may invest in foreign securities as a principal investment strategy. Foreign securities and foreign currency contracts involve investment risks different from those associated with domestic securities. Changes in foreign economies and political climates are more likely to affect the Fund than a mutual fund that invests exclusively in domestic securities. The value of foreign currency denominated securities or foreign currency contracts is affected by the value of the local currency relative to the U.S. dollar. There may be less government supervision of foreign markets, resulting in non-uniform accounting practices and less publicly available information about issuers of foreign currency denominated securities. The value of foreign investments may be affected by changes in exchange control regulations, application of foreign tax laws (including withholding tax), changes in governmental administration or economic or monetary policy (in this country or abroad), or changed circumstances in dealings between nations. In addition, foreign brokerage commissions, custody fees, and other costs of investing in foreign securities are often higher than in the United States. Investments in foreign issues could be affected by other factors not present in the United States, including expropriation, armed conflict, confiscatory taxation, and potential difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations.
Uncertainties surrounding the sovereign debt of a number of European Union (EU) countries and the viability of the EU have disrupted and may in the future disrupt markets in the United States and around the world. If one or more countries leave the EU or the EU dissolves, the world's securities markets likely will be significantly disrupted. In June 2016, the United Kingdom approved a referendum to leave the EU, commonly referred to as "Brexit." There is significant market uncertainty regarding Brexit's ramifications, and the range and potential implications of possible political, regulatory, economic, and market outcomes are difficult to predict. Political and military events, including the military crises in Ukraine and the Middle East, and nationalist unrest in Europe, also may cause market disruptions.
Fixed-Income Securities.
The Fund and the other investment companies in which the Fund invests may invest in fixed-income securities as a principal investment strategy, including government and corporate bonds, money market instruments, junk bonds, and zero-coupon bonds. Zero-coupon bonds are purchased at a discount from their face values and accrue interest at the applicable coupon rate over a period of time. Fixed-income securities purchased by the Fund or other investment companies in which the Fund invests may consist of obligations of any rating. Fixed-income securities in the lowest investment grade categories have speculative characteristics, with changes in the economy or other circumstances more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the bonds to make principal and interest payments than would occur with bonds rated in higher categories. High yield bonds are typically rated below "Baa" by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's"), or below "BBB" by S&P Global Ratings ("S&P"), or below investment grade by other recognized rating agencies. The Fund may invest directly in unrated securities or indirectly through other investment companies that invest in unrated securities. Such bonds are subject to greater market fluctuations and risk of loss of income and principal than higher rated bonds for a variety of reasons, including:
Sensitivity to Interest Rate and Economic Change.
The economy and interest rates affect high yield securities differently than other securities. The prices of high yield bonds 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 obligations, to meet projected business goals, and to obtain additional financing. If the issuer of a bond defaults, an underlying mutual fund may incur additional expenses to seek recovery. In addition, periods of economic uncertainty and changes can be expected to result in increased volatility of market prices of high yield bonds and the Fund's asset values.
Payment Expectations.
High yield bonds present certain risks based on payment expectations. For example, high yield bonds may contain redemption and call provisions. If an issuer exercises these provisions in a declining interest rate market, the Fund or an investment company in which the Fund invests, as applicable, would have to replace the security with a lower yielding security, resulting in a decreased return for investors. Conversely, a high yield bond's value will decrease in a rising interest rate market, as will the value of the other investment companies' assets. If the Fund or an investment company in which the Fund invests, as applicable, experiences unexpected net redemptions, it may be forced to sell its high yield bonds without regard to their investment merits, thereby decreasing the asset base upon which expenses can be spread and possibly reducing the rate of return.
Liquidity and Valuation.
To the extent that there is no established retail secondary market, there may be thin trading of high yield bonds, and this may impact the ability of the Fund or the investment companies in which the Fund invests to accurately value high yield bonds and may hinder their ability to dispose of the bonds. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the values and liquidity of high yield bonds, especially in a thinly traded market.
Credit Ratings.
Credit ratings evaluate the safety of principal and interest payments, not the market value risk of high yield bonds. Also, because credit rating agencies may fail to timely change the credit ratings to reflect subsequent events, the Fund or an investment company in which the Fund invests must monitor the issuers of high yield bonds in their portfolios to determine if the issuers will have sufficient cash flow and profits to meet required principal and interest payments, and to assure the bonds' liquidity so the Fund or an investment company in which the Fund invests, as applicable, can meet redemption requests.
High-yield securities are deemed speculative with respect to the issuer's capacity to pay interest and repay principal over a long period of time. Special tax considerations are associated with investing in high-yield securities structured as zero coupon or "pay-in-kind" securities. The Fund or the investment companies in which the Fund invest will report the interest on these securities as income even though it receives no cash interest until the security's maturity or payment date. The payment of principal and interest on most fixed-income securities purchased by the Fund or an investment company in which the Fund invests will depend upon the ability of the issuers to meet their obligations. An issuer's obligations under its fixed-income securities are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors, including the Federal Bankruptcy Code, and laws, if any, which may be enacted by federal or state legislatures extending the time for payment of principal or interest, or both, or imposing other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations. The power or ability of an issuer to meet its obligations for the payment of interest on, and principal of, its fixed-income securities may be materially adversely affected by litigation or other conditions.
The ratings of S&P, Moody's and other nationally recognized rating agencies represent their opinions as to the quality of fixed-income securities. It should be emphasized, however, that ratings are general and are not absolute standards of quality, and fixed-income securities with the same maturity, interest rate, and rating may have different yields while fixed-income securities of the same maturity and interest rate with different ratings may have the same yield. For a more detailed description of ratings, please see Appendix A.
Exchange Traded Fund.
The Fund and the other investment companies may invest in ETFs. An ETF is an investment company that holds a portfolio of common stock or bonds designed to track the performance of a securities index or sector of an index. ETFs are traded on a securities exchange based on their market value. An investment in an ETF generally presents the same primary risks as an investment in a conventional registered investment company (i.e., one that is not exchange traded). In addition, all ETFs will have costs and expenses that will be passed on to the Fund and these costs and expenses will in turn increase the Fund's expenses. ETFs are also subject to the following risks that often do not apply to conventional investment companies: (i) the market price of the ETF's shares may trade at a discount to the ETF's NAV, and as a result, ETFs may experience more price volatility than other types of portfolio investments and such volatility could negatively impact the Fund's NAVs; (ii) an active trading market for an ETF's shares may not develop or be maintained at a sufficient volume; (iii) trading of an ETF's shares may be halted if the listing exchange deems such action appropriate; and (iv) ETF shares may be delisted from the exchange on which they trade, or "circuit breakers" (which are tied to large decreases in stock prices used by the exchange) may temporarily halt trading in the ETF's stock. ETFs are also subject to the risks of the underlying securities or sectors that the ETF is designed to track. Finally, there may be legal limitations and other conditions imposed by rules of the SEC on the amount of the ETF shares that the Fund may acquire.
General Investment Risks.
All investments in securities and other financial instruments involve a risk of financial loss. No assurance can be given that the Fund's investment program will be successful. Investors should carefully review the descriptions of the Fund's investments and their risks described in the Fund's Prospectus and this SAI.
Investment Companies.
The Fund will invest in securities of other investment companies, including, without limitation, money market funds and exchange traded funds ("ETFs"). The Fund's investments in such securities involve certain additional expenses and certain tax results, which would not be present in a direct investment in the underlying fund. Due to legal limitations, the Fund will be prevented from: 1) purchasing more than 3% of an investment company's (including ETFs) outstanding shares; 2) investing more than 5% of the Fund's assets in any single such investment company; and 3) investing more than 10% of the Fund's assets in investment companies overall; unless: (i) the underlying investment company and/or the Fund has received an order for exemptive relief from such limitations from the SEC; and (ii) the underlying investment company and the Fund take appropriate steps to comply with any conditions in such order. In the alternative, the Fund may rely on Rule 12d1-3, which allows unaffiliated mutual funds to exceed the 5% limitation and the 10% limitation, provided the aggregate sales loads any investor pays (i.e., the combined distribution expenses of both the acquiring fund and the acquired fund) does not exceed the limits on sales loads established by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. ("FINRA") for funds of funds. In addition to ETFs, the Fund may invest in other investment companies, including open-end mutual funds or exchange-traded closed-end funds, within the limitations described above. Investments by the Fund in other investment companies entail a number of risks unique to the fund of fund structure. These risks include the following:
Multiple Layers of Fees.
By investing in other investment companies indirectly through the Fund, prospective investors will directly bear the fees and expenses of the Fund's Advisor and indirectly bear the fees and expenses of other investment companies and other investment companies' managers as well. As such, this multiple or duplicative layer of fees will increase the cost of investments in the Fund.
Lack of Transparency.
The Advisor will not be able to monitor the investment activities of the other investment companies on a continuous basis and the other investment companies may use investment strategies that differ from its past practices and are not fully disclosed to the Advisor and that involve risks that are not anticipated by the Advisor. The Fund has no control over the risks taken by the underlying investment companies in which it invests.
Valuation of Investment Companies.
Although the Advisor will attempt to review the valuation procedures used by other investment companies' managers, the Advisor will have little or no means of independently verifying valuations of the Fund's investments in investment companies and valuations of the underlying securities held by other investment companies. As such, the Advisor will rely significantly on valuations of other investment companies and the securities underlying other investment companies that are reported by other investment companies' managers. In the event that such valuations prove to be inaccurate, the net asset value ("NAV") of the Fund could be adversely impacted and an investor could incur a loss of investment in the Fund.
Illiquidity of Investments by and In Other Investment Companies.
Other investment companies may invest in securities that are not registered, are subject to legal or other restrictions on transfer, or for which no liquid market exists. The market prices, if any, for such securities tend to be volatile and restricted securities may sell at prices that are lower than similar securities that are not subject to legal restrictions on resale. Further, the Fund may not be able to redeem their interests in other investment companies' securities that it has purchased in a timely manner. If adverse market conditions were to develop during any period in which the Fund is unable to redeem interests in other investment companies, the Fund may suffer losses as a result of this illiquidity. As such, the lack of liquidity and volatility of restricted securities held by other investment companies could adversely affect the value of the other investment companies. Any such losses could adversely affect the value of the Fund's investments and an investor could incur a loss of investment in the Fund.
Lack of Control.
Although the Fund and the Advisor will evaluate regularly each Portfolio Fund to determine whether such Portfolio Fund's investment program is consistent with the Fund's investment objective, the Advisor will not have any control over the investments made by a Portfolio Fund. Even though each Portfolio Fund is subject to certain constraints, the investment advisor to each such Portfolio Fund may change aspects of their investment strategies at any time. The Advisor will not have the ability to control or influence the composition of the investment portfolio of any Portfolio Fund.
Lack of Diversification.
There is no requirement that the underlying investments held by other investment companies be diversified. As such, other investment companies' managers may target or concentrate other investment companies' investments in specific markets, sectors, or types of securities. As a result, investments made by other investment companies are subject to greater volatility as a result of this concentration than if the other investment companies had non-concentrated and diversified portfolios of investments. Thus, the Fund's portfolios (and by extension the value of an investment in the Fund) may therefore be subject to greater risk than the portfolio of a similar fund with investments in diversified investment companies.
Use of Leverage.
The other investment companies may utilize leverage (i.e., borrowing) to acquire their underlying portfolio investments. When other investment companies borrow money or otherwise leverage their portfolio of investments, doing so may exaggerate changes in the NAV shares of the other investment companies and in the return on the other investment companies' investments. Borrowing will also cost other investment companies interest expense and other fees. As such, the value of the Fund's investments in other investment companies may be more volatile and all other risks (including the risk of loss of an investment in other investment companies) tend to be compounded or magnified. As a result, any losses suffered by other investment companies as a result of their use of leverage could adversely affect the value of the Fund's investments and an investor could incur a loss of investment in the Fund.
Mortgage-Backed and Asset-Backed Securities.
The Fund and the other investment companies in which the Fund invests may invest in mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities as a principal investment strategy. Mortgage-backed securities are mortgage related securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies and instrumentalities, or issued by nongovernment entities. Mortgage-related securities represent ownership in pools of mortgage loans assembled for sale to investors by various government agencies and government-related organizations, as well as by nongovernment issuers such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, mortgage bankers, and private mortgage insurance companies. Although certain mortgage-related securities are guaranteed by a third party or otherwise similarly secured, the market value of the security, which may fluctuate, is not so secured. These securities differ from conventional bonds in that the principal is paid back to the investor as payments are made on the underlying mortgages in the pool. Accordingly, the Fund or investment companies in which the Fund invests, as applicable, will receive scheduled payments of principal and interest along with any unscheduled principal prepayments on the underlying mortgages. Because these scheduled and unscheduled principal payments must be reinvested at prevailing interest rates, mortgage-backed securities do not provide an effective means of locking in long-term interest rates for the investor.
Asset-backed securities are structured like mortgage-backed securities, but instead of mortgage loans or interests in mortgage loans, the underlying assets may include such items as motor vehicle installment sales contracts or installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property, and receivables from credit card agreements and from sales of personal property. Regular payments received on asset-backed securities include both interest and principal. Asset-backed securities typically have no U.S. Government backing, though they are usually guaranteed up to a certain amount and time period by a letter of credit issued by a financial institution. If the letter of credit is exhausted and the full amounts due on the underlying loans are not received because of unanticipated costs, depreciation, damage, or loss of the collateral securing the contracts, or other factors, certificate holders may experience delays in payment or losses on asset-backed securities. Additionally, the ability of an issuer of asset-backed securities to enforce its security interest in the underlying assets may be limited.
If the Fund or an investment company in which the Fund invests purchases a mortgage-backed or other asset-backed security at a premium, the premium may be lost if there is a decline in the market value of the security whether resulting from changes in interest rates or prepayments in the underlying collateral. As with other interest-bearing securities, the prices of such securities are inversely affected by changes in interest rates. Although the value of a mortgage-backed or other asset-backed security may decline when interest rates rise, the converse is not necessarily true, since in periods of declining interest rates the mortgages and loans underlying the securities are prone to prepayment, thereby shortening the average life of the security and shortening the period of time over which income at the higher rate is received. When the interest rates are rising, the rate of prepayment tends to decrease, thereby lengthening the period of time over which income at the lower rate is received. For these and other reasons, a mortgage-backed or other asset-backed security's average maturity may be shortened or lengthened as a result of interest rate fluctuations and, therefore it is not possible to predict accurately the security's return. In addition, while the trading market for short-term mortgages and asset-backed securities is ordinarily quite liquid, in times of financial stress the trading market for these securities may become restricted.
Mortgage-backed securities that are issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies, or instrumentalities, are not subject to the Fund's industry concentration restrictions because securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities are excluded from the restriction. Privately-issued mortgage-backed securities are, however, subject to the Fund's industry concentration restrictions.
Portfolio Turnover.
Portfolio turnover is a ratio that indicates how often the securities in a mutual fund's portfolio change during a year's time. Higher numbers indicate a greater number of changes, and lower numbers indicate a smaller number of changes. The Fund may sell portfolio securities without regard to the length of time they have been held in order to take advantage of new investment opportunities or changing market conditions. Since portfolio turnover may involve paying brokerage commissions and other transaction costs, there could be additional expenses for the Fund. High rates of portfolio turnover could lower performance of the Fund due to increased costs and may also result in the realization of capital gains. If the Fund realizes capital gains when they sell portfolio investments, they must generally distribute those gains to shareholders, increasing their taxable distributions.
Short Sales.
While the Fund will not short securities as a principal investment strategy, the Fund will indirectly be subject to short sales risk to the extent an investment company held by the Fund shorts securities. A short sale is a transaction in which a party sells a security it does not own or have the right to acquire (or that it owns but does not wish to deliver) in anticipation that the market price of that security will decline. When a party makes a short sale, the broker-dealer through which the short sale is made must borrow the security sold short and deliver it to the party purchasing the security. The party is required to make a margin deposit in connection with such short sales; the party may have to pay a fee to borrow particular securities and will often be obligated to pay over any dividends and accrued interest on borrowed securities. If the price of the security sold short increases between the time of the short sale and the time the party covers the short position, the party will incur a loss; conversely, if the price declines, the party will realize a capital gain. Any gain will be decreased, and any loss increased, by the transaction costs described above.
Borrowing.
The Fund may borrow money for investment purposes, which is a form of leveraging. Leveraging investments, by purchasing securities with borrowed money, is a speculative technique that increases investment risk while increasing investment opportunity. Such borrowing may make the Fund's NAV more volatile than fund that do not borrow for investment purposes because leverage magnifies changes in the Fund's NAV and on the Fund's investments. Although the principal of borrowings will be fixed, the Fund's assets may change in value during the time the borrowing is outstanding. Leverage also creates interest expenses for the Fund. To the extent the income derived from securities purchased with borrowed fund exceeds the interest the Fund will have to pay, the Fund's net income will be greater than it would be if leverage were not used. Conversely, if the income from the assets obtained with borrowed fund is not sufficient to cover the cost of leveraging, the net income of the Fund will be less than it would be if leverage were not used, and therefore the amount available for distribution to shareholders as dividends will be reduced. The use of derivatives in connection with leverage creates the potential for significant loss. The Fund does not intend to use leverage in excess of 5% of total assets and will not make additional investments when outstanding borrowings exceed 5% of the Fund's total assets. Any leveraging will comply with the applicable requirements of the 1940 Act and the guidance of no-action letters issued by the SEC, including Investment Company Act Release No. 10666 (Apr. 18, 1979).
The Fund may also borrow money to meet redemptions or for other emergency purposes. Such borrowings may be on a secured or unsecured basis at fixed or variable rates of interest. The 1940 Act requires the Fund to maintain continuous asset coverage of not less than 300% with respect to all borrowings. If such asset coverage should decline to less than 300% due to market fluctuations or other reasons, the Fund may be required to dispose of some portfolio holdings within three days in order to reduce the Fund's debt and restore the 300% asset coverage, even though it may be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint to dispose of assets at that time. The Fund also may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with such borrowing or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit. Either of these requirements would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate.
Debentures.
A debenture is long-term, unsecured debt instrument backed only by the integrity of the borrower, not by collateral, and documented by an indenture. Governments often issue debentures, in part because they generally cannot guarantee debt with assets (government assets are public property). The primary risk with this type of investment is that the issuer will default or go into bankruptcy. As an unsecured creditor, in the event of default or bankruptcy, the holder of a debenture does not have a claim against any specific assets of the issuing firm, so the investor will only be paid from the issuer's assets after the secured creditors have been paid. The Fund may invest in all types of debentures, including corporate and government debentures.
Forward Commitment and When-Issued Securities.
The investment companies in which the Fund invests may purchase securities on a when-issued basis or for settlement at a future date if they hold sufficient assets to meet the purchase price. In such purchase transactions, the investment company will not accrue interest on the purchased security until the actual settlement. Similarly, if a security is sold for a forward date, the investment company will accrue the interest until the settlement of the sale. When-issued security purchases and forward commitments have a higher degree of risk of price movement before settlement due to the extended time period between the execution and settlement of the purchase or sale. As a result, the exposure to the counterparty of the purchase or sale is increased. Although investors generally purchase securities on a forward commitment or when-issued basis with the intention of taking delivery, they may sell such a security prior to the settlement date if such action is believed to be appropriate. In such a case, an investor could incur a short-term gain or loss.
Futures Contracts.
The Fund may enter into futures contracts. A futures contract is a bilateral agreement
to buy or sell a security (or deliver a cash settlement price, in the case of a contract relating to an index or otherwise not calling for physical delivery at the end of trading in the contracts) for a set price in the future. Futures contracts are designated by boards of trade that have been designated "contracts markets" by the CFTC. No purchase price is paid or received when the contract is entered into. Instead, the Fund, upon entering into a futures contract (and to maintain the Fund's open positions in futures contracts), would be required to deposit with its custodian in a segregated account in the name of the futures broker an amount of cash, U.S. government securities, suitable money market instruments, or liquid, high-grade debt securities, known as "initial margin." The margin required for a particular futures contract is set by the exchange on which the contract is traded and may be significantly modified from time to time by the exchange during the term of the contract. Futures contracts are customarily purchased and sold on margin that may range upward from less than 5% of the value of the contract being traded. By using futures contracts as a risk management technique, given the greater liquidity in the futures market than in the cash market, it may be possible to accomplish certain results more quickly and with lower transaction costs.
If the price of an open futures contract changes (by increase in the case of a sale or by decrease in the case of a purchase) so that the loss on the futures contract reaches a point at which the margin on deposit does not satisfy margin requirements, the broker will require an increase in the margin. However, if the value of a position increases because of favorable price changes in the futures contract so that the margin deposit exceeds the required margin, the broker will pay the excess to the Fund. These subsequent payments, called "variation margin," to and from the futures broker, are made on a daily basis as the price of the underlying assets fluctuates, making the long and short positions in the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as "marking to the market." The Fund is expected to earn interest income on initial and variation margin deposits.
The Fund will incur brokerage fees when it purchases and sells futures contracts. Positions taken in the futures markets are not normally held until delivery or cash settlement is required but are instead liquidated through offsetting transactions that may result in a gain or a loss. While futures positions taken by the Fund will usually be liquidated in this manner, the Fund may instead make or take delivery of underlying securities whenever it appears economically advantageous for the Fund to do so. A clearing organization associated with the exchange on which futures are traded assumes responsibility for closing out transactions and guarantees that as between the clearing members of an exchange, the sale and purchase obligations will be performed with regard to all positions that remain open at the termination of the contract.
In addition to the margin restrictions discussed above, transactions in futures contracts may involve the segregation of fund pursuant to requirements imposed by the SEC. Under those requirements, where the Fund has a long position in a futures contract, it may be required to establish a segregated account (not with a futures commission merchant or broker) containing cash or certain liquid assets equal to the purchase price of the contract (less any margin on deposit). However, segregation of assets is not required if the Fund "covers" a long position. For a short position in futures or forward contracts held by the Fund, those requirements may mandate the establishment of a segregated account (not with a futures commission merchant or broker) with cash or certain liquid assets that, when added to the amounts deposited as margin, equal the market value of the instruments underlying the futures contracts (but are not less than the price at which the short positions were established).
Illiquid Investments.
The Fund may invest up to 15% of net assets in illiquid securities, which are investments that cannot be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the prices at which they are valued. This restriction is not limited to the time of purchase. Under the supervision of the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the "Board" or "Trustees"), the Advisor determines the liquidity of the Fund's investments, and through reports from the Advisor, the Trustees monitor investments in illiquid instruments. In determining the liquidity of the Fund's investments, the Advisor may consider various factors including: (i) the frequency of trades and quotations; (ii) the number of dealers and prospective purchasers in the marketplace; (iii) dealer undertakings to make a market; (iv) the nature of the security (including any demand or tender features); and (v) the nature of the marketplace for trades (including the ability to assign or offset the Fund's rights and obligations relating to the investment). If through a change in values, net assets, or other circumstances, the Fund were in a position where more than 15% of its net assets were invested in illiquid securities, the Fund will take steps to reduce, in an orderly disposition, its holdings of illiquid securities and may dispose of some securities even though it may be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint at that time. However, the Fund will not dispose of illiquid securities if the Advisor determines that doing so would not be in the best interests of the Fund. Investment in illiquid securities poses risks of potential delays in resale and uncertainty in valuation. Limitations on resale may have an adverse effect on the marketability of portfolio securities and the Fund may be unable to dispose of illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices.
Lending of Portfolio Securities.
In order to generate additional income, the Fund may lend portfolio securities in an amount up to 33% of total Fund assets to broker-dealers, major banks, or other recognized domestic institutional borrowers of securities which the Advisor has determined are creditworthy under guidelines established by the Board. In determining whether the Fund will lend securities, the Advisor will consider all relevant facts and circumstances. The Fund may not lend securities to any company affiliated with the Advisor. Each loan of securities will be collateralized by cash, U.S. government securities, or standby letters of credit not issued by the Fund's bank lending agent. The Fund might experience a loss if the borrower defaults on the loan.
The borrower at all times during the loan must maintain with the Fund cash or cash equivalent collateral. While the loan is outstanding, the borrower will pay the Fund any interest paid on the loaned securities, and the Fund may invest the cash collateral to earn additional income. Alternatively, the Fund may receive an agreed-upon amount of interest income from the borrower who has delivered equivalent collateral. It is anticipated that the Fund may share with the borrower some of the income received on the collateral for the loan or the Fund will be paid a premium for the loan. Voting rights for loaned securities will typically pass to the borrower, but the Fund will retain the right to call any security in anticipation of a vote that the Advisor deems material to the security on loan. Loans are subject to termination at the option of the Fund or the borrower at any time. The Fund may pay reasonable administrative and custodial fees in connection with a loan and may pay a negotiated portion of the income earned on the cash to the borrower or placing broker. As with other extensions of credit, there are risks of delay in recovery or even loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially.
Securities lending involves counterparty risk, including the risk that the loaned securities may not be returned or returned in a timely manner and/or a loss of rights in the collateral if the borrower or the lending agent defaults or fails financially. This risk will be increased if a continuation of the current downturn in the economic conditions in the United States and around the world, particularly the recent failures of several major financial services firms, causes further declines in the securities markets and/or causes further financial instability in the borrowers or lending agents. This risk is increased when the Fund's loans are concentrated with a single or limited number of borrowers. There are no limits on the number of borrowers the Fund may use, and the Fund may lend securities to only one or a small group of borrowers. Mutual fund participating in securities lending bear the risk of loss in connection with investments of the cash collateral received from the borrowers, which do not trigger additional collateral requirements from the borrower.
Liquidity Impact of Margin and Segregation Requirements.
Although the Fund will segregate cash and liquid assets in an amount sufficient to cover its open obligations with respect to written options, short sales, and other derivative instruments as applicable, the segregated assets will be available to the Fund immediately upon closing out the positions, while settlement of securities transactions could take several days. However, because the Fund's cash that may otherwise be invested would be held uninvested or invested in other liquid assets so long as the position remains open, the Fund's return could be diminished due to the opportunity losses of foregoing other potential investments.
Money Market Instruments.
The Fund may invest in money market instruments including U.S. Government obligations or corporate debt obligations (including those subject to repurchase agreements) provided that they are eligible for purchase by the Fund. Money market instruments also may include Banker's Acceptances and Certificates of Deposit of domestic branches of U.S. banks, Commercial Paper, and Variable Amount Demand Master Notes ("Master Notes"). Banker's Acceptances are time drafts drawn on and "accepted" by a bank. When a bank "accepts" such a time draft, it assumes liability for its payment. When the Fund acquires a Banker's Acceptance, the bank that "accepted" the time draft is liable for payment of interest and principal when due. The Banker's Acceptance carries the full faith and credit of such bank. A Certificate of Deposit ("CD") is an unsecured, interest bearing debt obligation of a bank. Commercial Paper is an unsecured, short-term debt obligation of a bank, corporation, or other borrower. Commercial Paper maturity generally ranges from two to 270 days and is usually sold on a discounted basis rather than as an interest-bearing instrument. The Fund will invest in Commercial Paper only if it is rated in one of the top two rating categories by Moody's Investors Service, Inc., S&P, or Fitch Investors Service, Inc., or if not rated, of equivalent quality in the Advisor's opinion. Commercial Paper may include Master Notes of the same quality. Master Notes are unsecured obligations that are redeemable upon demand of the holder and that permit the investment of fluctuating amounts at varying rates of interest. Master Notes will be acquired by the Fund only through the Master Note program of the Fund's custodian bank, acting as administrator thereof. The Advisor will monitor, on a continuous basis, the earnings power, cash flow, and other liquidity ratios of the issuer of a Master Note held by the Fund.
Municipal Securities.
Municipal securities share the attributes of debt obligations in general, but are generally issued by states, municipalities and other political subdivisions, agencies, authorities, and instrumentalities of states and multi-state agencies or authorities. The municipal securities include general obligation bonds and limited obligation bonds (or revenue bonds), including industrial development bonds formerly issued pursuant to federal tax law. General obligation bonds are obligations involving the credit of an issuer possessing taxing power and are payable from such issuer's general revenues and not from any particular source. Limited obligation bonds are payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise or other specific revenue source. Tax-exempt private activity bonds and industrial development bonds generally are also revenue bonds and thus are not payable from the issuer's general revenues. The credit and quality of private activity bonds and industrial development bonds are usually related to the credit of the user of the facilities. Payment of interest on and repayment of principal of such bonds is the responsibility of the user (and/or any guarantor).
Municipal securities are subject to credit and market risk. Prices of higher quality issues tend to fluctuate less with changes in market interest rates than prices of lower quality issues, and prices of longer maturity issues tend to fluctuate more than prices of shorter maturity issues. Prices and yields on municipal bonds are dependent on a variety of factors, including general money-market conditions, the financial condition of the issuer, general conditions of the municipal bond market, the size of a particular offering, the maturity of the obligation, and the rating of the issue. A number of these factors, including the ratings of particular issues, are subject to change from time to time. Information about the financial condition of an issuer of municipal bonds may not be as extensive as that which is made available by corporations whose securities are publicly traded. Obligations of issuers of municipal bonds are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws, including the Federal Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978, affecting the rights and remedies of creditors. Congress or state legislatures may seek to extend the time for payment of principal or interest, or both, or to impose other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations. There is also the possibility that as a result of litigation or other conditions, the power or ability of issuers to meet their obligations for the payment of interest and principal on their municipal bonds may be materially affected, or their obligations may be found to be invalid or unenforceable.
Options.
The Fund may purchase and write call and put options on securities. The purchase and writing of options involves certain risks. During the option period, a call writer that holds the underlying security has, in return for the premium on the option, given up the opportunity to profit from a price increase in the underlying securities above the exercise price, but, as long as its obligation as a writer continues, has retained the risk of loss should the price of the underlying security decline. The writer of an option has no control over the time when it may be required to fulfill its obligation as a writer of the option. Once an option writer has received an exercise notice, it cannot effect a closing purchase transaction in order to terminate its obligation under the option and must deliver the underlying securities at the exercise price. If a put or call option purchased by the Fund is not sold when it has remaining value, and if the market price of the underlying security, in the case of a put, remains equal to or greater than the exercise price or, in the case of a call, remains less than or equal to the exercise price, the Fund will lose its entire investment in the option. The potential losses from writing call options are theoretically unlimited because the underlying security's price may appreciate indefinitely. Also, where a put or call option on a particular security is purchased to hedge against price movements in a related security, the price of the put or call option may move more or less than the price of the related security. There can be no assurance that a liquid market will exist when the Fund seeks to close out an option position. Furthermore, if trading restrictions or suspensions are imposed on the options market, the Fund may be unable to close out a position.
When the Fund invests in
options,
the Fund will comply with the applicable requirements of the 1940 Act and the guidance of no-action letters issued by the SEC, including Investment Company Act Release No. 10666 (Apr. 18, 1979), that require the Fund to segregate assets or otherwise "cover" its positions in a manner that limits the Fund's risk of loss. The Fund may write a call or put option only if the option is "covered" by holding a position in the underlying securities or by other means which would permit immediate satisfaction of the Fund's obligation as writer of the option. A written call option creates a potential obligation to sell the underlying security. In order to make sure that this obligation can be met, the Fund could (i) hold the security underlying the written option; (ii) hold an offsetting call option (one with a strike price that is the same or lower than the strike price of the written option); or (iii) segregate cash and liquid securities (which can be cash, U.S. Government securities, and other liquid debt or equity securities) that when added to collateral on deposit equals the market value of the underlying security. A written put option creates a potential obligation to buy the underlying security. In order to make sure that this obligation can be met, the Fund could: (i) sell short the underlying security at the same or higher price than the strike price of the written put option; (ii) hold an offsetting put option (one with a strike price that is the same or higher than the strike price of the written option); or (iii) segregate cash and liquid securities that when added to collateral on deposit equals the strike price of the option.
Options offer large amounts of leverage, which will result in the Fund's net asset value being more sensitive to changes in the value of the related instrument. The Fund may purchase or write both exchange-traded and OTC options. Exchange-traded options in the United States are issued by a clearing organization affiliated with the exchange on which the option is listed that, in effect, guarantees completion of every exchange-traded option transaction. In contrast, OTC options are contracts between the Fund and its counterparty (usually a securities dealer or a bank) with no clearing organization guarantee. Thus, when the Fund purchases an OTC option, it relies on the counterparty from whom it purchased the option to make or take delivery of the underlying investment upon exercise of the option. Failure by the counterparty to do so would result in the loss of any premium paid by the Fund as well as the loss of any expected benefit of the transaction.
The Fund's ability to establish and close out positions in exchange-listed options depends on the existence of a liquid market. However, there can be no assurance that such a market will exist at any particular time. Closing transactions can be made for OTC options only by negotiating directly with the counterparty, or by a transaction in the secondary market if any such market exists. There can be no assurance that the Fund will in fact be able to close out an OTC option position at a favorable price prior to expiration. In the event of insolvency of the counterparty, the Fund might be unable to close out an OTC option position at any time prior to its expiration, if at all.
If the Fund were unable to effect a closing transaction for an option it had purchased, due to the absence of a counterparty or secondary market, the imposition of price limits or otherwise, it would have to exercise the option to realize any profit. The inability to enter into a closing purchase transaction for a covered call option written by the Fund could cause material losses because the Fund would be unable to sell the investment used as cover for the written option until the option expires or is exercised.
Options have varying expiration dates. The exercise price of the options may be below, equal to or above the current market value of the underlying security or instrument. Options purchased by the Fund that expire unexercised have no value, and the Fund will realize a loss in the amount of the premium paid and any transaction costs. If an option written by the Fund expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a gain equal to the premium received at the time the option was written. Transaction costs must be included in these calculations.
Private Investment Fund.
From time to time, the Fund may invest a portion of its assets in one or more pooled investment vehicles that are not registered as an investment company under the 1940 Act, and where the securities of such vehicles are offered pursuant to one or more exemptions from the Securities Act of 1933 (each a "Private Investment Fund" and collectively, the "Private Investment Fund"). The Fund may invest in a wide range of Private Investment Fund, including Private Investment Fund organized and operated outside of the United States and those that hold themselves out or otherwise operate as hedge fund. The investment objective and strategy of any Private Investment Fund in which the Fund invests will be consistent with the investment objective and permitted investments of the Fund, as determined by the Advisor.
Private Investment Fund typically accept investments on a continuous basis, have quarterly repurchases, and do not have a defined termination date. The Private Investment Fund may utilize leverage, pursuant to their operative documents, as a way to seek or enhance returns. Dependent upon the investment strategy, geographic focus and/or other economic or property specific factors, each Private Investment Fund will have differing limitations on the utilization of leverage. Such limitations are Private Investment Fund specific and may apply to an overall portfolio limitation as well as an investment specific limitation.
Lack of Control Over Private Investment Fund.
Although the Fund and the Advisor will evaluate regularly each Private Investment Fund and its manager to determine whether their investment programs are consistent with the Fund's investment objectives and whether the investment performance is satisfactory, the Advisor will not have any control over the investments made by any Private Investment Fund. Even though Private Investment Fund are subject to certain constraints, the managers may change aspects of their investment strategies. The managers may do so at any time (for example, such change may occur immediately after providing the Advisor with the quarterly unaudited financial information for the Private Investment Fund). The Advisor may reallocate the Fund's investments among the Private Investment Fund, but the Advisor's ability to do so may be constrained by the withdrawal limitations imposed by the Private Investment Fund. The Fund's investments in certain Private Investment Fund may be subject to lock-up periods, during which the Fund may not withdraw its investment. These withdrawal limitations may prevent the Fund from reacting rapidly to market changes should a Private Investment Fund fail to effect portfolio changes consistent with such market changes and the demands of the Advisor. Such withdrawal limitations may also restrict the Advisor's ability to terminate investments in Private Investment Fund that are poorly performing or have otherwise had adverse changes. The Advisor will engage in the necessary due diligence to ensure that the Fund's assets are invested in Private Investment Fund which provide reports that will enable them to monitor the Fund's investments as to their overall performance, sources of income, asset valuations and liabilities, however, there is no assurance that such efforts will necessarily detect fraud, malfeasance, inadequate back office systems or other flaws or problems with respect to the operations and activities of the Private Investment Fund. The Advisor will be dependent on information provided by the Private Investment Fund, including quarterly unaudited financial statements, which if inaccurate could adversely affect the Advisor's ability to manage the Fund's investment portfolio in accordance with its investment objectives. To the extent the Fund holds non-voting securities of, or contractually foregoes the right to vote in respect of, any Private Investment Fund (which it intends to do in order to avoid being considered an "affiliate" of any Private Investment Fund within the meaning of the 1940 Act), it will not be able to vote on matters that require the approval of the investors of the Private Investment Fund, including a matter that could adversely affect the Fund's investment, including changes to the Private Investment Fund's investment objectives or policies or the termination of the Investment Fund.
Multiple Layers of Expenses.
By investing in the Private Investment Fund indirectly through the Fund, a shareholder bears two layers of asset- based fees and expenses—at the Fund level and the Private Investment Fund level. In the aggregate, these fees might exceed the fees that would typically be incurred by a direct investment with a single Private Investment Fund. The Fund may also invest in Private Investment Fund that invest in other investment vehicles, thereby subjecting the Fund, and Fund shareholders, to an additional level of fees. In the aggregate, these fees and expenses could be substantial and adversely affect the value of any investment in the Fund.
Purchases of Non-Voting Securities.
In all or substantially all instances, the Fund expects to purchase a class of non-voting securities or enter into a contract, typically before the initial purchase, to relinquish the right to vote in respect of its investments in Private Investment Fund. For any Private Investment Fund where the Fund would be unable to do either of the foregoing (and the Fund does not anticipate that it would not be able to do so), it intends to limit its holdings of the relevant Private Investment Fund to less than 10% of the Private Investment Fund's voting securities. Where a separate non-voting security class is not otherwise available, the Fund would seek to create by contract the same result as owning a non-voting security class: namely, a security that affords the Fund, and each subsequent holder, no legal right to vote. This result would be accomplished through a written agreement between the Fund and the Private Investment Fund where the Fund irrevocably foregoes the right to vote, and does so in a manner that legally binds both the Fund and all subsequent holders. The agreement would grant the Private Investment Fund the right to enjoin any holder from voting. The agreement also will include a statement of the parties' intention that the agreement should be interpreted broadly to effect the parties' desire that the Fund's interest be identical to that of a separate non-voting class. In each instance, the Advisor will determine if the Fund will waive the Fund's voting rights. When it does so, the Advisor will consider only the interests of the Fund and not the interests of the Advisor or those of the Advisor's other clients. The waiver arrangement should benefit the Fund, as it will enable the Fund to invest in more interests of a Private Investment Fund that the Advisor believes is desirable, than the Fund would be able to if it were deemed to be an "affiliate" of the Private Investment Fund within the meaning of the 1940 Act. The Advisor believes that the use of this waiver arrangement will not affect the ability of other clients of the Advisor to invest in the same Private Investment Fund.
Private Investment Fund Will Neither Be Subject to the 1940 Act Nor Will They Be Publicly Traded.
The Private Investment Fund will not be registered as investment companies under the 1940 Act and, therefore, the Fund will not be able to avail itself of the protections of the 1940 Act with respect to the Private Investment Fund, including certain corporate governance protections, such as the requirement of having a majority or 50% of the directors serving on a board as independent directors, statutory protections against self-dealings by the managers of the Private Investment Fund, and leverage limitations. Furthermore, some of the managers of the Private Investment Fund may not be registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
Valuation of Investments in Private Investment Fund.
The NAVs received by the Fund from any Private Investment Fund typically are only estimates. In addition, certain securities and properties in which a Private Investment Fund may invest may not have a readily ascertainable market price. Such securities and properties will be valued by the managers or administrators of such Private Investment Fund, which valuation will be conclusive with respect to the Fund, even though such managers may face a conflict of interest in valuing such securities because the value thereof will affect their compensation. The Fund may rely on estimates of the value of these investments when calculating its NAV. The Fund may suspend the calculation of its NAV under certain conditions.
While the valuations of the Fund's publicly-traded securities are more readily ascertainable, the Fund's ownership interest in any Private Investment Fund is not publicly traded and the Fund may depend on the manager to a Private Investment Fund to provide a valuation of the Fund's investment. Moreover, the valuation of the Fund's investment in a Private Investment Fund, as provided by the manager of any such fund as of a specific date, may vary from the fair value of the investment that may be obtained if such investment were sold to a third party. Shareholders should recognize that valuations of illiquid assets, including interests in a Private Investment Fund, involve various judgments and consideration of factors that may be subjective. As a result, the NAV of the Fund, as determined based on the fair value of its investments in Private Investment Fund, may vary from the amount the Fund would realize on the withdrawal of its investments from the Private Investment Fund. This could adversely affect shareholders. The Advisor will attempt to resolve any conflicts between valuations assigned by a manager to a Private Investment Fund and fair value as determined by the Advisor by seeking information from the manager of such Private Investment Fund and reviewing all relevant available information. Such review may result in a determination to change the fair value of the Fund's investment.
The managers of the Private Investment Fund in which the Fund may invest may use proprietary investment strategies that are not fully disclosed to the Advisor, which may involve risks under some market conditions that are not anticipated by the Advisor. The investment strategies and styles used by any such manager are subject to change without notice. For information about the value of the Fund's investment in Private Investment Fund, the Advisor will be dependent on information provided by the Private Investment Fund, including quarterly unaudited financial statements, which if inaccurate could adversely affect the Advisor's ability to value accurately the Fund's Shares. Shareholders in the Fund has no individual right to receive information about the Private Investment Fund, will not be shareholders in the Private Investment Fund and will have no rights with respect to or standing or recourse against the Private Investment Fund or any of their affiliated persons.
Repurchase Agreements.
A repurchase transaction occurs when an investor purchases a security (normally a U.S. Treasury obligation), and it then resells it to the vendor (normally a member bank of the Federal Reserve or a registered government securities dealer) and is required to deliver the security (and/or securities substituted for them under the repurchase agreement) to the vendor on an agreed upon date in the future. The repurchase price exceeds the purchase price by an amount which reflects an agreed upon market interest rate effective for the period of time during which the repurchase agreement is in effect. Delivery pursuant to the resale normally will occur within one to seven days of the purchase. Repurchase agreements are considered "loans" under the 1940 Act, collateralized by the underlying security. The Trust has implemented procedures to monitor on a continuous basis the value of the collateral serving as security for repurchase obligations. The Advisor will consider the creditworthiness of the vendor. If the vendor fails to pay the agreed upon resale price on the delivery date, the Fund will retain or attempt to dispose of the collateral. The Fund's risk is that such default may include any decline in value of the collateral to an amount which is less than 100% of the repurchase price, any costs of disposing of such collateral, and any loss resulting from any delay in foreclosing on the collateral.
Repurchase agreements that do not provide for payment within seven days will be treated as illiquid securities.
The Fund will not invest in reverse repurchase agreements.
Restricted Securities.
Within its limitation on investment in illiquid securities, the Fund may purchase restricted securities that generally can be sold in privately negotiated transactions, pursuant to an exemption from registration under the federal securities laws, or in a registered public offering. Where registration is required, the Fund may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expense and a considerable period may elapse between the time it decides to seek registration and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If during such a period adverse market conditions were to develop, the Fund might obtain a less favorable price than prevailed when it decided to seek registration of the security. Restricted securities that can be offered and sold to qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933 and are determined to be liquid under guidelines adopted by and subject to the supervision of the Trustees are not subject to the limitations on illiquid securities.
Risks related to Other Equity Securities.
In addition to common stocks, the equity securities in the Fund's portfolio may include preferred stocks, convertible preferred stocks, convertible bonds, and warrants. The value of these equity securities may fluctuate in response to many factors, including the activities of the issuer, general market and economic conditions, interest rates, and specific industry changes. Such price fluctuations subject the Fund to potential losses. In addition, regardless of any one company's particular prospects, a declining stock market may produce a decline in prices for all equity securities, which could also result in losses for the Fund. Convertible securities entitle the holder to receive interest payments or a dividend preference until the security matures or is redeemed, or the conversion privilege is exercised. As a result of the conversion feature, the interest rate or dividend preference on a convertible security is generally less than would be the case if the securities were issued in non-convertible form. Warrants entitle the holder to purchase equity securities at specific prices for a certain period of time. The prices do not necessarily move parallel to the prices of the underlying securities and the warrants have no voting rights, receive no dividends, and have no rights with respect to the assets of the issuer.
Swaps.
The Fund may invest in swap agreements. A swap is an agreement between two parties (known as counterparties) where one stream of payments is exchanged for another. The parties agree to exchange to exchange payments at specified dates (periodic payment dates) on the basis of a specified amount (the notional value of the agreement) with the payments calculated with reference to a specified asset, reference rate, or index. Swaps allow for a wide variety of transactions. For example, fixed rate payments may be exchanged for floating rate payments; U.S. dollar-denominated payments may be exchanged for payments denominated in a different currency; and payments tied to the price of one asset, reference rate, or index may be exchanged for payments tied to the price of another asset, reference rate, or index. For purposes of calculating the NAV, the Fund will price swaps at their market value based on prices supplied by an independent pricing service, if available, or quotations obtained from broker-dealers.
The Fund may use swaps for both speculative and hedging purposes. Swaps can be used as part of a strategy that is intended to reduce the Fund's exposure to various risks or as a substitute for taking a direct position in the underlying asset. The Fund may use swaps to limit or manage exposure to fluctuations in interest rates, currency exchange rates, or potential defaults by credit issuers. The Fund may also attempt to enhance returns by investing in total return swaps. A total return swap provides the Fund with a return based on the performance of an underlying asset, in exchange for fee payments to a counterparty based on a specific rate. If the underlying asset declines in value over the term of the swap, the Fund would be required to pay the dollar value of that decline to the counterparty. For example, the Fund may agree to pay a counterparty the total return earned or realized on the notional amount of a particular stock and any dividends declared with respect to that stock. In return, the Fund would make payments based on the notional amount calculated at the specified rate and would be required to pay amounts resulting from a decline in the value of the stock.
Most swaps provide that when the periodic payment dates for both parties are the same, payments are netted, and only the net amount is paid to the counterparty entitled to receive the net payment. Consequently, the Fund's current obligations (or rights) under a swap will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement, based on the relative values of the positions held by the Fund and the counterparty. During the term of a swap, the Fund is usually required to pledge to the counterparty, from time to time, an amount of cash or other assets equal to the total net amount (if any) that would be payable by the Fund to the counterparty if the swap were terminated on the date in question, including any early termination payments.
Since a swaps transaction can result in a loss greater than the amount invested, the Fund will comply with guidance from the staff of the SEC regarding asset coverage requirements, including Investment Company Act Release No. 10666 (Apr. 18, 1979), that require the Fund to segregate assets or otherwise "cover" its positions in a manner that limits the Fund's risk of loss. In particular, the Fund will ensure that its potential obligations with respect to the swap will be met by segregating liquid assets (which can be cash, U.S. Government securities, and other liquid debt or equity securities) on the Fund's books or in a segregated account at the Fund's custodian. For swaps that call for periodic netting between the Fund and its counterparty, the segregated amount is the net amount due under the contract, as determined daily on a mark-to-market basis. For other kinds of swaps, the segregated amount is the notional value of the contract.
The use of swaps subjects the Fund to the risk of default by the counterparty. A loss may be sustained as a result of the insolvency or bankruptcy of the counterparty or the failure of the counterparty to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the agreement. If there is a default by the counterparty to such a transaction, there may be contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction, although bankruptcy and insolvency laws could affect the Fund's rights as a creditor. Additionally, the use of credit default swaps can result in losses if the Advisor does not correctly evaluate the creditworthiness of the issuer on which the credit default swap is based.
Because swaps are two-party contracts, they may subject the Fund to liquidity risk. If a swap is particularly large or if the relevant market is illiquid, the Fund may not be able to establish or liquidate a position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses. Participants in the swap markets are not required to make continuous markets in the swaps they trade. Participants could refuse to quote prices for swaps or quote prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they are prepared to buy and the price at which they are prepared to sell.
Swaps are highly specialized instruments, and their use involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with other traditional investments. The use of swaps requires an understanding not only of the referenced asset, reference rate, or index but also of the swap itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of the swap under all possible market conditions. Whether the Fund will be successful in using swaps to achieve its investment goals depends on the ability of the Advisor to correctly forecast future market trends or the values of assets, reference rates, indexes, or other economic factors when establishing swap positions.
Temporary Defensive Positions.
The Fund may, from time to time, take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with the Fund's principal investment strategies in an attempt to respond to adverse market, economic, political, or other conditions. During such an unusual set of circumstances, the Fund may hold up to 100% of its portfolio in bonds, cash, or cash equivalent positions. When the Fund takes a temporary defensive position, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective.
U.S. Government Securities.
The Fund may invest in U.S. Government securities, defined to be: (i) U.S. Treasury notes, U.S. Treasury bonds, U.S. Treasury bills, and other U.S. Government obligations; (ii) obligations of the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA) and other U.S. Government sponsored entities that are guaranteed by the U.S. Government; and (iii) obligations of the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC), Federal Housing Administration (FHA), Federal Farm Credit Bank (FFCB), Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB), Student Loan Marketing Association (SLMA), The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and other U.S. Government authorities, agencies, and instrumentalities. While obligations of some U.S. Government sponsored entities are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (e.g. GNMA), others are not. No assurance can be given that the U.S. Government will provide financial support to U.S. Government agencies or instrumentalities in the future since it is not obligated to do so by law. The guarantee of the U.S. Government does not extend to the yield or value of the Fund's shares.
INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS
Fundamental Investment Restrictions.
The following investment restrictions have been adopted by the Trust with respect to the Fund. Except as otherwise stated, these investment restrictions are "fundamental" policies. A "fundamental" policy is defined in 1940 Act to mean that the restriction cannot be changed without approval by holders of a majority of the outstanding voting shares of the Fund. A "majority" for this purpose means the lesser of (i) 67% of the Fund's outstanding shares represented in person or by proxy at a meeting at which more than 50% of its outstanding shares are represented; or (ii) more than 50% of its outstanding shares.
As a matter of fundamental policy, the Fund may not:
(1)
|
Issue senior securities, except as permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940;
|
(2)
|
Borrow money, except to the extent permitted under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (including, without limitation, borrowing to meet redemptions). For purposes of this investment restriction, the entry into options, forward contracts, futures contracts, including those relating to indices, and options on futures contracts or indices shall not constitute borrowing;
|
(3)
|
Pledge, mortgage, or hypothecate its assets, except to the extent necessary to secure permitted borrowings and to the extent related to the deposit of assets in escrow in connection with writing covered put and call options and the purchase of securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis and collateral and initial or variation margin arrangements with respect to options, forward contracts, futures contracts, including those relating to indices, and options on futures contracts or indices;
|
(4)
|
Act as an underwriter except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities, the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter under certain federal securities laws;
|
(5)
|
Purchase or sell real estate or direct interests in real estate; provided, however, that the Fund may purchase and sell securities which are secured by real estate and securities of companies which invest or deal in real estate (including, without limitation, investments in REITs, mortgage-backed securities, and privately-held real estate fund);
|
(6)
|
Invest in commodities, except that the Fund may purchase and sell options, forward contracts, futures contracts, including those relating to indices, and options on futures contracts or indices;
|
(7)
|
Make investments for the purpose of exercising control or management over a portfolio company;
|
(8)
|
Make loans, provided that the Fund may lend its portfolio securities in an amount up to 33% of total Fund assets, and provided further that, for purposes of this restriction, investment in U.S. Government obligations, short-term commercial paper, certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances, and repurchase agreements shall not be deemed to be the making of a loan;
|
(9)
|
With respect to 75% of its total assets, the Fund may not: (i) purchase 10% or more of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer; or (ii) purchase securities of any issuer if, as a result, 5% or more of the Fund's total assets would be invested in that issuer's securities. This limitation does not apply to investments in (i) cash and cash items; (ii) securities of other registered investment companies; and (iii) obligations of the United States Government, its agencies, or instrumentalities; or
|
(10)
|
Concentrate its investments. The Fund's concentration policy limits the aggregate value of holdings of a single industry or group of industries (except U.S. Government and cash items) to less than 25% of the fund's total assets.
|
Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by the fund evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits fund from issuing senior securities, although it does not treat certain transactions as senior securities, such as certain borrowings, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements, firm commitment agreements and standby commitments, with appropriate earmarking or segregation of assets to cover such obligations.
The Fund is allowed to pledge, mortgage, or hypothecate assets up to the amounts allowable under the 1940 Act, which presently allows an investment company to borrow from any bank (including pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating assets) in an amount up to 33 1/3% of its total assets (not including temporary borrowings not in excess of 5% of its total assets).
For purposes of the Fund's concentration policy,
if the Fund invests in one or more investment companies, the Fund will examine the holdings of such investment companies to ensure that the Fund is not indirectly concentrating its investments in a particular industry.
In determining the exposure of the Fund to a particular industry for purposes of the fundamental investment restriction on concentration, the Fund currently uses Standard & Poor's Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) in order to classify industries.
With respect to the fundamental investment restrictions above (other than those involving senior securities and borrowings), if a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of investment, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value or net assets will not result in a violation of such restriction (i.e., percentage limitations are determined at the time of purchase).
Non-Fundamental Policies.
The following investment policies are not fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval.
The Fund has adopted a non-fundamental investment policy in accordance with Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in discounted closed-end funds. If, subsequent to an investment, the 80% requirement is no longer met, a Fund's future investments will be made in a manner that will bring the Fund into compliance with this policy.
The Fund will not invest more than 15% of its net assets in securities for which there are legal or contractual restrictions on resale or other illiquid securities.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS
Subject to the general supervision of the Trustees, the Advisor is responsible for, makes decisions with respect to, and places orders for all purchases and sales of portfolio securities for the Fund. The Advisor shall manage the Fund's portfolios in accordance with the terms of the investment advisory agreement by and between the Advisor and the Trust on behalf of the Fund, which is described in detail under "Management and Other Service Providers – Investment Advisor." The Advisor serves as investment advisor for a number of client accounts, including the Fund. Investment decisions for the Fund are made independently from those for any other series of the Trust, if any, and for any other investment companies and accounts advised or managed by the Advisor.
Brokerage Selection.
The Fund has adopted, and the Trustees have approved, policies and procedures relating to the direction of mutual fund portfolio securities transactions to broker-dealers. The Advisor may not give consideration to sales of shares of the Fund as a factor in selecting broker-dealers to execute portfolio securities transactions. The Advisor may, however, place portfolio transactions with broker-dealers that promote or sell the Fund's shares so long as such transactions are done in accordance with the policies and procedures established by the Trustees that are designed to ensure that the selection is based on the quality of the broker's execution and not on its sales efforts. In selecting brokers to be used in portfolio transactions, the Advisor's general guiding principle is to obtain the best overall execution for each trade, which is a combination of price and execution. With respect to execution, the Advisor considers a number of discretionary factors, including, without limitation, the actual handling of the order, the ability of the broker to settle the trade promptly and accurately, the financial standing of the broker, the ability of the broker to position stock to facilitate execution, the Advisor's past experience with similar trades, and other factors that may be unique to a particular order. Recognizing the value of these discretionary factors, the Advisor may select brokers who charge a brokerage commission that is higher than the lowest commission that might otherwise be available for any given trade.
Under Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the investment advisory agreement, the Advisor is authorized to pay a brokerage commission in excess of that which another broker might have charged for effecting the same transaction, in recognition of the value of brokerage and/or research services provided by the broker. The research received by the Advisor may include, without limitation: information on the United States and other world economies; information on specific industries, groups of securities, individual companies, and political and other relevant news developments affecting markets and specific securities; technical and quantitative information about markets; analysis of proxy proposals affecting specific companies; accounting and performance systems that allow the Advisor to determine and track investment results; and trading systems that allow the Advisor to interface electronically with brokerage firms, custodians, and other providers. Research is received in the form of written reports, telephone contacts, personal meetings, research seminars, software programs, and access to computer databases. In some instances, research products or services received by the Advisor may also be used by the Advisor for functions that are not research related (i.e. not related to the making of investment decisions). Where a research product or service has a mixed use, the Advisor will make a reasonable allocation according to the use and will pay for the non-research function in cash using its own fund.
The research and investment information services described above make available to the Advisor for its analysis and consideration the views and information of individuals and research staffs of other securities firms. These services may be useful to the Advisor in connection with advisory clients other than the Fund and not all such services may be useful to the Advisor in connection with the Fund. Although such information may be a useful supplement to the Advisor's own investment information in rendering services to the Fund, the value of such research and services is not expected to reduce materially the expenses of the Advisor in the performance of its services under the investment advisory agreement and will not reduce the management fees payable to the Advisor by the Fund.
The Fund may invest in securities traded in the OTC market. In these cases, the Fund may initiate trades through brokers on an agency basis and pay a commission in connection with the transaction. The Fund may also effect these transactions by dealing directly with the dealers who make a market in the securities involved, in which case the costs of such transactions would involve dealer spreads rather than brokerage commissions. With respect to securities traded only in the OTC market, orders will be executed on a principal basis with primary market makers in such securities except where better prices or executions may be obtained on an agency basis or by dealing with those other than a primary market maker.
The Fund may participate, if and when practicable, in bidding for the purchase of Fund securities directly from an issuer in order to take advantage of the lower purchase price available to members of a bidding group. The Fund will engage in this practice, however, only when the Advisor, in its sole discretion, believes such practice to be otherwise in the Fund's interest.
For the fiscal years ended May 31, 2016, May 31, 2017, and May 31, 2018, the Fund paid brokerage commissions of $4,853, $8,687, and $10,035, respectively. The increase in brokerage commissions for the fiscal years ended May 31, 2018, May 31, 2017, and May 31, 2016, from the previous fiscal year was due to increased trading activity and the larger asset size of the Fund.
Aggregated Trades.
While investment decisions for the Fund are made independently of the Advisor's other client accounts, the Advisor's other client accounts may invest in the same securities as the Fund. To the extent permitted by law, the Advisor may aggregate the securities to be sold or purchased for the Fund with those to be sold or purchased for other investment companies or accounts in executing transactions. When a purchase or sale of the same security is made at substantially the same time on behalf of the fund and another investment company or account, the transaction will be averaged as to price and available investments allocated as to amount in a manner which the Advisor believes to be equitable to the Fund and such other investment company or account. In some instances, this investment procedure may adversely affect the price paid or received by the Fund or the size of the position obtained or sold by the Fund.
Portfolio Turnover.
The annualized portfolio turnover rate for the Fund is calculated by dividing the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the reporting period by the monthly average value of the portfolio securities owned during the reporting period. The calculation excludes all securities whose maturities or expiration dates at the time of acquisition are one year or less. Portfolio turnover of the Fund may vary greatly from year to year as well as within a particular year and may be affected by cash requirements for redemption of shares and by requirements that enable the Fund to receive favorable tax treatment. Portfolio turnover will not be a limiting factor in making Fund decisions, and the Fund may engage in short-term trading to achieve its investment objectives. High rates of portfolio turnover could lower performance of the Fund due to increased transaction costs and may also result in the realization of short-term capital gains taxed at ordinary income tax rates. The portfolio turnover rate for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2018, was 368.35%. The portfolio turnover rate for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2017, was 151.88%. The increase in the portfolio turnover rate for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2018, was due primarily to a change in the Fund's investment strategy.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST
The Trust, which is a statutory trust organized under Delaware law on May 13, 2009, is an open-end management investment company. The Trust's Declaration of Trust ("Trust Instrument") authorizes the Trustees to divide shares into series, each series relating to a separate portfolio of investments, and to classify and reclassify any unissued shares into one or more classes of shares of each such series. The Trust currently consists of 17 series. Additional series and/or classes may be created from time to time. The number of shares of each series in the Trust shall be unlimited. When issued for payment as described in the Fund's Prospectus and this SAI, shares of the Fund will be fully paid and non‑assessable and shall have no preemptive rights. The Trust normally does not issue share certificates.
In the event of a liquidation or dissolution of the Trust or an individual series, such as the Fund, shareholders of a particular series would be entitled to receive the assets available for distribution belonging to such series. Shareholders of a series are entitled to participate equally in the net distributable assets of the particular series involved on liquidation, based on the number of shares of the series that are held by each shareholder. If there are any assets, income, earnings, proceeds, fund, or payments that are not readily identifiable as belonging to any particular series, the Trustees shall allocate them among any one or more of the series as they, in their sole discretion, deem fair and equitable.
Shareholders of all of the series of the Trust, including the Fund, will vote together and not separately on a series‑by‑series or class-by-class basis, except as otherwise required by law or when the Trustees determine that the matter to be voted upon affects only the interests of the shareholders of a particular series or class. The Trust has adopted a Rule 18f-3 Multi-class Plan for certain series that contain the general characteristics of and conditions under which such series may offer multiple classes of shares. Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act provides that any matter required to be submitted to the holders of the outstanding voting securities of an investment company such as the Trust shall not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of each series or class affected by the matter. A series or class is affected by a matter unless it is clear that the interests of each series or class in the matter are substantially identical or that the matter does not affect any interest of the series or class. Under Rule 18f-2, the approval of an investment advisory agreement or any change in the fundamental investment policy would be effectively acted upon with respect to a series only if approved by a majority of the outstanding shares of such series. However, the rule also provides that the ratification of the appointment of independent accountants, the approval of principal underwriting contracts, and the election of Trustees may be effectively acted upon by shareholders of the Trust voting together, without regard to a particular series or class. Rights of shareholders can only be modified by a majority vote.
When used in the Prospectus or this SAI, a "majority" of shareholders means the vote of the lesser of (i) 67% of the shares of the Trust or the applicable series or class present at a meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares are present in person or by proxy or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Trust or the applicable series or class.
Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each full share and a fractional vote for each fractional share held. Shares have non-cumulative voting rights, which means that the holders of more than 50% of the shares voting for the election of Trustees can elect 100% of the Trustees, and in this event, the holders of the remaining shares voting will not be able to elect any Trustees.
The Trustees will hold office indefinitely, except that: (i) any Trustee may resign or retire, and (ii) any Trustee may be removed: (a) any time by written instrument signed by at least two-thirds of the number of Trustees prior to such removal; (b) at any meeting of shareholders of the Trust by a vote of two-thirds of the outstanding shares of the Trust; or (c) by a written declaration signed by shareholders holding not less than two-thirds of the outstanding shares of the Trust. In case a vacancy on the Board shall for any reason exist, the vacancy shall be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining Trustees, subject to certain restrictions under the 1940 Act. Otherwise, there will normally be no meeting of shareholders for the purpose of electing Trustees, and the Trust does not expect to have an annual meeting of share-holders.
The Trust Instrument provides that the Trustees will not be liable in any event in connection with the affairs of the Trust, except as such liability may arise from a Trustee's bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of duties. It also provides that all third parties shall look solely to the Trust's property for satisfaction of claims arising in connection with the affairs of the Trust. With the exceptions stated, the Trust Instrument provides that a Trustee or officer is entitled to be indemnified against all liability in connection with the affairs of the Trust.
MANAGEMENT AND OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS
The Trustees are responsible for the management and supervision of the Fund. The Trustees approve all significant agreements between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and those companies that furnish services to the Fund, review performance of the Advisor and the Fund, and oversee activities of the Fund. This section of the SAI provides information about the persons who serve as Trustees and officers to the Trust and Fund, respectively, as well as the entities that provide services to the Fund.
Trustees and Officers.
Following are the Trustees and officers of the Trust, their age and address, their present position with the Trust or the Fund, and their principal occupation during the past five years. The Trustees in the following table who are not "interested persons" of the Trust within the meaning of the 1940 Act ("Independent Trustees") are indicated as such. The address of each Trustee and officer of the Trust, unless otherwise indicated, is 116 South Franklin Street, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27804.
Name, Age
and Address
|
Position
held with
Funds
or
Trust
|
Length
of Time
Served
|
Principal Occupation
During Past 5 Years
|
Number of Portfolios
in Fund
Complex Overseen
by Trustee
|
Other Directorships
Held by Trustee
During Past 5 Years
|
Independent Trustees
|
James H. Speed, Jr.
Date of Birth: 06/1953
|
Independent Trustee,
Chairman
|
Trustee since
7/09, Chair
since 5/12
|
Previously President and CEO of NC Mutual Insurance Company (insurance company) from 2003 to 2015.
|
17
|
Independent Trustee of the Brown Capital Management Mutual Funds for its four series, Hillman Capital Management Investment Trust for its one series, Centaur Mutual Funds Trust for its one series, Chesapeake Investment Trust for its one series and WST Investment Trust for its two series (all registered investment companies). Member of Board of Directors of M&F Bancorp. Member of Board of Directors of Investors Title Company. Previously, Board of Directors of NC Mutual Life Insurance Company.
|
Theo H. Pitt, Jr.
Date of Birth: 04/1936
|
Independent Trustee
|
Since 9/10
|
Senior Partner, Community Financial Institutions Consulting (financial consulting) since 1999; Partner, Pikar Properties (real estate) since 2001.
|
17
|
Independent Trustee of World Funds Trust for its twenty-eight series, Chesapeake Investment Trust for its one series, DGHM Investment Trust for its one series, Leeward Investment Trust for its two series and Hillman Capital Management Investment Trust for its one series (all registered investment companies).
|
Michael G. Mosley
Date of Birth: 01/1953
|
Independent Trustee
|
Since 7/10
|
Owner of Commercial Realty Services (real estate) since 2004.
|
17
|
None.
|
J. Buckley Strandberg
Date of Birth: 03/1960
|
Independent Trustee
|
Since 7/09
|
President of Standard Insurance and Realty since 1982.
|
17
|
None.
|
Other Officers
|
Katherine M. Honey
Date of Birth: 09/1973
|
President and Principal
Executive Officer
|
Since 05/15
|
EVP of The Nottingham Company since 2008.
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
Ashley E. Harris
Date of Birth: 03/1984
|
Treasurer, Assistant
Secretary and Principal
Financial Officer
|
Since 05/15
|
Fund Accounting Manager and Financial Reporting, The Nottingham Company since 2008.
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
Name, Age
and Address
|
Position
held with
Funds
or
Trust
|
Length
of Time
Served
|
Principal Occupation
During Past 5 Years
|
Number of Portfolios
in Fund
Complex Overseen
by Trustee
|
Other Directorships
Held by Trustee
During Past 5 Years
|
Robert G. Schaaf
Date of Birth: 09/1988
|
Secretary
|
Since 09/18
|
General Counsel of The Nottingham Company since 2018; Daughtry, Woodard, Lawrence & Starling (08/2015 – 01/2018); JD/MBA Candidate, Wake Forest University (07/2011 – 05/2015).
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
Stacey Gillespie
Date of Birth: 05/1974
|
Chief Compliance
Officer
|
Since 03/16
|
Compliance Director, Cipperman Compliance Services, LLC (09/15-present). Formerly, Chief Compliance Officer of Boenning & Scattergood, Inc. (2013-2015) and Director of Investment Compliance at Boenning & Scattergood, Inc. (2007-2013).
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
The Board met five times during the fiscal year ended May 31, 2018.
Board Structure.
The Trust's Board includes four Independent Trustees. Mr. Speed serves as the independent chairman of the Board. The Board has established several standing committees: the Audit Committee, Nominating Committee, Proxy Voting Committee, Governance Committee, and Qualified Legal Compliance Committee. These standing committees are comprised entirely of the Independent Trustees. Other information about these standing committees is set forth below. The Board has determined that the Board's structure is appropriate given the characteristics, size, and operations of the Trust. The Board also believes that its leadership structure, including its committees, helps facilitate effective oversight of Trust management. The Board reviews its structure annually.
With respect to risk oversight, the Board considers risk management issues as part of its general oversight responsibilities throughout the year. The Board holds four regular board meetings each year during which the Board receives risk management reports and/or assessments from Trust management, the Fund's advisor, administrator, transfer agent, and distributor, and receives an annual report from the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer ("CCO"). The Audit Committee also meets with the Trust's independent registered public accounting firm on an annual basis, to discuss among other things, the internal control structure of the Trust's financial reporting function. When appropriate, the Board may hold special meeting or communicate directly with Trust management, the CCO, the Trust's third-party service providers, legal counsel, or independent public accountants to address matters arising between regular board meeting or needing special attention. In addition, the Board has adopted policies and procedures for the Trust to help detect and prevent and, if necessary, correct violations of federal securities laws.
Qualification of Trustees.
The Board believes that each Trustee's experience, qualifications, attributes, or skills on an individual basis and in combination with those of the other Trustees on the Board lead to the conclusion that the Board possesses the requisite skills and attributes to carry out its oversight responsibilities with respect to the Trust. The Board believes that its Trustees' ability to review, critically evaluate, question, and discuss information provided to them, to interact effectively with the Advisor, other service providers, counsel and independent auditors, and to exercise effective business judgment in the performance of its duties, support this conclusion. The Board also has considered the following experience, qualifications, attributes and/or skills, among others, of its members, as applicable, in reaching its conclusion: (i) such person's business and professional experience and accomplishments, including prior experience in the financial services and investment management fields or on other boards; (ii) such person's ability to work effectively with the other members of the Board; (iii) how the individual's skills, experiences, and attributes would contribute to an appropriate mix of relevant skills and experience on the Board; (iv) such person's character and integrity; (v) such person's willingness to serve and willingness and ability to commit the time necessary to perform the duties of a Trustee; and (vi) as to each Trustee his status as an Independent Trustee.
In addition, the following specific experience, qualifications, attributes and/or skills were considered in respect of the listed Trustee. Mr. Mosley has had business experience as an owner of a real estate company. Mr. Pitt has experience as an investor, including his role as trustee of several other investment companies and business experience as senior partner of a financial consulting company, as a partner of a real estate partnership and as an account administrator for a money management firm. Mr. Speed also has experience as an investor as trustee of several other investment companies and business experience as president and CEO of an insurance company and as president of a company in the business of consulting and private investing. Mr. Strandberg also has investment experience as a former trustee of another investment company and business experience as president of an insurance and property management company.
The Board has determined that each of the Trustees' careers and background, combined with their interpersonal skills and general understanding of financial and other matters, enable the Trustees to effectively participate in and contribute to the Board's functions and oversight of the Trust.
Trustee Standing Committees.
The Trustees have established the following standing committees:
Audit Committee.
All of the Independent Trustees are members of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee oversees the Fund's accounting and financial reporting policies and practices, reviews the results of the annual audits of the Fund's financial statements, and interacts with the Fund's independent auditors on behalf of all the Trustees. The Audit Committee operates pursuant to an Audit Committee Charter and meets periodically as necessary. The Audit Committee met eight times during the fiscal year ended May 31, 2018.
Nominating Committee.
All of the Independent Trustees are members of the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee nominates, selects, and appoints independent trustees to fill vacancies on the Board and to stand for election at meetings of the shareholders of the Trust. The Nominating Committee meets only as necessary and did not meet during the fiscal year ended May 31, 2018. The Nominating Committee generally will not consider nominees recommended by shareholders of the Trust.
Proxy Voting Committee.
All of the Independent Trustees are members of the Proxy Voting Committee. The Proxy Voting Committee will determine how the Fund should vote, if called upon by the Board or the Advisor, when a matter with respect to which the Fund is entitled to vote presents a conflict between the interests of the Fund's shareholders, on the one hand, and those of the Fund's Advisor, principal underwriter, or an affiliated person of the Fund, its investment advisor, or principal underwriter, on the other hand. The Proxy Voting Committee will also review the Trust's Proxy Voting Policy and recommend any changes to the Board as it deems necessary or advisable. The Proxy Voting Committee will also decide if the Fund should participate in a class action settlement, if called upon by the Advisor, in cases where a class action settlement with respect to which the Fund is eligible to participate presents a conflict between the interests of the Fund's shareholders, on the one hand, and those of the Advisor, on the other hand. The Proxy Voting Committee meets only as necessary and did not meet during the fiscal year ended May 31, 2018.
Governance Committee.
The Independent Trustees are the current members of the Governance Committee. The Governance Committee assists the Board of Trustees in adopting fund governance practices and meeting certain fund governance standards. The Governance Committee operates pursuant to a Governance Committee Charter and normally meets annually, but may also meet as often as necessary to carry out its purpose. The Governance Committee met once during the fiscal year ended May 31, 2018.
Qualified Legal Compliance Committee.
The Independent Trustees are the current members of the Qualified Legal Compliance Committee. The Qualified Legal Compliance Committee receives, investigates, and makes recommendations as to appropriate remedial action in connection with any report of evidence of a material violation of securities laws or breach of fiduciary duty or similar violation by the Trust, its officers, Trustees, or agents. The Qualified Legal Compliance Committee meets only as necessary and did not meet during the fiscal year ended May 31, 2018.
Beneficial Equity Ownership Information.
The table below shows for each Trustee, the amount of Fund equity securities beneficially owned by each Trustee, and the aggregate value of all investments in equity securities of the Fund complex, as of valuation date of December 31, 2017 and stated as one of the following ranges: A = None; B = $1-$10,000; C = $10,001-$50,000; D = $50,001-$100,000; and E = over $100,000.
Name of Trustee
|
Dollar Range of
Equity Securities
in the Fund
|
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity
Securities in All Registered
Investment Companies Overseen by
Trustee in Family of
Investment Companies
|
Michael G. Mosley
|
A
|
A
|
Theo H. Pitt, Jr.
|
A
|
A
|
James H. Speed, Jr.
|
A
|
A
|
J. Buckley Strandberg
|
A
|
A
|
Ownership of Securities of Advisor, Distributor, or Related Entities.
As of May 31, 2018, none of the Independent Trustees and/or their immediate family members own securities of the Advisor, Capital Investment Group, Inc. (the "Distributor"), or any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Advisor or Distributor.
Compensation.
Officers of the Trust and Trustees who are interested persons of the Trust or the Advisor will receive no salary or fees from the Trust. Independent Trustees receive $2,000 per fund each year, and they may receive up to an additional $500 per series of the Trust per special meeting in the event that special meetings are held. This amount may be paid pro rata in the event that a series closes during the fiscal year. The Trust reimburses each Trustee and officers of the Trust for his or her travel and other expenses relating to attendance at such meetings. The following compensation is based on figures for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2018. Each of the Trustees serves as a Trustee to all series of the Trust, including the Fund.
Name of Trustee
|
Aggregate
Compensation From
the fund
|
Pension or
Retirement Benefits
Accrued As Part of
Fund Expenses
|
Estimated Annual
Benefits Upon
Retirement
|
Total Compensation
From Fund and
Fund Complex Paid
to Trustees
|
Independent Trustees
|
Michael G. Mosley
|
$2,000
|
None
|
None
|
$32,500
|
Theo H. Pitt, Jr.
|
$2,000
|
None
|
None
|
$32,500
|
James H. Speed, Jr.
|
$2,000
|
None
|
None
|
$32,500
|
J. Buckley Strandberg
|
$2,000
|
None
|
None
|
$32,500
|
Codes of Ethics.
The Trust, Advisor, and Distributor each have adopted a code of ethics, as required under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act, which is designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Trust, Advisor, and Distributor from engaging in deceptive, manipulative, or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired by the Fund (which securities may also be held by persons subject to each such code of ethics). There can be no assurance that the codes will be effective in preventing such activities. The codes permit employees and officers of the Trust, Advisor, and Distributor to invest in securities held by the Fund, subject to certain restrictions and pre-approval requirements. In addition, the Advisor's code requires that portfolio managers and other investment personnel of the Advisor report their personal securities transactions and holdings, which are reviewed for compliance with the Trust's and Advisor's code of ethics.
Anti-Money Laundering Program.
The Trust has adopted an anti-money laundering program, as required by applicable law, that is designed to prevent the Fund from being used for money laundering or the financing of terrorist activities. The Trust's CCO is responsible for implementing and monitoring the operations and internal controls of the program. Compliance officers at certain of the Fund's service providers are also responsible for monitoring the program. The anti-money laundering program is subject to the continuing oversight of the Trustees.
Proxy Voting Policies.
The Trust has adopted a proxy voting and disclosure policy that delegates to the Advisor the authority to vote proxies for the Fund, subject to oversight by the Trustees. A copy of the Advisor's Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures is included as Appendix B to this SAI. No later than August 31st of each year, the Fund will file Form N-PX stating how the fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30th. Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies as set forth in its most recent filing of Form N-PX will be available (i) without charge, upon request, by calling the Fund at 1-800-773-3863; and (ii) on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov.
Principal Holders of Voting Securities.
As of August 31, 2018, the Trustees and officers of the Trust as a group owned beneficially (i.e., had direct or indirect voting and/or investment power) less than 1% of the then outstanding share of each class of the Fund. On the same date, the following shareholders owned of record or beneficially more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. Shareholders owning 25% or more of outstanding shares may be in control and be able to affect the outcome of certain matters presented for a vote of Shareholders. No person is known by the Trust to be the record or beneficial owner of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Fund as of August 31, 2018.
Investment Advisor.
Information about the Advisor, ARS Investment Management, LLC of 629 Highland Avenue, Suite 200, Needham, Massachusetts 02494 and its duties and compensation as Advisor is contained in the Fund's prospectus. The Advisor is owned by its managing member, Timothy Dolan. The Advisor supervises the Fund's investments pursuant to an investment advisory agreement (the "Investment Advisory Agreement"). The Investment Advisory Agreement will continue in effect for two (2) years initially, and thereafter, shall continue from year to year so long as such renewal and continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Trustees or by vote of a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting securities, provided the continuance is also approved by a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Investment Advisory Agreement or interested persons of any such party. The Investment Advisory Agreements will be terminable without penalty by the Trust upon 60 calendar days' written notice by the Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities or upon 60 calendar days' written notice by the Advisor. The Investment Advisory Agreement provides that it will terminate automatically in the event of its "assignment," as such term is defined in the 1940 Act.
The Advisor manages the Fund's investments in accordance with the stated policies of the Fund, subject to the approval of the Trustees. The Advisor is responsible for investment decisions, and provides the Fund with portfolio managers who are authorized by the Trustees to execute purchases and sales of securities.
Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, the Advisor is not liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the performance of such 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 Advisor in the performance of its duties, or from its reckless disregard of its duties and obligations under the Investment Advisory Agreement.
As full compensation for the investment advisory services provided to the Fund, the Advisor receives monthly compensation based on the Fund's average daily net assets at the annual rate of 1.10%.
.
In the interest of limiting expenses of the Fund,
the Advisor has entered into an Expense Limitation Agreement with the Trust, pursuant to which the Advisor has agreed to waive or limit its fees and to assume other expenses so that the total annual operating expenses of the Fund (exclusive of (i) any front-end or contingent deferred loads; (ii) brokerage fees and commissions, (iii) acquired fund fees and expenses; (iv) fees and expenses associated with investments in other collective investment vehicles or derivative instruments (including for example option and swap fees and expenses); (v) borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short); (vi) taxes; and (vii) extraordinary expenses, such as litigation expenses (which may include indemnification of Fund officers and Trustees and contractual indemnification of Fund service providers (other than the Adviser))) is limited to 2.50% through September 30, 2019 and may be terminated by the Board of Trustees (the "Board" or "Trustees") at any time.. Any fees or expenses waived or reimbursed by the Advisor are subject to repayment by the Fund within three years following the date on which the Fund accrues a liability or recognizes a contingent liability with respect to such amounts waived or reimbursed by the Advisor if the Fund is able to make the repayment without exceeding the lesser of its current Maximum Operating Expense Limit and the Maximum Operating Expense Limit in place at the time of the initial waiver and/or reimbursement.
For the fiscal year ended May 31, 2018, the Fund incurred $37,010 in advisory fees, all of which were waived and $161,400 was reimbursed to the Fund by the Advisor. For the period from August 1, 2016, through May 31, 2017, the Fund incurred $24,244 in advisory fees, all of which were waived and $86,243 were reimbursed to the Fund by the Advisor.
For the period from June 1, 2016, through July 31, 2016, Cavalier Investments served as the advisor to the Fund. During the period, the Fund paid a monthly advisory fee to Cavalier Investments based upon the average daily net assets and calculated at an annual rate of 0.45%. For the period from June 1, 2016, through July 31, 2016, Cavalier Investments received $7,640 in advisory fees, all of which were waived and $16,550 were reimbursed by Cavalier Investments.
Portfolio Manager.
Timothy Dolan is the Fund's portfolio manager and is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.
Compensation.
The portfolio manager's compensation varies with the general success of the Advisor as a firm. The portfolio manager's compensation consists of a fixed annual salary, plus additional remuneration based on the Advisor's assets under management. The portfolio manager's compensation is not directly linked to the Fund's performance, although positive performance and growth in managed assets are factors that may contribute to the Advisor's distributable profits and assets under management.
Ownership of Fund Shares.
The table below shows the amount of the fund's equity securities beneficially owned by the portfolio manager as of May 31, 2018 and stated as one of the following ranges: A = None; B = $1-$10,000; C = $10,001-$50,000; D = $50,001-$100,000; E = $100,001-$500,000; F = $500,001-$1,000,000; and G = over $1,000,000.
Name of
Portfolio Manager
|
Dollar Range of
Equity Securities in the Fund
|
Timothy Dolan
|
E
|
Other Accounts.
In addition to the Fund, the portfolio manager may be responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts. The table below shows the number of, and total assets in, such other accounts as of May 31, 2018.
Portfolio Manager
|
Registered Investment
Companies
|
Other Pooled Investment
Vehicles
|
Other Accounts
|
Number of
Accounts
|
Total Assets
|
Number of
Accounts
|
Total Assets
|
Number of
Accounts
|
Total Assets
|
All Accounts
|
Timothy Dolan
|
None
|
$0
|
None
|
$0
|
None
|
$0
|
Accounts with Performance-Based Advisory Fee
|
Timothy Dolan
|
None
|
$0
|
None
|
$0
|
None
|
$0
|
Conflicts of Interests.
The portfolio manager's management of "other accounts" may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with their management of the Fund's investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other. The other accounts consist of separately managed private clients ("Other Accounts"). The Other Accounts might have similar investment objectives as the Fund, be compared to the same index as the Fund, or otherwise hold, purchase, or sell securities that are eligible to be held, purchased, or sold by the Fund.
Knowledge of the Timing and Size of Fund Trades:
A potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the portfolio manager's day-to-day management of the Fund. The portfolio manager knows the size and timing of trades for the Fund and the Other Accounts, and may be able to predict the market impact of Fund trades. It is theoretically possible that the portfolio manager could use this information to the advantage of Other Accounts it manages and to the possible detriment of the Fund, or vice versa.
Investment Opportunities:
The Advisor provides investment supervisory services for a number of investment products that have varying investment guidelines. The portfolio manager works across different investment products. Differences in the compensation structures of the Advisor's investment products may give rise to a conflict of interest by creating an incentive for the Advisor to allocate the investment opportunities it believes might be the most profitable to the client accounts where it might benefit the most from the investment gains.
Administrator.
The Trust has entered into the fund Accounting and Administration Agreement with The Nottingham Company ("Administrator"), 116 South Franklin Street, Post Office Box 69, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27802-0069. The Administrator performs the following services for the Fund: (i) procures on behalf of the Trust, and coordinates with the custodian and monitors the services it provides to the Fund; (ii) coordinates with and monitors any other third parties furnishing services to the Fund; (iii) provides the Fund with necessary office space, telephones, and other communications facilities and personnel competent to perform administrative and clerical functions for the Fund; (iv) assists or supervises the maintenance by third parties of such books and records of the Fund as may be required by applicable federal or state law; (v) assists in the preparation of all federal, state, and local tax returns and reports of the Fund required by applicable law; (vi) assists in the preparation of and, after approval by the Trust, files and arranges for the distribution of proxy materials and periodic reports to shareholders of the Fund as required by applicable law; (vii) assists in the preparation of and, after approval by the Trust, arranges for the filing of such registration statements and other documents with the SEC and other federal and state regulatory authorities as may be required by applicable law; (viii) reviews and submits to the officers of the Trust for their approval invoices or other requests for payment of Fund expenses and instructs the custodian to issue checks in payment thereof; and (ix) takes such other action with respect to the Fund as may be necessary in the opinion of the Administrator to perform its duties under the agreement. The Administrator will also provide certain accounting and pricing services for the Fund.
Compensation of the Administrator, which is based upon an administration fee on the average daily net assets of the fund, is at the following annual rates: 0.100% of the Fund's first $250 million, 0.080% on the next $250 million, 0.060% on the next $250 million, and 0.050% on the next $250 million, 0.040% on the next $1 billion, and 0.035% on all assets over $2 billion, with a monthly minimum general administration fee of $1,000. The Administrator currently receives a monthly fund accounting fee of $2,250 per Fund for accounting and recordkeeping services with an additional fee of $500 per month for each additional class of shares plus an asset-based fee of 0.01% of the net assets of the Fund. The Administrator will also receive the following to procure and pay the custodian for the Fund: 0.02% on the first $100 million of the fund's net assets and 0.009% on all assets over $100 million plus transaction fees with a minimum annual fee of $5,000. The Administrator also charges the Fund for certain costs involved with the daily valuation of investment securities and is reimbursed for out‑of‑pocket expenses.
For the fiscal years ended May 31, 2016, May 31, 2017, and May 31, 2018, the Fund paid general administration fees of $15,657, $24,024, and $23,999, respectively.
Distributor.
The Fund will conduct a continuous offering of their securities. Capital Investment Group, Inc., 100 E. Six Forks Road, Suite 200, Raleigh, North Carolina 27609, acts as the underwriter and Distributor of the Fund's shares for the purpose of facilitating the registration of shares of the Fund under state securities laws and assisting in sales of Fund shares pursuant to a distribution agreement ("Distribution Agreement") approved by the Trustees. In this regard, the Distributor has agreed at its own expense to qualify as a broker-dealer under all applicable federal or state laws in those states that the Fund shall from time to time identify to the Distributor as states in which the Fund wishes to offer its shares for sale, in order that state registrations may be maintained for the Fund. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC and a member in good standing of FINRA. The Distributor is entitled to receive an annual fee of $5,000 per Fund for performing certain recordkeeping, communication, and other administrative services for the Fund. Such administrative services include the following: (i) maintaining records with respect to submissions to FINRA, dealer discounts and brokerage fees and commissions, and selling agreements; (ii) maintaining an account with the National Securities Clearing Corporation's Fund/SERV System for the purpose of processing account registrations, maintaining accounts, and communicating transaction data; (iii) preparing reports for the Board of Trustees as shall be reasonably requested from time to time; and (iv) performing other services for the Trust as agreed to by the Distributor and the Trust from time to time. The Distributor and Trust agree that the services described above are of an administrative nature and such services, as well as the fee provided in connection therewith, are not, nor are they intended to be, payment for marketing and/or distribution services related to, or the promotion of, the sale of the Fund's shares. The Distribution Agreement may be terminated by either party upon 60-days' prior written notice to the other party and will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment. The Distributor serves as exclusive agent for the distribution of the shares of the Fund.
Transfer Agent.
The Trust has entered into a Dividend Disbursing and Transfer Agent Agreement with Nottingham Shareholder Services, LLC ("Transfer Agent"), a North Carolina limited liability company, to serve as transfer, dividend paying, and shareholder servicing agent for the Fund. The address of the Transfer Agent is 116 South Franklin Street, Post Office Box 4365, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27803-0365. The Transfer Agent is compensated for its services based upon a $21 fee per shareholder per year, subject to a minimum fee of $1,750 per month and $500 per month for each additional class of shares.
Custodian.
UMB Bank, at 1010 Grand Boulevard, Kansas City, Missouri, 64106, serves as custodian for the Fund's assets (the "Custodian"). The Custodian acts as the depository for the Fund, safe keeps their portfolio securities, collects all income and other payments with respect to portfolio securities, disburses monies at the Fund's request, and maintains records in connection with its duties as custodian. For its services, the Custodian is entitled to receive a monthly fee from the Administrator based on the average net assets of the Fund plus additional out-of-pocket and transaction expenses as incurred by the Fund. The Custodian's compensation is based on the average daily net assets of the Fund at the following rates: 0.02% on the Fund's first $100 million and 0.009% on any average net assets over $100 million, subject to a minimum annual amount of $5,000 for the Fund.
Compliance Services Administrator.
The Trust has entered into a compliance services arrangement with Cipperman Compliance Services, LLC, located at 500 East Swedesford Road, Suite 104, Wayne, Pennsylvania, 19087. The Trust's CCO will prepare and update the Trust's compliance manual and monitor and test compliance with the policies and procedures under the Trust's compliance manual.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
The Trustees have selected the firm of BBD, LLP, located at 1835 Market Street, 3
rd
Floor, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19103, to serve as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund for the current fiscal year, audit the annual financial statements of the Fund, and prepare the Fund's federal, state, and excise tax returns. The independent registered public accounting firm will audit the financial statements of the Fund at least once each year. Shareholders will receive annual audited and semi-annual (unaudited) reports when published and written confirmation of all transactions in their account. A copy of the most recent annual report will accompany the SAI whenever a shareholder or a prospective investor requests it.
Legal Counsel.
Greenberg Traurig LLP serves as legal counsel to the Trust and the Fund.
ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION
Reference is made to "Purchasing Shares" and "Redeeming Shares" in the Fund's Prospectus for more information concerning how to purchase and redeem shares. The following information supplements the information regarding share purchases and share redemptions in the Fund's Prospectus:
Purchases.
Shares the Fund are offered and sold on a continuous basis and may be purchased through authorized investment dealers or directly by contacting the Distributor, or the Fund directly. The purchase price of shares of the Fund is based on the NAV next determined after the order is received, subject to the order being accepted by the Fund in good form. NAV is normally determined at the time regular trading closes on the New York Stock Exchange on days the New York Stock Exchange is open for regular trading (currently 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except when the New York Stock Exchange closes earlier), as described under "Net Asset Value" above. The NAV per share of the Fund is not calculated on business holidays when the New York Stock Exchange is closed. An order received prior to the time regular trading closes on the New York Stock Exchange will be executed at the price calculated on the date of receipt and an order received after the time regular trading closes on the New York Stock Exchange will be executed at the price calculated as of that time on the next business day.
The Fund reserve the right in its sole discretion: (i) to suspend the offering of its shares; (ii) to reject purchase orders when in the judgment of management such rejection is in the best interest of the Fund and their shareholders; and (iii) to reduce or waive the minimum for initial and subsequent investments under circumstances where certain economies can be achieved in sales of Fund shares.
Redemptions.
The Fund may suspend redemption privileges or postpone the date of payment (i) during any period that the New York Stock Exchange is closed for other than customary weekend and holiday closings, or that trading on the New York Stock Exchange is restricted as determined by the SEC; (ii) during any period when an emergency exists as defined by the rules of the SEC as a result of which it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund to dispose of securities owned by it, or to determine fairly the value of its assets; and (iii) for such other periods as the SEC may permit. The Fund may also suspend or postpone the recordation of the transfer of shares upon the occurrence of any of the foregoing conditions. Any redemption may be more or less than the shareholder's cost depending on the market value of the securities held by the Fund. No charge is made by the Fund for redemptions other than the possible charge for wiring redemption proceeds.
Involuntary Redemptions.
In addition to the situations described in the Fund's Prospectus under "Redeeming Fund Shares," the Fund may redeem shares involuntarily to reimburse the Fund 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 which is applicable to Fund shares as provided in the Fund's Prospectus from time to time or to close a shareholder's account if the Fund are unable to verify the shareholder's identity.
Other Information.
If an investor realizes a gain on the redemption, the reinvestment will not affect the amount of any federal capital gains tax payable on the gain. If an investor realizes a loss on the redemption, the reinvestment may cause some or all of the loss to be disallowed as a tax deduction, depending on the number of shares purchased by reinvestment and the period of time that has elapsed after the redemption, although for tax purposes, the amount disallowed is added to the cost of the shares acquired upon the reinvestment.
SPECIAL SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
The Fund offers the following special shareholder services:
Regular Account.
The regular account allows for voluntary investments to be made at any time. Available to individuals, custodians, corporations, trusts, estates, corporate retirement plans, and others, investors are free to make additions to or withdrawals from their account. When an investor makes an initial investment in the Fund, a shareholder account is opened in accordance with the investor's registration instructions. Each time there is a transaction in a shareholder account, such as an additional investment or the reinvestment of a dividend or distribution, the shareholder will receive a confirmation statement showing the current transaction and all prior transactions in the shareholder account during the calendar year to date, along with a summary of the status of the account as of the transaction date. As stated in the Fund's Prospectus, share certificates are normally not issued.
Automatic Investment Plan.
The automatic investment plan enables shareholders to make regular monthly or quarterly investments in shares through automatic charges to their checking account. With shareholder authorization and bank approval, the Administrator will automatically charge the checking account for the amount specified ($50 minimum) which will be automatically invested in shares at the public offering price on or about the 21st day of the month. The shareholder may change the amount of the investment or discontinue the plan at any time by writing to the Fund.
Purchases In Kind.
The Fund may accept securities in lieu of payment for the purchase of shares in the fund. The acceptance of such securities is at the sole discretion of the Advisor based upon the suitability of the securities accepted for inclusion as a long-term investment of the Fund, the marketability of such securities, and other factors that the Advisor may deem appropriate. If accepted, the securities will be valued using the same criteria and methods as described in "Purchase and Redemption Price – Determining the Fund's Net Asset Value" in the Fund's Prospectus.
Systematic Withdrawal Plan
.
Shareholders owning shares of a particular class with a value of $5,000 or more may establish a systematic withdrawal plan ("Systematic Withdrawal Plan") for the applicable class of shares. A shareholder may receive monthly or quarterly payments, in amounts of not less than $50 per payment, by authorizing the Fund to redeem the necessary number of shares periodically (each month or quarterly) in order to make the payments requested. The Fund has the capability of electronically depositing the proceeds of the systematic withdrawal directly to the shareholders personal bank account ($5,000 minimum per bank wire). Instructions for establishing this service are included in the Fund Shares Application, enclosed in the Fund's Prospectus, or are available by calling the Fund. If the shareholder prefers to receive his systematic withdrawal proceeds in cash, or if such proceeds are less than the $5,000 minimum for a bank wire, checks will be made payable to the designated recipient and mailed with-in seven days of the valuation date. If the designated recipient is other than the registered shareholder, the signature of each shareholder must be guaranteed on the application (see "Redeeming Shares – Signature Guarantees" in the Fund's Prospectus). A corporation (or partnership) must also submit a "Corporate Resolution" (or "Certification of Partnership") indi-cat-ing the names, titles, and required number of signatures auth-orized to act on its behalf. The application must be signed by a duly authori-zed officer(s) and the corporate seal affixed. Costs in conjunction with the administration of the plan are borne by the Fund. Shareholders should be aware that such systematic withdrawals may deplete or use up entirely their initial investment and may result in real-ized long-term or short-term capital gains or losses. The Syste-matic Withdrawal Plan may be terminated at any time by the Fund upon 60-days' written notice or by a shareholder upon written notice to the Fund. Applications and further details may be obtained by calling the Fund at 1-800-773-3863 or by writing to:
Alpha Risk Tactical Rotation Fund
c/o Nottingham Shareholder Services
116 South Franklin Street
Post Office Box 4365
Rocky Mount, NC 27803-0365
Redemptions In-Kind.
The Fund does not intend, under normal circumstances, to redeem its securities by payment in kind. It is possible, however, that conditions may arise in the future which would, in the opinion of the Trustees, make it undesirable for the Fund to pay for all redemptions in cash. In such case the Trustees may authorize payment to be made in readily marketable portfolio securities of the Fund. Securities delivered in payment of redemptions would be valued at the same value assigned to them in computing the NAV per share. Shareholders receiving them would incur brokerage costs when these securities are sold. An irrevocable election has been filed under Rule 18f‑1 of the 1940 Act, wherein the Fund committed to pay redemptions in cash, rather than in kind, to any shareholder of record of the Fund who redeems during any 90-day period, the lesser of (a) $250,000 or (b) one percent (1%) of the Fund's NAV at the beginning of such period.
Transfer of Registration.
To transfer shares to another owner, send a written request to the Fund at the address shown above. Your request should include the following: (i) the Fund name and existing account registration; (ii) signatures of the registered owners exactly as the signatures appear on the account registration; (iii) the new account registration, address, social security or taxpayer identification number, and how dividends and capital gains are to be distributed; (iv) signature guarantees (See the Fund's Prospectus under the heading "Signature Guarantees"); and (v) any additional documents which are required for transfer by corporations, administrators, executors, trustees, guardians, etc. If you have any questions about transferring shares, call or write the Fund.
Employees and Affiliates of the Fund.
The Fund has adopted initial investment minimums for the purpose of reducing the cost to the Fund (and consequently to the shareholders) of communicating with and servicing its shareholders. At the discretion of the Advisor, the Fund may allow investments in the Fund with a reduced minimum initial investment from its Trustees, officers, and employees, the Advisor and certain parties related thereto, including clients of the Advisor or any sponsor, officer, committee member thereof, or the immediate family of any of them. In addition, accounts having the same mailing address may be aggregated for purposes of the minimum investment if they consent in writing to sharing a single mailing of shareholder reports, proxy statements (but each such shareholder would receive his/her own proxy), and other Fund literature.
Dealers.
The Distributor, at its expense, may provide additional compensation in addition to dealer discounts and brokerage commissions to dealers in connection with sales of shares of the Fund. Compensation may include financial assistance to dealers in connection with conferences, sales or training programs for their employees, seminars for the public, advertising campaigns regarding the Fund, and/or other dealer-sponsored special events. In some instances, this compensation may be made available only to certain dealers whose representatives have sold or are expected to sell a significant amount of such shares. Compensation may include payment for travel expenses, including lodging, incurred in connection with trips taken by invited registered representatives and members of their families to locations within or outside of the United States for meetings or seminars of a business nature. Dealers may not use sales of the Fund shares to qualify for this compensation to the extent such may be prohibited by the laws of any state or any self-regulatory agency, such as FINRA. None of the aforementioned compensation is paid directly by the Fund or its shareholders.
32
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
The Trustees have adopted a policy that governs the disclosure of portfolio holdings. This policy is intended to ensure that such disclosure is in the best interests of the shareholders of the Fund and to address possible conflicts of interest. Under the Fund's policy, the Fund generally will not disclose the Fund's portfolio holdings to a third party unless such information is made available to the public. The policy provides that the Fund may disclose non-public portfolio holdings information as required by law and under other limited circumstances that are set forth in more detail below.
The Fund may make portfolio holdings information available to the public, including the complete portfolio holdings from the previous business day. The fund will generally make this information available to the public at http://www.ncfunds.com/holdings/current-857.htm.
This information is also generally available on a quarterly basis within 60 days of the Fund's fiscal quarter end and will remain available until the next fiscal quarter's portfolio holdings report becomes available. You may obtain a copy of these quarterly portfolio holdings reports by calling the Fund at 1-800-773-3863. The Fund will also file these quarterly portfolio holdings reports with the SEC on Form N-CSR or Form N-Q, as applicable. The Fund's Form N-CSR and Form N-Q are available on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov and may be reviewed and copied at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. The first and third quarter portfolio holdings reports will be filed with the SEC on Form N-Q and the second and fourth fiscal quarter portfolio holdings reports will be included with the semi-annual and annual financial statements, respectively, which are sent to shareholders and filed with the SEC on Form N-CSR.
To the extent that the Fund's portfolio holdings have previously been disclosed publicly either through a filing made with the SEC on Form N-CSR or Form N-Q, or by being posted to the Fund's website, such holdings may also be disclosed to any third party that requests them.
Consistent with policies approved by the Board, the officers of the Fund will share non-public portfolio holdings information with the Fund's service providers that require such information for legitimate business and Fund oversight purposes. Recipients of non-public portfolio holdings information have a duty not to trade on that confidential information. The Fund has not (and do not intend to) enter into any arrangement providing for the receipt of compensation or other consideration in exchange for the disclosure of non-public portfolio holdings information, other than the benefits that result to the Fund and their shareholders from providing such information, which include the publication of Fund ratings and rankings.
The Advisor, as well as the Custodian, fund accountant and Administrator, and CCO, have full daily access to the Fund's portfolio holdings. These service providers are subject to obligations requiring them to keep non-public portfolio holdings information confidential. In some, but not all, cases these confidentiality obligations are established by written agreements. The Board has concluded that the confidentiality obligations in place for these parties are adequate to safeguard the Fund from unauthorized disclosure of non-public portfolio holdings information. In addition, the Advisor has a code of ethics that prohibits covered persons from disclosing or trading based on non-public portfolio holdings information.
The Fund's Distributor, Transfer Agent, independent public accountants, and legal counsel have access to the Fund's portfolio holdings on an ad hoc, as needed basis. The Distributor and Transfer Agent are subject to written agreements that establish confidentiality obligations with respect to the Fund's portfolio holdings. The independent public accountants and legal counsel are subject to professional obligations that require them to keep non-public portfolio holdings information confidential. The Board of Trustees has concluded that the confidentiality obligations in place for these parties are adequate to safeguard the Fund from unauthorized disclosure of non-public portfolio holdings information.
Allegra Design Marketing Print Mail, PrintGrafix (a division of Sunbelt Graphics Systems, Inc.), PrinterLink Communications Group, Inc., Riverside Printing, Inc., and V.G. Reed & Sons are financial printers the Fund may engage for, among other things, the printing and/or distribution of regulatory and compliance documents. These service providers are subject to written agreements that establish confidentiality obligations with respect to the Fund's portfolio holdings.
The Fund and its service providers may also provide non-public portfolio holdings information to appropriate regulatory agencies as required by applicable laws and regulations.
The Fund currently does not provide non-public portfolio holdings information to any other third parties. In the future, the Advisor may establish ongoing arrangements with other third parties if the Advisor determines that the Fund has a legitimate business purpose for doing so, determines that the disclosure is in the shareholders' best interest, and the recipient is subject to a duty of confidentiality. These parties could include, by way of example, financial data processing companies that provide automated data scanning and monitoring services for the Fund, research companies that allow the Advisor to perform attribution analysis for the Fund, and the Advisor's proxy voting agent to assess and vote proxies on behalf of the Fund. The Advisor is responsible for determining which other third parties have a legitimate business purpose for receiving the Fund's portfolio holdings information.
The Fund's policy regarding disclosure of portfolio holdings is subject to the continuing oversight and direction of the Trustees. Oversight includes: (i) review and approval of the policy on disclosure of portfolio holdings as necessary, including review of the parties receiving non-public portfolio holdings information; (ii) periodic assessment of compliance in connection with a report from the Trust's CCO, (iii) receipt of reports on any conflicts of interest where disclosure of information about portfolio holdings may conflict or appear to conflict with the interests of the Fund's investment advisor, any principal underwriter for the Trust or an affiliated person of the Trust, and (iv) receipt of reports on any known disclosure of the Fund's portfolio holdings to unauthorized third parties. The Fund and Advisor are obligated to report issues that arise under the policy on disclosure of portfolio holdings to the CCO. Material compliance matters must be reported to the Board of Trustees.
NET ASSET VALUE
The NAV and NAV per share of the Fund normally is determined at the time regular trading closes on the New York Stock Exchange (currently 4:00 p.m., New York time, Monday through Friday), except when the New York Stock Exchange closes earlier. The Fund's NAV is not calculated on business holidays when the New York Stock Exchange is closed. The New York Stock Exchange generally recognizes the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President's Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Any other holiday recognized by the New York Stock Exchange will be deemed a business holiday on which the NAV of the Fund will not be calculated.
The NAV per share of each class of shares of the Fund is calculated separately by adding the value of the Fund's securities and other assets belonging to the Fund and attributable to a class of shares, subtracting the liabilities charged to the Fund and to the class of shares, and dividing the result by the number of outstanding shares of such class of shares. "Assets belonging to" the Fund consist of the consideration received upon the issuance of shares of the Fund together with all net investment income, realized gains/losses and proceeds derived from the investment thereof, including any proceeds from the sale of such investments, any fund or payments derived from any reinvestment of such proceeds, and a portion of any general assets of the Trust not belonging to a particular fund. Income, realized and unrealized capital gains and losses, and any expenses of the Fund not allocated to a particular class of shares will be allocated to each class on the basis of the NAV of that class in relation to the NAV of the Fund. Assets belonging to the Fund are charged with the direct liabilities of the Fund and with a share of the general liabilities of the Trust, which are normally allocated in proportion to the number of or the relative NAVs of all of the Trust's series at the time of allocation or in accordance with other allocation methods approved by the Trustees. Certain expenses attributable to a particular class of shares (such as the distribution and service fees) will be charged against that class. Certain other expenses attributable to a particular class of shares (such as registration fees, professional fees, and certain printing and postage expenses) may be charged against that class if such expenses are actually incurred in a different amount by that class or if the class receives services of a different kind or to a different degree than other classes, and the Trustees approve such allocation. Subject to the provisions of the Trust Instrument, determinations by the Trustees as to the direct and allocable liabilities, and the allocable portion of any general assets, with respect to the Fund and the classes of the Fund are conclusive.
The pricing and valuation of portfolio securities is determined in good faith in accordance with procedures established by, and under the direction of, the Trustees. Values are determined according to accepted accounting practices and all laws and regulations that apply. Using methods approved by the Trustees, the assets of the Fund are valued as follows:
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Securities that are listed on a securities exchange are valued at the last quoted sales price at the time the valuation is made. Price information on listed securities is taken from the exchange where the security is primarily traded by the Fund.
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Securities that are listed on an exchange and which are not traded on the valuation date are valued at the bid price.
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Unlisted securities for which market quotations are readily available are valued at the latest quoted sales price, if available, at the time of valuation, otherwise, at the latest quoted bid price.
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Options are valued at the mean of the last quoted bid and ask prices at the time of valuation.
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Foreign securities listed on foreign exchanges are valued with quotations from the primary market in which they are traded and are translated from the local currency into U.S. dollars using current exchange rates.
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Temporary cash investments with maturities of 60 days or less will be valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value.
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Securities for which no current quotations are readily available are valued at fair value as determined in good faith using methods approved by the Trustees. Securities may be valued on the basis of prices provided by a pricing service when such prices are believed to reflect the fair market value of such securities.
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ADDITIONAL TAX INFORMATION
The following summarizes certain additional tax considerations affecting the Fund and its shareholders that are not described in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund, its shareholders, or any special category of shareholders. The discussions here and in the Prospectus are not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning and are based on tax laws and regulations that are in effect on the date hereof, and which may be changed by legislative, judicial, or administrative action. In addition, no attempt is made to address tax concerns applicable to an investor with a special tax status such as a financial institution, REIT, insurance company, regulated investment company, individual retirement account, other tax-exempt entity, dealer in securities or non-U.S. investor. Furthermore, this discussion does not reflect possible application of the alternative minimum tax. Unless otherwise noted, this discussion assumes the common shares are held by U.S. persons and that such shares are held as capital assets. Investors are advised to consult their tax advisor with specific reference to their own tax situations.
Each series of the Trust, including the Fund, will be treated as a separate corporate entity under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), and intends to qualify or remain qualified as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. In order to so qualify, each series must elect to be a regulated investment company or have made such an election for a previous year and must satisfy certain requirements relating to the amount of distributions and source of its income for a taxable year. At least 90% of the gross income of each series must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stocks, securities or foreign currencies, and other income derived with respect to the series' business of investing in such stock, securities, currencies and net income derived from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership. Any income derived by a series from a partnership (other than a qualified publicly traded partnership) or trust is treated as derived with respect to the series' business of investing in stock, securities or currencies only to the extent that such income is attributable to items of income that would have been qualifying income if realized by the series in the same manner as by the partnership or trust.
An investment company may not qualify as a regulated investment company for any taxable year unless it satisfies certain requirements with respect to the diversification of its investments at the close of each quarter of the taxable year. In general, at least 50% of the value of its total assets must be represented by cash, cash items, government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and other securities which, with respect to any one issuer, do not represent more than 5% of the total assets of the fund nor more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer. In addition, not more than 25% of the value of the fund's total assets may be invested in the securities (other than government securities or the securities of other regulated investment companies) of any one issuer; the securities of two or more issuers (other than securities of another regulated investment company) if the issuers are controlled by the Fund and they are, pursuant to Internal Revenue Service Regulations, engaged in the same or similar or related trades or businesses; or the securities of one or more publicly traded partnerships. The Fund intends to satisfy all requirements on an ongoing basis for continued qualification as a regulated investment company.
Some, but not all, of the dividends paid by the Fund may be taxable at the reduced long-term capital gains tax rate for individual shareholders. If the Fund designates a dividend as qualified dividend income, it generally will be taxable to individual shareholders at the long-term capital gains tax rate, provided certain holding period requirements are met.
Taxable dividends paid by the Fund to corporate shareholders will be taxed at corporate income tax rates. Corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends received deduction ("DRD") for a portion of the dividends paid and designated by the Fund as qualifying for the DRD.
If the Fund designates a dividend as a capital gains distribution, it generally will be taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long the shareholders have held their Fund shares or whether received in cash or reinvested in additional shares. All taxable dividends paid by the Fund other than those designated as qualified dividend income or capital gains distributions will be taxable as ordinary income to shareholders, whether received in cash or reinvested in additional shares. To the extent the Fund engage in increased portfolio turnover, short-term capital gains may be realized, and any distribution resulting from such gains will be considered ordinary income for federal tax purposes. The Fund's net realized capital gains from securities transactions will be distributed only after reducing such gains by the amount of any available capital loss carryforwards. Capital losses may be carried forward indefinitely and retain the character of the original loss. Capital loss carryforwards are available to offset future realized capital gains. To the extent that these carryforwards are used to offset future capital gains it is probable that the amount offset will not be distributed to shareholders. As of May 31, 2018, the Fund had a capital loss carryforward of $429,538, all of which is short-term in nature and has no expiration.
Certain individuals, estates and trusts must pay a 3.8% Medicare surtax on "net investment income" including, among other things, dividends and proceeds of sale in respect of securities like the shares, subject to certain exceptions. Prospective investors should consult with their own tax advisor regarding the effect, if any, of this surtax on their ownership and disposition of the shares.
Shareholders who hold Fund shares in a tax-deferred account, such as a retirement plan, generally will not have to pay tax on Fund distributions until they receive distributions from their account.
Each series of the Trust, including the Fund, will designate (i) any dividend of qualified dividend income as qualified dividend income; (ii) any tax-exempt dividend as an exempt-interest dividend; (iii) any distribution of long-term capital gains as a capital gain dividend; and (iv) any dividend eligible for the corporate DRD as such in a written notice mailed to shareholders within 60 days after the close of the series' taxable year. Shareholders should note that, upon the sale or exchange of series shares, if the shareholder has not held such shares for at least six months, any loss on the sale or exchange of those shares will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of the capital gain dividends received with respect to the shares.
To the extent that a distribution from the Fund is taxable, it is generally included in a shareholder's gross income for the taxable year in which the shareholder receives the distribution. However, if the Fund declares a dividend in October, November, or December but pays it in January, it will be taxable to shareholders as if they received it in the year it was declared. Every year, each shareholder will receive a statement detailing the tax status of any Fund distributions for that year.
A 4% nondeductible excise tax is imposed on regulated investment companies that fail to currently distribute an amount equal to specified percentages of their ordinary taxable income and capital gain net income (excess of capital gains over capital losses). Each series of the Trust, including the Fund, intends to make sufficient distributions or deemed distributions of its ordinary taxable income and any capital gain net income prior to the end of each calendar year to avoid liability for this excise tax.
If for any taxable year a series does not qualify for the special federal income tax treatment afforded regulated investment companies, all of its taxable income will be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates (without any deduction for distributions to its shareholders). In such event, dividend distributions (whether or not derived from interest on tax-exempt securities) would be taxable as qualified dividends to individual shareholders to the extent of the Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits, and would be eligible for the DRD for corporations, provided in each case that certain holding period and other requirements are met.
In general, a shareholder who sells or redeems shares will realize a capital gain or loss, which will be long-term or short-term, depending upon the shareholder's holding period for the Fund shares. An exchange of shares may be treated as a sale and any gain may be subject to tax.
The Fund must report cost basis information to the Internal Revenue Service on Form 1099-B for any sale of shares purchased in non-retirement accounts. Registered investment companies must select a default cost basis calculation method and apply that method to reportable sales of shares unless an alternate Internal Revenue Service approved method is specifically elected in writing by the shareholder. Average cost, which is the mutual fund industry standard, has been selected as the Fund's default cost basis calculation method. If a shareholder determines that an Internal Revenue Service approved cost basis calculation method other than the Fund's default method of average cost is more appropriate, the shareholder must contact the Fund at the time of or in advance of a reportable sale of shares that are to be subject to such alternate election. Internal Revenue Service regulations do not permit the change of a cost basis election on previously executed trades. Cost basis information will not be reported to the IRS or shareholder upon the sale of any shares not covered by these cost basis reporting requirements.
The Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of taxable dividends or of gross proceeds realized upon sale paid to shareholders who (i) have failed to provide a correct taxpayer identification number in the manner required; (ii) are subject to back-up withholding by the Internal Revenue Service for failure to include properly on their return payments of taxable interest or dividends; or (iii) 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." Back-up withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld from payments to you may be refunded or credited against your U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, provided that the required information is furnished to the Internal Revenue Service.
Depending upon the extent of the Fund's 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, the Fund may be subject to the tax laws of such states or localities. In addition, in those states and localities that have income tax laws, the treatment of the Fund and its shareholders under such laws may differ from their treatment under federal income tax laws.
Dividends paid by the Fund to non-U.S. shareholders may be subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% unless reduced by treaty (and the shareholder files a valid Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN, or other applicable form, with the Fund certifying foreign status and treaty eligibility) or the non-U.S. shareholder files an Internal Revenue Service Form W-8ECI, or other applicable form, with the Fund certifying that the investment to which the distribution relates is effectively connected to a United States trade or business of such non-U.S. shareholder (and, if certain tax treaties apply, is attributable to a United States permanent establishment maintained by such non-U.S. shareholder). The Fund may elect not to withhold the applicable withholding tax on any distribution representing a capital gain dividend to a non-U.S. shareholder. Special rules may apply to non-U.S. shareholders with respect to the information reporting requirements and withholding taxes and non-U.S. shareholders should consult their tax advisor with respect to the application of such reporting requirements and withholding taxes.
The Fund will send shareholders information each year on the tax status of dividends and distributions. A dividend or capital gains distribution paid shortly after shares have been purchased, although in effect a return of investment, is subject to federal income taxation. Dividends from net investment income, along with capital gains, will be taxable to shareholders, whether received in cash or Fund shares and no matter how long the shareholder has held Fund shares, even if they reduce the NAV of shares below the shareholder's cost and thus, in effect, result in a return of a part of the shareholder's investment.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited financial statements of the Fund for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2018, including the financial highlights appearing in the Annual Report to shareholders, are incorporated by reference into this SAI (meaning such documents are legally part of this SAI) and are on file with the SEC. The Fund's annual and semi-annual reports are available without charge, upon request, by calling the Fund at 1-800-773-3863 or on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.