Securities Act Registration No. 333-178833

Investment Company Act Registration No. 811-22655

 

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 25, 2018

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D. C. 20549

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 ý

¨ Pre-Effective Amendment No.
ý Post-Effective Amendment No. 337

 

and/or

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 ý

ý Amendment No. 340

 

(Check appropriate box or boxes.)

Northern Lights Fund Trust III

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

17605 Wright Street, Omaha, NE 68130

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: (402) 895-1600

The Corporation Trust Company

1209 Orange Street

Wilmington, DE 19801

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

With copy to:

JoAnn M. Strasser, Esq.

Thompson Hine LLP

41 South High Street, Suite 1700

Columbus, Ohio 43215

614-469-3265 (phone)

614-469-3361 (fax)

Richard Malinowski

Gemini Fund Services, LLC

80 Arkay Drive, Suite 110

Hauppauge, New York 11788

(631) 470-2600

 

Approximate date of proposed public offering: As soon as practicable after the effective date of the Registration Statement.

It is proposed that this filing will become effective:

¨ Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)

ý On (May 1, 2018) pursuant to paragraph (b)

¨ 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)

¨ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)

¨ 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)

¨ On (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.

If appropriate, check the following box:

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

 

 

 

 

 

ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund

 

Class A Shares ADOAX

Class I Shares ADOIX

 

 

PROSPECTUS

May 1, 2018

 

 

 

Adviser:

ACM

Ascendant Capital Management, LLC

10866 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1600

Los Angeles, California 90024

 

 

 

 

www.ACM-Funds.com 1-844-798-3833

 

This Prospectus provides important information about the Fund that you should know before investing. Please read it carefully and keep it for future reference.

 

These securities have not been approved or disapproved by the Securities and Exchange Commission nor has the Securities and Exchange Commission passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

 
 

Table of Contents

 

ACM DYNAMIC OPPORTUNITY - FUND SUMMARY 1
Investment Objective 1
Fees and Expenses of the Fund 1
Principal Investment Strategies 1
Principal Investment Risks 2
Performance 3
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares 4
Tax Information 4
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries 4
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS
4
Investment Objective 4
Principal Investment Strategies 4
Principal Investment Risks 5
Temporary Investments 7
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure 7
Cybersecurity 7
MANAGEMENT 8
Investment Adviser 8
Portfolio Manager 8
HOW SHARES ARE PRICED 8
HOW TO PURCHASE SHARES 10
HOW TO REDEEM SHARES 13
FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES 15
TAX STATUS, DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS 15
DISTRIBUTION OF SHARES 16
Distributor 16
Distribution Fees 16
Additional Compensation to Financial Intermediaries 16
Householding 16
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 17
PRIVACY NOTICE 19

 

 
 

ACM DYNAMIC OPPORTUNITY FUND – FUND SUMMARY

 

Investment Objective: The ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund (the “Fund”) seeks long-term capital appreciation with a short-term focus on capital preservation.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund: This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts on purchases of Class A shares if you or your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How to Purchase Shares on page 10 of the Fund’s Prospectus.

 


Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Class A Class I
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on purchases
(as a percentage of offering price)
5.75% None
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) None None
Redemption Fee
(as a % of amount redeemed if held less than 30 days)
1.00% 1.00%

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

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

Management Fees 1.25% 1.25%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees 0.25% None
Total Other Expenses 0.60% 0.60%
Short Selling Dividend and Interest Expense 0.12% 0.12%
Remaining Other Expenses 0.48% 0.48%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (1) 0.01% 0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 2.11% 1.86%
(1) Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies, including exchange traded funds. The operating expenses in this fee table will not correlate to the expense ratio in the Fund’s financial highlights because the financial statements include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund, not the indirect costs of investing in other investment companies.

 

Example: This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

 

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based upon these assumptions your costs would be:

 

Class 1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
A $777 $1,198 $1,644 $2,876
I $189 $585 $1,006 $2,180

 

Portfolio Turnover: The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 224% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies: To pursue its investment objective, the Fund invests in domestic and foreign (including emerging markets) equity securities of any market capitalization. The Fund may also take long or short positions in index exchange traded funds (“ETFs”) to hedge the Fund’s equity portfolio.

 

The Fund’s adviser, Ascendant Capital Management, LLC (the “Adviser”), selects equity securities for the Fund’s portfolio that are experiencing meaningful breakouts. A “breakout” is a significant movement that involves a combination of price and trading volume in a given security. The Adviser further screens these breakout candidates to ensure they meet certain fundamental and technical criteria as determined by the Adviser such as the earnings per share growth, revenue growth, and upward revisions of estimates and profitability of the issuers of the securities. The Adviser will sell a security when it drops a certain percentage from its purchase price (“stop-loss”), or if the price drops below a key technical level (such as the 50 day

1  
 

moving price average for the security) in combination with a rise in trading volume. The Fund has no set holding period for any security and actively trades its portfolio investments, which may result in a high portfolio turnover rate.

 

The Fund’s investment strategies for short positions can include: (1) selling short an ETF or other security that tracks a broad or narrow market index, in hopes of buying the security at a future date at a lower price; (2) selling short common stocks; (3) buying a put option on an ETF or other security that tracks a broad or narrow market index; (4) buying an ETF or other security that is designed to appreciate in value when the value of a broad or narrow market index declines; (5) selling a covered call option on a security that the Fund owns for the duration of the option period; and (6) holding a short position in an ETF or other security that tracks a broad or narrow market index and adding to the Fund’s long positions in particular stocks by a corresponding amount.

 

The use of short positions or “hedges” is designed to adjust the overall net exposure of the portfolio to limit the downside exposure of the portfolio to declines in the overall market. The net long exposure of the portfolio can fluctuate anywhere between 0% long and 100% long. A portfolio’s net exposure is the percentage of assets invested in long positions minus the percentage of assets invested in short positions (“hedges”). For example, if the portfolio is 50% invested in long positions while simultaneously being 50% invested in hedges, the net long exposure would equal zero percent. The Adviser monitors numerous broad market indexes and several key moving averages. Short positions will be will be taken off as select market indexes rise above certain moving averages as identified by the Adviser.

 

Principal Investment Risks: As with all mutual funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund. The Fund is not intended to be a complete investment program. Many factors affect the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) and performance.

 

· Currency Risk: If the Fund invests in securities that trade in, and receive revenues in, foreign currencies, it will be subject to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar, or, in the case of hedging positions, that the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency being hedged. As a result, the Fund’s investments in foreign currency-denominated securities may reduce the Fund’s returns.
· Derivatives Risk: The Fund’s use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities including leverage risk and counterparty default risk.
· Emerging Market Risk: Emerging market countries may have relatively unstable governments, weaker economies, and less-developed legal systems with fewer security holder rights. Emerging market economies may be based on only a few industries and security issuers may be more susceptible to economic weakness and more likely to default. Emerging market securities also tend to be less liquid.
· ETF Risk: ETFs are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by the Fund. As a result, the cost of investing in the Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETFs and may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in stocks. ETFs are subject to specific risks, depending on the nature of the ETF.
· Foreign Investment Risk: Foreign investing involves risks not typically associated with U.S. investments, including adverse fluctuations in foreign currency values, adverse political, social and economic developments, less liquidity, greater volatility, less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability and differing auditing and legal standards. Investing in emerging markets imposes risks different from, or greater than, risks of investing in foreign developed countries.
· Issuer-Specific Risk: The value of a specific security can be more volatile than the market as a whole and may perform worse than the market as a whole.
· Management Risk: The Adviser’s reliance on its strategy and judgments about the attractiveness, value and potential appreciation of particular securities and the tactical allocation among the Fund’s investments may prove to be incorrect and may not produce the desired results.
· Market Risk: Overall equity and fixed income securities market risks affect the value of the Fund. Factors such as domestic economic growth and market conditions, interest rate levels, and political events affect the securities markets.
· Options Risk: Purchased put options may decline in value or expire worthless and may have imperfect correlation to the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. Written call and put options may limit the Fund’s participation in equity market gains and may amplify losses in market declines. The Fund’s losses are potentially large in a written put or call transaction. If unhedged, written calls expose the Fund to potentially unlimited losses.
· Portfolio Turnover Risk: Increased portfolio turnover causes the Fund to incur higher brokerage costs, which may adversely affect the Fund’s performance and may produce increased taxable distributions.
· Short Selling Risk: The Fund will incur a loss as a result of a short position if the price of the short position instrument increases in value between the date of the short position sale and the date on which an offsetting position is
2  
 

purchased. Short positions may be considered speculative transactions and involve special risks, including greater reliance on the ability to accurately anticipate the future value of a security or instrument. The Fund’s losses are potentially large in a short position transaction.

 

· Small and Medium Capitalization Risk: The earnings and prospects of small and medium sized companies are more volatile than larger companies and may experience higher failure rates than larger companies. Small and medium sized companies normally have a lower trading volume than larger companies, which may tend to make their market price fall more disproportionately than larger companies in response to selling pressures and may have limited markets, product lines, or financial resources and lack management experience.

 

Performance: The bar chart and performance table below show the variability of the Fund’s returns, which is some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows performance of the Fund’s Class I shares for each full calendar year since the Fund’s inception. The performance table compares the performance of the Fund over time to the performance of a broad-based market index. You should be aware that the Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) may not be an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Although Class A shares would have similar annual returns to Class I shares because the classes are invested in the same portfolio of securities, the returns for Class A shares would be different from Class I shares because Class A shares have different expenses than Class I shares. Updated performance information is available at no cost by visiting www.ACM-Funds.com or by calling 1-844-798-3833.

 

Class I Performance Bar Chart For Calendar Years Ended December 31

 CALENDAR YEAR TOTAL RETURNS (%) AS OF DECEMBER 31

 

Best Quarter:   3/31/17 6.15%
Worst Quarter:   12/31/16 (2.64)%

 

The year-to-date return as of the most recent calendar quarter, which ended March 31, 2018, was 1.63%.

 

Performance Table

Average Annual Total Returns

(For periods ended December 31, 2017)

 

  One
Year
Since Inception
(1-20-15)  
Class I Shares    
Return before taxes 17.86% 6.02%
Return after taxes on distributions 17.86% 6.02%
Return after taxes on distributions
and sale of Fund shares
10.11% 4.65%
Class A Shares    
Return before taxes 10.76% 3.70%
S&P 500 Total Return Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
21.83% 12.28%

HFRX Equity Hedge Index

(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

9.98% 2.75%
3  
 

After-tax returns were calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold shares of the Fund through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

 

Investment Adviser: Ascendant Capital Management, LLC

 

Portfolio Manager: Jordan Kahn, CFA, Chief Investment Officer of the Adviser, has served the Fund as its Portfolio Manager since it commenced operations in 2014.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares: The investment minimums for the Fund are:

 

Class Initial Investment Subsequent Investment
Regular
Account
Retirement
Account
Regular
Account
Retirement
Account
A $2,000 $1,000 $500 $250
I $10,000 $5,000 $500 $250

 

The Fund reserves the right to waive any investment minimum. You may purchase and redeem shares of the Fund on any day that the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open. Redemption requests may be made in writing, by telephone, or through a financial intermediary and will be paid by ACH, check or wire transfer.

 

Tax Information: Dividends and capital gain distributions you receive from the Fund, whether you reinvest your distributions in additional Fund shares or receive them in cash, are taxable to you at either ordinary income or capital gains tax rates unless you are investing through a tax-deferred plan such as an IRA or 401(k) plan. However, these dividend and capital gain distributions may be taxable upon their eventual withdrawal from tax-deferred plans.

 

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

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS

 

Investment Objective:

 

The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation with a short-term focus on capital preservation.

 

The Fund’s investment objective may be changed by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders.

 

Principal Investment Strategies:

 

To pursue its investment objective, the Fund invests in domestic and foreign (including emerging markets) equity securities of any market capitalization. The Fund may also take long or short positions in index ETFs to hedge the Fund’s equity portfolio.

 

The Adviser selects equity securities for the Fund’s portfolio that are experiencing meaningful breakouts. A “breakout” is a significant movement that involves a combination of price and trading volume in a given security. The Adviser further screens these breakout candidates to ensure they meet certain fundamental and technical criteria as determined by the Adviser such as the earnings per share growth, revenue growth, upward revisions estimates and profitability of the issuers of the securities. The Adviser will sell a security when it drops a certain percentage from its purchase price, or if the price drops below a key technical level (such as the 50 day moving price average for the security) in combination with a rise in trading volume. The Fund has no set holding period for any security and actively trades its portfolio investments, which may result in a high portfolio turnover rate.

 

The Fund’s investment strategies for short positions can include: (1) selling short an ETF or other security that tracks a broad or narrow market index, in hopes of buying the security at a future date at a lower price; (2) selling short common stocks; (3) buying a put option on an ETF or other security that tracks a broad or narrow market index; (4) buying an ETF or other security that is designed to appreciate in value when the value of a broad or narrow market index declines; (5) selling a covered call option on a security that the Fund owns for the duration of the option period; and (6) holding a short

4  
 

position in an ETF or other security that tracks a broad or narrow market index and adding to the Fund’s long positions in particular stocks by a corresponding amount.

 

The use of short positions or “hedges” is designed to adjust the overall net exposure of the portfolio to limit the downside exposure of the portfolio to declines in the overall market. The net long exposure of the portfolio can fluctuate anywhere between 0% long and 100% long. A portfolio’s net exposure is the percentage of assets invested in long positions minus the percentage of assets invested in short positions. For example, if the portfolio is 50% invested in long positions while simultaneously being 50% invested in short positions, the net long exposure would equal zero percent. The Adviser monitors numerous broad market indexes and several key moving averages. Short positions will be will be taken off as select market indexes rise above certain moving averages as identified by the Adviser.

 

Principal Investment Risks:

 

The following risks may apply to the Fund’s direct investments as well as the Fund’s indirect risks through investing in other investment companies.

 

· Currency Risk: If the Fund invests in securities that trade in, and receive revenues in, foreign currencies, it will be subject to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar, or, in the case of hedging positions, that the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency being hedged. As a result, the Fund’s investments in foreign currency-denominated securities may reduce the Fund’s returns.
· Derivatives Risk: The Fund may invest in derivatives, which are financial instruments whose value is typically based on the value of a security, commodity or index, options and similar instruments. The Fund’s use of derivative instruments involves risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other more traditional investments, and certain derivatives may create a risk of loss greater than the amount invested.

Investing for hedging purposes or to increase the Fund’s return may result in certain additional transaction costs that may reduce the Fund’s performance. When used for hedging purposes, no assurance can be given that each derivative position will achieve a perfect correlation with the security against which it is being hedged. Because the markets for certain derivative instruments are relatively new, suitable derivatives transactions may not be available in all circumstances for risk management or other purposes and there can be no assurance that a particular derivative position will be available when sought by the Adviser or that such techniques will be utilized by the Adviser.

The market value of derivative instruments and securities may be more volatile than that of other instruments, and each type of derivative instrument may have its own special risks, including the risk of mispricing or improper valuation of derivatives and the inability of derivatives to correlate perfectly with underlying assets, rates, and indices. Many derivatives, in particular privately negotiated derivatives, are complex and often valued subjectively. Improper valuations can result in increased cash payment requirements to counterparties or a loss of value to the Fund. The value of derivatives may not correlate perfectly, or at all, with the value of the assets, reference rates or indices they are designed to closely track.

Derivatives are subject to a number of other risks, including liquidity risk (the possibility that the derivative may be difficult to purchase or sell and the Adviser may be unable to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position at an advantageous time or price), leverage risk (the possibility that adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, reference rate or index can result in loss of an amount substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivative), interest rate risk (some derivatives are more sensitive to interest rate changes and market price fluctuations), and counterparty risk (the risk that a counterparty may be unable to perform according to a contract, and that any deterioration in a counterparty’s creditworthiness could adversely affect the instrument). In addition, because derivative products are highly specialized, investment techniques and risk analyses employed with respect to investments in derivatives are different from those associated with stocks and bonds. Finally, the Fund’s use of derivatives may cause the Fund to realize higher amounts of short-term capital gains (generally taxed at ordinary income tax rates) than if the Fund had not used such instruments. Derivative instruments are also subject to the risk that the market value of an instrument will change to the detriment of the Fund. If the Adviser inaccurately forecast the values of securities, interest rates or other economic factors in using derivatives, the Fund might have been in a better position if it had not entered into the transaction at all. Some strategies involving derivative instruments can reduce the risk of loss, but they can also reduce the opportunity for gain or result in losses by offsetting favorable price movements in other investments held by the Fund. The Fund may also have to buy or sell a security at a disadvantageous time or price because regulations require funds to maintain offsetting positions or asset coverage in connection with certain derivatives transactions.

5  
 
· Emerging Market Risk: The Fund may invest in countries with newly organized or less developed securities markets. There are typically greater risks involved in investing in emerging markets securities. Generally, economic structures in these countries are less diverse and mature than those in developed countries and their political systems tend to be less stable. Emerging market economies may be based on only a few industries, therefore security issuers, including governments, may be more susceptible to economic weakness and more likely to default. Emerging market countries also may have relatively unstable governments, weaker economies, and less-developed legal systems with fewer security holder rights. Investments in emerging markets countries may be affected by government policies that restrict foreign investment in certain issuers or industries. The potentially smaller size of their securities markets and lower trading volumes can make investments relatively illiquid and potentially more volatile than investments in developed countries, and such securities may be subject to abrupt and severe price declines. Due to this relative lack of liquidity, the Fund may have to accept a lower price or may not be able to sell a portfolio security at all. An inability to sell a portfolio position can adversely affect the Fund’s value or prevent the Fund from being able to meet cash obligations or take advantage of other investment opportunities.
· ETF Risk: ETFs are subject to investment advisory and other expenses, which will be indirectly paid by the Fund. As a result, the cost of investing in the Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in ETFs and also may be higher than other mutual funds that invest directly in securities. ETFs themselves are subject to specific risks, depending on the nature of such ETF.
· Foreign Investment Risk: To the extent the Underlying Funds invest in foreign securities, the Fund could be subject to greater risks because the Fund’s performance may depend on issues other than the performance of a particular company or U.S. market sector. Changes in foreign economies and political climates are more likely to affect the Fund than a mutual fund that invests exclusively in U.S. companies. The value of foreign securities is also affected by the value of the local currency relative to the U.S. dollar. There may also be less government supervision of foreign markets, resulting in non-uniform accounting practices and less publicly available information. The values 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 generally 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. As a result, the Fund may be exposed to greater risk and will be more dependent on the Adviser’s ability to assess such risk than if the Fund invested solely in more developed countries.
· Issuer-Specific Risk: The value of a specific security can be more volatile than the market as a whole and may perform worse than the market as a whole. The value of large cap securities, as represented by the S&P 500 Index, can be more volatile than smaller cap securities due to differing market reactions to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments.
· Management Risk: The Adviser’s reliance on its strategy and its judgments about the value and potential appreciation securities in which the Fund invests may prove to be incorrect, including the Adviser’s tactical allocation of the Fund’s portfolio among its investments. The ability of the Fund to meet its investment objective is directly related to the Adviser’s proprietary investment process. The Adviser’s assessment of the relative value of securities, their attractiveness and potential appreciation of particular investments in which the Fund invests may prove to be incorrect and there is no guarantee that the Adviser’s investment strategy will produce the desired results.
· Market Risk: Overall equity and fixed income market risk, including volatility, may affect the value of individual instruments in which the Fund invests. Factors such as domestic economic growth and market conditions, interest rate levels, and political events affect the securities markets. When the value of the Fund’s investments goes down, your investment in the Fund decreases in value and you could lose money.
· Options Risk: The Fund may lose the entire put option premium paid if the underlying security does not decrease in value at expiration. Put options may not be an effective hedge because they may have imperfect correlation to the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. Purchased put options may decline in value due to changes in price of the underlying security, passage of time and changes in volatility. Written call and put options may limit the Fund’s participation in equity market gains and may magnify the losses if the price of the written option instrument increases in value between the date when the Fund writes the option and the date on which the Fund purchases an offsetting position. The Fund will incur a loss as a result of a written options (also known as a short position) if the price of the written option instrument increases in value between the date when the Fund writes the option and the date on which the Fund purchases an offsetting position. The Fund’s losses are potentially large in a written put transaction and potentially unlimited in an unhedged written call transaction.

 

6  
 
· Portfolio Turnover Risk: Increased portfolio turnover causes the Fund to incur higher brokerage costs, which may adversely affect the Fund’s performance and may produce increased taxable distributions.
· Short Selling Risk: The Fund’s long positions could decline in value at the same time that the value of the short positions increase, thereby increasing the Fund’s overall potential for loss. The Fund’s short positions may result in a loss if the price of the short position instruments rise and it costs more to replace the short positions. In contrast to the Fund’s long positions, for which the risk of loss is typically limited to the amount invested, the potential loss on the Fund’s short positions is potentially large. Market factors may prevent the Fund from closing out a short position at the most desirable time or at a favorable price.
· Small and Medium Capitalization Risk: The earnings and prospects of small and medium sized companies are more volatile than larger companies and may experience higher failure rates than larger companies. Small and medium sized companies normally have a lower trading volume than larger companies, which may tend to make their market price fall more disproportionately than larger companies in response to selling pressures and may have limited markets, product lines, or financial resources and lack management experience.

 

Temporary Investments: To respond to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, the Fund may invest 100% of its total assets, without limitation, in high-quality short-term debt securities and money market instruments. These short-term debt securities and money market instruments include: shares of money market mutual funds, commercial paper, certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, U.S. Government securities and repurchase agreements. While the Fund is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective will be limited, and it could reduce the benefit from any upswing in the market. Furthermore, to the extent that the Fund invests in money market mutual funds for cash positions, there will be some duplication of expenses because shareholders will pay the fees and expenses of the Fund and, indirectly, the fees and expenses of the underlying money market funds. The Fund may also invest a substantial portion of its assets in such instruments at any time to maintain liquidity or pending selection of investments in accordance with its policies.

 

Portfolio Holdings Disclosure: A description of the Fund’s policies regarding the release of portfolio holdings information is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

 

Cybersecurity:

 

The computer systems, networks and devices used by the Fund and its service providers to carry out routine business operations employ a variety of protections designed to prevent damage or interruption from computer viruses, network failures, computer and telecommunication failures, infiltration by unauthorized persons and security breaches. Despite the various protections utilized by the Fund and its service providers, systems, networks, or devices potentially can be breached. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result of a cybersecurity breach.

 

Cybersecurity breaches can include unauthorized access to systems, networks, or devices; infection from computer viruses or other malicious software code; and attacks that shut down, disable, slow, or otherwise disrupt operations, business processes, or website access or functionality. Cybersecurity breaches may cause disruptions and impact the Fund’s business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses; interference with the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV; impediments to trading; the inability of the Fund, the Adviser, and other service providers to transact business; violations of applicable privacy and other laws; regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs; as well as the inadvertent release of confidential information.

 

Similar adverse consequences could result from cybersecurity breaches affecting issuers of securities in which the Fund invests; counterparties with which the Fund engages in transactions; governmental and other regulatory authorities; exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies, and other financial institutions (including financial intermediaries and service providers for the Fund’s shareholders); and other parties. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred by these entities in order to prevent any cybersecurity breaches in the future.

 

 

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MANAGEMENT

 

Investment Adviser: Ascendant Capital Management, LLC, 10866 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1600, Los Angeles, California 90024, serves as investment adviser to the Fund. Subject to the authority of the Board of Trustees, the Adviser is responsible for management of the Fund’s investment portfolio. The Adviser is responsible for selecting the Fund’s investments according to the Fund’s investment objective, policies and restrictions. The Adviser was established in 2014 for the purpose of managing the Fund. Pursuant to an advisory agreement between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the Adviser, the Adviser is entitled to receive, on a monthly basis, an annual advisory fee equal to 1.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. The Adviser is 100% owned by the Portfolio Manager. As of December 31, 2017, the Adviser had approximately $65,115,400 in assets under management/advisement.

 

The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its fees and reimburse expenses of the Fund, at least until April 30, 2019, to ensure that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Reimbursement (but does not include: (i) any front-end or contingent deferred loads; (ii) brokerage fees and commissions; (iii) acquired fund fees and expenses; (iv) borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short); (v) taxes; and (vi) extraordinary expenses, such as litigation expenses (which may include indemnification of Fund officers and Trustees, contractual indemnification of Fund service providers (other than the Adviser))), will not exceed 2.40% and 2.15% of average daily net assets attributable to Class A and Class I shares, respectively. These fee waivers and expense reimbursements are subject to possible recoupment from the Fund within three years after the fees have been waived or reimbursed, if such recoupment can be achieved within the lesser of the foregoing expense limits and any expense limits in place at time of waiver. This agreement may be terminated only by the Board of Trustees, on 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser. Fee waiver and reimbursement arrangements can decrease the Fund’s expenses and boost its performance. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees’ most recent renewal of the advisory agreement is available in the Fund’s annual report dated December 31, 2017. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, the Fund paid the Adviser 1.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets.

 

Portfolio Manager: The Fund is managed on a day to day basis by Jordan Kahn. The SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Manager, and the Portfolio Manager’s ownership in the Fund.

 

Jordan Kahn has been the Chief Investment Officer of the Adviser since 2014. Before founding the Adviser, Mr. Kahn founded KAM Advisors in 2007 where he successfully managed over $200 million. In 2015, KAM Advisors was purchased by HCR Wealth Advisers, where Mr. Kahn acts as Chief Investment Officer. In addition, Mr. Kahn was previously a Managing Partner with Beverly Investment Advisors from 2007 to 2010, and before that a Senior Portfolio Manager for Summit Wealth Management (formerly Berger & Associates) from 2001 to 2007. Mr. Kahn received his Masters of Science in Financial Markets and Trading from the Stuart School of Business at the Illinois Institute of Technology. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst. Mr. Kahn graduated cum laude in Economics with a concentration in Finance from the University of Colorado.

 

HOW SHARES ARE PRICED

 

Shares of the Fund are sold at NAV. The NAV of the Fund is determined at close of regular trading (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) on each day the NYSE is open for business. NAV is computed by determining, on a per class basis, the aggregate market value of all assets of the Fund, less its liabilities, divided by the total number of shares outstanding ((assets-liabilities)/number of shares = NAV). The NYSE is closed on weekends and New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The NAV takes into account, on a per class basis, the expenses and fees of the Fund, including management, administration, and distribution fees, which are accrued daily. The determination of NAV for a share class for a particular day is applicable to all applications for the purchase of shares, as well as all requests for the redemption of shares, received by the Fund (or an authorized broker or agent, or its authorized designee) before the close of trading on the NYSE on that day.

 

Generally, the Fund’s securities are valued each day at the last quoted sales price on each security’s primary exchange. Securities traded or dealt in upon one or more securities exchanges (whether domestic or foreign) for which market quotations are readily available and not subject to restrictions against resale shall be valued at the last quoted sales price on the primary exchange or, in the absence of a sale on the primary exchange, at the mean between the current bid ask prices on such exchanges. Securities primarily traded in the National Association of Securities Dealers’ Automated Quotation System (“NASDAQ”) National Market System for which market quotations are readily available shall be valued

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using the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. Securities that are not traded or dealt in any securities exchange (whether domestic or foreign) and for which over-the-counter market quotations are readily available generally shall be valued at the last sale price or, in the absence of a sale, at the mean between the current bid and ask price on such over-the- counter market. Debt securities not traded on an exchange may be valued at prices supplied by a pricing agent(s) based on broker or dealer supplied valuations or matrix pricing, a method of valuing securities by reference to the value of other securities with similar characteristics, such as rating, interest rate and maturity.

If market quotations are not readily available, securities will be valued at their fair market value as determined using the “fair value” procedures approved by the Board. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determined for a security may be materially different from the value that could be realized upon the sale of that security. The fair value prices can differ from market prices when they become available or when a price becomes available. The Board has delegated execution of these procedures to a fair value committee composed of one or more officers from each of the (i) Trust, (ii) administrator, and (iii) Adviser. The committee may also enlist third party consultants such as an audit firm or financial officer of a security issuer on an as-needed basis to assist in determining a security-specific fair value. The Board reviews and ratifies the execution of this process and the resultant fair value prices at least quarterly to assure the process produces reliable results.

 

The Fund may use independent pricing services to assist in calculating the value of the Fund’s securities. In addition, market prices for foreign securities are not determined at the same time of day as the NAV for the Fund. Because the Fund may invest in underlying ETFs which hold portfolio securities primarily listed on foreign exchanges, and these exchanges may trade on weekends or other days when the underlying ETFs do not price their shares, the value of some of the Fund’s portfolio securities may change on days when you may not be able to buy or sell Fund shares.

In computing the NAV, the Fund values foreign securities held by the Fund at the latest closing price on the exchange in which they are traded immediately prior to closing of the NYSE. Prices of foreign securities quoted in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at current rates. If events materially affecting the value of a security in the Fund’s portfolio, particularly foreign securities, occur after the close of trading on a foreign market but before the Fund prices its shares, the security will be valued at fair value. For example, if trading in a portfolio security is halted and does not resume before the Fund calculates its NAV, the Adviser may need to price the security using the Fund’s fair value pricing guidelines. Without a fair value price, short-term traders could take advantage of the arbitrage opportunity and dilute the NAV of long-term investors. Fair valuation of the Fund’s portfolio securities can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders, but there is no assurance that fair value pricing policies will prevent dilution of the Fund’s NAV by short term traders. The determination of fair value involves subjective judgments. As a result, using fair value to price a security may result in a price materially different from the prices used by other mutual funds to determine NAV, or from the price that may be realized upon the actual sale of the security.

 

With respect to any portion of the Fund’s assets that are invested in one or more open-end management investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Fund’s NAV is calculated based upon the NAVs of those open-end management investment companies, and the prospectuses for these companies explain the circumstances under which those companies will use fair value pricing and the effects of using fair value pricing.

 

 

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HOW TO PURCHASE SHARES

 

Share Classes

 

This Prospectus describes two classes of shares offered by the Fund: Class A and Class I. The Fund offers these classes of shares so that you can choose the class that best suits your investment needs. Refer to the information below so that you can choose the class that best suits your investment needs. The main differences between each class are sales charges, ongoing fees and minimum investment. For information on ongoing distribution fees, see Distribution Fees on page 16 of this Prospectus. Each class of shares in the Fund represents interest in the same portfolio of investments within the Fund. There is no investment minimum on reinvested distributions and the Fund may change investment minimums at any time. The Fund reserves the right to waive sales charges, as described below. The Fund and the Adviser may each waive investment minimums at their individual discretion. Not all share classes may be available for purchase in all states.

 

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Share Class

 

When deciding which class of shares of the Fund to purchase, you should consider your investment goals, present and future amounts you may invest in the Fund, and the length of time you intend to hold your shares. To help you make a determination as to which class of shares to buy, please refer back to the examples of the Fund’s expenses over time in the Fees and Expenses of the Fund section for the Fund in this Prospectus. You also may wish to consult with your financial adviser for advice with regard to which share class would be most appropriate for you.

 

Class A Shares

 

Class A shares are offered at the public offering price, which is NAV per share plus the applicable sales charge. The sales charge varies, depending on how much you invest. There are no sales charges on reinvested distributions. You can also qualify for a sales charge reduction or waiver through a right of accumulation or a letter of intent if you are a U.S. resident. See the discussions of “Right of Accumulation” and “Letter of Intent” below. The Fund reserves the right to waive any load as described below. The following sales charges apply to your purchases of Class A shares of the Fund.

 

Amount Invested Sales Charge as a
% of Offering Price (1)
Sales Charge as a
% of Amount Invested
Dealer Reallowance
Under $50,000 5.75% 6.10% 5.00%
$50,000 to $99,999 4.75% 4.99% 4.00%
$100,000 to $249,999 3.75% 3.83% 3.25%
$250,000 to $499,999 2.50% 2.56% 2.00%
$500,000 to $999,999 2.00% 2.04% 1.75%
$1,000,000 and above 1.00% 1.01% 1.00%
(1) Offering price includes the front-end sales load. The sales charge you pay may differ slightly from the amount set forth above because of rounding that occurs in the calculations used to determine your sales charge.

 

How to Reduce Your Sales Charge

 

You may be eligible to purchase Class A shares at a reduced sales charge. To qualify for these reductions, you must notify the Fund’s distributor, Northern Lights Distributors, LLC (the “distributor”), in writing and supply your account number at the time of purchase. You may combine your purchase with those of your “immediate family” (your spouse and your children under the age of 21) for purposes of determining eligibility. If applicable, you will need to provide the account numbers of your spouse and your minor children as well as the ages of your minor children.

 

Rights of Accumulation : To qualify for the lower sales charge rates that apply to larger purchases of Class A shares, you may combine your new purchases of Class A shares with Class A shares of the Fund that you already own. The applicable initial sales charge for the new purchase is based on the total of your current purchase and the current value of all other Class A shares that you own. The reduced sales charge will apply only to current purchases and must be requested in writing when you buy your shares.

 

Shares of the Fund held as follows cannot be combined with your current purchase for purposes of reduced sales charges:

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Letters of Intent : Under a Letter of Intent (“LOI”), you commit to purchase a specified dollar amount of Class A shares of the Fund, with a minimum of $25,000, during a 13-month period. The 13-month period begins upon the date of the LOI. At your written request, Class A shares purchases made during the 90 days prior to the LOI may be included. The amount you agree to purchase determines the initial sales charge you pay. If the full-face amount of the LOI is not invested by the end of the 13-month period, your account will be adjusted to the higher initial sales charge level for the amount actually invested. You are not legally bound by the terms of your LOI to purchase the amount of your shares stated in the LOI. The LOI does, however, authorize the Fund to hold in escrow 5% of the total amount you intend to purchase. If you do not complete the total intended purchase at the end of the 13-month period, the Fund’s transfer agent will redeem the necessary portion of the escrowed shares to make up the difference between the reduced rate sales charge (based on the amount you intended to purchase) and the sales charge that would normally apply (based on the actual amount you purchased).

 

Repurchase of Class A Shares : If you have redeemed Class A shares of the Fund within the past 120 days, you may repurchase an equivalent amount of Class A shares of the Fund at NAV, without the normal front-end sales charge. In effect, this allows you to reacquire shares that you may have had to redeem, without repaying the front-end sales charge. You may exercise this privilege only once and must notify the Fund that you intend to do so in writing. The Fund must receive your purchase order within 120 days of your redemption. Note that if you reacquire shares through separate installments (e.g., through monthly or quarterly repurchases), the sales charge waiver will only apply to those portions of your repurchase order received within 120 days of your redemption.

 

Sales Charge Waivers

 

The sales charge on purchases of Class A shares is waived for certain types of investors, including:

 

The Fund does not waive sales charges for the reinvestment of proceeds from the sale of shares of a different fund where those shares were subject to a front-end sales charge (sometimes called an “NAV transfer”). Whether a sales charge waiver is available for your retirement plan or charitable account depends upon the policies and procedures of your intermediary. Please consult your financial adviser for further information.

 

Class I Shares

 

Class I shares of the Fund are sold at NAV without an initial sales charge and are not subject to 12b-1 distribution fees. This means that 100% of your initial investment is placed into shares of the Fund. However, the Fund has a higher minimum initial investment than Class A shares.

 

  Initial Investment Subsequent Investment
Class Regular
Account
Retirement
Account
Regular
Account
Retirement
Account
A $2,000 $1,000 $500 $250
I $10,000 $5,000 $500 $250

 

The Fund reserves the right to waive any minimum. There is no minimum investment requirement when you are buying shares by reinvesting dividends and distributions from the Fund.

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You may purchase shares of the Fund by sending a completed application form to the following address:

 

Regular Mail

ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund

c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC

P.O. Box 541150

Omaha, Nebraska 68154

Express/Overnight Mail

ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund

c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC

17605 Wright Street, Suite 2

Omaha, Nebraska 68130

 

The USA PATRIOT Act requires financial institutions, including the Fund, to adopt certain policies and programs to prevent money-laundering activities, including procedures to verify the identity of customers opening new accounts. As requested on the Application, you should supply your full name, date of birth, social security number and permanent street address. Mailing addresses containing a P.O. Box will not be accepted. This information will assist the Fund in verifying your identity. Until such verification is made, the Fund may temporarily limit additional share purchases. In addition, the Fund may limit additional share purchases or close an account if it is unable to verify a shareholder’s identity. As required by law, the Fund may employ various procedures, such as comparing the information to fraud databases or requesting additional information or documentation from you, to ensure that the information supplied by you is correct.

 

Purchase through Brokers: You may invest in the Fund through brokers or agents who have entered into selling agreements with the Fund’s distributor. The brokers and agents are authorized to receive purchase and redemption orders on behalf of the Fund. Such brokers are authorized to designate other intermediaries to receive purchase and redemption orders on the Fund’s behalf. The Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an authorized broker or, if applicable, a broker’s authorized designee receives the order. The broker or agent may set their own initial and subsequent investment minimums. You may be charged a fee if you use a broker or agent to buy or redeem shares of the Fund. Finally, various servicing agents use procedures and impose restrictions that may be in addition to, or different from those applicable to investors purchasing shares directly from the Fund. You should carefully read the program materials provided to you by your servicing agent.

 

Purchase by Wire: If you wish to wire money to make an investment in the Fund, please call the Fund at 1-844-798-3833 for wiring instructions and to notify the Fund that a wire transfer is coming. Any commercial bank can transfer same-day funds via wire. The Fund will normally accept wired funds for investment on the day received if they are received by the Fund’s designated bank before the close of regular trading on the NYSE. Your bank may charge you a fee for wiring same-day funds.

 

Automatic Investment Plan: You may participate in the Fund’s Automatic Investment Plan, an investment plan that automatically moves money from your bank account and invests it in the Fund through the use of electronic funds transfers or automatic bank drafts. You may elect to make subsequent investments by transfers of a minimum of $100 on specified days of each month into your established Fund account. Please contact the Fund at 1-844-798-3833 for more information about the Fund’s Automatic Investment Plan.

 

The Fund, however, reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reject any application to purchase shares. Applications will not be accepted unless they are accompanied by a check drawn on a U.S. bank, thrift institutions, or credit union in U.S. funds for the full amount of the shares to be purchased. After you open an account, you may purchase additional shares by sending a check together with written instructions stating the name(s) on the account and the account number, to the above address. Make all checks payable to “ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund.” The Fund will not accept payment in cash, cashier’s checks or money orders. Also, to prevent check fraud, the Fund will not accept third party checks, U.S. Treasury checks, credit card checks or starter checks for the purchase of shares.

 

Note: Gemini Fund Services, LLC, the Fund’s transfer agent, will charge a $25 fee against a shareholder’s account, in addition to any loss sustained by the Fund, for any check returned to the transfer agent for insufficient funds.

 

When Order is Processed: All shares will be purchased at the NAV per share (plus applicable sales charges, if any) next determined after the Fund receives your application or request in good order. All requests received in good order by the Fund before 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) will be processed on that same day. Requests received after 4:00 p.m. will be processed on the next business day.

 

Good Order: When making a purchase request, make sure your request is in good order. “Good order” means your purchase request includes:

  • the name of the Fund and share class;
  • the dollar amount of shares to be purchased;
  • a completed purchase application or investment stub; and
  • a check payable to the “ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund.”

 

Retirement Plans: You may purchase shares of the Fund for your individual retirement plans. Please call the Fund at 1-844-798-3833 for the most current listing and appropriate disclosure documentation on how to open a retirement account.

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HOW TO REDEEM SHARES

 

Redeeming Shares: The Fund typically expects that it will take three business days following the receipt of your redemption request to pay out redemption proceeds by check of electronic transfer. The Fund typically expects to pay redemptions from cash, cash equivalents, proceeds from the sale of fund shares, any lines of credit, and then from the sale of Fund securities. These redemption payment methods will be used in regular and stressed market conditions. You may redeem all or any portion of the shares credited to your account by submitting a written request for redemption to:

 

Regular Mail

ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund

c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC

P.O. Box 541150

Omaha, Nebraska 68154

Express/Overnight Mail

ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund

c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC

17605 Wright Street, Suite 2

Omaha, Nebraska 68130

 

Redemptions by Telephone: The telephone redemption privilege is automatically available to all new accounts except retirement accounts. If you do not want the telephone redemption privilege, you must indicate this in the appropriate area on your account application or you must write to the Fund and instruct it to remove this privilege from your account.

 

The proceeds will be sent by mail to the address designated on your account or wired directly to your existing account in a bank or brokerage firm in the United States as designated on your application. To redeem by telephone, call 1-844-798-3833. IRA accounts are not redeemable by telephone.

 

The Fund reserves the right to suspend the telephone redemption privileges with respect to your account if the name(s) or the address on the account has been changed within the previous 30 days. Neither the Fund, the transfer agent, nor their respective affiliates will be liable for complying with telephone instructions they reasonably believe to be genuine or for any loss, damage, cost or expenses in acting on such telephone instructions and you will be required to bear the risk of any such loss. The Fund or the transfer agent, or both, will employ reasonable procedures to determine that telephone instructions are genuine. If the Fund and/or the transfer agent do not employ these procedures, they may be liable to you for losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent instructions. These procedures may include, among others, requiring forms of personal identification prior to acting upon telephone instructions, providing written confirmation of the transactions and/or tape recording telephone instructions.

 

Redemptions through Broker: If shares of the Fund are held by a broker-dealer, financial institution or other servicing agent, you must contact that servicing agent to redeem shares of the Fund. The servicing agent may charge a fee for this service.

 

Redemptions by Wire: You may request that your redemption proceeds be wired directly to your bank account. The Fund’s transfer agent imposes a $15 fee for each wire redemption and deducts the fee directly from your account. Your bank may also impose a fee for the incoming wire.

 

Automatic Withdrawal Plan: If your individual accounts, IRA or other qualified plan account have a current account value of at least $10,000, you may participate in the Fund’s Automatic Withdrawal Plan, an investment plan that automatically moves money to your bank account from the Fund through the use of electronic funds transfers. You may elect to make subsequent withdrawals by transfers of a minimum of $100 on specified days of each month into your established bank account. Please contact the Fund at 1-844-798-3833 for more information about the Fund’s Automatic Withdrawal Plan.

 

Redemptions in Kind: The Fund reserves the right to honor requests for redemption or repurchase orders by making payment in whole or in part in readily marketable securities (“redemption in kind”) if the amount is greater than the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Fund’s assets. The securities will be chosen by the Fund and valued under the Fund’s NAV procedures. A shareholder will be exposed to market risk until these securities are converted to cash and may incur transaction expenses in converting these securities to cash.

 

When Redemptions are Sent: Once the Fund receives your redemption request in “good order” as described below, it will issue a check based on the next determined NAV following your redemption request. The redemption proceeds normally will be sent by mail or by wire within three business days after receipt of a request in “good order.” If you purchase shares using a check and soon after request a redemption, your redemption proceeds will not be sent until the check used for your purchase has cleared your bank.

 

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Good Order: Your redemption request will be processed if it is in “good order.” To be in good order, the following conditions must be satisfied:

·          The request should be in writing, unless redeeming by telephone, indicating the number of shares or dollar amount to be redeemed;

·          The request must identify your account number;

·          The request should be signed by you and any other person listed on the account, exactly as the shares are registered; and

·          If you request that the redemption proceeds be sent to a person, bank or an address other than that of record or paid to someone other than the record owner(s), or if the address was changed within the last 30 days, or if the proceeds of a requested redemption exceed $50,000, the signature(s) on the request must be medallion signature guaranteed by an eligible signature guarantor.

 

Redemption Fee: The Fund will deduct a 1.00% redemption fee on your redemption amount if you sell your shares within 30 days of purchase. Shares held longest will be treated as being redeemed first and shares held shortest as being redeemed last. Shares held for 30 days or more are not subject to the 1.00% fee. Redemption fees are paid to the Fund directly and are designed to offset costs associated with fluctuations in Fund asset levels and cash flow caused by short-term shareholder trading.

 

Waivers of Redemption Fees: The Fund has elected not to impose the redemption fee for:

· redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares acquired through the reinvestment of dividends and distributions;
· certain types of redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares owned through participant-directed retirement plans;
· redemptions or exchanges in discretionary asset allocation, fee based or wrap programs (“wrap programs”) that are initiated by the sponsor/financial advisor as part of a periodic rebalancing;
· redemptions or exchanges in a fee based or wrap program that are made as a result of a full withdrawal from the wrap program or as part of a systematic withdrawal plan;
· involuntary redemptions, such as those resulting from a shareholder’s failure to maintain a minimum investment in the Fund, or to pay shareholder fees; or other types of redemptions as the Adviser or the Trust may determine in special situations and approved by the Fund’s or the Adviser’s Chief Compliance Officer.

 

When You Need Medallion Signature Guarantees: If you wish to change the bank or brokerage account that you have designated on your account, you may do so at any time by writing to the Fund with your signature guaranteed. A medallion signature guarantee assures that a signature is genuine and protects you from unauthorized account transfers. You will need your signature guaranteed if:

· you request a redemption to be made payable to a person not on record with the Fund;
· you request that a redemption be mailed to an address other than that on record with the Fund;
· the proceeds of a requested redemption exceed $50,000;
· any redemption is transmitted by federal wire transfer to a bank other than the bank of record; or
· your address was changed within 30 days of your redemption request.

 

Signatures may be guaranteed by any eligible guarantor institution (including banks, brokers and dealers, credit unions, national securities exchanges, registered securities associations, clearing agencies and savings associations). Further documentation will be required to change the designated account if shares are held by a corporation, fiduciary or other organization. A notary public cannot guarantee signatures.

 

Retirement Plans: If you own an IRA or other retirement plan, you must indicate on your redemption request whether the Fund should withhold federal income tax. Unless you elect in your redemption request that you do not want to have federal tax withheld, the redemption will be subject to withholding.

 

Low Balances: If at any time your account balance in the Fund falls below $1,000, the Fund may notify you that, unless the account is brought up to at least $1,000 within 30 days of the notice; your account could be closed. After the notice period, the Fund may redeem all of your shares and close your account by sending you a check to the address of record. Your account will not be closed if the account balance drops below required minimums due to a decline in NAV. The Fund will not charge any redemption fee on involuntary redemptions.

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FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES

 

The Fund discourages and does not accommodate market timing. Frequent trading into and out of the Fund can harm all Fund shareholders by disrupting the Fund’s investment strategies, increasing Fund expenses, decreasing tax efficiency and diluting the value of shares held by long-term shareholders. The Fund is designed for long-term investors and is not intended for market timing or other disruptive trading activities. Accordingly, the Board has approved policies that seek to curb these disruptive activities while recognizing that shareholders may have a legitimate need to adjust their Fund investments as their financial needs or circumstances change. The Fund currently uses several methods to reduce the risk of market timing. These methods include, but are not limited to:

Though these methods involve judgments that are inherently subjective and involve some selectivity in their application, the Fund seeks to make judgments and applications that are consistent with the interests of the Fund’s shareholders.

 

Based on the frequency of redemptions in your account, the Adviser or transfer agent may in its sole discretion determine that your trading activity is detrimental to the Fund as described in the Fund’s Market Timing Trading Policy and elect to reject or limit the amount, number, frequency or method for requesting future purchases or exchanges into the Fund.

 

The Fund reserves the right to reject or restrict purchase requests for any reason, particularly when the shareholder’s trading activity suggests that the shareholder may be engaged in market timing or other disruptive trading activities. Neither the Fund nor the Adviser will be liable for any losses resulting from rejected purchase orders. The Adviser may also bar an investor who has violated these policies (and the investor’s financial advisor) from opening new accounts with the Fund.

 

Although the Fund attempts to limit disruptive trading activities, some investors use a variety of strategies to hide their identities and their trading practices. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will be able to identify or limit these activities. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of the Fund. While the Fund will encourage financial intermediaries to apply the Fund’s Market Timing Trading Policy to their customers who invest indirectly in the Fund, the Fund is limited in its ability to monitor the trading activity or enforce the Fund’s Market Timing Trading Policy with respect to customers of financial intermediaries. For example, should it occur, the Fund may not be able to detect market timing that may be facilitated by financial intermediaries or made difficult to identify in the omnibus accounts used by those intermediaries for aggregated purchases, exchanges and redemptions on behalf of all their customers. More specifically, unless the financial intermediaries have the ability to apply the Fund’s Market Timing Trading Policy to their customers through such methods as implementing short-term trading limitations or restrictions and monitoring trading activity for what might be market timing, the Fund may not be able to determine whether trading by customers of financial intermediaries is contrary to the Fund’s Market Timing Trading Policy. Brokers maintaining omnibus accounts with the Fund have agreed to provide shareholder transaction information to the extent known to the broker to the Fund upon request. If the Fund or its transfer agent or shareholder servicing agent suspects there is market timing activity in the account, the Fund will seek full cooperation from the service provider maintaining the account to identify the underlying participant. At the request of the Adviser, the service providers may take immediate action to stop any further short-term trading by such participants.

 

TAX STATUS, DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS

 

Any sale or exchange of the Fund’s shares may generate tax liability (unless you are a tax-exempt investor or your investment is in a qualified retirement account). When you redeem your shares you may realize a taxable gain or loss. This is measured by the difference between the proceeds of the sale and the tax basis for the shares you sold. (To aid in computing your tax basis, you generally should retain your account statements for the period that you hold shares in the Fund.)

 

The Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and net capital gains annually in December. Both distributions will be reinvested in shares of the Fund unless you elect to receive cash. Dividends from net investment income (including any excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss) are taxable to investors as ordinary income, while distributions of net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) are generally taxable as long-term capital gain, regardless of your holding period for the shares. Any dividends or capital gain distributions you receive from the Fund will normally be taxable to you when made, regardless of whether you reinvest dividends or capital gain distributions or receive them in cash. Certain dividends or distributions declared in October, November or December will be taxed to shareholders as if received in December if they are paid during the following January. Each year the Fund will inform you of the amount and type of your distributions. IRAs and other qualified retirement plans are exempt from federal income taxation until retirement proceeds are paid out to the participant. Your redemptions, including exchanges, may result in a capital gain or loss for federal tax purposes. A capital gain or loss on your investment is the difference between the

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cost of your shares, including any sales charges, and the amount you receive when you sell them.

 

On the account application, you will be asked to certify that your social security number or taxpayer identification number is correct and that you are not subject to backup withholding for failing to report income to the IRS. If you are subject to backup withholding or you did not certify your taxpayer identification number, the IRS requires the Fund to withhold a percentage of any dividend, redemption or exchange proceeds. The Fund reserves the right to reject any application that does not include a certified social security or taxpayer identification number. If you do not have a social security number, you should indicate on the purchase form that your application to obtain a number is pending. The Fund is required to withhold taxes if a number is not delivered to the Fund within seven days.

 

This summary is not intended to be and should not be construed to be legal or tax advice. You should consult your own tax advisors to determine the tax consequences of owning the Fund’s shares.

 

DISTRIBUTION OF SHARES

 

Distributor: Northern Lights Distributors, LLC, 17605 Wright Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68130, is the distributor for the shares of the Fund. Northern Lights Distributors, LLC is a registered broker-dealer and member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. Shares of the Fund are offered on a continuous basis.

 

Distribution Fees: The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has adopted the Trust’s Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan for Class A shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (the “Plan”), pursuant to which the Fund pays the Fund’s distributor an annual fee for distribution and shareholder servicing expenses of 0.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets attributable to the Class A. Class I shares do not have a Plan. Because these fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an on-going basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.

 

The Fund’s distributor and other entities are paid under the Plan for services provided and the expenses borne by the distributor and others in the distribution of Fund shares, including the payment of commissions for sales of the shares and incentive compensation to and expenses of dealers and others who engage in or support distribution of shares or who service shareholder accounts, including overhead and telephone expenses; printing and distribution of prospectuses and reports used in connection with the offering of the Fund’s shares to other than current shareholders; and preparation, printing and distribution of sales literature and advertising materials. In addition, the Fund’s distributor or other entities may utilize fees paid pursuant to the Plan to compensate dealers or other entities for their opportunity costs in advancing such amounts, which compensation would be in the form of a carrying charge on any un-reimbursed expenses.

 

Additional Compensation to Financial Intermediaries: The Fund’s distributor, its affiliates, and the Adviser and its affiliates may, at their own expense and out of their own assets including their legitimate profits from Fund-related activities, provide additional cash payments to financial intermediaries who sell shares of the Fund or assist in the marketing of the Fund. Financial intermediaries include brokers, financial planners, banks, insurance companies, retirement or 401(k) plan administrators and others. These payments may be in addition to the Rule 12b-1 fees and any sales charges that are disclosed elsewhere in this Prospectus. These payments are generally made to financial intermediaries that provide shareholder or administrative services, or marketing support. Marketing support may include access to sales meetings, sales representatives and financial intermediary management representatives, inclusion of the Fund on a sales list, including a preferred or select sales list, or other sales programs. These payments also may be made as an expense reimbursement in cases where the financial intermediary provides shareholder services to Fund shareholders. The distributor may, from time to time, provide promotional incentives to certain investment firms. Such incentives may, at the distributor’s discretion, be limited to investment firms who allow their individual selling representatives to participate in such additional compensation.

 

Householding: To reduce expenses, the Fund mails only one copy of a Prospectus and each annual and semi-annual report to those addresses shared by two or more accounts. If you wish to receive individual copies of these documents, please call the Fund at 1-844-798-3833 on days the Fund is open for business or contact your financial institution. The Fund will begin sending you individual copies thirty days after receiving your request.

 

16  
 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for the period of the Fund’s operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). This information has been derived from the financial statements audited by BBD, LLP whose report, along with the Fund’s consolidated financial statements which are incorporated by reference into the SAI, and are included in the Fund’s December 31, 2017 annual report, which is available at no charge upon request.

 

ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

Per Share Data and Ratios for a Share of Beneficial Interest Outstanding Throughout each Year or Period Presented

 

    Class A  
    For Year Ended     For Year Ended     For the Period Ended  
    December 31, 2017     December 31, 2016     December 31, 2015 (1)  
                   
Net asset value, beginning of period   $ 15.07     $ 15.85     $ 15.00  
Increase (decrease) from investment operations:                        
Net investment loss (2)     (0.25 )     (0.24 )     (0.32 )
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments     2.89       (0.54 )     1.17  
Total from investment operations     2.64       (0.78 )     0.85  
Redemption fees collected (2)     0.00  (3)     0.00  (3)     0.00  (3)
Net asset value, end of period   $ 17.71     $ 15.07     $ 15.85  
Total return (4)     17.52 %     (4.92 )%     5.67 % (5)
Net assets, at end of period (000s)   $ 4,121     $ 28,895     $ 28,257  
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                        
Ratio of net expenses to average net assets including dividends from securities sold short and interest expense (6)     2.10 %     2.13 %     2.41 % (7)
Ratio of net expenses to average net assets excluding dividends from securities sold short and interest expense (6)     1.98 %     2.01 %     2.18 % (7)
Ratio of net investment loss to average net assets (6)     (1.54 )%     (1.54 )%     (2.09 )% (7)
Portfolio Turnover Rate     224 %     481 %     652 % (5)

 

 

(1)  The Fund commenced operations on January 20, 2015.

 

(2)  Per share amounts calculated using the average shares method, which more appropriately presents the per share data for the year/period.

 

(3)  Represents less than $0.01 per share.

 

(4)  Total returns shown exclude the effect of applicable sales charges and redemption fees and assumes reinvestment of all distributions.

 

(5)  Not annualized.

 

(6)  Does not include the expenses of other investment companies in which the Fund invests.

 

(7)  Annualized for periods less than one full year.
17  
 

 

ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

Per Share Data and Ratios for a Share of Beneficial Interest Outstanding Throughout each Year or Period Presented

 

    Class I  
    For Year Ended     For Year Ended     For the Period Ended  
    December 31, 2017     December 31, 2016     December 31, 2015 (1)  
                   
Net asset value, beginning of period   $ 15.12     $ 15.86     $ 15.00  
Increase (decrease) from investment operations:                        
Net investment loss (2)     (0.21 )     (0.20 )     (0.33 )
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments     2.91       (0.54 )     1.19  
Total from investment operations     2.70       (0.74 )     0.86  
Redemption fees collected (2)     0.00  (3)     0.00  (3)     0.00  (3)
Net asset value, end of period   $ 17.82     $ 15.12     $ 15.86  
Total return (4)     17.86 %     (4.67 )%     5.73 % (5)
Net assets, at end of period (000s)   $ 61,152     $ 19,140     $ 22,056  
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                        
Ratio of net expenses to average net assets including dividends from securities sold short and interest expense (6)     1.85 %     1.88 %     2.16 % (7)
Ratio of net expenses to average net assets excluding dividends from securities sold short and interest expense (6)     1.73 %     1.76 %     1.93 % (7)
Ratio of net investment loss to average net assets (6)     (1.24 )%     (1.29 )%     (2.12 )% (7)
Portfolio Turnover Rate     224 %     481 %     652 % (5)

 

 

(1)  The Fund commenced operations on January 20, 2015.

 

(2)  Per share amounts calculated using the average shares method, which more appropriately presents the per share data for the year/period.

 

(3)  Represents less than $0.01 per share.

 

(4)  Total returns shown exclude the effect of applicable sales charges and redemption fees and assumes reinvestment of all distributions.

 

(5)  Not annualized.

 

(6)  Does not include the expenses of other investment companies in which the Fund invests.

 

(7)  Annualized for periods less than one full year.

 

18  
 

Rev. February 2014



PRIVACY NOTICE
FACTS

WHAT DOES NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST III DO WITH YOUR PERSONAL

INFORMATION?

   
Why? Financial companies choose how they share your personal information.  Federal law gives consumers the right to limit some but not all sharing.  Federal law also requires us to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information.  Please read this notice carefully to understand what we do.
   
What? The types of personal information we collect and share depend on the product or service you have with us.  This information can include:
  • Social Security number
  • Purchase History
  • Assets
  • Account Balances
  • Retirement Assets
  • Account Transactions
  • Transaction History
  • Wire Transfer Instructions
  • Checking Account Information
When you are no longer our customer, we continue to share your information as described in this notice.
   
How? All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business.  In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons Northern Lights Fund Trust III chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing.
       
Reasons we can share your personal information Does Northern Lights
Fund Trust III share?
Can you limit this sharing?

For our everyday business purposes –

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

Yes No

For our marketing purposes –

to offer our products and services to you

No We don’t share
For joint marketing with other financial companies No We don’t share

For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes –

information about your transactions and experiences

No We don’t share

For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes –

information about your creditworthiness

No We don’t share
For nonaffiliates to market to you No We don’t share
   
Questions? Call (402) 493-4603
 
         
19  
 

 

Who we are
Who is providing
this notice?

Northern Lights Fund Trust III

 

 

What we do
How does Northern Lights Fund Trust III protect my personal information?

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

 

Our service providers are held accountable for adhering to strict policies and procedures to prevent any misuse of your nonpublic personal information.

How does Northern Lights Fund Trust III collect my personal information?

We collect your personal information, for example, when you

  • Open an account
  • Provide account information
  • Give us your contact information
  • Make deposits or withdrawals from your account
  • Make a wire transfer
  • Tell us where to send the money
  • Tells us who receives the money
  • Show your government-issued ID
  • Show your driver’s license

We also collect your personal information from other companies.

Why can’t I limit all sharing?

Federal law gives you the right to limit only

  • Sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness
  • Affiliates from using your information to market to you
  • Sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you

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

Definitions
Affiliates

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

  • Northern Lights Fund Trust III does not share with our affiliates.
Nonaffiliates

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

  • Northern Lights Fund Trust III does not share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you.
Joint marketing

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

  • Northern Lights Fund Trust III doesn’t jointly market.
20  
 

ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund

Adviser

Ascendant Capital Management, LLC

10866 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1600,

Los Angeles, CA 90024

Distributor

Northern Lights Distributors, LLC

17605 Wright Street,

Omaha, NE 68130

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

BBD, LLP

1835 Market Street, 3 rd Floor,

Philadelphia, PA 19103

Legal Counsel

Thompson Hine LLP

41 South High Street, Suite 1700,

Columbus, OH 43215

Custodian

MUFG Union Bank, N.A.

400 California Street,

San Francisco, CA 94104

Transfer Agent

Gemini Fund Services, LLC
17605 Wright Street, Suite 2,

Omaha, NE 68130

 

Additional information about the Fund is included in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information dated May 1, 2018. The SAI is incorporated into this Prospectus by reference (i.e., legally made a part of this Prospectus). The SAI provides more details about the Fund’s policies and management. Additional information about the Fund’s investments is also available in the Fund’s Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders. In the Fund’s Annual Report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year or fiscal period.

 

To obtain a free copy of the SAI and the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders, or other information about the Fund, or to make shareholder inquiries about the Fund, please call 1-844-798-3833 or visit www.ACM-Funds.com. You may also write to:

ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund

c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC

17605 Wright Street, Suite 2

Omaha, Nebraska 68130

 

You may review and obtain copies of the Fund’s information at the SEC Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Please call 1-202-551-8090 for information relating to the operation of the Public Reference Room. Reports and other information about the Fund are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following E-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520.

 

Investment Company Act File # 811-22655

 

 

ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund

Class A ADOAX

Class I ADOIX

 

a series of Northern Lights Fund Trust III

 

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

May 1, 2018

 

 

This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") is not a Prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus of ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund (the "Fund") dated May 1, 2018, which is incorporated by reference into this SAI (i.e., legally made a part of this SAI). Copies may be obtained without charge by contacting the Fund's Transfer Agent, Gemini Fund Services, LLC, 17605 Wright Street, Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68130 or by calling 1-844-798-3833. You may also obtain a prospectus by visiting the Fund's website at www.ACM-Funds.com.

 
 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

THE FUND 1
INVESTMENTS AND RISKS 2
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER 25
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS 26
INVESTMENT ADVISER 27
PORTFOLIO MANAGER 28
ALLOCATION OF BROKERAGE 29
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS 31
OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS 32
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM 34
LEGAL COUNSEL 35
DISTRIBUTOR 35
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES 37
CODE OF ETHICS 37
PROXY VOTING POLICIES 38
PURCHASE, REDEMPTION AND PRICING OF FUND SHARES 38
TAX STATUS 43
ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING PROGRAM 48
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES 49
MANAGEMENT 50
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 55
APPENDIX A – BOND RATINGS 56
APPENDIX B – PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES 58
 
 

THE FUND


 

The Fund is a diversified series of Northern Lights Fund Trust III, a Delaware statutory trust organized on December 5, 2011 (the "Trust"). The Trust is registered as an Open-End Management Investment Company. The Trust is governed by the Board of Trustees (the "Board," "Trustees," or “Board of Trustees”).

 

The Fund may issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest. All shares of the Fund have equal rights and privileges. Each share of the Fund is entitled to one vote on all matters as to which shares are entitled to vote. In addition, each share of the Fund is entitled to participate equally with other shares, on a class-specific basis, (i) in dividends and distributions declared by the Fund and (ii) on liquidation to its proportionate share of the assets remaining after satisfaction of outstanding liabilities. Shares of the Fund are fully paid, non-assessable and fully transferable and have no pre-emptive, conversion or exchange rights. Fractional shares have proportionately the same rights, including voting rights, as are provided for a full share.

 

Ascendant Capital Management, LLC (the "Adviser") is the Fund's investment adviser. The Fund's investment objectives, restrictions and policies are more fully described here and in the Prospectus. The Board may start other series and offer shares of a new fund under the Trust at any time.

 

The Fund offers two classes of shares: Class A shares and Class I shares. Each share class represents an interest in the same assets of the Fund, has the same rights and is identical in all material respects except that (i) each class of shares may be subject to different (or no) sales loads; (ii) each class of shares may bear different (or no) distribution fees; (iii) each class of shares may have different shareholder features, such as minimum investment amounts; (iv) certain other class-specific expenses will be borne solely by the class to which such expenses are attributable, including transfer agent fees attributable to a specific class of shares, printing and postage expenses related to preparing and distributing materials to current shareholders of a specific class, registration fees paid by a specific class of shares, the expenses of administrative personnel and services required to support the shareholders of a specific class, litigation or other legal expenses relating to a class of shares, Trustees' fees or expenses paid as a result of issues relating to a specific class of shares and accounting fees and expenses relating to a specific class of shares and (v) each class has exclusive voting rights with respect to matters relating to its own distribution arrangements. The Board of Trustees may classify and reclassify the shares of the Fund into additional classes of shares at a future date.

 

Under the Trust's Agreement and Declaration of Trust, each Trustee will continue in office until the termination of the Trust or his/her earlier death, incapacity, resignation or removal. Shareholders can remove a Trustee to the extent provided by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Vacancies may be filled by a majority of the remaining Trustees, except insofar as the 1940 Act may require the election by shareholders. As a result, normally no annual or regular meetings of shareholders will be held unless matters arise requiring a vote of shareholders under the Agreement and Declaration of Trust or the 1940 Act.

 

1  
 

INVESTMENTS AND RISKS


 

The investment objective of the Fund and the descriptions of the Fund's principal investment strategies are set forth under "Investment Objective, Principal Investment Strategies, Related Risks" in the Prospectus. The Fund's investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed without the approval of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust.

 

The following pages contain more detailed information about the types of instruments in which the Fund may invest, strategies the Adviser may employ in pursuit of the Fund's investment objective and a summary of related risks.

 

Equity Securities

 

Equity securities in which the Fund invests include common stocks, preferred stocks and securities convertible into common stocks, such as convertible bonds, warrants, rights and options. The value of equity securities varies in response to many factors, including the activities and financial condition of individual companies, the business market in which individual companies compete and general market and economic conditions. Equity securities fluctuate in value, often based on factors unrelated to the value of the issuer of the securities, and such fluctuations can be significant.

 

Common Stock

 

Common stock represents an equity (ownership) interest in a company, and usually possesses voting rights and earns dividends. Dividends on common stock are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the issuer. Common stock generally represents the riskiest investment in a company. In addition, common stock generally has the greatest appreciation and depreciation potential because increases and decreases in earnings are usually reflected in a company's stock price.

 

Preferred Stock

 

The Fund may invest in preferred stock with no minimum credit rating. Preferred stock is a class of stock having a preference over common stock as to the payment of dividends and the recovery of investment should a company be liquidated, although preferred stock is usually junior to the debt securities of the issuer. Preferred stock typically does not possess voting rights and its market value may change based on changes in interest rates.

 

The fundamental risk of investing in common and preferred stock is the risk that the value of the stock might decrease. Stock values fluctuate in response to the activities of an individual company or in response to general market and/or economic conditions. Historically, common stocks have provided greater long-term returns and have entailed greater short-term risks than preferred stocks, fixed-income securities and money market investments. The market value of all securities, including common and preferred stocks, is based upon the market's perception of value and not necessarily the book value of an issuer or other objective measures of a company's worth.

 

Fixed Income/Debt/Bond Securities

 

Yields on fixed income securities are dependent on a variety of factors, including the general conditions of the money market and other fixed income securities markets, the size of a particular offering, the maturity of the obligation and the rating of the issue. An investment in the Fund will be

2  
 

subjected to risk even if all fixed income securities in the Fund's portfolio are paid in full at maturity. All fixed income securities, including U.S. Government securities, can change in value when there is a change in interest rates or the issuer's actual or perceived creditworthiness or ability to meet its obligations.

 

There is normally an inverse relationship between the market value of securities sensitive to prevailing interest rates and actual changes in interest rates. In other words, an increase in interest rates produces a decrease in market value. The longer the remaining maturity (and duration) of a security, the greater will be the effect of interest rate changes on the market value of that security. Changes in the ability of an issuer to make payments of interest and principal and in the market’s perception of an issuer's creditworthiness will also affect the market value of the debt securities of that issuer. Obligations of issuers of fixed income securities (including municipal securities) are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency, and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors, such as the Federal Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978. In addition, the obligations of municipal issuers may become subject to laws enacted in the future by Congress, state legislatures, or referenda extending the time for payment of principal and/or interest, or imposing other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations or upon the ability of municipalities to levy taxes. Changes in the ability of an issuer to make payments of interest and principal and in the market's perception of an issuer's creditworthiness will also affect the market value of the debt securities of that issuer. The possibility exists, therefore, that, the ability of any issuer to pay, when due, the principal of and interest on its debt securities may become impaired.

 

The corporate debt securities in which the Fund may invest include corporate bonds and notes and short-term investments such as commercial paper and variable rate demand notes. Commercial paper (short-term promissory notes) is issued by companies to finance their or their affiliate's current obligations and is frequently unsecured. Variable and floating rate demand notes are unsecured obligations typically redeemable upon not more than 30 days' notice. These obligations include master demand notes that permit investment of fluctuating amounts at varying rates of interest pursuant to a direct arrangement with the issuer of the instrument. The issuer of these obligations often has the right, after a given period, to prepay the outstanding principal amount of the obligations upon a specified number of days' notice. These obligations generally are not traded, nor generally is there an established secondary market for these obligations. To the extent a demand note does not have a 7-day or shorter demand feature and there is no readily available market for the obligation, it is treated as an illiquid security.

 

The Fund may invest in sovereign bonds. Sovereign bonds involve special risks not present in corporate bonds. The governmental authority that controls the repayment of the bonds may be unable or unwilling to make interest payments and/or repay the principal on its bonds. If an issuer of sovereign bonds defaults on payments of principal and/or interest, the Fund may have limited recourse against the issuer. In the past, certain governments of emerging market countries have declared themselves unable to meet their financial obligations on a timely basis, which has resulted in losses to holders of such government’s debt.

 

A sovereign debtor’s willingness or ability to repay principal and pay interest in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign currency reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange, the relative size of the debt service burden, the sovereign debtor’s policy toward principal international lenders and local political constraints. Sovereign debtors may also be dependent on expected disbursements from foreign governments, multilateral agencies and other entities to reduce principal and interest arrearages on their debt. The

3  
 

failure of a sovereign debtor to implement economic reforms, achieve specified levels of economic performance or repay principal or interest when due may result in the cancellation of third-party commitments to lend funds to the sovereign debtor, which may further impair such debtor’s ability or willingness to service its debts.

 

The Fund may invest in debt securities, including non-investment grade debt securities. The following describes some of the risks associated with fixed income debt securities:

 

Interest Rate Risk . Debt securities have varying levels of sensitivity to changes in interest rates. In general, the price of a debt security can fall when interest rates rise and can rise when interest rates fall. Securities with longer maturities and mortgage securities can be more sensitive to interest rate changes although they usually offer higher yields to compensate investors for the greater risks. The longer the maturity of the security, the greater the impact a change in interest rates could have on the security's price. In addition, short-term and long-term interest rates do not necessarily move in the same amount or the same direction. Short-term securities tend to react to changes in short-term interest rates and long-term securities tend to react to changes in long-term interest rates.

 

Credit Risk . Fixed income securities have speculative characteristics and changes in economic conditions or other circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of those issuers to make principal or interest payments, as compared to issuers of more highly rated securities.

 

Extension Risk . The Fund is subject to the risk that an issuer will exercise its right to pay principal on an obligation held by the Fund (such as mortgage-backed securities) later than expected. This may happen when there is a rise in interest rates. These events may lengthen the duration (i.e., interest rate sensitivity) and potentially reduce the value of these securities.

 

Prepayment Risk . Certain types of debt securities, such as mortgage-backed securities, have yield and maturity characteristics corresponding to underlying assets. Unlike traditional debt securities, which may pay a fixed rate of interest until maturity when the entire principal amount comes due, payments on certain mortgage-backed securities may include both interest and a partial payment of principal. Besides the scheduled repayment of principal, payments of principal may result from the voluntary prepayment, refinancing, or foreclosure of the underlying mortgage loans.

 

Securities subject to prepayment are less effective than other types of securities as a means of "locking in" attractive long-term interest rates. One reason is the need to reinvest prepayments of principal; another is the possibility of significant unscheduled prepayments resulting from declines in interest rates. These prepayments would have to be reinvested at lower rates. As a result, these securities may have less potential for capital appreciation during periods of declining interest rates than other securities of comparable maturities, although they may have a similar risk of decline in market value during periods of rising interest rates. Prepayments may also significantly shorten the effective maturities of these securities, especially during periods of declining interest rates. Conversely, during periods of rising interest rates, a reduction in prepayments may increase the effective maturities of these securities, subjecting them to a greater risk of decline in market value in response to rising interest rates than traditional debt securities, and, therefore, potentially increasing the volatility of the Fund.

 

At times, some of the mortgage-backed securities in which the Fund may invest will have higher than market interest rates and therefore will be purchased at a premium above their par value. Prepayments may cause losses in securities purchased at a premium, as unscheduled prepayments, which are made at par, will cause the Fund to experience a loss equal to any unamortized premium.

4  
 

Certificates of Deposit and Bankers' Acceptances

 

Certificates of deposit are receipts issued by a depository institution in exchange for the deposit of funds. The issuer agrees to pay the amount deposited plus interest to the bearer of the receipt on the date specified on the certificate. The certificate usually can be traded in the secondary market prior to maturity.

 

The Fund may invest in insured bank obligations. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") insures the deposits of federally insured banks and savings and loan associations (collectively referred to as "banks") up to $250,000. The Fund may purchase bank obligations that are fully insured as to principal by the FDIC. Currently, to remain fully insured as to principal, these investments must be limited to $250,000 per bank; if the principal amount and accrued interest together exceed $250,000, the excess principal and accrued interest will not be insured. Insured bank obligations may have limited marketability.

 

Bankers' acceptances typically arise from short-term credit arrangements designed to enable businesses to obtain funds to finance commercial transactions. Generally, an acceptance is a time draft drawn on a bank by an exporter or an importer to obtain a stated amount of funds to pay for specific merchandise. The draft is then "accepted" by a bank that, in effect, unconditionally guarantees to pay the face value of the instrument on its maturity date. The acceptance may then be held by the accepting bank as an earning asset or it may be sold in the secondary market at the going rate of discount for a specific maturity. Although maturities for acceptances can be as long as 270 days, most acceptances have maturities of six months or less.

 

Time Deposits and Variable Rate Notes

 

The Fund may invest in fixed time deposits, whether or not subject to withdrawal penalties. The commercial paper obligations, which the Fund may buy are unsecured and may include variable rate notes. The nature and terms of a variable rate note (i.e., a "Master Note") permit the Fund to invest fluctuating amounts at varying rates of interest pursuant to a direct arrangement between the Fund as lender, and the issuer, as borrower. It permits daily changes in the amounts borrowed. The Fund has the right at any time to increase, up to the full amount stated in the note agreement, or to decrease the amount outstanding under the note. The issuer may prepay at any time and without penalty any part of or the full amount of the note. The note may or may not be backed by one or more bank letters of credit. Because these notes are direct lending arrangements between the Fund and the issuer, it is not generally contemplated that they will be traded; moreover, there is currently no secondary market for them. Except as specifically provided in the Prospectus, there is no limitation on the type of issuer from whom these notes may be purchased; however, in connection with such purchase and on an ongoing basis, the Adviser will consider the earning power, cash flow and other liquidity ratios of the issuer, and its ability to pay principal and interest on demand, including a situation in which all holders of such notes made demand simultaneously. Variable rate notes are subject to the Fund's investment restriction on illiquid securities unless such notes can be put back to the issuer on demand within seven days.

 

Commercial Paper

 

The Fund may purchase commercial paper. Commercial paper consists of short-term (usually from 1 to 270 days) unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations in order to finance their current operations. It may be secured by letters of credit, a surety bond or other forms of collateral. Commercial

5  
 

paper is usually repaid at maturity by the issuer from the proceeds of the issuance of new commercial paper. As a result, investment in commercial paper is subject to the risk the issuer cannot issue enough new commercial paper to satisfy its outstanding commercial paper, also known as rollover risk. Commercial paper may become illiquid or may suffer from reduced liquidity in certain circumstances. Like all fixed income securities, commercial paper prices are susceptible to fluctuations in interest rates. If interest rates rise, commercial paper prices will decline. The short-term nature of a commercial paper investment makes it less susceptible to interest rate risk than many other fixed income securities because interest rate risk typically increases as maturity lengths increase. Commercial paper tends to yield smaller returns than longer-term corporate debt because securities with shorter maturities typically have lower effective yields than those with longer maturities. As with all fixed income securities, there is a chance that the issuer will default on its commercial paper obligation.

 

Repurchase Agreements

 

The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements. In a repurchase agreement, an investor (such as the Fund) purchases a security (known as the "underlying security") from a securities dealer or bank. Any such dealer or bank must be deemed creditworthy by the Adviser. At that time, the bank or securities dealer agrees to repurchase the underlying security at a mutually agreed upon price on a designated future date. The repurchase price may be higher than the purchase price, the difference being income to the Fund, or the purchase and repurchase prices may be the same, with interest at an agreed upon rate due to the Fund on repurchase. In either case, the income to the Fund generally will be unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying securities. Repurchase agreements must be "fully collateralized," in that the market value of the underlying securities (including accrued interest) must at all times be equal to or greater than the repurchase price. Therefore, a repurchase agreement can be considered a loan collateralized by the underlying securities.

 

Repurchase agreements are generally for a short period of time, often less than a week, and will generally be used by the Fund to invest excess cash or as part of a temporary defensive strategy. Repurchase agreements that do not provide for payment within seven days will be treated as illiquid securities. In the event of a bankruptcy or other default by the seller of a repurchase agreement, the Fund could experience both delays in liquidating the underlying security and losses. These losses could result from: (a) possible decline in the value of the underlying security while the Fund is seeking to enforce its rights under the repurchase agreement; (b) possible reduced levels of income or lack of access to income during this period; and (c) expenses of enforcing its rights.

 

High Yield Securities

 

The Fund may invest in high yield securities. High yield, high risk bonds are securities that are generally rated below investment grade by the primary rating agencies (BB+ or lower by S&P and Ba1 or lower by Moody's). Other terms used to describe such securities include "lower rated bonds," "non-investment grade bonds," "below investment grade bonds," and "junk bonds." These securities are considered to be high-risk investments. The risks include the following:

 

Greater Risk of Loss . These securities are regarded as predominately speculative. There is a greater risk that issuers of lower rated securities will default than issuers of higher rated securities. Issuers of lower rated securities generally are less creditworthy and may be highly indebted, financially distressed, or bankrupt. These issuers are more vulnerable to real or perceived economic changes, political changes or adverse industry developments. In addition, high yield securities are frequently

6  
 

subordinated to the prior payment of senior indebtedness. If an issuer fails to pay principal or interest, the Fund would experience a decrease in income and a decline in the market value of its investments.

 

Sensitivity to Interest Rate and Economic Changes . The income and market value of lower-rated securities may fluctuate more than higher rated securities. Although non-investment grade securities tend to be less sensitive to interest rate changes than investment grade securities, non-investment grade securities are more sensitive to short-term corporate, economic and market developments. During periods of economic uncertainty and change, the market price of the investments in lower-rated securities may be volatile. The default rate for high yield bonds tends to be cyclical, with defaults rising in periods of economic downturn. For example, in 2000, 2001 and 2002, the default rate for high yield securities was significantly higher than in the prior or subsequent years.

 

Valuation Difficulties . It is often more difficult to value lower rated securities than higher rated securities. If an issuer's financial condition deteriorates, accurate financial and business information may be limited or unavailable. In addition, the lower rated investments may be thinly traded and there may be no established secondary market. Because of the lack of market pricing and current information for investments in lower rated securities, valuation of such investments is much more dependent on judgment than is the case with higher rated securities.

 

Liquidity . There may be no established secondary or public market for investments in lower rated securities. Such securities are frequently traded in markets that may be relatively less liquid than the market for higher rated securities. In addition, relatively few institutional purchasers may hold a major portion of an issue of lower-rated securities at times. As a result, the Fund may be required to sell investments at substantial losses or retain them indefinitely when an issuer's financial condition is deteriorating.

 

Credit Quality . Credit quality of non-investment grade securities can change suddenly and unexpectedly, and even recently-issued credit ratings may not fully reflect the actual risks posed by a particular high-yield security.

 

New Legislation . Future legislation may have a possible negative impact on the market for high yield, high risk bonds. As an example, in the late 1980s, legislation required federally-insured savings and loan associations to divest their investments in high yield, high risk bonds. New legislation, if enacted, could have a material negative effect on the Fund's investments in lower rated securities.

 

High yield . High risk investments may include the following:

 

Straight fixed-income debt securities . These include bonds and other debt obligations that bear a fixed or variable rate of interest payable at regular intervals and have a fixed or resettable maturity date. The particular terms of such securities vary and may include features such as call provisions and sinking funds.

 

Zero-coupon debt securities . These bear no interest obligation but are issued at a discount from their value at maturity. When held to maturity, their entire return equals the difference between their issue price and their maturity value.

 

Zero-fixed-coupon debt securities . These are zero-coupon debt securities that convert on a specified date to interest-bearing debt securities.

 

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Pay-in-kind bonds . These are bonds which allow the issuer, at its option, to make current interest payments on the bonds either in cash or in additional bonds. These are bonds sold without registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), usually to a relatively small number of institutional investors.

 

Convertible Securities . These are bonds or preferred stock that may be converted to common stock.

 

Preferred Stock . These are stocks that generally pay a dividend at a specified rate and have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and in liquidation.

 

Loan Participations and Assignments . These are participations in, or assignments of all or a portion of loans to corporations or to governments, including governments of less developed countries.

 

Securities issued in connection with Reorganizations and Corporate Restructurings . In connection with reorganizing or restructuring of an issuer, an issuer may issue common stock or other securities to holders of its debt securities. The Fund may hold such common stock and other securities even if it does not invest in such securities.

 

Municipal Government Obligations

 

In general, municipal obligations are debt obligations issued by or on behalf of states, territories and possessions of the United States (including the District of Columbia) and their political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities. Municipal obligations generally include debt obligations issued to obtain funds for various public purposes. Certain types of municipal obligations are issued in whole or in part to obtain funding for privately operated facilities or projects. Municipal obligations include general obligation bonds, revenue bonds, industrial development bonds, notes and municipal lease obligations. Municipal obligations also include additional obligations, the interest on which is exempt from federal income tax that may become available in the future as long as the Board determines that an investment in any such type of obligation is consistent with the Fund's investment objectives. Municipal obligations may be fully or partially backed by local government, the credit of a private issuer, current or anticipated revenues from a specific project or specific assets or domestic or foreign entities providing credit support such as letters of credit, guarantees or insurance.

 

Bonds and Notes . General obligation bonds are secured by the issuer's pledge of its full faith, credit and taxing power for the payment of interest and principal. Revenue bonds are payable only from the revenues derived from a project or facility or from the proceeds of a specified revenue source. Industrial development bonds are generally revenue bonds secured by payments from and the credit of private users. Municipal notes are issued to meet the short-term funding requirements of state, regional and local governments. Municipal notes include tax anticipation notes, bond anticipation notes, revenue anticipation notes, tax and revenue anticipation notes, construction loan notes, short-term discount notes, tax-exempt commercial paper, demand notes and similar instruments.

 

Municipal Lease Obligations . Municipal lease obligations may take the form of a lease, an installment purchase or a conditional sales contract. They are issued by state and local governments and authorities to acquire land, equipment and facilities, such as vehicles, telecommunications and computer equipment and other capital assets. The Fund may invest in Underlying Funds that purchase these lease obligations directly, or it may purchase participation interests in such lease obligations (See "Participation Interests" section). States have different requirements for issuing municipal debt and

8  
 

issuing municipal leases. Municipal leases are generally subject to greater risks than general obligation or revenue bonds because they usually contain a "non-appropriation" clause, which provides that the issuer is not obligated to make payments on the obligation in future years unless funds have been appropriated for this purpose each year. Such non-appropriation clauses are required to avoid the municipal lease obligations from being treated as debt for state debt restriction purposes. Accordingly, such obligations are subject to "non-appropriation" risk. Municipal leases may be secured by the underlying capital asset and it may be difficult to dispose of any such asset in the event of non-appropriation or other default.

 

Master Limited Partnerships

 

A master limited partnership (“MLP”) is an entity that is generally taxed as a partnership for federal income tax purposes and that derives each year at least 90% of its gross income from “Qualifying Income.” Qualifying Income for MLPs includes interest, dividends, real estate rents, gain from the sale or disposition of real property, income and gain from commodities or commodity futures, and income and gain from mineral or natural resources activities that generate Qualifying Income. MLP interests (known as units) are traded on securities exchanges or over-the-counter. An MLP’s organization as a partnership and compliance with the Qualifying Income rules generally eliminates federal tax at the entity level.

 

An MLP has one or more general partners (who may be individuals, corporations, or other partnerships) which manage the partnership, and limited partners, which provide capital to the partnership but have no role in its management. Typically, the general partner is owned by company management or another publicly traded sponsoring corporation. When an investor buys units in an MLP, the investor becomes a limited partner.

 

MLPs are formed in several ways. A nontraded partnership may decide to go public. Several nontraded partnerships may roll up into a single MLP. A corporation may spin-off a group of assets or part of its business into an MLP of which it is the general partner, to realize the assets’ full value on the marketplace by selling the assets and using the cash proceeds received from the MLP to address debt obligations or to invest in higher growth opportunities, while retaining control of the MLP. A corporation may fully convert to an MLP, although since 1986 the tax consequences have made this an unappealing option for most corporations. Unlike the ways described above, it is also possible for a newly formed entity to commence operations as an MLP from its inception.

 

The sponsor or general partner of an MLP, other energy companies, and utilities may sell assets to MLPs in order to generate cash to fund expansion projects or repay debt. The MLP structure essentially transfers cash flows generated from these acquired assets directly to MLP limited partner unitholders.

 

In the case of an MLP, buying assets from its sponsor or general partner the transaction is intended to be based upon comparable terms in the acquisition market for similar assets. To help insure that appropriate protections are in place, the board of the MLP generally creates an independent committee to review and approve the terms of the transaction. The committee often obtains a fairness opinion and can retain counsel or other experts to assist its evaluation. Since both parties normally have a significant equity stake in the MLP, both parties are aligned to see that the transaction is accretive and fair to the MLP.

 

As a motivation for the general partner to successfully manage the MLP and increase cash flows, the terms of MLPs typically provide that the general partner receives a larger portion of the net income

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as distributions reach higher target levels. As cash flow grows, the general partner receives a greater interest in the incremental income compared to the interest of limited partners. Although the percentages vary among MLPs, the general partner’s marginal interest in distributions generally increases from 2% to 15% at the first designated distribution target level moving up to 25% and ultimately 50% as pre-established distribution per unit thresholds are met. Nevertheless, the aggregate amount distributed to limited partners will increase as MLP distributions reach higher target levels. Given this incentive structure, the general partner has an incentive to streamline operations and undertake acquisitions and growth projects in order to increase distributions to all partners.

 

Because the MLP itself generally does not pay federal income tax, its income or loss is allocated to its investors, irrespective of whether the investors receive any cash payment or other distributions from the MLP. An MLP typically makes quarterly cash distributions. Although they resemble corporate dividends, MLP distributions are treated differently for tax purposes. The MLP distribution is treated as a return of capital to the extent of the investor’s basis in his MLP interest and, to the extent the distribution exceeds the investor’s basis in the MLP, generally as capital gain. The investor’s original basis is the price paid for the units. The basis is adjusted downwards with each distribution and allocation of deductions (such as depreciation) and losses, and upwards with each allocation of taxable income and gain.

 

The partner will not incur federal income tax on distributions until: (1) he sells his MLP units and pays tax on his gain, which gain is increased due to the basis decrease due to prior distributions; or (2) his basis reaches zero. When the units are sold, the difference between the sales price and the investor’s adjusted basis is gain or loss for federal income tax purposes.

 

The business of certain MLPs is affected by supply and demand for energy commodities because such MLPs derive revenue and income based upon the volume of the underlying commodity produced, transported, processed, distributed, and/or marketed. Pipeline MLPs have indirect commodity exposure to gas and oil price volatility because although they do not own the underlying energy commodity, the general level of commodity prices may affect the volume of the commodity that the MLP delivers to its customers and the cost of providing services such as distributing natural gas liquids. The costs of natural gas pipeline MLPs to perform services may exceed the negotiated rates under “negotiated rate” contracts. Specifically, processing MLPs may be directly affected by energy commodity prices. Propane MLPs own the underlying energy commodity, and therefore have direct exposure to energy commodity prices, although the Adviser intends to target high quality MLPs that seek to mitigate or manage direct margin exposure to commodity prices. However, the MLP industry in general could be hurt by market perception that an MLP’s performance and valuation are directly tied to commodity prices.

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Real Estate Investment Trusts

 

The Fund may invest in the equity securities of real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) focused on the energy industry. A REIT is a corporation or business trust that invests in real estate and derives its income from rents or sales of real property or interest on loans secured by mortgages on real property. The market value of REITs may be affected by numerous factors, including decreases in the value of real estate, vacancies, decreases in lease rates, and defaults by lessees, changes in the tax laws or by their inability to qualify for the tax-free pass-through of their income.

 

Energy Trust Securities.

 

The Fund may invest in U.S. royalty trusts. U.S. royalty trusts are generally not subject to U.S. federal corporate income taxation at the trust or entity level. Instead, each unitholder of the U.S. royalty trust is required to take into account its share of all items of the U.S. royalty trust’s income, gain, loss, deduction and expense. It is possible that the Fund’s share of taxable income from a U.S. royalty trust may exceed the cash actually distributed to it from the U.S. royalty trust in a given year. In such a case, the Fund will have less after-tax cash available for distribution to shareholders.

 

Exchange-Traded Notes

 

The Fund may invest in exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”), which are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities whose returns are linked to the performance of a particular market benchmark or strategy, minus applicable fees. ETNs are traded on an exchange (e.g., the New York Stock Exchange) during normal trading hours; however, investors also can hold ETNs until they mature. At maturity, the issuer pays to the investor a cash amount equal to the principal amount, subject to the day‘s market benchmark or strategy factor. ETNs do not make periodic coupon payments or provide principal protection. ETNs are subject to credit risk, including the credit risk of the issuer, and the value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuer‘s credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or strategy remaining unchanged. The value of an ETN also may be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying assets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer‘s credit rating, and economic, legal, political, or geographic events that affect the referenced underlying asset. When the Fund invests in ETNs, it will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN. A decision by the Fund to sell ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. In addition, although an ETN may be listed on an exchange, the issuer may not be required to maintain the listing, and there can be no assurance that a secondary market will exist for an ETN.

 

ETNs also are subject to tax risk. No assurance can be given that the IRS will accept, or a court will uphold, how the Fund characterizes and treats ETNs for tax purposes.

 

An ETN that is tied to a specific market benchmark or strategy may not be able to replicate and maintain exactly the composition and relative weighting of securities, commodities or other components in the applicable market benchmark or strategy. Some ETNs that use leverage can, at times, be relatively illiquid, and thus they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Leveraged ETNs are subject to the same risk as other instruments that use leverage in any form. The market value of ETNs may differ from their market benchmark or strategy. This difference in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for ETNs at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the securities, commodities or other components underlying the market

11  
 

benchmark or strategy that the ETN seeks to track. As a result, there may be times when an ETN trades at a premium or discount to its market benchmark or strategy.

 

United States Government Obligations

 

These consist of various types of marketable securities issued by the United States Treasury, i.e., bills, notes and bonds. Such securities are direct obligations of the United States government and differ mainly in the length of their maturity. Treasury bills, the most frequently issued marketable government security, have a maturity of up to one year and are issued on a discount basis. The Fund may also invest in Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (“TIPS”). TIPS are special types of treasury bonds that were created in order to offer bond investors protection from inflation. The values of the TIPS are automatically adjusted to the inflation rate as measured by the Consumer Price Index (“CPI”). If the CPI goes up by half a percent, the value of the bond (the TIPS) would also go up by half a percent. If the CPI falls, the value of the bond does not fall because the government guarantees that the original investment will stay the same. TIPS decline in value when real interest rates rise. However, in certain interest rate environments, such as when real interest rates are rising faster than nominal interest rates, TIPS may experience greater losses than other fixed income securities with similar duration.

 

United States Government Agency Obligations

 

These consist of debt securities issued by agencies and instrumentalities of the United States government, including the various types of instruments currently outstanding or which may be offered in the future. Agencies include, among others, the Federal Housing Administration, Government National Mortgage Association ("GNMA"), Farmer's Home Administration, Export-Import Bank of the United States, Maritime Administration, and General Services Administration. Instrumentalities include, for example, each of the Federal Home Loan Banks, the National Bank for Cooperatives, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("FHLMC"), the Farm Credit Banks, the Federal National Mortgage Association ("FNMA"), and the United States Postal Service. These securities are either: (i) backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government (e.g., United States Treasury Bills); (ii) guaranteed by the United States Treasury (e.g., GNMA mortgage-backed securities); (iii) supported by the issuing agency's or instrumentality's right to borrow from the United States Treasury (e.g., FNMA Discount Notes); or (iv) supported only by the issuing agency's or instrumentality's own credit (e.g., Tennessee Valley Association). On September 7, 2008, the U.S. Treasury Department and the Federal Housing Finance Authority (the "FHFA") announced that FNMA and FHLMC had been placed into conservatorship, a statutory process designed to stabilize a troubled institution with the objective of returning the entity to normal business operations. The U.S. Treasury Department and the FHFA at the same time established a secured lending facility and a Secured Stock Purchase Agreement with both FNMA and FHLMC to ensure that each entity had the ability to fulfill its financial obligations. The FHFA announced that it does not anticipate any disruption in pattern of payments or ongoing business operations of FNMA and FHLMC.

 

Government-related guarantors (i.e., not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government) include FNMA and FHLMC. FNMA is a government-sponsored corporation owned entirely by private stockholders. It is subject to general regulation by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. FNMA purchases conventional (i.e., not insured or guaranteed by any government agency) residential mortgages from a list of approved seller/servicers which include state and federally chartered savings and loan associations, mutual savings banks, commercial banks and credit unions and mortgage bankers. Pass-through securities issued by FNMA are guaranteed as to timely payment

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of principal and interest by FNMA but are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government.

 

FHLMC was created by Congress in 1970 for the purpose of increasing the availability of mortgage credit for residential housing. It is a government-sponsored corporation formerly owned by the twelve Federal Home Loan Banks and now owned entirely by private stockholders. FHLMC issues Participation Certificates ("PCs"), which represent interests in conventional mortgages from FHLMC's national portfolio. FHLMC guarantees the timely payment of interest and ultimate collection of principal, but PCs are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government. Commercial banks, savings and loan institutions, private mortgage insurance companies, mortgage bankers and other secondary market issuers also create pass-through pools of conventional residential mortgage loans. Such issuers may, in addition, be the originators and/or servicers of the underlying mortgage loans as well as the guarantors of the mortgage-related securities. Pools created by such nongovernmental issuers generally offer a higher rate of interest than government and government-related pools because there are no direct or indirect government or agency guarantees of payments in the former pools. However, timely payment of interest and principal of these pools may be supported by various forms of insurance or guarantees, including individual loan, title, pool and hazard insurance and letters of credit. The insurance and guarantees are issued by governmental entities, private insurers and the mortgage poolers.

 

Securities of Other Investment Companies

 

The Fund's investments in exchange traded funds ("ETFs"), mutual funds and closed-end funds involve certain additional expenses and certain tax results, which would not be present in a direct investment in the underlying fund. Generally, the Fund will not purchase securities of another investment company if, as a result: (i) more than 10% of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in securities of other investment companies, (ii) such purchase would result in more than 3% of the total outstanding voting securities of any such investment company being held by the Fund, or (iii) more than 5% of the Fund’s total assets would be invested in any one such investment company. However, many ETFs have obtained exemptive relief from the SEC to permit unaffiliated funds to invest in the ETF’s shares beyond the above statutory limitations, subject to certain conditions and pursuant to a contractual arrangement between the particular ETF and the investing fund. The Fund may rely on these exemptive orders to invest in unaffiliated ETFs. In the alternative, the Fund intends to rely on Rule 12d1-3, which allows unaffiliated mutual funds and ETFs 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 such as open-end mutual funds or exchange-traded closed-end funds, within the limitations described above.

 

Closed-End Investment Companies

 

The Fund may invest its assets in "closed-end" investment companies (or "closed-end funds"), subject to the investment restrictions set forth above. Shares of closed-end funds are typically offered to the public in a one-time initial public offering by a group of underwriters who retain a spread or underwriting commission of between 4% or 6% of the initial public offering price. Such securities are then listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), the American Stock Exchange, the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System (commonly known as "NASDAQ") and, in some cases, may be traded in other over-the-counter markets. Because the shares of closed-end funds cannot be redeemed upon demand to the issuer like the shares of an open-end

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investment company (such as the Fund), investors seek to buy and sell shares of closed-end funds in the secondary market.

 

The Fund generally will purchase shares of closed-end funds only in the secondary market. The Fund will incur normal brokerage costs on such purchases similar to the expenses the Fund would incur for the purchase of securities of any other type of issuer in the secondary market. The Fund may, however, also purchase securities of a closed-end fund in an initial public offering when, in the opinion of the Adviser, based on a consideration of the nature of the closed-end fund's proposed investments, the prevailing market conditions and the level of demand for such securities, they represent an attractive opportunity for growth of capital. The initial offering price typically will include a dealer spread, which may be higher than the applicable brokerage cost if the Fund purchased such securities in the secondary market.

 

The shares of many closed-end funds, after their initial public offering, frequently trade at a price per share, which is less than the Net Asset Value (“NAV”) per share, the difference representing the "market discount" of such shares. This market discount may be due in part to the investment objective of long-term appreciation, which is sought by many closed-end funds, as well as to the fact that the shares of closed-end funds are not redeemable by the holder upon demand to the issuer at the next determined NAV but rather are subject to the principles of supply and demand in the secondary market. A relative lack of secondary market purchasers of closed-end fund shares also may contribute to such shares trading at a discount to their NAV.

 

The Fund may invest in shares of closed-end funds that are trading at a discount to NAV or at a premium to NAV. There can be no assurance that the market discount on shares of any closed-end fund purchased by the Fund will ever decrease. In fact, it is possible that this market discount may increase and the Fund may suffer realized or unrealized capital losses due to further decline in the market price of the securities of such closed-end funds, thereby adversely affecting the NAV of the Fund's shares. Similarly, there can be no assurance that any shares of a closed-end fund purchased by the Fund at a premium will continue to trade at a premium or that the premium will not decrease subsequent to a purchase of such shares by the Fund.

 

Closed-end funds may issue senior securities (including preferred stock and debt obligations) for the purpose of leveraging the closed-end fund's common shares in an attempt to enhance the current return to such closed-end fund's common shareholders. The Fund's investment in the common shares of closed-end funds that are financially leveraged may create an opportunity for greater total return on its investment, but at the same time may be expected to exhibit more volatility in market price and NAV than an investment in shares of investment companies without a leveraged capital structure.

 

Open-End Investment Companies

 

The Fund and any "affiliated persons," as defined by the 1940 Act, may purchase in the aggregate only up to 3% of the total outstanding securities of any underlying fund.  Accordingly, when affiliated persons hold shares of any of the underlying fund, the Fund's ability to invest fully in shares of those funds is restricted, and the Adviser must then, in some instances, select alternative investments that would not have been its first preference.  The 1940 Act also provides that an underlying fund whose shares are purchased by the Fund when relying on certain exemptions to limitations on investments in other investment companies will be obligated to redeem shares held by the Fund only in an amount up to 1% of the underlying fund's outstanding securities during any period of less than 30 days. Therefore, shares held by the Fund when relying on certain exemptions to limitations on investments in other investment companies under the 1940 Act in excess of 1% of an

14  
 

underlying fund's outstanding securities will be considered not readily marketable securities, which, together with other such securities, may not exceed 15% of the Fund's total assets.

 

Under certain circumstances, an underlying fund may determine to make payment of a redemption by the Fund wholly or partly by a distribution in kind of securities from its portfolio, in lieu of cash, in conformity with the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). In such cases, the Fund may hold securities distributed by an underlying fund until the Adviser determines that it is appropriate to dispose of such securities.

 

Investment decisions by the investment advisers of the underlying fund(s) are made independently of the Fund and its Adviser. Therefore, the investment adviser of one underlying fund may be purchasing shares of the same issuer whose shares are being sold by the investment adviser of another such fund. The result would be an indirect expense to the Fund without accomplishing any investment purpose.

 

Exchange Traded Funds

 

ETFs are generally passive funds that track their related index and have the flexibility of trading like a security. They are managed by professionals and provide the investor with diversification, cost and tax efficiency, liquidity, marginability, are useful for hedging, have the ability to go long and short, and some provide quarterly dividends. Additionally, some ETFs are unit investment trusts. ETFs typically have two markets. The primary market is where institutions swap "creation units" in block-multiples of, for example, 50,000 shares for in-kind securities and cash in the form of dividends. The secondary market is where individual investors can trade as little as a single share during trading hours on the exchange. This is different from open-ended mutual funds that are traded after hours once the NAV is calculated. ETFs share many similar risks with open-end and closed-end funds.

 

Foreign Securities

 

General . The Fund may invest in foreign securities and ETFs and other investment companies that hold a portfolio of foreign securities. Investing in securities of foreign companies and countries involves certain considerations and risks that are not typically associated with investing in U.S. government securities and securities of domestic companies. There may be less publicly available information about a foreign issuer than a domestic one, and foreign companies are not generally subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial standards and requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies. There may also be less government supervision and regulation of foreign securities exchanges, brokers and listed companies than exists in the United States. Interest and dividends paid by foreign issuers may be subject to withholding and other foreign taxes, which may decrease the net return on such investments as compared to dividends and interest paid to the Fund by domestic companies or the U.S. government. There may be the possibility of expropriations, seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits, confiscatory taxation, political, economic or social instability or diplomatic developments that could affect assets of the Fund held in foreign countries. Finally, the establishment of exchange controls or other foreign governmental laws or restrictions could adversely affect the payment of obligations.

 

To the extent the Fund's currency exchange transactions do not fully protect the Fund against adverse changes in currency exchange rates, decreases in the value of currencies of the foreign countries in which the Fund will invest relative to the U.S. dollar will result in a corresponding decrease in the U.S. dollar value of the Fund's assets denominated in those currencies (and possibly a corresponding increase in the amount of securities required to be liquidated to meet distribution

15  
 

requirements). Conversely, increases in the value of currencies of the foreign countries in which the Fund invests relative to the U.S. dollar will result in a corresponding increase in the U.S. dollar value of the Fund's assets (and possibly a corresponding decrease in the amount of securities to be liquidated).

 

Securities Options

The Fund may purchase and write (i.e., sell) put and call options. Such options may relate to particular securities or stock indices, and may or may not be listed on a domestic or foreign securities exchange and may or may not be issued by the Options Clearing Corporation. Options trading is a highly specialized activity that entails greater than ordinary investment risk. Options may be more volatile than the underlying instruments, and therefore, on a percentage basis, an investment in options may be subject to greater fluctuation than an investment in the underlying instruments themselves.

A call option for a particular security gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the writer (seller) the obligation to sell, the underlying security at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration of the option, regardless of the market price of the security. The premium paid to the writer is in consideration for undertaking the obligation under the option contract. A put option for a particular security gives the purchaser the right to sell the security at the stated exercise price at any time prior to the expiration date of the option, regardless of the market price of the security.

Stock index options are put options and call options on various stock indices. In most respects, they are identical to listed options on common stocks. The primary difference between stock options and index options occurs when index options are exercised. In the case of stock options, the underlying security, common stock, is delivered. However, upon the exercise of an index option, settlement does not occur by delivery of the securities comprising the index. The option holder who exercises the index option receives an amount of cash if the closing level of the stock index upon which the option is based is greater than, in the case of a call, or less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the stock index and the exercise price of the option expressed in dollars times a specified multiple. A stock index fluctuates with changes in the market value of the stocks included in the index. For example, some stock index options are based on a broad market index, such as the Standard & Poor's 500® Index or the Value Line Composite Index or a narrower market index, such as the Standard & Poor's 100®. Indices may also be based on an industry or market segment, such as the AMEX Oil and Gas Index or the Computer and Business Equipment Index. Options on stock indices are currently traded on the NYSE, the American Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ PHLX.

The Fund's obligation to sell an instrument subject to a call option written by it, or to purchase an instrument subject to a put option written by it, may be terminated prior to the expiration date of the option by the Fund's execution of a closing purchase transaction, which is effected by purchasing on an exchange an option of the same series (i.e., same underlying instrument, exercise price and expiration date) as the option previously written. A closing purchase transaction will ordinarily be effected to realize a profit on an outstanding option, to prevent an underlying instrument from being called, to permit the sale of the underlying instrument or to permit the writing of a new option containing different terms on such underlying instrument. The cost of such a liquidation purchase plus transactions costs may be greater than the premium received upon the original option, in which event the Fund will have paid a loss in the transaction. There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular option. An option writer unable to effect a closing purchase transaction will not be able to sell the underlying instrument or liquidate the assets held in a segregated account, as described below, until the option expires or the optioned instrument is delivered upon exercise. In such

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circumstances, the writer will be subject to the risk of market decline or appreciation in the instrument during such period.

If an option purchased by the Fund expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a loss equal to the premium paid. If the Fund enters into a closing sale transaction on an option purchased by it, the Fund will realize a gain if the premium received by the Fund on the closing transaction is more than the premium paid to purchase the option, or a loss if it is less. If an option written by the Fund expires on the stipulated expiration date or if the Fund enters into a closing purchase transaction, it will realize a gain (or loss if the cost of a closing purchase transaction exceeds the net premium received when the option is sold). If an option written by the Fund is exercised, the proceeds of the sale will be increased by the net premium originally received and the Fund will realize a gain or loss.

Certain Risks Regarding Options.

There are several risks associated with transactions in options. For example, there are significant differences between the securities and options markets that could result in an imperfect correlation between these markets, causing a given transaction not to achieve its objectives. In addition, a liquid secondary market for particular options, whether traded over-the-counter or on an exchange, may be absent for reasons which include the following: there may be insufficient trading interest in certain options; restrictions may be imposed by an exchange on opening transactions or closing transactions or both; trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options or underlying securities or currencies; unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an exchange; the facilities of an exchange or the Options Clearing Corporation may not at all times be adequate to handle current trading value; or one or more exchanges could, for economic or other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event the secondary market on that exchange (or in that class or series of options) would cease to exist, although outstanding options that had been issued by the Options Clearing Corporation as a result of trades on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.

Successful use by the Fund of options on stock indices will be subject to the ability of the Adviser to correctly predict movements in the directions of the stock market. This requires different skills and techniques than predicting changes in the prices of individual securities. In addition, the Fund's ability to effectively hedge all or a portion of the securities in its portfolio, in anticipation of or during a market decline, through transactions in put options on stock indices, depends on the degree to which price movements in the underlying index correlate with the price movements of the securities held by the Fund. Inasmuch as the Fund's securities will not duplicate the components of an index, the correlation will not be perfect. Consequently, the Fund bears the risk that the prices of its securities being hedged will not move in the same amount as the prices of its put options on the stock indices. It is also possible that there may be a negative correlation between the index and the Fund's securities that would result in a loss on both such securities and the options on stock indices acquired by the Fund.

The hours of trading for options may not conform to the hours during which the underlying securities are traded. To the extent that the options markets close before the markets for the underlying securities, significant price and rate movements can take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the options markets. The purchase of options is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The purchase of stock index options involves the risk that the premium and transaction costs paid by the Fund in purchasing an option will be lost as a result of unanticipated movements in prices of the securities comprising the stock index on which the option is based.

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There is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an options exchange will exist for any particular option, or at any particular time, and for some options no secondary market on an exchange or elsewhere may exist. If the Fund is unable to close out a call option on securities that it has written before the option is exercised, the Fund may be required to purchase the optioned securities in order to satisfy its obligation under the option to deliver such securities. If the Fund is unable to effect a closing sale transaction with respect to options on securities that it has purchased, it would have to exercise the option in order to realize any profit and would incur transaction costs upon the purchase and sale of the underlying securities.

Cover for Options Positions .

Transactions using options (other than options that the Fund has purchased) expose the Fund to an obligation to another party. The Fund will not enter into any such transactions unless it owns either (i) an offsetting ("covered") position in securities or other options or (ii) cash or liquid securities with a value sufficient at all times to cover its potential obligations not covered as provided in (i) above. The Fund will comply with SEC guidelines regarding cover for these instruments and, if the guidelines so require, set aside cash or liquid securities in a segregated account with the Fund's custodian in the prescribed amount. Under current SEC guidelines, the Fund will segregate assets to cover transactions in which the Fund writes or sells options.

Assets used as cover or held in a segregated account cannot be sold while the position in the corresponding option is open, unless they are replaced with similar assets. As a result, the commitment of a large portion of the Fund's assets to cover or segregated accounts could impede portfolio management or the Fund's ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations.

Options on Futures Contracts

 

The Fund may purchase and sell options on the same types of futures in which it may invest. Options on futures are similar to options on underlying instruments except that options on futures give the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in a futures contract (a long position if the option is a call and a short position if the option is a put), rather than to purchase or sell the futures contract, at a specified exercise price at any time during the period of the option. Upon exercise of the option, the delivery of the futures position by the writer of the option to the holder of the option will be accompanied by the delivery of the accumulated balance in the writer's futures margin account which represents the amount by which the market price of the futures contract, at exercise, exceeds (in the case of a call) or is less than (in the case of a put) the exercise price of the option on the futures contract. Purchasers of options who fail to exercise their options prior to the exercise date suffer a loss of the premium paid.

 

Dealer Options

 

The Fund may engage in transactions involving dealer options as well as exchange-traded options. Certain additional risks are specific to dealer options. While the Fund might look to a clearing corporation to exercise exchange-traded options, if the Fund were to purchase a dealer option it would need to rely on the dealer from which it purchased the option to perform if the option were exercised. Failure by the dealer to do so would result in the loss of the premium paid by the Fund as well as loss of the expected benefit of the transaction.

 

Exchange-traded options generally have a continuous liquid market while dealer options may not. Consequently, the Fund may generally be able to realize the value of a dealer option it has

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purchased only by exercising or reselling the option to the dealer who issued it. Similarly, when the Fund writes a dealer option, it may generally be able to close out the option prior to its expiration only by entering into a closing purchase transaction with the dealer to whom the Fund originally wrote the option. While the Fund will seek to enter into dealer options only with dealers who will agree to and which are expected to be capable of entering into closing transactions with the Fund, there can be no assurance that the Fund will at any time be able to liquidate a dealer option at a favorable price at any time prior to expiration. Unless the Fund, as a covered dealer call option writer, is able to effect a closing purchase transaction, it will not be able to liquidate securities (or other assets) used as cover until the option expires or is exercised. In the event of insolvency of the other party, the Fund may be unable to liquidate a dealer option. With respect to options written by the Fund, the inability to enter into a closing transaction may result in material losses to the Fund. For example, because the Fund must maintain a secured position with respect to any call option on a security it writes, the Fund may not sell the assets, which it has segregated to secure the position while it is obligated under the option. This requirement may impair the Fund's ability to sell portfolio securities at a time when such sale might be advantageous.

 

The Staff of the SEC has taken the position that purchased dealer options are illiquid securities. The Fund may treat the cover used for written dealer options as liquid if the dealer agrees that the Fund may repurchase the dealer option it has written for a maximum price to be calculated by a predetermined formula. In such cases, the dealer option would be considered illiquid only to the extent the maximum purchase price under the formula exceeds the intrinsic value of the option. Accordingly, the Fund will treat dealer options as subject to the Fund's limitation on illiquid securities. If the SEC changes its position on the liquidity of dealer options, the Fund will change its treatment of such instruments accordingly.

 

Futures Contracts

 

A futures contract provides for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a specific financial instrument (e.g., units of a stock index) for a specified price, date, time and place designated at the time the contract is made. Brokerage fees are paid when a futures contract is bought or sold and margin deposits must be maintained. Entering into a contract to buy is commonly referred to as buying or purchasing a contract or holding a long position. Entering into a contract to sell is commonly referred to as selling a contract or holding a short position.

 

Unlike when the Fund purchases or sells a security, no price would be paid or received by the Fund upon the purchase or sale of a futures contract. Upon entering into a futures contract, and to maintain the Fund's open positions in futures contracts, the Fund would be required to deposit with its custodian or futures broker in a segregated account in the name of the futures broker an amount of cash, U.S. government securities, suitable money market instruments, or other liquid 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 margins that may range upward from less than 5% of the value of the contract being traded.

 

If the price of an open futures contract changes (by increase in underlying instrument or index 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.

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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 fluctuate making the long and short positions in the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as "marking to the market." The Fund expects to earn interest income on its margin deposits.

 

Although certain futures contracts, by their terms, require actual future delivery of and payment for the underlying instruments, in practice most futures contracts are usually closed out before the delivery date. Closing out an open futures contract purchase or sale is effected by entering into an offsetting futures contract sale or purchase, respectively, for the same aggregate amount of the identical underlying instrument or index and the same delivery date. If the offsetting purchase price is less than the original sale price, the Fund realizes a gain; if it is more, the Fund realizes a loss. Conversely, if the offsetting sale price is more than the original purchase price, the Fund realizes a gain; if it is less, the Fund realizes a loss. The transaction costs must also be included in these calculations. There can be no assurance, however, that the Fund will be able to enter into an offsetting transaction with respect to a particular futures contract at a particular time. If the Fund is not able to enter into an offsetting transaction, the Fund will continue to be required to maintain the margin deposits on the futures contract.

 

For example, one contract in the Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Index future is a contract to buy 25 pounds sterling multiplied by the level of the UK Financial Times 100 Share Index on a given future date. Settlement of a stock index futures contract may or may not be in the underlying instrument or index. If not in the underlying instrument or index, then settlement will be made in cash, equivalent over time to the difference between the contract price and the actual price of the underlying asset at the time the stock index futures contract expires.

 

Swap Agreements

 

The Fund may enter into swap agreements for purposes of attempting to gain exposure to equity, debt, commodities or other asset markets without actually purchasing those assets, or to hedge a position. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a day to more than one year. In a standard "swap" transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments. The gross returns to be exchanged or "swapped" between the parties are calculated with respect to a "notional amount," i.e., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested in a "basket" of securities representing a particular index.

 

Most swap agreements entered into by the Fund calculate the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a "net basis." Consequently, the Fund's current obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement 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 each party to the agreement (the "net amount"). Payments may be made at the conclusion of a swap agreement or periodically during its term.

 

Swap agreements do not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets. Accordingly, if a swap is entered into on a net basis, if the other party to a swap agreement defaults, the Fund's risk of loss consists of the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually entitled to receive, if any.

 

The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Fund's obligations over its entitlements with respect to a swap agreement entered into on a net basis will be accrued daily and an amount of cash or liquid asset having an aggregate NAV at least equal to the accrued excess will be maintained in an account

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with the Custodian. The Fund will also establish and maintain such accounts with respect to its total obligations under any swaps that are not entered into on a net basis. Obligations under swap agreements so covered will not be construed to be "senior securities" for purposes of the Fund's investment restriction concerning senior securities.

 

Because they are two-party contracts and because they may have terms of greater than seven days, swap agreements may be considered to be illiquid for the Fund's illiquid investment limitations. The Fund will not enter into any swap agreement unless the Adviser believes that the other party to the transaction is creditworthy. The Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counter-party.

 

The Fund may enter into a swap agreement in circumstances where the Adviser believes that it may be more cost effective or practical than buying the securities represented by such index or a futures contract or an option on such index. The counter-party to any swap agreement will typically be a bank, investment banking firm or broker/dealer. The counter-party will generally agree to pay the Fund the amount, if any, by which the notional amount of the swap agreement would have increased in value had it been invested in the particular stocks represented in the index, plus the dividends that would have been received on those stocks. The Fund will agree to pay to the counter-party a floating rate of interest on the notional amount of the swap agreement plus the amount, if any, by which the notional amount would have decreased in value had it been invested in such stocks. Therefore, the return to the Fund on any swap agreement should be the gain or loss on the notional amount plus dividends on the stocks less the interest paid by the Fund on the notional amount.

 

The swap market has grown substantially in recent years with a large number of banks and investment banking firms acting both as principals and as agents utilizing standardized swap documentation. As a result, the swap market has become relatively liquid in comparison with the markets for other similar instruments that are traded in the over-the-counter market.

 

Regulation as a Commodity Pool Operator

 

The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has filed with the National Futures Association, a notice claiming an exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" under the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended, and the rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission promulgated thereunder, with respect to the Fund's operations.  Accordingly, the Fund is not currently subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator.

 

When-Issued, Forward Commitments and Delayed Settlements

 

The Fund may purchase and sell securities on a when-issued, forward commitment or delayed settlement basis. In this event, the Custodian (as defined under the section entitled "Custodian") will segregate liquid assets equal to the amount of the commitment in a separate account. Normally, the Custodian will set aside portfolio securities to satisfy a purchase commitment. In such a case, the Fund may be required subsequently to segregate additional assets in order to assure that the value of the account remains equal to the amount of the Fund's commitment. It may be expected that the Fund's net assets will fluctuate to a greater degree when it sets aside portfolio securities to cover such purchase commitments than when it sets aside cash.

 

The Fund does not intend to engage in these transactions for speculative purposes but only in furtherance of its investment objectives. Because the Fund will segregate liquid assets to satisfy its

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purchase commitments in the manner described, the Fund's liquidity and the ability of the Adviser to manage them may be affected in the event the Fund's forward commitments, commitments to purchase when-issued securities and delayed settlements ever exceeded 15% of the value of its net assets.

 

The Fund will purchase securities on a when-issued, forward commitment or delayed settlement basis only with the intention of completing the transaction. If deemed advisable as a matter of investment strategy, however, the Fund may dispose of or renegotiate a commitment after it is entered into, and may sell securities it has committed to purchase before those securities are delivered to the Fund on the settlement date. In these cases, the Fund may realize a taxable capital gain or loss. When the Fund engages in when-issued, forward commitment and delayed settlement transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the trade. Failure of such party to do so may result in the Fund incurring a loss or missing an opportunity to obtain a price credited to be advantageous.

 

The market value of the securities underlying a when-issued purchase, forward commitment to purchase securities, or a delayed settlement and any subsequent fluctuations in their market value is taken into account when determining the market value of the Fund starting on the day the Fund agrees to purchase the securities. The Fund does not earn interest on the securities it has committed to purchase until it has paid for and delivered on the settlement date.

 

Illiquid and Restricted Securities

 

The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. Illiquid securities include securities subject to contractual or legal restrictions on resale (e.g., because they have not been registered under the Securities Act) and securities that are otherwise not readily marketable (e.g., because trading in the security is suspended or because market makers do not exist or will not entertain bids or offers). Securities that have not been registered under the Securities Act are referred to as private placements or restricted securities and are purchased directly from the issuer or in the secondary market. Foreign securities that are freely tradable in their principal markets are not considered to be illiquid.

 

Restricted and other illiquid securities may be subject to the potential for delays on resale and uncertainty in valuation. The Fund might be unable to dispose of illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty in satisfying redemption requests from shareholders. The Fund might have to register restricted securities in order to dispose of them, resulting in additional expense and delay. Adverse market conditions could impede such a public offering of securities.

 

A large institutional market exists for certain securities that are not registered under the Securities Act, including foreign securities. The fact that there are contractual or legal restrictions on resale to the general public or to certain institutions may not be indicative of the liquidity of such investments. Rule 144A under the Securities Act allows such a broader institutional trading market for securities otherwise subject to restrictions on resale to the general public. Rule 144A establishes a "safe harbor" from the registration requirements of the Securities Act for resale of certain securities to qualified institutional buyers. Rule 144A has produced enhanced liquidity for many restricted securities, and market liquidity for such securities may continue to expand as a result of this regulation and the consequent existence of the PORTAL system, which is an automated system for the trading, clearance and settlement of unregistered securities of domestic and foreign issuers sponsored by FINRA.

 

Under guidelines adopted by the Board, the Adviser may determine that particular Rule 144A securities, and commercial paper issued in reliance on the private placement exemption from

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registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act, are liquid even though they are not registered. A determination of whether such a security is liquid or not is a question of fact. In making this determination, the Adviser will consider, as it deems appropriate under the circumstances and among other factors: (1) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (2) the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the security; (3) the number of other potential purchasers of the security; (4) dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; (5) the nature of the security (e.g., debt or equity, date of maturity, terms of dividend or interest payments, and other material terms) and the nature of the marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers, and the mechanics of transfer); and (6) the rating of the security and the financial condition and prospects of the issuer. In the case of commercial paper, the Adviser will also determine that the paper (1) is not traded flat or in default as to principal and interest, and (2) is rated in one of the two highest rating categories by at least two Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations ("NRSROs") or, if only one NRSRO rates the security, by that NRSRO, or, if the security is unrated, the Adviser determines that it is of equivalent quality.

 

Rule 144A securities and Section 4(a)(2) commercial paper that have been deemed liquid as described above will continue to be monitored by the Adviser to determine if the security is no longer liquid as the result of changed conditions. Investing in Rule 144A securities or Section 4(a)(2) commercial paper could have the effect of increasing the amount of the Fund's assets invested in illiquid securities if institutional buyers are unwilling to purchase such securities.

 

Lending Portfolio Securities

 

For the purpose of achieving income, the Fund may lend its portfolio securities, provided (1) the loan is secured continuously by collateral consisting of U.S. Government securities or cash or cash equivalents (cash, U.S. Government securities, negotiable certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances or letters of credit) maintained on a daily mark-to-market basis in an amount at least equal to the current market value of the securities loaned, (2) the Fund may at any time call the loan and obtain the return of securities loaned, (3) the Fund will receive any interest or dividends received on the loaned securities, and (4) the aggregate value of the securities loaned will not at any time exceed one-third of the total assets of the Fund.

 

Short Sales

 

Short Sales “Against The Box.” The Fund may engage in short sales “against the box.” In a short sale, the Fund sells a borrowed security and has a corresponding obligation to the lender to return the identical security. The seller does not immediately deliver the securities sold and is said to have a short position in those securities until delivery occurs. The Fund may engage in a short sale if at the time of the short sale the Fund owns or has the right to obtain without additional cost an equal amount of the security being sold short. This investment technique is known as a short sale “against the box.” It may be entered into by the Fund to, for example, lock in a sale price for a security the Fund does not wish to sell immediately. If the Fund engages in a short sale, the collateral for the short position will be segregated in an account with the Fund’s custodian or qualified sub-custodian. No more than 10% of the Fund’s net assets (taken at current value) may be held as collateral for short sales against the box at any one time.

 

The Fund may make a short sale as a hedge, when it believes that the price of a security may decline, causing a decline in the value of a security owned by the Fund (or a security convertible or exchangeable for such security). In such case, any future losses in the Fund’s long position should be offset by a gain in the short position and, conversely, any gain in the long position should be reduced

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by a loss in the short position. The extent to which such gains or losses are reduced will depend upon the amount of the security sold short relative to the amount the Fund owns. There will be certain additional transaction costs associated with short sales against the box, but the Fund will endeavor to offset these costs with the income from the investment of the cash proceeds of short sales.

 

If the Fund effects a short sale of securities at a time when it has an unrealized gain on the securities, it may be required to recognize that gain as if it had actually sold the securities (as a “constructive sale”) on the date it effects the short sale. However, such constructive sale treatment may not apply if the Fund closes out the short sale with securities other than the appreciated securities held at the time of the short sale and if certain other conditions are satisfied. Uncertainty regarding the tax consequences of effecting short sales may limit the extent to which the Fund may effect short sales.

 

Short Sales (excluding Short Sales “Against the Box”). The Fund may sell securities short. A short sale is a transaction in which the Fund sells securities it does not own in anticipation of a decline in the market price of the securities.

 

To deliver the securities to the buyer, the Fund must arrange through a broker to borrow the securities and, in so doing, the Fund becomes obligated to replace the securities borrowed at their market price at the time of replacement, whatever that price may be. The Fund will make a profit or incur a loss as a result of a short sale depending on whether the price of the securities decreases or increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the Fund purchases the security to replace the borrowed securities that have been sold. The amount of any loss would be increased (and any gain decreased) by any premium or interest the Fund is required to pay in connection with a short sale.

The Fund’s obligation to replace the securities borrowed in connection with a short sale will be secured by cash or liquid securities deposited as collateral with the broker. In addition, the Fund will place in a segregated account with its custodian or a qualified sub-custodian an amount of cash or liquid securities equal to the difference, if any, between (i) the market value of the securities sold at the time they were sold short and (ii) any cash or liquid securities deposited as collateral with the broker in connection with the short sale (not including the proceeds of the short sale). Until it replaces the borrowed securities, the Fund will maintain the segregated account daily at a level so that (a) the amount deposited in the account plus the amount deposited with the broker (not including the proceeds from the short sale) will equal the current market value of the securities sold short and (b) the amount deposited in the account plus the amount deposited with the broker (not including the proceeds from the short sale) will not be less than the market value of the securities at the time they were sold short.

 

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ReFlow Liquidity Program

 

The Fund may participate in the ReFlow Fund, LLC (“ReFlow”) liquidity program, which is designed to provide an alternative liquidity source for mutual funds experiencing net redemptions of their shares. Pursuant to the program, ReFlow provides participating mutual funds with a source of cash to meet net shareholder redemptions by standing ready each business day to purchase fund shares up to the value of the net shares redeemed by other shareholders that are to settle the next business day. Following purchases of Fund shares, ReFlow then generally redeems those shares when the Fund experiences net sales, at the end of a maximum holding period determined by ReFlow (currently 28 days) or at other times at ReFlow’s discretion. While ReFlow holds Fund shares, it will have the same rights and privileges with respect to those shares as any other shareholder. ReFlow will periodically redeem its entire share position in the Fund and request that such redemption be met in kind in accordance with the Fund’s redemption in kind policies described under “Redeeming Shares” below. For use of the ReFlow service, the Fund pays a fee to ReFlow each time it purchases Fund shares, calculated by applying to the purchase amount a fee rate determined through an automated daily auction among participating mutual funds. The minimum fee rate is 0.25% of the value of the Fund shares purchased by ReFlow although the Fund may submit a bid at a higher fee rate if it determines that doing so is in the best interest of Fund shareholders. Such fee is allocated among the Fund’s share classes based on relative net assets. ReFlow’s purchases of Fund shares through the liquidity program are made on an investment-blind basis without regard to the Fund’s objective, policies or anticipated performance. ReFlow will purchase Class A shares at NAV and will not be subject to any sales charges and investment minimums applicable to such shares. In accordance with federal securities laws, ReFlow is prohibited from acquiring more than 3% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. The Adviser believes that the program assists in stabilizing the Fund’s net assets to the benefit of the Fund and its shareholders. To the extent the Fund’s net assets do not decline, the Adviser may also benefit.

 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER


 

The Fund may engage in a high level of trading in seeking to achieve its investment objectives. The portfolio turnover rate for the Fund is calculated by dividing the lesser of the purchases or sales of portfolio investments for the reporting period by the monthly average value of the portfolio investments owned during the reporting period. A 100% portfolio turnover rate results, for example, if the equivalents of all the securities in the Fund’s portfolio are replaced in a one-year period. The calculation excludes all securities, including options, whose maturities or expiration dates at the time of acquisition are one year or less. Portfolio turnover may vary greatly from year to year as well as within a particular year, and may be affected by cash requirements for redemption or shares. The Fund is not restricted by policy with regard to portfolio turnover and will make changes in its investment portfolio from time to time as business and economic conditions as well as market prices may dictate. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 481% of the average value of its portfolio. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 224% of the average value of its portfolio. The Fund’s turnover ratio is affected by buying and selling in either its long positions as well as its short positions, or hedges. In 2017, the degree and magnitude of hedges to the portfolio was less and in smaller amounts than occurred the preceding year. This helped lower the Fund’s overall turnover rate for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 versus the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016.

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INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS


 

The Fund has adopted the following investment restrictions that may not be changed without approval by a "majority of the outstanding shares" of the Fund which, as used in this SAI, means the vote of the lesser of (a) 67% or more of the shares of the Fund represented at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (b) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. The Fund may not:

 

1. Issue senior securities. This limitation is not applicable to activities that may be deemed to involve the issuance or sale of a senior security by the Fund, provided that the Fund's engagement in such activities is consistent with or permitted by the 1940 Act, as amended, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or interpretations of the SEC or its staff;

 

2. Borrow money, except (a) from a bank, provided that immediately after such borrowing there is an asset coverage of 300% for all borrowings of the Fund; or (b) from a bank or other persons for temporary purposes only, provided that such temporary borrowings are in an amount not exceeding 5% of the Fund's total assets at the time when the borrowing is made. This limitation does not preclude the Fund from entering into reverse repurchase transactions, provided that the Fund has an asset coverage of 300% for all borrowings and repurchase commitments of the Fund pursuant to reverse repurchase transactions;

 

3. Purchase securities on margin, participate on a joint or joint and several basis in any securities trading account, or underwrite securities. (Does not preclude the Fund from obtaining such short-term credit as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of its portfolio securities, and except to the extent that the Fund may be deemed an underwriter under the Securities Act, by virtue of disposing of portfolio securities);

 

4. Purchase or sell real estate or interests in real estate. This limitation is not applicable to investments in marketable securities that are secured by or represent interests in real estate. This limitation does not preclude the Fund from investing in mortgage-related securities or investing in companies engaged in the real estate business or that have a significant portion of their assets in real estate (including real estate investment trusts);

 

5. Invest 25% or more of the market value of its assets in the securities of companies engaged in any one industry. (Does not apply to investment in the securities of the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities);

 

6. Purchase or sell commodities (unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other investments or through commodity forward contracts, futures contracts or options), except that the Fund may purchase and sell forward and futures contracts and options to the full extent permitted under the 1940 Act, sell foreign currency contracts in accordance with any rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, invest in securities or other instruments backed by commodities, and invest in companies that are engaged in a commodities business or have a significant portion of their assets in commodities; or

 

7. Make loans to others, except (a) through the purchase of debt securities in accordance with its investment objectives and policies, (b) to the extent the entry into a repurchase agreement is deemed to be a loan, and (c) by loaning portfolio securities.

 

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The Fund observes the following policies, which are not deemed fundamental and which may be changed without shareholder vote. The Fund may not:

 

1. Invest in any issuer for purposes of exercising control or management;

 

2. Invest in securities of other investment companies except as permitted under the 1940 Act;

 

3. Invest, in the aggregate, more than 15% of its net assets, measured at time of purchase, in securities with legal or contractual restrictions on resale, securities, which are not readily marketable and repurchase agreements with more than seven days to maturity; or

 

4. Mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or in any manner transfer, as security for indebtedness, any assets of the Fund except as may be necessary in connection with borrowings described in limitation (2) above. Margin deposits, security interests, liens and collateral arrangements with respect to transactions involving options, futures contracts, short sales and other permitted investments and techniques are not deemed to be a mortgage, pledge or hypothecation of assets for purposes of this limitation.

 

If a restriction on the Fund's investments is adhered to at the time an investment is made, a subsequent change in the percentage of Fund assets invested in certain securities or other instruments, or change in average duration of the Fund's investment portfolio, resulting from changes in the value of the Fund's total assets, will not be considered a violation of the restriction; provided, however, that the asset coverage requirement applicable to borrowings shall be maintained in the manner contemplated by applicable law.

 

With respect to the fundamental investment restriction regarding concentration, the Fund will consider the concentration of any underlying funds in which it invests when determining whether the Fund has complied with its concentration policy.

 

INVESTMENT ADVISER


 

The Adviser . Ascendant Capital Management, LLC, 10866 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1600, Los Angeles, California 90024, serves as investment adviser to the Fund. Subject to the authority of the Board of Trustees, the Adviser is responsible for management of the Fund's investment portfolio. The Adviser is responsible for selecting the Fund's investments according to the Fund's investment objective, policies and restrictions. The Adviser was established in 2014 for the purpose of managing the Fund and is 100% owned by Jordan Kahn.

 

Pursuant to an Advisory Agreement with the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, the Adviser receives, on a monthly basis, an annual advisory fee equivalent to 1.25% of the Fund's average daily net assets. The Advisory Agreement will continue in effect for two (2) years initially and thereafter shall continue from year to year provided such continuance is approved at least annually by (a) a vote of the majority of the Independent Trustees, cast in person at a meeting specifically called for the purpose of voting on such approval and by (b) the majority vote of either all of the Trustees or the vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund. The Advisory Agreement may be terminated without penalty on no more than 60 days’ written notice by a vote of a majority of the Trustees or the Adviser, or by holders of a majority of that Trust's outstanding shares. The Advisory Agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its assignment.

 

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The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its fees and reimburse expenses of the Fund, at least until April 30, 2019 to ensure that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Reimbursement (exclusive of any taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, dividend expense on securities sold short, acquired fund fees and expenses, or extraordinary expenses such as litigation or reorganization costs) will not exceed 2.40% and 2.15% of average daily net assets of Class A and Class I shares of the Fund, respectively (the “Expense Limitation Agreement”). These fee waivers and expense reimbursements are subject to possible recoupment from the Fund in future years on a rolling three-year basis (within the three years after the fees have been waived or reimbursed) if such recoupment can be achieved within the foregoing expense limits and any expense limits in place at time of waiver. The Expense Limitation Agreement may be terminated only by the Board of Trustees, on 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser. Fee waiver and reimbursement arrangements can decrease the Fund's expenses and boost its performance.

 

For the fiscal period ended December 31, 2015, the Adviser earned $338,047 in advisory fees and did not waive any fees pursuant to the Expense Limitation Agreement. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, the Adviser earned $613,237 in advisory fees and did not waive any fees pursuant to the Expense Limitation Agreement. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, the Adviser earned $688,279 in advisory fees and did not waive any fees pursuant to the Expense Limitation Agreement.

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGER


 

Portfolio Managers . As described in the Prospectus, the Portfolio Manager listed below is responsible for the management of the Fund and, as of December 31, 2017, the other accounts set forth in the following tables.

 

  Other Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts
Portfolio Manager Number Total Assets Number Total Assets Number Total Assets
Jordan Kahn None $0 None $0 375 $212,900,000

 

Of the accounts above, the following are subject to performance-based fees.

 

  Other Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts
Portfolio Manager Number Total Assets Number Total Assets Number Total Assets
Jordan Kahn None $0 None $0 None $0

 

Conflicts of Interest.

 

As indicated in the table above, the Portfolio Manager may manage numerous accounts for multiple clients. These accounts may include registered investment companies, other types of pooled accounts (e.g., collective investment funds), and separate accounts (i.e., accounts managed on behalf of individuals or public or private institutions). The Portfolio Manager makes investment decisions for

28  
 

each account based on the investment objectives and policies and other relevant investment considerations applicable to that portfolio.

 

When the Portfolio Manager has responsibility for managing more than one account, potential conflicts of interest may arise. Those conflicts could include preferential treatment of one account over others in terms of allocation of resources or of investment opportunities. For instance, the Adviser may receive fees from certain accounts that are higher than the fee it receives from the Fund. In this instance, the Portfolio Manager may have an incentive to favor the higher account over such Fund. The Adviser has adopted policies and procedures designed to address these potential material conflicts. For instance, the Portfolio Manager is normally responsible for all accounts within a certain investment discipline, and do not, absent special circumstances, differentiate among the various accounts when allocating resources. Additionally, the Adviser utilizes a system for allocating investment opportunities among portfolios that is designed to provide a fair and equitable allocation.

 

Compensation .

Mr. Kahn shares in the profits of the Adviser due to his 100% ownership of the Adviser.

 

Ownership of Securities .

 

As of December 31, 2017, the Portfolio Manager beneficially owned the following amounts in the Fund:

Portfolio Manager Dollar Range of Shares Beneficially Owned in the Fund
Jordan Kahn $500,001 - $1,000,000

 

ALLOCATION OF BROKERAGE


 

Specific decisions to purchase or sell securities for the Fund are made by the Portfolio Manager who is an employee of the Adviser. The Adviser is also responsible for the implementation of those decisions, including the selection of broker-dealers to effect portfolio transactions, the negotiation of commissions, and the allocation of principal business and portfolio brokerage.

 

In purchasing and selling the Fund’s portfolio securities, it is the Adviser’s policy to obtain quality execution at the most favorable prices through responsible broker-dealers and, in the case of agency transactions, at competitive commission rates where such rates are negotiable. However, under certain conditions, the Fund may pay higher brokerage commissions in return for brokerage and research services. In selecting broker-dealers to execute the Fund’s portfolio transactions, consideration is given to such factors as the price of the security, the rate of the commission, the size and difficulty of the order, the reliability, integrity, financial condition, general execution and operational capabilities of competing brokers and dealers, their expertise in particular markets and the brokerage and research services they provide to the Adviser or the Fund. It is not the policy of the Adviser to seek the lowest available commission rate where it is believed that a broker or dealer charging a higher commission rate would offer greater reliability or provide better price or execution.

 

Transactions on stock exchanges involve the payment of brokerage commissions. In transactions on stock exchanges in the United States, these commissions are negotiated. Traditionally, commission rates have generally not been negotiated on stock markets outside the United States. In

29  
 

recent years, however, an increasing number of overseas stock markets have adopted a system of negotiated rates, although a number of markets continue to be subject to an established schedule of minimum commission rates. It is expected that equity securities will ordinarily be purchased in the primary markets, whether over-the-counter or listed, and that listed securities may be purchased in the over-the-counter market if such market is deemed the primary market. In the case of securities traded on the over-the-counter markets, there is generally no stated commission, but the price usually includes an undisclosed commission or markup. In underwritten offerings, the price includes a disclosed, fixed commission or discount.

 

For fixed income securities, it is expected that purchases and sales will ordinarily be transacted with the issuer, the issuer’s underwriter, or with a primary market maker acting as principal on a net basis, with no brokerage commission being paid by the Fund. However, the price of the securities generally includes compensation, which is not disclosed separately. Transactions placed through dealers who are serving as primary market makers reflect the spread between the bid and asked prices.

 

With respect to equity and fixed income securities, the Adviser may effect principal transactions on behalf of the Fund with a broker or dealer who furnishes brokerage and/or research services, designate any such broker or dealer to receive selling concessions, discounts or other allowances or otherwise deal with any such broker or dealer in connection with the acquisition of securities in underwritings. The prices the Fund pays to underwriters of newly-issued securities usually include a concession paid by the issuer to the underwriter. The Adviser may receive research services in connection with brokerage transactions, including designations in fixed price offerings.

 

The Adviser receives a wide range of research services from brokers and dealers covering investment opportunities throughout the world, including information on the economies, industries, groups of securities, individual companies, statistics, political developments, technical market action, pricing and appraisal services, and performance analyses of all the countries in which the Fund’s portfolio is likely to be invested. The Adviser cannot readily determine the extent to which commissions charged by brokers reflect the value of their research services, but brokers occasionally suggest a level of business they would like to receive in return for the brokerage and research services they provide. To the extent that research services of value are provided by brokers, the Adviser may be relieved of expenses, which it might otherwise bear. In some cases, research services are generated by third parties but are provided to the Adviser by or through brokers.

 

Certain broker-dealers, which provide quality execution services, also furnish research services to the Adviser. The Adviser has adopted brokerage allocation policies embodying the concepts of Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which permits an investment adviser to cause its clients to pay a broker which furnishes brokerage or research services a higher commission than that which might be charged by another broker which does not furnish brokerage or research services, or which furnishes brokerage or research services deemed to be of lesser value, if such commission is deemed reasonable in relation to the brokerage and research services provided by the broker, viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or the overall responsibilities of the adviser with respect to the accounts as to which it exercises investment discretion. Accordingly, the Adviser may assess the reasonableness of commissions in light of the total brokerage and research services provided by each particular broker.

 

Portfolio securities will not be purchased from or sold to the Adviser, or the Distributor, or any affiliated person of any of them acting as principal, except to the extent permitted by rule or order of the SEC. For the period ending December 31, 2015, the Fund paid brokerage commissions of $46,362.

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For the year ending December 31, 2016, the Fund paid brokerage commissions of $114,822. For the year ending December 31, 2017, the Fund paid brokerage commissions of $126,741.

 

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS


 

The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that govern the disclosure of the Fund's portfolio holdings. These policies and procedures are designed to ensure that such disclosure is in the best interests of Fund shareholders.

 

It is the Trust's policy to: (1) ensure that any disclosure of portfolio holdings information is in the best interest of Trust shareholders; (2) protect the confidentiality of portfolio holdings information; (3) have procedures in place to guard against personal trading based on the information; and (4) ensure that the disclosure of portfolio holdings information does not create conflicts between the interests of the Trust's shareholders and those of the Trust's affiliates.

 

The Fund discloses its portfolio holdings by mailing the annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders approximately two months after the end of the fiscal year and semi-annual period. In addition, the Fund discloses its portfolio holdings reports on Forms N-CSR and Form N-Q two months after the end of each quarter/semi-annual period.

 

Within thirty days after the end of each month, the Adviser posts on the Fund’s website a profile of the Fund which typically includes the Fund’s top ten holdings. The Fund may choose to make available, no sooner than thirty days after the end of each month, a complete schedule of its portfolio holdings as of the last day of the month.

 

The Fund may choose to make portfolio holdings information available to rating agencies such as Lipper, Morningstar or Bloomberg earlier and more frequently on a confidential basis.

 

Under limited circumstances, as described below, the Fund's portfolio holdings may be disclosed to, or known by, certain third parties in advance of their filing with the SEC on Form N-CSR or Form N-Q. In each case, a determination has been made that such advance disclosure is supported by a legitimate business purpose and that the recipient is subject to a duty to keep the information confidential.

 

Ascendant Capital Management, LLC. Personnel of the Adviser, including personnel responsible for managing the Fund's portfolio, may have full daily access to Fund portfolio holdings since that information is necessary in order for them to provide management, administrative, and investment services to the Fund. As required for purposes of analyzing the impact of existing and future market changes on the prices, availability, demand and liquidity of such securities, as well as for the assistance of the Portfolio Manager in the trading of such securities, Adviser personnel may also release and discuss certain portfolio holdings with various broker-dealers.

 

Gemini Fund Services, LLC. Gemini Fund Services, LLC is the transfer agent, fund accountant, administrator and custody administrator for the Fund; therefore, its personnel have full daily access to the Fund's portfolio holdings since that information is necessary in order for them to provide the agreed-upon services for the Trust.

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MUFG Union Bank, N.A. MUFG Union Bank, N.A. is custodian for the Fund; therefore, its personnel have full daily access to the Fund's portfolio holdings since that information is necessary in order for them to provide the agreed-upon services for the Trust.

 

BBD, LLP. BBD, LLP is the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm; therefore, its personnel have access to the Fund's portfolio holdings in connection with auditing of the Fund's annual financial statements and providing assistance and consultation in connection with SEC filings.

 

Counsel to the Trust and Counsel to the Independent Trustees. Counsel to the Trust and Counsel to the Independent Trustees, together with their respective personnel, have access to the Fund's portfolio holdings in connection with the review of the Fund's annual and semi-annual shareholder reports and SEC filings.

 

Additions to List of Approved Recipients

 

The Trust's Chief Compliance Officer is the person responsible, and whose prior approval is required, for any disclosure of the Fund's portfolio securities at any time or to any persons other than those described above. In such cases, the recipient must have a legitimate business need for the information and must be subject to a duty to keep the information confidential. There are no ongoing arrangements in place with respect to the disclosure of portfolio holdings. In no event shall the Fund, the Adviser, or any other party receive any direct or indirect compensation in connection with the disclosure of information about the Fund's portfolio holdings.

 

Compliance With Portfolio Holdings Disclosure Procedures

 

The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer will report periodically to the Board with respect to compliance with the Fund's portfolio holdings disclosure procedures, and from time to time will provide the Board any updates to the portfolio holdings disclosure policies and procedures.

 

There is no assurance that the Trust's policies on disclosure of portfolio holdings will protect the Fund from the potential misuse of holdings information by individuals or firms in possession of that information.

 

OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS


 

Fund Administration, Fund Accounting and Transfer Agent Services

Gemini Fund Services, LLC (the “Administrator” or “GFS”), which has its principal office at 80 Arkay Drive, Hauppauge, New York 11788, serves as administrator, fund accountant and transfer agent for the Fund pursuant to the Fund Services Agreement (the “Agreement”) with the Trust and subject to the supervision of the Board. GFS is primarily in the business of providing administrative, fund accounting and transfer agent services to retail and institutional mutual funds. GFS is an affiliate of the Distributor. GFS may also provide persons to serve as officers of the Fund. Such officers may be directors, officers or employees of GFS or its affiliates.

 

The Agreement became effective on February 23, 2012, remained in effect for two years from the applicable effective date for the Fund, and will continue in effect for successive twelve-month periods provided that such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a majority of the

32  
 

Board.  The Agreement is terminable by the Board or GFS on 90 days’ written notice and may be assigned by either party, provided that the Trust may not assign this agreement without the prior written consent of GFS. The Agreement provides that GFS shall be without liability for any action reasonably taken or omitted pursuant to the Agreement.

 

Under the Agreement, GFS performs administrative services, including: (1) monitoring the performance of administrative and professional services rendered to the Trust by others service providers; (2) monitoring Fund holdings and operations for post-trade compliance with the Fund’s registration statement and applicable laws and rules; (3) preparing and coordinating the printing of semi-annual and annual financial statements; (4) preparing selected management reports for performance and compliance analyses; (5) preparing and disseminating materials for and attend and participating in meetings of the Board; (6) determining income and capital gains available for distribution and calculating distributions required to meet regulatory, income, and excise tax requirements; (7) reviewing the Trust's federal, state, and local tax returns as prepared and signed by the Trust's independent public accountants; (8) preparing and maintaining the Trust's operating expense budget to determine proper expense accruals to be charged to the Fund to calculate its daily NAV; (9) assisting in and monitor the preparation, filing, printing and where applicable, dissemination to shareholders of amendments to the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, periodic reports to the Trustees, shareholders and the SEC, notices pursuant to Rule 24f-2, proxy materials and reports to the SEC on Forms N-SAR, N-CSR, N-Q and N-PX; (10) coordinating the Trust's audits and examinations by assisting the Fund’s independent public accountants; (11) determining, in consultation with others, the jurisdictions in which shares of the Trust shall be registered or qualified for sale and facilitate such registration or qualification; (12) monitoring sales of shares and ensure that the shares are properly and duly registered with the SEC; (13) monitoring the calculation of performance data for the Fund; (14) preparing, or causing to be prepared, expense and financial reports; (15) preparing authorization for the payment of Trust expenses and pay, from Trust assets, all bills of the Trust; (16) providing information typically supplied in the Investment Company industry to companies that track or report price, performance or other information with respect to investment companies; (17) upon request, assisting the Fund in the evaluation and selection of other service providers, such as independent public accountants, printers, EDGAR providers and proxy solicitors (such parties may be affiliates of GFS); and (18) performing other services, recordkeeping and assistance relating to the affairs of the Trust as the Trust may, from time to time, reasonably request.

 

GFS also provides the Fund with accounting services, including: (i) computing of NAV daily; (ii) maintaining of security ledgers and books and records as required by the 1940 Act; (iii) producing the Fund’s listing of portfolio securities and general ledger reports; (iv) reconciling accounting records; (v) calculating yield and total return for the Fund; (vi) maintaining certain books and records described in Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act, and reconciling account information and balances among the Fund’s custodian and Adviser; and (vii) monitoring and evaluating daily income and expense accruals, and sales and redemptions of shares of the Fund.

 

GFS also acts as transfer, dividend disbursing, and shareholder servicing agent for the Fund pursuant to the Agreement. Under the Agreement, GFS is responsible for administering and performing transfer agent functions, dividend distribution, shareholder administration, and maintaining necessary records in accordance with applicable rules and regulations.

 

For the services rendered to the Fund by the Administrator, the Fund pays the Administrator the greater of an annual minimum fee or an asset based fee, which scales downward based upon net assets for fund administration, fund accounting and transfer agency services. The Fund also pays GFS for any out-of-pocket expenses.

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For the fiscal period and years ended December 31, 2015 December 31, 2016, and December 31, 2017 the Fund paid the following fees to GFS:

 

Services 2015 2016 2017
Administration $37,152 $52,128 $59,600
Fund Accounting $27,812 $38,271 $39,836
Transfer Agency $31,000 $46,906 $27,862

 

Custodian

 

MUFG Union Bank N.A., (the “Custodian”) located at 400 California Street, San Francisco, California 94104, serves as the custodian of the Fund's assets pursuant to a custody agreement (the "Custody Agreement") by and between the Custodian and the Trust on behalf of the Fund. The Custodian's responsibilities include safeguarding and controlling the Fund's cash and securities, handling the receipt and delivery of securities, and collecting interest and dividends on the Fund's investments. Pursuant to the Custody Agreement, the Custodian also maintains original entry documents and books of record and general ledgers; posts cash receipts and disbursements; and records purchases and sales based upon communications from the Adviser. The Fund may employ foreign sub-custodians that are approved by the Board to hold foreign assets.

 

Compliance Services

 

Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC (“NLCS”), located at 80 Arkay Drive, Hauppauge, New York 11788, an affiliate of GFS and the Distributor, provides a Chief Compliance Officer to the Trust as well as related compliance services pursuant to a consulting agreement between NLCS and the Trust. NLCS’s compliance services consist primarily of reviewing and assessing the policies and procedures of the Trust and its service providers pertaining to compliance with applicable federal securities laws, including Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act. For the services rendered to the Fund by the NLCS, the Fund pays NLCS an annual fixed fee and an asset based fee, which scales downward based upon the Fund’s net assets. For the fiscal period ended December 31, 2015, the Fund paid $15,574 for compliance services. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, the Fund paid $10,793 for compliance services. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, the Fund paid $23,459 for compliance services.

 

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM


The Fund has selected BBD, LLP located at 1835 Market Street, 3 rd Floor, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, as its independent registered public accounting firm for the current fiscal year. The firm provides services including (i) audit of annual financial statements, and (ii) assistance and consultation in connection with SEC filings.

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LEGAL COUNSEL


 

Thompson Hine LLP, 41 South High Street, Suite 1700, Columbus, Ohio 43215 serves as the Trust's legal counsel.

 

DISTRIBUTOR


 

Northern Lights Distributors, LLC, located at 17605 Wright Street, Omaha, NE 68130 (the "Distributor") serves as the principal underwriter and national distributor for the shares of the Fund pursuant to an underwriting agreement with the Trust (the "Underwriting Agreement"). The Distributor is registered as a broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and each state's securities laws and is a member of FINRA. The offering of the Fund's shares are continuous. The Underwriting Agreement provides that the Distributor, as agent in connection with the distribution of Fund shares, will use reasonable efforts to facilitate the sale of the Fund's shares.

 

The Underwriting Agreement provides that, unless sooner terminated, it will continue in effect for two years initially and thereafter shall continue from year to year, subject to annual approval by (a) the Board or a vote of a majority of the outstanding shares, and (b) by a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust or of the Distributor by vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.

 

The Underwriting Agreement may be terminated by the Fund at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of the Trust’s entire Board or by vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund on 60 days written notice to the Distributor, or by the Distributor at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on 60 days written notice to the Fund. The Underwriting Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment.

The following table sets forth the total compensation received by the Distributor from the Fund during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017:

 

Fund Net Underwriting Discounts and Commissions Compensation on Redemptions and Repurchases Brokerage Commissions Other Compensation
ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund - Class A $ 635 $0 $0 *
ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund - Class I $0 $0 $0 *
* The Distributor received $1,785 from the Adviser as compensation for its distribution services to the Funds.
The Distributor also receives 12b-1 fees from the Funds as described under the following section entitled “Rule 12b-1 Plan”.

 

Rule 12b-1 Plan

 

The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has adopted the Trust’s Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan for Class A shares, pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the “Plan”) pursuant to which the Fund is authorized to pay the Distributor, as compensation for the Distributor's account maintenance services under the Plans, a distribution and shareholder servicing fee at the rate of up to 0.25% for Class A shares of the Fund's average daily net assets attributable to the relevant class. Such

35  
 

fees are to be paid by the Fund monthly, or at such other intervals as the Board shall determine. Such fees shall be based upon the Fund's average daily net assets during the preceding month, and shall be calculated and accrued daily. The Fund may pay fees to the Distributor at a lesser rate, as agreed upon by the Board of Trustees and the Distributor. The Plan authorizes payments to the Distributor as compensation for providing account maintenance services to Fund shareholders, including arranging for certain securities dealers or brokers, administrators and others ("Recipients") to provide these services and paying compensation for these services. The Fund will bear its own costs of distribution with respect to its shares. The Fund may make other payments, such as contingent deferred sales charges imposed on certain redemptions of shares, which are separate and apart from payments made pursuant to the Plan.

 

The services to be provided by Recipients may include, but are not limited to, the following: assistance in the offering and sale of Fund shares and in other aspects of the marketing of the shares to clients or prospective clients of the respective recipients; answering routine inquiries concerning the Fund; assisting in the establishment and maintenance of accounts or sub-accounts in the Fund and in processing purchase and redemption transactions; making the Fund's investment plan and shareholder services available; and providing such other information and services to investors in shares of the Fund as the Distributor or the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, may reasonably request.

 

The distribution services shall also include any advertising and marketing services provided by or arranged by the Distributor with respect to the Fund.

 

The Distributor is required to provide a written report, at least quarterly to the Trust’s Board of Trustees, specifying in reasonable detail the amounts expended pursuant to the Plans and the purposes for which such expenditures were made. Further, the Distributor will inform the Board of any Rule 12b-1 fees to be paid by the Distributor to Recipients.

 

The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount of the Distributor's compensation to be paid by the Fund, unless such amendment is approved by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the affected class of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act). All material amendments must be approved by a majority of the Board and a majority of the Trustees by votes cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on a Plan. During the term of the Plans, the selection and nomination of non-interested Trustees of the Trust will be committed to the discretion of current non-interested Trustees. The Distributor will preserve copies of the Plans, any related agreements, and all reports, for a period of not less than six years from the date of such document and for at least the first two years in an easily accessible place.

 

Any agreement related to the Plan will be in writing and provide that: (a) it may be terminated by the Trust or the Fund at any time upon 60 days' written notice, without the payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of the Trustees, or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust or the Fund; (b) it will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act); and (c) it will continue in effect for a period of more than one year from the date of its execution or adoption only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a majority of the Board and a majority of the Trustees by votes cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such agreement.

 

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During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, the Fund paid $68,538 in distribution related fees pursuant to the Plan, as allocated below:

 

Actual 12b-1 Expenditures Paid by
ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund - Class A Shares
During the Fiscal Period Ended December 31, 2017
 

 

ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund - Class A

ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund - Class I
  Total Dollars Allocated Total Dollars Allocated
Advertising/Marketing None None
Printing/Postage None None
Payment to distributor $16,456 $0
Payment to dealers $27,053 $0
Compensation to sales personnel None None
Other $25,029 $0
Total $68,538 $0

 

DESCRIPTION OF SHARES


 

Each share of beneficial interest of the Trust has one vote in the election of Trustees. Cumulative voting is not authorized for the Trust. This means that the holders of more than 50% of the shares voting for the election of Trustees can elect 100% of the Trustees if they choose to do so, and, in that event, the holders of the remaining shares will be unable to elect any Trustees.

 

Shareholders of the Trust and any other future series of the Trust will vote in the aggregate and not by series except as otherwise required by law or when the Board determines that the matter to be voted upon affects only the interest of the shareholders of a particular series or classes. Matters such as election of Trustees are not subject to separate voting requirements and may be acted upon by shareholders of the Trust voting without regard to series.

 

The Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest. Each share has equal dividend, distribution and liquidation rights. There are no conversion or preemptive rights applicable to any shares of the Fund. All shares issued are fully paid and non-assessable.

 

CODE OF ETHICS


 

The Trust, the Adviser and the Distributor have each adopted codes of ethics under Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act that governs the personal securities transactions of their board members, officers and employees who may have access to current trading information of the Trust. Under the code of ethics adopted by the Trust, the Trustees are permitted to invest in securities that may also be purchased by the Fund.

 

In addition, the Trust has adopted a code of ethics, which applies only to the Trust's executive officers (the "Code") to ensure that these officers promote professional conduct in the practice of

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corporate governance and management. The purpose behind these guidelines is to promote (i) honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships; (ii) full, fair, accurate, timely, and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that a registrant files with, or submits to, the SEC and in other public communications made by the Fund; (iii) compliance with applicable governmental laws, rule and regulations; (iv) the prompt internal reporting of violations of this Code to an appropriate person or persons identified in the Code; and (v) accountability for adherence to the Code.

 

PROXY VOTING POLICIES


 

The Board has adopted Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures ("Policies") on behalf of the Trust, which delegate the responsibility for voting proxies to the Adviser or its designee, subject to the Board's continuing oversight. The Policies require that the Adviser or its designee vote proxies received in a manner consistent with the best interests of the Fund and shareholders. The Policies also require the Adviser or its designee to present to the Board, at least annually, the Policies, or the proxy policies of the Adviser's designee, and a record of each proxy voted by the Adviser or its designee on behalf of the Fund, including a report on the resolution of all proxies identified by the Adviser as involving a conflict of interest.

 

Where a proxy proposal raises a material conflict between the Adviser's interests and the Fund's interests, the Adviser will resolve the conflict by voting in accordance with the policy guidelines or at the client's directive using the recommendation of an independent third party. If the third party's recommendations are not received in a timely fashion, the Adviser will abstain from voting the securities held by that client's account. A copy of the Policies is attached hereto as Appendix A.

 

Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available without charge, upon request, by calling toll free, 1-844-798-3833, by accessing the Fund's website at www.ACM-Funds.com and by accessing the information on proxy voting filed by the Fund on Form N-PX on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. In addition, a copy of the Policies are also available by calling 1-844-798-3833 and will be sent within three business days of receipt of a request.

 

PURCHASE, REDEMPTION AND PRICING OF FUND SHARES


 

Calculation of Share Price

 

As indicated in the Prospectus under the heading "Net Asset Value," the NAV of the Fund's shares, by class, is determined by dividing the total value of the Fund's portfolio investments and other assets, less any liabilities, by the total number of shares outstanding of the Fund, by class.

 

Generally, the Fund’s domestic securities (including underlying ETFs which hold portfolio securities primarily listed on foreign (non-U.S.) exchanges) are valued each day at the last quoted sales price on each security’s primary exchange. Securities traded or dealt in upon one or more securities exchanges for which market quotations are readily available and not subject to restrictions against resale shall be valued at the last quoted sales price on the primary exchange or, in the absence of a sale on the primary exchange, at the mean between the current bid and ask prices on such exchange. Securities primarily traded in the NASDAQ National Market System for which market quotations are

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readily available shall be valued using the NASDAQ Official Closing Price. If market quotations are not readily available, securities will be valued at their fair market value as determined in good faith by the Fund’s fair value committee in accordance with procedures approved by the Board and as further described below. Securities that are not traded or dealt in any securities exchange (whether domestic or foreign) and for which over-the-counter market quotations are readily available generally shall be valued at the last sale price or, in the absence of a sale, at the mean between the current bid and ask price on such over-the- counter market.

 

Certain securities or investments for which daily market quotes are not readily available may be valued, pursuant to guidelines established by the Board, with reference to other securities or indices. Debt securities not traded on an exchange may be valued at prices supplied by a pricing agent(s) based on broker or dealer supplied valuations or matrix pricing, a method of valuing securities by reference to the value of other securities with similar characteristics, such as rating, interest rate and maturity. Short-term investments having a maturity of 60 days or less may be generally valued at amortized cost when it approximated fair value.

 

Exchange traded options are valued at the last quoted sales price or, in the absence of a sale, at the mean between the current bid and ask prices on the exchange on which such options are traded. Futures and options on futures are valued at the settlement price determined by the exchange. Other securities for which market quotes are not readily available are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board or persons acting at their direction. Swap agreements and other derivatives are generally valued daily based upon quotations from market makers or by a pricing service in accordance with the valuation procedures approved by the Board.

 

Under certain circumstances, the Fund may use an independent pricing service to calculate the fair market value of foreign equity securities on a daily basis by applying valuation factors to the last sale price or the mean price as noted above. The fair market values supplied by the independent pricing service will generally reflect market trading that occurs after the close of the applicable foreign markets of comparable securities or the value of other instruments that have a strong correlation to the fair-valued securities. The independent pricing service will also take into account the current relevant currency exchange rate. A security that is fair valued may be valued at a price higher or lower than actual market quotations or the value determined by other funds using their own fair valuation procedures. Because foreign securities may trade on days when Fund shares are not priced, the value of securities held by the Fund can change on days when Fund shares cannot be redeemed or purchased. In the event that a foreign security’s market quotations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable (for reasons other than because the foreign exchange on which it trades closed before the Fund’s calculation of NAV), the security will be valued at its fair market value as determined in good faith by the Fund’s fair value committee in accordance with procedures approved by the Board as discussed below. Without fair valuation, it is possible that short-term traders could take advantage of the arbitrage opportunity and dilute the NAV of long-term investors. Fair valuation of the Fund’s portfolio securities can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders, but there is no assurance that it will prevent dilution of the Fund’s NAV by short-term traders. In addition, because the Fund may invest in underlying ETFs which hold portfolio securities primarily listed on foreign (non-U.S.) exchanges, and these exchanges may trade on weekends or other days when the underlying ETFs do not price their shares, the value of these portfolio securities may change on days when you may not be able to buy or sell Fund shares.

 

Investments initially valued in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted to U.S. dollars using exchange rates obtained from pricing services. As a result, the NAV of the Fund's shares may be affected by changes in the value of currencies in relation to the U.S. dollar. The value of securities traded in markets outside the United States or denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar

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may be affected significantly on a day that the NYSE is closed and an investor is not able to purchase, redeem or exchange shares.

 

Fund shares are valued at the close of regular trading on the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) (the "NYSE Close") on each day that the NYSE is open. For purposes of calculating the NAV, the Fund normally use pricing data for domestic equity securities received shortly after the NYSE Close and does not normally take into account trading, clearances or settlements that take place after the NYSE Close. Domestic fixed income and foreign securities are normally priced using data reflecting the earlier closing of the principal markets for those securities. Information that becomes known to the Fund or its agents after the NAV has been calculated on a particular day will not generally be used to retroactively adjust the price of the security or the NAV determined earlier that day.

 

When market quotations are insufficient or not readily available, the Fund may value securities at fair value or estimate their value as determined in good faith by the Board or its designees, pursuant to procedures approved by the Board. Fair valuation may also be used by the Board if extraordinary events occur after the close of the relevant market but prior to the NYSE Close.

 

The Fund may hold securities, such as private placements, interests in commodity pools, other non-traded securities or temporarily illiquid securities, for which market quotations are not readily available or are determined to be unreliable. These securities will be valued at their fair market value as determined using the “fair value” procedures approved by the Board. The Board has delegated execution of these procedures to a fair value committee composed of one of more officers from each of the (i) Trust, (ii) administrator, and (iii) Adviser. The committee may also enlist third party consultants such as an audit firm or financial officer of a security issuer on an as-needed basis to assist in determining a security-specific fair value. The Board reviews and ratifies the execution of this process and the resultant fair value prices at least quarterly to assure the process produces reliable results.

 

Fair Value Committee and Valuation Process. The fair value committee is composed of one of more officers from each of the (i) Trust, (ii) administrator, and (iii) Adviser. The applicable investments are valued collectively via inputs from each of these groups. For example, fair value determinations are required for the following securities: (i) securities for which market quotations are insufficient or not readily available on a particular business day (including securities for which there is a short and temporary lapse in the provision of a price by the regular pricing source), (ii) securities for which, in the judgment of the Adviser, the prices or values available do not represent the fair value of the instrument. Factors which may cause the Adviser to make such a judgment include, but are not limited to, the following: only a bid price or an asked price is available; the spread between bid and asked prices is substantial; the frequency of sales; the thinness of the market; the size of reported trades; and actions of the securities markets, such as the suspension or limitation of trading; (iii) securities determined to be illiquid; (iv) securities with respect to which an event that will affect the value thereof has occurred (a “significant event”) since the closing prices were established on the principal exchange on which they are traded, but prior to the Fund’s calculation of its NAV. Specifically, interests in commodity pools or managed futures pools are valued on a daily basis by reference to the closing market prices of each futures contract or other asset held by a pool, as adjusted for pool expenses. Restricted or illiquid securities, such as private placements or non-traded securities are valued via inputs from the Adviser valuation based upon the current bid for the security from two or more independent dealers or other parties reasonably familiar with the facts and circumstances of the security (who should take into consideration all relevant factors as may be appropriate under the circumstances). If the Adviser is unable to obtain a current bid from such independent dealers or other independent parties, the fair value committee shall determine the fair value of such security using the following factors: (i) the type of security; (ii) the cost at date of purchase; (iii) the size and nature of the Fund's holdings; (iv) the

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discount from market value of unrestricted securities of the same class at the time of purchase and subsequent thereto; (v) information as to any transactions or offers with respect to the security; (vi) the nature and duration of restrictions on disposition of the security and the existence of any registration rights; (vii) how the yield of the security compares to similar securities of companies of similar or equal creditworthiness; (viii) the level of recent trades of similar or comparable securities; (ix) the liquidity characteristics of the security; (x) current market conditions; and (xi) the market value of any securities into which the security is convertible or exchangeable.

 

Standards For Fair Value Determinations. As a general principle, the fair value of a security is the amount that the Fund might reasonably expect to realize upon its current sale. The Trust has adopted Financial Accounting Standards Board Statement of Financial Accounting Standards Codification Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures ("ASC 820"). In accordance with ASC 820, fair value is defined as the price that the Fund would receive upon selling an investment in a timely transaction to an independent buyer in the principal or most advantageous market of the investment. ASC 820 establishes a three-tier hierarchy to maximize the use of observable market data and minimize the use of unobservable inputs and to establish classification of fair value measurements for disclosure purposes. Inputs refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk, for example, the risk inherent in a particular valuation technique used to measure fair value including such a pricing model and/or the risk inherent in the inputs to the valuation technique. Inputs may be observable or unobservable. Observable inputs are inputs that reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the reporting entity's own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, developed based on the best information available under the circumstances.

 

Various inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund's investments relating to ASC 820. These inputs are summarized in the three broad levels listed below.

 

Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities.

 

Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)

 

Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments).

 

The fair value committee takes into account the relevant factors and surrounding circumstances, which may include: (i) the nature and pricing history (if any) of the security; (ii) whether any dealer quotations for the security are available; (iii) possible valuation methodologies that could be used to determine the fair value of the security; (iv) the recommendation of a portfolio manager of the Fund with respect to the valuation of the security; (v) whether the same or similar securities are held by other funds managed by the Adviser or other funds and the method used to price the security in those funds; (vi) the extent to which the fair value to be determined for the security will result from the use of data or formulae produced by independent third parties and (vii) the liquidity or illiquidity of the market for the security.

 

Board’s Determination. The Board meets at least quarterly to consider the valuations provided by the fair value committee and to ratify the valuations made for the applicable securities. The Board

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of Trustees considers the reports provided by the fair value committee, including follow up studies of subsequent market-provided prices when available, in reviewing and determining in good faith the fair value of the applicable portfolio securities.

 

The Trust expects that the NYSE will be closed on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

 

Purchase of Shares

 

Orders for shares received by the Fund in good order prior to the close of business on the NYSE on each day during such periods that the NYSE is open for trading are priced at the public offering price, which is NAV plus any sales charge, or at NAV per share (if no sales charges apply) computed as of the close of the regular session of trading on the NYSE. Orders received in good order after the close of the NYSE, or on a day it is not open for trading, are priced at the close of such NYSE on the next day on which it is open for trading at the next determined NAV per share plus sales charges, if any.

 

Redemption of Shares

 

The Fund will redeem all or any portion of a shareholder's shares of the Fund when requested in accordance with the procedures set forth in the "Redemptions" section of the Prospectus. Under the 1940 Act, a shareholder's right to redeem shares and to receive payment therefore may be suspended at times: (a) when the NYSE is closed, other than customary weekend and holiday closings; (b) when trading on that exchange is restricted for any reason; (c) when an emergency exists as a result of which disposal by the Fund of securities owned is not reasonably practicable or it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund to fairly determine the value of net assets, provided that applicable rules and regulations of the SEC (or any succeeding governmental authority) will govern as to whether the conditions prescribed in (b) or (c) exist; or (d) when the SEC by order permits a suspension of the right to redemption or a postponement of the date of payment on redemption.

 

In case of suspension of the right of redemption, payment of a redemption request will be made based on the NAV next determined after the termination of the suspension.

 

Supporting documents in addition to those listed under "Redemptions" in the Prospectus will be required from executors, administrators, trustees, or if redemption is requested by someone other than the shareholder of record. Such documents include, but are not restricted to, stock powers, trust instruments, certificates of death, appointments as executor, certificates of corporate authority and waiver of tax required in some states when settling estates.

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TAX STATUS


 

The following discussion is general in nature and should not be regarded as an exhaustive presentation of all possible tax ramifications. All shareholders should consult a qualified tax adviser regarding their investment in the Fund.

 

The Fund intends to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Tax Code"), which requires compliance with certain requirements concerning the sources of its income, diversification of its assets, and the amount and timing of its distributions to shareholders. Such qualification does not involve supervision of management or investment practices or policies by any government agency or bureau. By so qualifying, the Fund should not be subject to federal income or excise tax on its net investment income or net capital gain, which are distributed to shareholders in accordance with the applicable timing requirements. Net investment income and net capital gain of the Fund will be computed in accordance with Section 852 of the Tax Code.

 

The Fund intends to distribute all of its net investment income, any excess of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses, and any excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses in accordance with the timing requirements imposed by the Tax Code and therefore should not be required to pay any federal income or excise taxes. Distributions of net investment income and net capital gain will be made after the end of each fiscal year. Both types of distributions will be in shares of the Fund unless a shareholder elects to receive cash.

 

At December 31, 2017, the Funds had capital loss carry forwards for federal income tax purposes available to offset future capital gains as follows:

 

Non-Expiring     Non-Expiring        
Short-Term     Long-Term     Total  
$ 707,549     $     $ 707,549  
                     

 

To be treated as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Tax Code, the Fund must also (a) derive at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, net income from certain publicly traded partnerships and gains from the sale or other disposition of securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to the business of investing in such securities or currencies, and (b) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each fiscal quarter, (i) at least 50% of the market value of the Fund's assets is represented by cash, U.S. government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies, and other securities (for purposes of this calculation, generally limited in respect of any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the market value of the Fund's assets and 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer) and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of its assets is invested in the securities of (other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other regulated investment companies) any one issuer, two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are determined to be engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses, or the securities of certain publicly traded partnerships.

 

If the Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M in any fiscal year, it will be treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes. As such, the Fund would be required to pay income taxes on its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, at the rates generally applicable to corporations. Shareholders of the Fund generally would not be liable for

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income tax on the Fund's net investment income or net realized capital gains in their individual capacities. Distributions to shareholders, whether from the Fund's net investment income or net realized capital gains, would be treated as taxable dividends to the extent of current or accumulated earnings and profits of the Fund.

 

The Fund is subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on certain undistributed amounts of ordinary income and capital gain under a prescribed formula contained in Section 4982 of the Tax Code. The formula requires payment to shareholders during a calendar year of distributions representing at least 98% of the Fund's ordinary income for the calendar year and at least 98.2% of its capital gain net income (i.e., the excess of its capital gains over capital losses) realized during the one-year period ending October 31 during such year plus 100% of any income that was neither distributed nor taxed to the Fund during the preceding calendar year. Under ordinary circumstances, the Fund expects to time its distributions so as to avoid liability for this tax.

 

The following discussion of tax consequences is for the general information of shareholders that are subject to tax. Shareholders that are IRAs or other qualified retirement plans are exempt from income taxation under the Tax Code.

 

Distributions of taxable net investment income and the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss are generally taxable to shareholders as ordinary income, unless such distributions are attributable to “qualified dividend income” eligible for the reduced federal income tax rates applicable to long-term capital gains, provided certain holding period and other requirements are satisfied.

 

Distributions of net capital gain ("capital gain dividends") generally are taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gain, regardless of the length of time the shares of the Fund have been held by such shareholders.

 

Certain U.S. shareholders, including individuals and estates and trusts, are subject to an additional 3.8% Medicare tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which should include dividends from the Fund and net gains from the disposition of shares of the Fund. U.S. shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers regarding the implications of the additional Medicare tax resulting from an investment in the Fund.

A redemption of Fund shares by a shareholder will result in the recognition of taxable gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized and the shareholder's tax basis in his or her Fund shares. Such gain or loss is treated as a capital gain or loss if the shares are held as capital assets. The gain or loss will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares were held for more than one year and if not held for such period, as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any loss realized upon the redemption of shares within six months from the date of their purchase will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as capital gain dividends during such six-month period. All or a portion of any loss realized upon the redemption of shares may be disallowed to the extent shares are purchased (including shares acquired by means of reinvested dividends) within 30 days before or after such redemption.

Distributions of taxable net investment income and net capital gain will be taxable as described above, whether received in additional shares or cash. Shareholders electing to receive distributions in the form of additional shares will have a cost basis for federal income tax purposes in each share so received equal to the NAV of a share on the reinvestment date.

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All distributions of taxable net investment income and net capital gain, whether received in shares or in cash, must be reported by each taxable shareholder on his or her federal income tax return. Dividends or distributions declared in October, November or December as of a record date in such a month, if any, will be deemed to have been received by shareholders on December 31, if paid during January of the following year. Redemptions of shares may result in tax consequences (gain or loss) to the shareholder and are also subject to these reporting requirements.

 

Under the Code, the Fund will be required to report to the Internal Revenue Service all distributions of income and capital gains as well as gross proceeds from the redemption or exchange of Fund shares, except in the case of certain exempt shareholders. Under the backup withholding provisions of Section 3406 of the Code, distributions of net investment income and net capital gain and proceeds from the redemption or exchange of the shares of a regulated investment company may be subject to withholding of federal income tax in the case of non-exempt shareholders who fail to furnish the investment company with their taxpayer identification numbers and with required certifications regarding their status under the federal income tax law, or if the Fund is notified by the IRS or a broker that withholding is required due to an incorrect TIN or a previous failure to report taxable interest or dividends. If the withholding provisions are applicable, any such distributions and proceeds, whether taken in cash or reinvested in additional shares, will be reduced by the amounts required to be withheld.

 

Payments to a shareholder that is either a foreign financial institution (“FFI”) or a non-financial foreign entity (“NFFE”) within the meaning of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) may be subject to a generally nonrefundable 30% withholding tax on: (a) income dividends paid by the Fund after June 30, 2014 and (b) certain capital gain distributions and the proceeds arising from the sale of Fund shares paid by the Fund after December 31, 2016. FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided: (a) by an FFI, subject to any applicable intergovernmental agreement or other exemption, if it enters into a valid agreement with the IRS to, among other requirements, report required information about certain direct and indirect ownership of foreign financial accounts held by U.S. persons with the FFI and (b) by an NFFE, if it: (i) certifies that it has no substantial U.S. persons as owners or (ii) if it does have such owners, reports information relating to them. The Fund may disclose the information that it receives from its shareholders to the IRS, non-U.S. taxing authorities or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA. Withholding also may be required if a foreign entity that is a shareholder of the Fund fails to provide the Fund with appropriate certifications or other documentation concerning its status under FATCA.

 

Options, Futures, Forward Contracts and Swap Agreements

 

To the extent such investments are permissible for the Fund, the Fund's transactions in options, futures contracts, hedging transactions, forward contracts, straddles and foreign currencies will be subject to special tax rules (including mark-to-market, constructive sale, straddle, wash sale and short sale rules), the effect of which may be to accelerate income to the Fund, defer losses to the Fund, cause adjustments in the holding periods of the Fund's securities, convert long-term capital gains into short-term capital gains and convert short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders.

 

To the extent such investments are permissible, certain of the Fund's hedging activities (including its transactions, if any, in foreign currencies or foreign currency-denominated instruments) are likely to produce a difference between its book income and its taxable income. If the Fund's book income exceeds its taxable income, the distribution (if any) of such excess book income will be treated as (i) a dividend to the extent of the Fund's remaining earnings and profits (including earnings and profits arising from tax-exempt income), (ii) thereafter, as a return of capital to the extent of the

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recipient's basis in the shares, and (iii) thereafter, as gain from the sale or exchange of a capital asset. If the Fund's book income is less than taxable income, the Fund could be required to make distributions exceeding book income to qualify as a regular investment company that is accorded special tax treatment.

 

Passive Foreign Investment Companies

 

Investment by the Fund in certain "passive foreign investment companies" ("PFICs") could subject the Fund to a U.S. federal income tax (including interest charges) on distributions received from the company or on proceeds received from the disposition of shares in the company, which tax cannot be eliminated by making distributions to Fund shareholders. However, the Fund may elect to treat a PFIC as a "qualified electing fund" ("QEF"), in which case the Fund will be required to include its share of the company's income and net capital gains annually, regardless of whether they receive any distribution from the company.

 

The Fund also may make an election to mark the gains (and to a limited extent losses) in such holdings "to the market" as though it had sold and repurchased its holdings in those PFICs on the last day of the Fund's taxable year. Such gains and losses are treated as ordinary income and loss. The QEF and mark-to-market elections may accelerate the recognition of income (without the receipt of cash) and increase the amount required to be distributed for the Fund to avoid taxation. Making either of these elections therefore may require the Fund to liquidate other investments (including when it is not advantageous to do so) to meet its distribution requirement, which also may accelerate the recognition of gain and affect the Fund's total return.

 

Foreign Currency Transactions

 

The Fund's transactions in foreign currencies, foreign currency-denominated debt securities and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts and forward contracts (and similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned.

 

Other Regulated Investment Companies

 

Generally, the character of the income or capital gains that the Fund receives from another investment company will pass through to the Fund’s shareholders as long as the Fund and the other investment company each qualify as a regulated investment company. However, to the extent that another investment company that qualifies as a regulated investment company realizes net losses on its investments for a given taxable year, the Fund will not be able to recognize its share of those losses until it disposes of shares of such investment company. Moreover, even when the Fund does make such a disposition, a portion of its loss may be recognized as a long-term capital loss, which will not be treated as favorably for federal income tax purposes as an ordinary deduction. In particular, the Fund will not be able to offset any capital losses from its dispositions of shares of other investment companies against its ordinary income. As a result of the foregoing rules, and certain other special rules, it is possible that the amounts of net investment income and net capital gains that the Fund will be required to distribute to shareholders will be greater than such amounts would have been had the Fund invested directly in the securities held by the investment companies in which it invests, rather than investing in shares of the investment companies. For similar reasons, the character of distributions from the Fund (e.g., long-term capital gain, qualified dividend income, etc.) will not necessarily be the same as it would have been had the Fund invested directly in the securities held by the investment companies in which it invests.

 

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Foreign Taxation

 

Income received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such countries. Tax treaties and conventions between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes. If more than 50% of the value of the Fund's total assets at the close of its taxable year consists of securities of foreign corporations, the Fund may be able to elect to "pass through" to the Fund's shareholders the amount of eligible foreign income and similar taxes paid by the Fund. If this election is made, a shareholder generally subject to tax will be required to include in gross income (in addition to taxable dividends actually received) his or her pro rata share of the foreign taxes paid by the Fund, and may be entitled either to deduct (as an itemized deduction) his or her pro rata share of foreign taxes in computing his or her taxable income or to use it as a foreign tax credit against his or her U.S. federal income tax liability, subject to certain limitations. In particular, a shareholder must hold his or her shares (without protection from risk of loss) on the ex-dividend date and for at least 15 more days during the 30-day period surrounding the ex-dividend date to be eligible to claim a foreign tax credit with respect to a gain dividend. No deduction for foreign taxes may be claimed by a shareholder who does not itemize deductions. Each shareholder will be notified within 60 days after the close of the Fund's taxable year whether the foreign taxes paid by the Fund will "pass through" for that year.

 

Generally, a credit for foreign taxes is subject to the limitation that it may not exceed the shareholder's U.S. tax attributable to his or her total foreign source taxable income. For this purpose, if the pass-through election is made, the source of the Fund's income will flow through to shareholders of the Fund. With respect to the Fund, gains from the sale of securities will be treated as derived from U.S. sources and certain currency fluctuation gains, including fluctuation gains from foreign currency-denominated debt securities, receivables and payables will be treated as ordinary income derived from U.S. sources. The limitation on the foreign tax credit is applied separately to foreign source passive income, and to certain other types of income. A shareholder may be unable to claim a credit for the full amount of his or her proportionate share of the foreign taxes paid by the Fund. The foreign tax credit can be used to offset only 90% of the revised alternative minimum tax imposed on corporations and individuals and foreign taxes generally are not deductible in computing alternative minimum taxable income.

 

Original Issue Discount and Pay-In-Kind Securities

 

Current federal tax law requires the holder of a U.S. Treasury or other fixed income zero coupon security to accrue as income each year a portion of the discount at which the security was purchased, even though the holder receives no interest payment in cash on the security during the year. In addition, pay-in-kind securities will give rise to income which is required to be distributed and is taxable even though the Fund holding the security receives no interest payment in cash on the security during the year.

 

Some of the debt securities (with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by the Fund may be treated as debt securities that are issued originally at a discount. Generally, the amount of the original issue discount ("OID") is treated as interest income and is included in income over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, usually when the debt security matures. A portion of the OID includable in income with respect to certain high-yield corporate debt securities (including certain pay-in-kind securities) may be treated as a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

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Some of the debt securities (with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by the Fund in the secondary market may be treated as having market discount. Generally, any gain recognized on the disposition of, and any partial payment of principal on, a debt security having market discount is treated as ordinary income to the extent the gain, or principal payment, does not exceed the "accrued market discount" on such debt security. Market discount generally accrues in equal daily installments. The Fund may make one or more of the elections applicable to debt securities having market discount, which could affect the character and timing of recognition of income.

 

Some debt securities (with a fixed maturity date of one year or less from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by the Fund may be treated as having acquisition discount, or OID in the case of certain types of debt securities. Generally, the Fund will be required to include the acquisition discount, or OID, in income over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, usually when the debt security matures. The Fund may make one or more of the elections applicable to debt securities having acquisition discount, or OID, which could affect the character and timing of recognition of income.

 

If the Fund holds the foregoing kinds of securities, it may be required to pay out as an income distribution each year an amount, which is greater than the total amount of cash interest the Fund actually received. Such distributions may be made from the cash assets of the Fund or by liquidation of portfolio securities, if necessary (including when it is not advantageous to do so). The Fund may realize gains or losses from such liquidations. In the event the Fund realizes net capital gains from such transactions, its shareholders may receive a larger capital gain distribution, if any, than they would in the absence of such transactions.

 

Shareholders of the Fund may be subject to state and local taxes on distributions received from the Fund and on redemptions of the Fund's shares.

 

A brief explanation of the form and character of the distribution accompany each distribution. After the end of each year the Fund issues to each shareholder a statement of the federal income tax status of all distributions.

 

Shareholders should consult their tax advisers about the application of federal, state and local and foreign tax law in light of their particular situation.

 

ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING PROGRAM


 

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

 

Procedures to implement the Program include, but are not limited to, determining that the Fund's Distributor and Transfer Agent have established proper anti-money laundering procedures, reporting suspicious and/or fraudulent activity and providing a complete and thorough review of all new opening

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account applications. The Trust will not transact business with any person or entity whose identity cannot be adequately verified under the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act.

 

As a result of the Program, the Trust may be required to "freeze" the account of a shareholder if the shareholder appears to be involved in suspicious activity or if certain account information matches information on government lists of known terrorists or other suspicious persons, or the Trust may be required to transfer the account or proceeds of the account to a governmental agency.

 

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES


 

A principal shareholder is any person who owns of record or beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund. A control person is one who owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of a company or acknowledges the existence of control. A shareholder owning of record or beneficially more than 25% of the Fund's outstanding shares may be considered a controlling person. That shareholder's vote could have more significant effect on matters presented at a shareholder's meeting than votes of other shareholders.

 

As of April 3, 2018, the following shareholder(s) of record owned 5% or more of the outstanding shares of each class of the Fund.

 

Name & Address Shares Percentage of Class
Class A

Charles Schwab & Company, Inc.

211 Main St.

San Francisco, CA 64105

 

102,501.1390

 

33.13%

 

Trust Company of America

PO Box 6503

Englewood, CO 80155-6503

144,048.9310 46.56%
Class I

Charles Schwab & Company, Inc.

211 Main St.

San Francisco, CA 64105

2,326,528.4600 60.56%

TD Ameritrade

PO Box 2226

Omaha, NE 68103

863,546.9430 22.48%

Trust Company of America

PO Box 6503

Englewood, CO 80155-6503

274,430.6570 7.14%

 

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. is organized in the state of California and the parent company is Schwab Holdings Inc.; organized in the state of Delaware. The ultimate parent company of Schwab Holdings, Inc. is Charles Schwab Corporation; organized in the state of Delaware.

 

Management Ownership Information.   As of April 3, 2018, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, as a group, beneficially owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of the Fund.

 

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MANAGEMENT


 

The business of the Trust is managed under the direction of the Board in accordance with the Agreement and Declaration of Trust and the Trust's By-laws (the "Governing Documents"), which have been filed with the SEC and are available upon request. The Board consists of five individuals, all of whom are not "interested persons" (as defined under the 1940 Act) of the Trust and the Adviser ("Independent Trustees"). Pursuant to the Governing Documents of the Trust, the Trustees shall elect officers including a President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Principal Executive Officer and a Principal Accounting Officer. The Board retains the power to conduct, operate and carry on the business of the Trust and has the power to incur and pay any expenses, which, in the opinion of the Board, are necessary or incidental to carry out any of the Trust's purposes. The Trustees, officers, employees and agents of the Trust, when acting in such capacities, shall not be subject to any personal liability except for his or her own bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard of his or her duties.

 

Board Leadership Structure . The Board is led by John V. Palancia, who has served as the Chairman of the Board since May 2014. The Board has not appointed a Lead Independent Trustee because all Trustees are Independent Trustees. Under the Trust's Agreement and Declaration of Trust and By-Laws, the Chairman of the Board is responsible for (a) presiding at Board meetings, (b) calling special meetings on an as-needed basis, and (c) execution and administration of Trust policies, including (i) setting the agendas for Board meetings and (ii) providing information to Board members in advance of each Board meeting and between Board meetings. Generally, the Trust believes it best to have a non-executive Chairman of the Board, who together with the President (principal executive officer), are seen by our shareholders, business partners and other stakeholders as providing strong leadership. The Trust believes that its Chairman, the independent chair of the Audit Committee, and, as an entity, the full Trust’s Board, provide effective leadership that is in the best interests of the Trust, the Fund and each shareholder.

 

Board Risk Oversight . The Trust’s Board is comprised entirely of Independent Trustees with an Audit Committee with a separate chair. The Board is responsible for overseeing risk management, and the full Board regularly engages in discussions of risk management and receives compliance reports that inform its oversight of risk management from its Chief Compliance Officer at quarterly meetings and on an ad hoc basis, when and if necessary. The Audit Committee considers financial and reporting the risk within its area of responsibilities. Generally, the Board believes that its oversight of material risks is adequately maintained through the compliance-reporting chain where the Chief Compliance Officer is the primary recipient and communicator of such risk-related information.

 

Trustee Qualifications .

 

Generally, the Fund believes that each Trustee is competent to serve because of his or her individual overall merits including: (i) experience, (ii) qualifications, (iii) attributes and (iv) skills.

 

James Jensen has over 40 years of business experience in a wide range of industries including the financial services industry. His experience includes over 25 years of mutual fund board experience with service as chairman of the Audit Committee, chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee and, for the past eight years, as Chairman of the Board of Wasatch Funds. Since April 2008, Mr. Jensen has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Clearwater Law & Governance Group, where he devotes himself full time to corporate law practice, board governance consulting for operating companies and private investing. In May 2014, Mr. Jensen and his firm conducted the 11th Green River Conference on Corporate Governance for lawyers, accountants, directors and service providers. In 2001, Mr. Jensen co-founded Intelisum, Inc., a company pursuing computer and measurement

50  
 

technology and products, and was Chairman of the Board from 2001 to 2008. From 1986 to 2004, Mr. Jensen held key positions with NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., including Vice President, Corporate Development, Legal Affairs and General Counsel and Secretary. In addition to his business experience, Mr. Jensen was Chairman of the Board of Agricon Global Corporation, formerly BayHill Capital Corporation from 2008 to 2014 and has been a Director of the University of Utah Research Foundation since 2001. Mr. Jensen was the founder and first President of the MountainWest Venture Group (now "MountainWest Capital Network") in 1983. Mr. Jensen is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors. Mr. Jensen graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Utah in 1967 and received degrees of Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration from Columbia University in 1971.

 

Patricia Luscombe, CFA, has more than 25 years in financial advisory and valuation services. She has delivered a broad range of corporate finance advice including fairness opinions and valuations. Ms. Luscombe joined Lincoln International in 2007 as a Managing Director and co-head of Lincoln's Valuations & Opinions Group. In this position, she assists regulated investment funds, business development companies, private equity funds and hedge funds in the valuation of illiquid securities for fair value accounting purposes. Ms. Luscombe's clients range from closely-held businesses to large, publicly-traded companies. Previously, Ms. Luscombe spent 16 years with Duff & Phelps Corporation, as a Managing Director in the firm's valuation and financial advisory business. Prior to joining Duff & Phelps Corporation, Ms. Luscombe was an Associate at Smith Barney, a division of Citigroup Capital Markets, Inc., where she managed a variety of financial transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, and equity and debt financings. Ms. Luscombe is a member of the Chicago Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth, the Chartered Financial Analyst Society of Chicago and former president of the Chicago Finance Exchange. Ms. Luscombe holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Stanford University, a Master's degree in economics from the University of Chicago and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. In addition, Ms. Luscombe is licensed under the Series 24, 79 and 63 of FINRA.

 

John V. Palancia has over 40 years of business experience in the financial services industry including serving as the Director of Global Futures Operations for Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. (“Merrill Lynch”) Mr. Palancia possesses an in depth understanding of broker-dealer operations from having served in various management capacities and has held industry registrations in both securities and futures. Based on his service at Merrill Lynch, he also possesses a strong understanding of risk management, balance sheet analysis, compliance and the regulatory framework under which regulated financial entities must operate. Additionally, he is well versed in the regulatory framework under which investment companies must operate based on his service as a member of three other mutual fund boards. This practical and extensive experience in the securities industry provides valuable insight into fund operations and enhances his ability to effectively serve as chairman of the Board. Mr. Palancia holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics.

 

Mark H. Taylor has over twenty-five years of academic and professional experience in the accounting and auditing fields which makes him particularly qualified to serve as the Trust’s Audit Committee chair. He holds PhD, Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant. Dr. Taylor chairs the Department of Accountancy in the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University and is the Andrew D. Braden Professor of Accounting and Auditing. Commencing August 2017, Dr. Taylor is serving a three-year term as Vice President-Finance on the Board of Directors of the American Accounting Association (AAA). From 2012 to 2015, he served a 3-year term as President of the Auditing Section of the AAA (Vice-President

51  
 

2012-2013, President 2013-2014, and Past President (2014-2015). Dr. Taylor serves as a member of two other mutual fund boards within the Northern Lights Fund Complex, and completed a fellowship in the Professional Practice Group of the Office of the Chief Accountant at the headquarters of the United States Securities Exchange Commission. He also served a three-year term on the AICPA’s Auditing Standards Board (2010-2012). Dr. Taylor is a member of two research teams that recently received grants from the Center for Audit Quality to study how auditors manage the process of auditing fair value measurements in financial statements and how accounting firms’ tone-at-the top messaging impacts audit performance. Dr. Taylor teaches corporate governance and accounting policy as well as auditing and assurance services and possesses a strong understanding of the regulatory framework under which investment companies operate.

 

Jeffery D. Young has 38 years of business management experience, including in the transportation industry and operations and information technologies. He is currently Co-owner and Vice President of the Latin America Agriculture Development Corporation, an agribusiness exporting fruit to the United States and other Central American countries. He has served as Assistant Vice President of Transportation Systems at Union Pacific Railroad Company, where he was responsible for the development and implementation of large scale command and control systems that support railroad operations and safety. In this position, Mr. Young was heavily involved in the regulatory compliance of safety and mission critical systems. Mr. Young also served as Chairman of the Association of American Railroads Policy Committee and represented both Union Pacific Railroad and the railroad industry in safety and regulatory hearings with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Railroad Administration in Washington, DC. Mr. Young was a member of the Board of Directors of PS Technologies, a Union Pacific affiliate serving as a technology supplier to the railroad industry. His practical business experience and understanding of regulatory compliance provides a different perspective that will bring diversity to Board deliberations.

 

Trustees and Officers . The Trustees and officers of the Trust, together with information as to their principal business occupations during the past five years and other information, are shown below. Unless otherwise noted, the address of each Trustee and Officer is 17605 Wright Street, Suite 2, Omaha, Nebraska 68130.

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Independent Trustees
Name, Address, Year of Birth Position(s) Held with Registrant Length of Service and Term Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years

Number of Funds Overseen In The Fund Complex*

 

Other Directorships Held During Past 5 Years**

James U.

Jensen

1944

Trustee Since February 2012, Indefinite Chief Executive Officer, ClearWater Law & Governance Group, LLC (an operating board governance consulting company) (since 2004). 1 Northern Lights Fund Trust III (for series not affiliated with the Fund since 2012); Wasatch Funds Trust, (since 1986); University of Utah research Foundation (since April 2000); Agricon Global Corporation, formerly Bayhill Capital Corporation (large scale farming in Ghana, West Africa) (October 2009 to June 2014).

Patricia

Luscombe

1961

Trustee Since January 2015, Indefinite Managing Director of the Valuations & Opinions Group, Lincoln International LLC (since August 2007). 1 Northern Lights Fund Trust III (for series not affiliated with the Fund since 2015); Monetta Mutual Funds (since November 2015).

John V.

Palancia

1954

Trustee,

Chairman

Trustee, since February 2012, Indefinite; Chairman of the Board since May 2014 Retired (since 2011); Formerly, Director of Global Futures Operations Control, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. (1975-2011). 1 Northern Lights Fund Trust III (for series not affiliated with the Fund since 2012); Northern Lights Fund Trust (since 2011); Northern Lights Variable Trust (since 2011); Alternative Strategies Fund (since 2012).

Mark H.

Taylor

1964

Trustee,

Chairman of the Audit Committee

Since February 2012, Indefinite Chair, Department of Accountancy and Andrew D. Braden Professor of Accounting and Auditing, Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University (since 2009); Vice President-Finance, American Accounting Association (2017-2020); President, Auditing Section of the American Accounting Association (2012-15). AICPA Auditing Standards Board Member (2009-2012).  Former Academic Fellow, United States Securities and Exchange Commission (2005-2006).   1 Northern Lights Fund Trust III (for series not affiliated with the Fund since 2012); Northern Lights Fund Trust (since 2007); Northern Lights Variable Trust (since 2007); Alternative Strategies Fund (since June 2010).

Jeffery D. Young

1956

Trustee Since January 2015, Indefinite Co-owner and Vice President, Latin America Agriculture Development Corp. (since May 2015); Formerly Asst. Vice President - Transportation Systems, Union Pacific Railroad Company (June 1976 to April 2014); President, Celeritas Rail Consulting (since June 2014). 1 Northern Lights Fund Trust III (for series not affiliated with the Fund since 2015); PS Technology, Inc. (2010-2013).

 

* As of December 31, 2017, the Trust was comprised of 33 active portfolios managed by 16 unaffiliated investment advisers. The term

“Fund Complex” applies only to the Fund. The Fund does not hold itself out as related to any other series within the Trust for investment

53  
 

purposes, nor does it share the same investment adviser with any other series.

** Only includes directorships held within the past 5 years in a company with a class of securities registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or subject to the requirements of Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or any company registered as an investment company under the 1940 Act.

 

Name, Address, Year of Birth Position(s) Held with Registrant Length of Service and Term Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years

Richard Malinowski*

80 Arkay Drive,

Hauppauge, NY 11788

1983

President

Since

August 2017, indefinite

Senior Vice President (since 2017), Vice President and Counsel (2015-2016) and Assistant Vice President (2012–2015), Gemini Fund Services, LLC; Vice President and Manager, BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US), Inc., (2011-2012).

Brian Curley

80 Arkay Drive,

Hauppauge, NY 11788

1970

Treasurer

Since

February 2013, indefinite

Vice President, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (since 2015), Assistant Vice President, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2012-2014); Senior Controller of Fund Treasury, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (2008-2012); Senior Associate of Fund Administration, Morgan Stanley (1999-2008).

Eric Kane

80 Arkay Drive,

Hauppauge, NY 11788

1981

Secretary

Since

November 2013, indefinite

Vice President and Counsel, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (since 2017), Assistant Vice President, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2014- 2017), Staff Attorney, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2013-2014), Law Clerk, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2009-2013), Legal Intern, NASDAQ OMX (2011), Hedge Fund Administrator, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2008), Mutual Fund Accountant/Corporate Action Specialist, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2006-2008).

William Kimme

 

 

1962

Chief Compliance Officer

Since

February 2012, indefinite

Senior Compliance Officer of Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC (since 2011); Due Diligence and Compliance Consultant, Mick & Associates (2009-2011); Assistant Director, FINRA (2000-2009).

 

*Mr. Malinowski was elected President of the Trust effective August 29, 2017.

 


       Audit Committee.  The Board has an Audit Committee that consists solely of Trustees who are not "interested persons" of the Trust within the meaning of the 1940 Act. The Audit Committee's responsibilities include: (i) recommending to the Board of Trustees the selection, retention or termination of the Trust's independent auditors; (ii) reviewing with the independent auditors the scope, performance and anticipated cost of their audit; (iii) discussing with the independent auditors certain matters relating to the Trust's financial statements, including any adjustment to such financial statements recommended by such independent auditors, or any other results of any audit; (iv) reviewing on a periodic basis a formal written statement from the independent auditors with respect to their independence, discussing with the independent auditors any relationships or services disclosed in the statement that may impact the objectivity and independence of the Trust's independent auditors and recommending that the Board take appropriate action in response thereto to satisfy itself of the auditor's independence; and (v) considering the comments of the independent auditors and management's responses thereto with respect to the quality and adequacy of the Trust's accounting and financial reporting policies and practices and internal controls. The Audit Committee operates pursuant to an Audit Committee Charter. Dr. Taylor is Chairman of the Audit Committee. During the past fiscal year, the Audit Committee held four meetings.

 

Compensation of Directors . Effective January 1, 2017, each Trustee who is not affiliated with the Trust or an investment adviser to any series of the Trust will receive a quarterly fee of $20,000, allocated among each of the various portfolios comprising the Trust, for his or her attendance at the regularly scheduled meetings of the Board of Trustees, to be paid in advance of each calendar quarter, as well as reimbursement for any reasonable expenses incurred. From January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016, each Trustee who is not affiliated with the Trust or an investment adviser to any series of the Trust received a quarterly fee of $16,000 for his or her attendance at the regularly scheduled meetings

54  
 

of the Board of Trustees, paid in advance of each calendar quarter, as well as reimbursement for any reasonable expenses incurred. Effective January 1, 2017, in addition to the quarterly fees and reimbursements, the Chairman of the Board receives a quarterly fee of $5,000, and the Audit Committee Chairmen receive a quarterly fee of $3,750.

 

Additionally, in the event a meeting of the Trust’s Board other than its regularly scheduled meetings (a “Special Meeting”) is required, each Independent Trustee will receive a fee of $2,500 per Special Meeting, as well as reimbursement for any reasonable expenses incurred, to be paid by the relevant series of the Trust or its investment adviser depending on the circumstances necessitating the Special Meeting.   None of the executive officers receive compensation from the Trust.

 

The table below details the amount of compensation the Trustees during the Fund’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2017.  The Trust does not have a bonus, profit sharing, pension or retirement plan.

 

Name and Position ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement Total Compensation From Trust and Fund Complex* Paid to Trustees
James U. Jensen $2,086 None None $2,086
Patricia Luscombe $2,086 None None $2,086
John V. Palancia $2,781 None None $2,781
Mark H. Taylor $2,550 None None $2,550
Jeffery D. Young $2,086 None None $2,086

* There are currently numerous series comprising the Trust. The term “Fund Complex” refers only to the Fund, and not to any other series of the Trust. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, the aggregate independent Trustees’ fees paid by the entire Trust were $435,000.

 

Trustees' Ownership of Shares in the Funds . As of December 31, 2017, the Trustees beneficially owned the following amounts in the Funds:

 

 Name of Trustee Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Funds Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in All Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Trustee in Family of Investment Companies*
James U. Jensen None $10,001-$50,000
Patricia Luscombe None $10,001-$50,000
John V. Palancia None $10,001-$50,000
Mark H. Taylor None $10,001-$50,000
Jeffery D. Young None None

 

* The "Family of Investment Companies" includes the following registered management investment companies in addition to the Trust: Northern Lights Fund Trust, Northern Lights Fund Trust II, Northern Lights Fund Trust IV and Northern Lights Variable Trust.

 

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS


 

The audited financial statements and report of the independent registered public accounting firm required to be included in this SAI are hereby incorporated by reference to the Annual Report for the Fund for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017. You may obtain a copy of the Annual Report without charge by calling the Fund at 1-844-798-3833.

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APPENDIX A

BOND RATINGS

 

DESCRIPTION OF MOODY'S CORPORATE BOND RATINGS

 

     Aaa. Bonds rated Aaa are judged to be the best quality. They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to as "gilt edge." Interest payments are protected by a large or by an exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of these issues.

 

     Aa. Bonds which are rated Aa are judged to be of high quality by all standards. Together with the Aaa group they comprise what are generally known as high-grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of protection may not be as large as in Aaa securities or fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present which make the long-term risks appear somewhat larger than in Aaa securities.

 

     A. Bonds which are rated A possess many favorable investment attributes and are to be considered as upper medium grade obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest are considered adequate but elements may be present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future.

 

     Baa. Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium grade obligations, i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well.

 

     Ba. Bonds which are rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements; their future payments cannot be considered as well assured. Often the protection of interest and principal may be very moderate and thereby not well safeguarded during both good and bad times over the future. Uncertainty of position characterizes bonds in this class.

 

     B. Bonds which are rated B generally lack characteristics of the desirable investment. Assurance of interest and principal payments or maintenance of other terms of the contract over any long period of time may be small.

 

     Moody's applies the numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through B. The modifier 1 indicates that the security ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates that the issue ranks in the lower end of its generic rating category.

 

DESCRIPTION OF COMMERCIAL PAPER RATINGS

 

     Commercial paper rated Prime-l by Moody's are judged by Moody's to be of the best quality. Their short-term debt obligations carry the smallest degree of investment risk. Margins of support for current indebtedness are large or stable with cash flow and asset protection well insured. Current liquidity provides ample coverage of near-term liabilities and unused alternative financing arrangements are generally available. While protective elements may change over the intermediate or longer term, such changes are most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of short-term obligations.

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     Issuers (or related supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong capacity for repayment of short-term promissory obligations. This will normally be evidenced by many of the characteristics cited above but to a lesser degree. Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, will be more subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more affected by external conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is maintained.

 

     Commercial paper rated A by S&P have the following characteristics. Liquidity ratios are better than industry average. Long-term debt rating is A or better. The issuer has access to at least two additional channels of borrowing. Basic earnings and cash flow are in an upward trend. Typically, the issuer is a strong company in a well-established industry and has superior management. Issuers rated A are further refined by use of numbers 1, 2, and 3 to denote relative strength within this highest classification. Those issuers rated A-1 that are determined by S&P to possess overwhelming safety characteristics are denoted with a plus (+) sign designation.

 

     Fitch's commercial paper ratings represent Fitch's assessment of the issuer's ability to meet its obligations in a timely manner. The assessment places emphasis on the existence of liquidity. Ratings range from F-1+ which represents exceptionally strong credit quality to F-4 which represents weak credit quality.

 

     Duff & Phelps' short-term ratings apply to all obligations with maturities of under one year, including commercial paper, the uninsured portion of certificates of deposit, unsecured bank loans, master notes, bankers acceptances, irrevocable letters of credit and current maturities of long-term debt. Emphasis is placed on liquidity. Ratings range from Duff 1+ for the highest quality to Duff 5 for the lowest, issuers in default. Issues rated Duff 1+ are regarded as having the highest certainty of timely payment. Issues rated Duff 1 are regarded as having very high certainty of timely payment.

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APPENDIX B

PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

ASCENDANT CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC

 

Policy

ACM, as a matter of policy and as a fiduciary to our clients, has responsibility for voting proxies for portfolio securities consistent with the best economic interests of the clients. ACM maintains written policies and procedures as to the handling, research, voting and reporting of proxy voting and makes appropriate disclosures about our firm’s proxy policies and practices. Our policy and practice includes the responsibility to monitor corporate actions, receive and vote client proxies and disclose any potential conflicts of interest as well as making information available to clients about the voting of proxies for their portfolio securities and maintaining relevant and required records.

 

Background

Proxy voting is an important right of shareholders and reasonable care and diligence must be undertaken to ensure that such rights are properly and timely exercised. Investment advisers registered with the SEC, and which exercise voting authority with respect to client securities, are required by Rule 206(4)-6 of the Advisers Act to (a) adopt and implement written policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to ensure that client securities are voted in the best interests of clients, which must include how an adviser addresses material conflicts that may arise between an adviser's interests and those of its clients; (b) to disclose to clients how they may obtain information from the adviser with respect to the voting of proxies for their securities; (c) to describe to clients a summary of its proxy voting policies and procedures and, upon request, furnish a copy to its clients; and (d) maintain certain records relating to the adviser's proxy voting activities when the adviser does have proxy voting authority.

 

Responsibility

The CCO has the responsibility for the implementation and monitoring of our proxy voting policy, practices, disclosures and record keeping, including outlining our voting guidelines in our procedures.

 

Implementation

Voting Procedures

 

◻ All employees will forward any proxy materials received on behalf of clients to the CCO;

◻ The CCO will determine which client accounts hold the security to which the proxy relates;

◻ Absent material conflicts, The CCO will determine how ACM should vote the proxy in accordance with applicable voting guidelines, complete the proxy and vote the proxy in a timely and appropriate manner.

 

Disclosure

 

◻ ACM will generally use the “Proxy Voting Disclosure Statement” attached hereto as Exhibit A or a disclosure substantially similar that has been approved by the CCO.

◻ ACM will provide required disclosures in response to Item 17 of Form ADV Part 2A, if required to prepare a Form ADV Part 2, summarizing this proxy voting policy and procedures, including a statement that clients may request information regarding how ACM voted a client’s proxies, and that clients may request a copy of the firm's proxy policies and procedures.

58  
 

◻ When required by rule or regulation, the CCO will also send a copy of this summary to all existing clients who have previously received ACM’s Form ADV Part 2; or the CCO may send each client the amended Form ADV Part 2.

◻ All client requests for information regarding proxy votes, or policies and procedures, received by any employee should be forwarded to the CCO.

◻ In response to any request, the CCO will prepare a written response to the client with the information requested, and as applicable will include the name of the issuer, the proposal voted upon, and how ACM voted the client’s proxy with respect to each proposal about which client inquired.

 

Voting Guidelines

 

◻ In the absence of specific voting guidelines from the client, ACM will vote proxies in the best interests of each particular client. ACM’s policy is to vote all proxies from a specific issuer the same way for each client absent qualifying restrictions from a client. Clients are permitted to place reasonable restrictions on ACM’s voting authority in the same manner that they may place such restrictions on the actual selection of account securities.

◻ ACM will generally vote in favor of routine corporate housekeeping proposals such as the election of directors and selection of auditors absent conflicts of interest raised by an auditor’s non-audit services.

◻ ACM will generally vote against proposals that cause board members to become entrenched or cause unequal voting rights.

◻ In reviewing proposals, ACM will further consider the opinion of management and the effect on management, and the effect on shareholder value and the issuer’s business practices.

◻ ACM shall also consider and use the guidelines set forth in Exhibit B attached to this section as may be applicable for the specific criteria indicated.

 

Conflicts of Interest

 

◻ ACM will identify any conflicts that exist between the interests of the Adviser and the client by reviewing the relationship of ACM with the issuer of each security to determine if ACM or any of its employees has any financial, business or personal relationship with the issuer.

◻ ACM may resolve any conflicts in any of a variety of ways, including the following: voting in accordance with the Proxy Guidelines; voting pursuant to client direction by seeking instructions from the Trust’s Board of Trustees; or by voting pursuant to a "mirror voting" arrangement under which shares are voted in the same manner and proportion as shares over which the Fund’s trust does not have voting discretion. The method selected by the ACM’s Investment Committee may vary depending upon the facts and circumstances of each situation.

◻ As an investment adviser to the Fund, ACM may invest in other investment companies that are not affiliated with the Fund or its trust (“Underlying Funds”) and are required by the Investment Company Act, to handle proxies received from Underlying Funds in a certain manner. Notwithstanding the guidelines provided in these procedures, it is the policy of ACM to vote all proxies received from the Underlying Funds in the same proportion that all shares of the Underlying Funds are voted, or in accordance with instructions received from fund shareholders, pursuant to Section 12(d)(1)(F) of the 1940 Act.

◻ ACM’s CCO will maintain a record of all voting resolutions of any conflict of interest.

 

Recordkeeping

 

◻ The CCO shall retain the following proxy records in accordance with the SEC’s five-year retention requirement.

◻ These policies and procedures and any amendments;

59  
 

◻ Each proxy statement that ACM receives;

◻ A record of each vote that ACM casts;

◻ Any document ACM created that was material to making a decision how to vote proxies, or that memorializes that decision including periodic reports to The CCO or proxy committee, if applicable.

◻ A copy of each written request from a client for information on how ACM voted such client’s proxies, and a copy of any written response.

60  
 

 

PART C

OTHER INFORMATION

Item 28. Exhibits.

 

(a) Articles of Incorporation.

 

(i) Registrant's Agreement and Declaration of Trust, which was filed as an exhibit to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A on December 30, 2011, is incorporated by reference.

 

(ii) Certificate of Trust, which was filed as an exhibit to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A on December 30, 2011, is incorporated by reference.

 

(b) By-Laws. Registrant's By-Laws as previously filed on August 19, 2013 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 62, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(c) Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holder. None other than in the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws of the Registrant.

 

(d) Investment Advisory Contracts.

  

(i) Investment Advisory Agreement between Swan Capital Management, Inc. and Registrant, with respect to the Swan Defined Risk Fund as previously filed on November 13, 2012 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 17, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(ii) Investment Advisory Agreement between Persimmon Capital Management, LP, and Registrant, with respect to the Persimmon Long/Short Fund as previously filed on December 17, 2012 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 23, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(ii)(a) Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Persimmon Capital Management, LP and Registrant, with respect to the Persimmon Long/Short Fund as previously filed on July 8, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 119, and hereby incorporated by reference.

  

(iii) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Persimmon Capital Management, LP and Weatherbie Capital, LLC, with respect to the Persimmon Long/Short Fund is filed herewith.

 

  (iv) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Persimmon Capital Management, LP and Infinitas Capital, LLC with respect to the Persimmon Long/Short Fund as previously filed on June 2, 2015 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 171, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(v) Investment Advisory Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Good Harbor Tactical Core US Fund as previously filed on December 26, 2012 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 24, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(v)(a) Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Good Harbor Tactical Core US Fund as previously filed on June 17, 2016 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 247, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(vi) Investment Advisory Agreement between Gratus Capital, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Marathon Value Portfolio as previously filed on January 18, 2018 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 314, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(vi) (a) Interim Investment Advisory Agreement between Gratus Capital, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Marathon Value Portfolio as previously filed on January 8, 2018 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 313, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(vii) Investment Advisory Agreement between Pinnacle Family Advisers, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Pinnacle Tactical Allocation Fund as previously filed on May 15, 2013 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 51, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(viii) Investment Advisory Agreement between Stonebridge Capital Advisors, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Covered Bridge Fund as previously filed on August 19, 2013 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 62, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(viii)(a) First Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Stonebridge Capital Advisors, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Covered Bridge Fund as previously filed on October 25, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 305, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

 (ix) Investment Advisory Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Leland Real Asset Opportunities Fund as previously filed on September 23, 2013 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 70, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(x) Investment Advisory Agreement between First Associated Investment Advisors, Inc. and Registrant, with respect to The Teberg Fund as previously filed on December 13, 2013 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 86, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xi) Investment Advisory Agreement between RESQ Investment Partners, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the RESQ Absolute Equity Fund and RESQ Absolute Income Fund as previously filed on December 13, 2013 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 85, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xi)(a) Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between RESQ Investment Partners, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the RESQ Absolute Equity Fund and RESQ Absolute Income Fund as previously filed on February 26, 2016 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 236, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xii) Investment Advisory Agreement between Horizon Capital Management, Inc. and Registrant, with respect to the Issachar Fund as previously filed on February 10, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 93, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xiii) Investment Advisory Agreement between Cane Capital Management, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Cane Alternative Strategies Fund is filed herewith.

 

(xiv) Investment Advisory Agreement between Newfound Research LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Newfound Risk Managed Global Sectors Fund as previously filed on April 25, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 107, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xiv) (a) Second Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Newfound Research LLC and Registrant with respect to Newfound Risk Managed Global Sectors Fund, Newfound Multi-Asset Income Fund and Newfound Risk Managed U.S. Sectors Fund as previously filed on July 28, 2017 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 300, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

  (xv) Investment Advisory Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Leland Currency Strategy Fund as previously filed on May 29, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 114, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xv)(a) First Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Leland Currency Strategy Fund as previously filed on June 17, 2016 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 247, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xv)(b) Second Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Leland Currency Strategy Fund as previously filed on April 28, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 294, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xvi) Investment Advisory Agreement between Howard Capital Management, Inc., and the Registrant with respect to the HCM Tactical Growth Fund as previously filed on July 8, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 119, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xvi)(a) First Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Howard Capital Management, Inc., and the Registrant with respect to the HCM Tactical Growth Fund as previously filed on April 28, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 294, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xvii) Investment Advisory Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Good Harbor Tactical Select Fund as previously filed on May 15, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 113, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xviii) Investment Advisory Agreement between Newfound Research LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Newfound Multi-Asset Income Fund as previously filed on September 3, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 130, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xix) Investment Advisory Agreement between Counterpoint Mutual Funds, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Counterpoint Tactical Income Fund as previously filed on September 24, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Stamen in Post-Effective Amendment No. 203, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xx) Investment Advisory Agreement between Swan Capital Management, Inc. and Registrant, with respect to the Swan Defined Risk Emerging Markets Fund as previously filed on December 3, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 143, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xx)(a) Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Swan Capital Management, Inc. and Registrant, with respect to the Swan Defined Risk Emerging Markets Fund as previously filed on January 23, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 270, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxi) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Swan Capital Management, Inc., and Swan Global Management, LLC, with respect to the Swan Defined Risk Fund as previously filed on January 13, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 149, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxi)(a) Amendment to the Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Swan Capital Management, Inc., and Swan Global Management, LLC, with respect to the Swan Defined Risk Fund and Swan Defined Risk Emerging Markets Fund as previously filed on January 23, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 270, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxii) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Swan Capital Management, Inc., and Swan Global Management, LLC, with respect to the Swan Defined Risk Emerging Markets Fund as previously filed on January 13, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 149, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxiii) Investment Advisory Agreement between Ascendant Capital Management, LLC and Registrant, with respect to ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund, as previously filed on January 13, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 149, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxiv) Investment Advisory Agreement between Howard Capital Management, Inc. and Registrant, with respect to HCM Dividend Sector Plus Fund, as previously filed on March 3, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 160, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxv) Investment Advisory Agreement between Newfound Research LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Newfound Risk Managed U.S. Sectors Fund, as previously filed on June 2, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 171, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxv)(a) First Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Newfound Research LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Newfound Risk Managed U.S. Sectors Fund as previously filed on April 28, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 294, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxvi) Investment Advisory Agreement between Good Harbor Financial LLC and Registrant with respect to the Leland Thomson Reuters Venture Capital Index Fund and Leland Thomson Reuters Private Equity Index Fund as previously filed on September 24, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Stamen in Post-Effective Amendment No. 203, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxvii) Investment Advisory Agreement between Pinnacle Family Advisers, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Pinnacle Sherman Multi-Strategy Core Fund as previously filed on September 3, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 202, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxviii) Investment Advisory Agreement between Absolute Capital Management, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Absolute Capital Asset Allocator Fund and Absolute Capital Defender Fund as previously filed on October 13, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 207, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxix) Investment Advisory Agreement between Counterpoint Mutual Funds, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Counterpoint Tactical Equity Fund is filed as previously filed on October 19, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 208, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxix)(a) Amendment to the Investment Advisory Agreement between Counterpoint Mutual Funds, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Counterpoint Tactical Income Fund as previously filed on October 25, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 305, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxx) Investment Advisory Agreement between Swan Capital Management, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Swan Defined Risk Foreign Developed Fund and Swan Defined Risk U.S. Small Cap Fund is filed as previously filed on October 27, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 210, and hereby incorporated by reference.

  

(xxxi) Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between Swan Capital Management, LLC, and Swan Global Management, LLC, with respect to the Swan Defined Risk Foreign Developed Fund and Swan Defined Risk U.S. Small Cap Fund is filed as previously filed on October 27, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 210, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxxii) Investment Advisory Agreement between Boyd Watterson Asset Management, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Boyd Watterson Short Duration Enhanced Income Fund as previously filed on June 17, 2016 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 247, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxxiii) Investment Advisory Agreement between Howard Capital Management, Inc., and the Registrant with respect to the HCM Income Plus Fund as previously filed on January 23, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 270, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxxiv) Investment Advisory Agreement between Counterpoint Mutual Funds, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Counterpoint Long-Short Equity Fund as previously filed on July 14, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 297, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxxv) Investment Advisory Agreement between Counterpoint Mutual Funds, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Counterpoint Tactical HY Municipal Fund to be filed by subsequent amendment.

 

(e) Underwriting Contracts.

 

(i) Underwriting Agreement between the Registrant and Northern Lights Distributors LLC as previously filed on June 2, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A, is incorporated by reference.

 

(f) Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts. None.

 

(g) Custodial Agreement.

 

(i) Custody Agreement between the Registrant and The Huntington National Bank as previously filed on August 28, 2012 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(ii) Custody Agreement between the Registrant and Union Bank, N.A. as previously filed on August 28, 2012 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iii) Custody Agreement between the Registrant and U.S. Bank, N.A. as previously filed on February 10, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 93, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iii)(a) Amendment to Custody Agreement between the Registrant and U.S. Bank, N.A. as previously filed on May 15, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 113, and hereby incorporated by reference.

(iv) Custody Agreement between the Registrant and First National Bank of Omaha as previously filed on October 14, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 139, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(v) Custody Agreement between the Registrant and Fifth Third Bank as previously filed on July 14, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 297, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(h) Other Material Contracts.

 

(i) Fund Services Agreement as previously filed on April 9, 2012 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(ii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Swan Capital Management, Inc. and the Registrant, with respect to the Swan Defined Risk Fund as previously filed on November 13, 2012 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 17, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Persimmon Capital Management, LLC, and Registrant, with respect to the Persimmon Long/Short Fund as previously filed on December 17, 2012 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 23, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iii)(a) Amendment to the Expense Limitation Agreement between Persimmon Capital Management, LLC, and Registrant, with respect to the Persimmon Long/Short Fund as previously filed on January 23, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 270, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iv) Expense Limitation Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Good Harbor Tactical Select Fund as previously filed on December 26, 2012 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 24, and hereby incorporated by reference.  

 

(v) Expense Limitation Agreement between Pinnacle Family Advisers, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Pinnacle Tactical Allocation Fund as previously filed on May 15, 2013 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 51, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(vi) Expense Limitation Agreement between Stonebridge Capital Advisors, LLC and Registrant, with respect to The Covered Bridge Fund as previously filed on August 19, 2013 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 62, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(vi)(a) Amendment to the Expense Limitation Agreement between Stonebridge Capital Advisors, LLC and Registrant, with respect to The Covered Bridge Fund as previously filed on April 28, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective No. 163, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(vi)(b) Amendment to the Expense Limitation Agreement between Stonebridge Capital Advisors, LLC and Registrant, with respect to The Covered Bridge Fund as previously filed on October 25, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 305, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(vii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Leland Real Asset Opportunities Fund as previously filed on September 23, 2013 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 70, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(viii) Expense Limitation Agreement between First Associated Investment Advisors, Inc. and Registrant, with respect to The Teberg Fund as previously filed on December 13, 2013 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 86, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(ix) Expense Limitation Agreement between RESQ Investment Partners, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the RESQ Absolute Equity Fund and RESQ Absolute Income Fund as previously filed on January 8, 2018 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 313, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(x) Expense Limitation Agreement between Horizon Capital Management, Inc. and Registrant, with respect to the Issachar Fund as previously filed on February 27, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 98, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xi) Expense Limitation Agreement between Cane Capital Management, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Cane Alternative Strategies Fund is filed herewith.

 

(xii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Newfound Research LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Newfound Risk Managed Global Sectors Fund as previously filed on April 25, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 107, and hereby incorporated by reference .

 

(xiii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Leland Currency Strategy Fund as previously filed on May 29, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 114, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xiv) Expense Limitation Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Good Harbor Tactical Select Fund as previously filed on May 15, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 113, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xv) Expense Limitation Agreement between Newfound Research LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Newfound Multi-Asset Income Fund as previously filed on September 3, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 130, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xvi) Expense Limitation Agreement between Howard Capital Management, Inc., and Registrant, with respect to the HCM Tactical Growth Fund as previously filed on July 8, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 119, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xvii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Counterpoint Mutual Funds, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Counterpoint Tactical Income Fund as previously filed on September 24, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 203, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xviii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Swan Capital Management, Inc. and Registrant, with respect to the Swan Defined Risk Emerging Markets Fund as previously filed on December 3, 2014 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 143, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xix) Expense Limitation Agreement between Ascendant Capital Management, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund as previously filed on January 13, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 149, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xx) Expense Limitation Agreement between Howard Capital Management, Inc. and Registrant, with respect to HCM Dividend Sector Plus Fund as previously filed on March 3, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 160, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxi) Expense Limitation Agreement between Newfound Research LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Newfound Risk Managed U.S. Sectors Fund as previously filed on June 2, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 160, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Leland Thomson Reuters Venture Capital Index Fund as previously filed on July 24, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 177, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxiii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Good Harbor Financial, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Leland Thomson Reuters Private Equity Index Fund as previously filed on July 24, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 177, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxiv) Expense Limitation Agreement between Pinnacle Family Advisers, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Pinnacle Sherman Multi-Strategy Core Fund as previously filed on September 3, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 202, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxv) Expense Limitation Agreement between Absolute Capital Management, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Absolute Capital Asset Allocator Fund and Absolute Capital Defender Fund as previously filed on October 13, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 207, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxvi) Expense Limitation Agreement between Counterpoint Mutual Funds, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Counterpoint Tactical Equity Fund as previously filed on October 19, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 208, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxvii) Consulting Services Agreement between Registrant and Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC, as previously filed on July 24, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 177, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxviii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Swan Capital Management, LLC and Registrant with respect of the Swan Defined Risk Foreign Developed Fund and Swan Defined Risk U.S. Small Cap Fund is filed as previously filed on October 27, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 210, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxix) Expense Limitation Agreement between Boyd Watterson Asset Management, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Boyd Watterson Short Duration Enhanced Income Fund as previously filed on June 17, 2016 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 247, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxix)(a) First Amendment to the Expense Limitation Agreement between Boyd Watterson Asset Management, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Boyd Watterson Short Duration Enhanced Income Fund as previously filed on April 28, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 294, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxx) Expense Limitation Agreement between Howard Capital Management, Inc., and Registrant, with respect to the HCM Income Plus Fund as previously filed on January 23, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 270, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxxi) Expense Limitation Agreement between Counterpoint Mutual Funds, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Counterpoint Long-Short Equity Fund as previously filed on July 14, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 297, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xxxii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Counterpoint Mutual Funds, LLC and Registrant, with respect to the Counterpoint Tactical HY Municipal Fund to be filed by subsequent amendment.

 

(i) (i) Legal Opinion as previously filed on February 15, 2018 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 334, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(i) (ii) Legal Consent is filed herewith.

 

(j) Other Opinions. Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm is filed herewith.

 

(k) Omitted Financial Statements. None.

 

(l) Initial Capital Agreements. None.

 

(m) Rule 12b-1 Plans.

 

(i) Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Class A Shares as previously filed on April 22, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 104, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(i)(a) Amended and Restated exhibit A to Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Class A Shares as previously filed on July 14, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 297, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(ii) Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Class C Shares as previously filed on April 22, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 104, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(ii)(a) Amended and Restated exhibit A to Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Class C Shares as previously filed on July 14, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 297, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iii) Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Class N Shares as previously filed on April 22, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 104, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iv) Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for No-Load Shares as previously filed on August 19, 2013 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 62, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(v) Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Non-Designated Class as previously filed on April 22, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 104, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(vi) Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Class R Shares as previously filed on July 8, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 119, and hereby incorporated by reference.  

 

(vi)(a) Amended and Restated exhibit A to Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Class R as previously filed on June 17, 2016 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 247, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(vii) Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Class A1 as previously filed on March 3, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 160, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(viii) Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Investor Class Shares as previously filed on March 3, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 160, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(viii)(a) Amended and Restated exhibit A to Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Investor Class Shares as previously filed on April 28, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 294, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(ix) Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Class I Shares as previously filed on March 3, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 160, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(n)       (i) Rule 18f-3 Plan as previously filed on July 8, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 119, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(i)(a) Amended and Restated Appendix A to Rule 18f-3 Plan as previously filed on July 14, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 297, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(o) Reserved.

 

(p) Code of Ethics.

 

(i) Code of Ethics for the Trust is filed herewith.

 

(ii) Code of Ethics for Northern Lights Distributors as previously filed on January 18, 2018 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 314, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iii) Code of Ethics of Swan Capital Management, Inc. as previously filed on June 8, 2012 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 4, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iv) Code of Ethics of Persimmon Capital Management LP as previously filed on July 26, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 298, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(v) Code of Ethics of Weatherbie Capital, LLC is filed herewith.

 

(vi) Code of Ethics of Good Harbor Financial, LLC as previously filed on July 26, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 298, and hereby incorporated by reference.  

 

(vii) Code of Ethics of Spectrum Advisory Services, Inc. as previously filed on March 8, 2013 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 33, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(viii) Code of Ethics of Pinnacle Family Advisers, LLC as previously filed on May 15, 2013 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 51, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(ix) Code of Ethics of Stonebridge Capital Advisors, LLC as previously filed on July 26, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 298, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(x) Code of Ethics of First Associated Investment Advisors, Inc. is filed herewith.

 

  (xi) Code of Ethics of RESQ Investment Partners, LLC as previously filed on July 26, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 298, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xii) Code of Ethics of Horizon Capital Management, Inc. is filed herewith.

 

  (xiii) Code of Ethics of Cane Capital Management, LLC as previously filed on April 22, 2014 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 104, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xiv) Code of Ethics of Newfound Research LLC is filed herewith.

 

(xv) Code of Ethics of Howard Capital Management, Inc. as previously filed on July 26, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 298, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xvi) Code of Ethics of Counterpoint Mutual Funds, LLC is filed herewith.

 

(xvii) Code of Ethics of Ascendant Capital Management, LLC as previously filed on January 13, 2015 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 149, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(xviii) Code of Ethics of Swan Global Management, LLC as previously filed on January 22, 2016 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 221, and hereby incorporated by reference.

  

(xix) Code of Ethics of Absolute Capital Management, LLC is filed herewith.

 

(xx) Code of Ethics of Boyd Watterson Asset Management, LLC is filed herewith.

 

(xxi) Code of Ethics for Gratus Capital, LLC is filed herewith.

 

 

(q) Powers of Attorney.

 

(i) Power of Attorney for the Trust, and a certificate with respect thereto, and each executive officer, as previously filed on May 30, 2013 to the Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 53, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(ii) Power of Attorney for each trustee as previously filed on February 26, 2015 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 159, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iii) Power of Attorney for the CAS Fund Limited, and a certificate with respect thereto, and each director, as previously filed on October 25, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 305, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(iv) Power of Attorney for the Trust, and a certificate with respect thereto, for Brian Curley as previously filed on June 17, 2016 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 247, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

(v) Power of Attorney for the Trust, and a certificate with respect thereto, and each executive officer, as previously filed on October 25, 2017 to the Registrant's Registration Statement in Post-Effective Amendment No. 305, and hereby incorporated by reference.

 

Item 29. Control Persons. None.

 

Item 30. Indemnification.

 

Generally, certain of the agreements with the Trust, or related to the Trust, provide indemnification of the Trust’s Trustees, officers, the underwriter, and certain Trust affiliates.  Insurance carried by the Trust provides indemnification of the Trustees and officers.  The details of these sources of indemnification and insurance follow.

 

Article VIII, Section 2(a) of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust provides that to the fullest extent that limitations on the liability of Trustees and officers are permitted by the Delaware Statutory Trust Act of 2002, the officers and Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any act or omission of: any agent or employee of the Trust; any investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust; or with respect to each Trustee and officer, the act or omission of any other Trustee or officer, respectively. The Trust, out of the Trust Property, is required to indemnify and hold harmless each and every officer and Trustee from and against any and all claims and demands whatsoever arising out of or related to such officer’s or Trustee’s performance of his or her duties as an officer or Trustee of the Trust. This limitation on liability applies to events occurring at the time a person serves as a Trustee or officer of the Trust whether or not such person is a Trustee or officer at the time of any proceeding in which liability is asserted. Nothing contained in the Agreement and Declaration of Trust indemnifies, holds harmless or protects any officer or Trustee from or against any liability to the Trust or any shareholder to which such person would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person’s office.

 

Article VIII, Section 2(b) provides that every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking and every other act or document whatsoever issued, executed or done by or on behalf of the Trust, the officers or the Trustees or any of them in connection with the Trust shall be conclusively deemed to have been issued, executed or done only in such Person’s capacity as Trustee and/or as officer, and such Trustee or officer, as applicable, shall not be personally liable therefore, except as described in the last sentence of the first paragraph of Section 2 of Article VIII.

 

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the provisions of Delaware law and the Agreement and Declaration of the Registrant or the By-Laws of the Registrant, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, officer or controlling person of the Trust in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

Pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement between the Trust and Northern lights Distributors, LLC (“NLD”), the Trust agrees to indemnify, defend and hold NLD, its several officers and managers, and any person who controls NLD within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act free and harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses (including the reasonable cost of investigating or defending such claims, demands or liabilities and any reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) which NLD, its officers and managers, or any such controlling persons, may incur under the Securities Act, the 1940 Act, or common law or otherwise, arising out of or based upon: (i) any untrue statement, or alleged untrue statement, of a material fact required to be stated in either any Registration Statement or any Prospectus,  (ii) the breach of any representations, warranties or obligations set forth in the Underwriting Agreement, (iii) any omission, or alleged omission, to state a material fact required to be stated in any Registration Statement or any Prospectus or necessary to make the statements in any of them not misleading, (iv) the Trust’s  failure to maintain an effective Registration statement and Prospectus with respect to Shares of the Funds that are the subject of the claim or demand, (v) the Trust’s failure to provide NLD with advertising or sales materials to be filed with the FINRA on a timely basis, (vi) the Trust’s failure to properly register Fund Shares under applicable state laws, or (vii) reasonable actions taken by NLD resulting from NLD’s reliance on instructions received from an officer, agent or legal counsel of the Trust.

 

Pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, NLD agrees to indemnify, defend and hold the Trust, its several officers and Board members, and any person who controls the Trust within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, free and harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, liabilities and expenses (including the reasonable cost of investigating or defending such claims, demands or liabilities and any reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) which the Trust, its officers or Board members, or any such controlling person, may incur under the Securities Act, the 1940 Act, or under common law or otherwise, but only to the extent that such liability or expense incurred by the Trust , its officers or Board members, or such controlling person results from such claims or demands: (i) arising out of or based upon any sales literature, advertisements, information, statements or representations made by NLD and unauthorized by the Trust or any Disqualifying Conduct in connection with the offering and sale of any Shares, or (ii) arising out of or based upon any untrue, or alleged untrue, statement of a material fact contained in information furnished in writing by NLD to the Fund  specifically for use in the Trust’s  Registration Statement and used in the answers to any of the items of the Registration Statement or in the corresponding statements made in the Prospectus, or shall arise out of or be based upon any omission, or alleged omission, to state a material fact in connection with such information furnished in writing by NLD to the Trust  and required to be stated in such answers or necessary to make such information not misleading.  

 

The Registrant maintains a mutual fund directors and officers liability policy. The policy, under certain circumstances, such as the inability of the Trust to indemnify Trustees and officers provides coverage to Trustees and officers.  Coverage under the policy would include losses by reason of any act, error, omission, misstatement, misleading statement, neglect or certain breaches of duty.

 

Generally, each management agreement or investment advisory agreement provides that neither the adviser nor any director, manager, officer or employee of the adviser performing services for the Trust at the direction or request of the adviser in connection with the adviser's discharge of its obligations under the agreement shall be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Trust in connection with any matter to which the agreement relates, and the adviser shall not be responsible for any action of the Trustees of the Trust in following or declining to follow any advice or recommendation of the adviser or any sub-adviser retained by the adviser pursuant to Section 9 of the agreement; PROVIDED, that nothing contained in the agreement shall be construed (i) to protect the adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which the adviser would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of the adviser's duties, or by reason of the adviser's reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under the agreement, or (ii) to protect any director, manager, officer or employee of the adviser who is or was a Trustee or officer of the Trust against any liability of the Trust or its shareholders to which such person would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person's office with the Trust.  Additionally, generally, each sub-advisory agreement provides that the subadviser shall indemnify the adviser, the Trust and each Fund, and their respective affiliates and controlling persons for any liability and expenses, including without limitation reasonable attorneys' fees and expenses, which the adviser, the Trust and/or the Fund and their respective affiliates and controlling persons may sustain as a result of the subadviser's willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, reckless disregard of its duties hereunder or violation of applicable law, including, without limitation, the federal and state securities laws.  Generally, each sub-advisory agreement provides that adviser shall indemnify the subadviser, its affiliates and its controlling persons, for any liability and expenses, including without limitation reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, which may be sustained as a result of the adviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, reckless disregard of its duties hereunder or violation of applicable law, including, without limitation, the federal and state securities laws.

 

  Item 31. Activities of Investment Advisor and Sub-Advisor.

 

Certain information pertaining to the business and other connections of each Advisor of each series of the Trust is hereby incorporated herein by reference to the section of the respective Prospectus captioned "Investment Advisor" and to the section of the respective Statement of Additional Information captioned "Investment Advisory and Other Services." The information required by this Item 31 with respect to each director, officer or partner of each Advisor is incorporated by reference to the Advisor's Uniform Application for Investment Adviser Registration ("Form ADV") on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Each Advisor's Form ADV may be obtained, free of charge, at the SEC's website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov, and may be requested by File No. as follows:

 

Swan Capital Management, LLC the Advisor of the Swan Defined Risk Fund, Swan Defined Risk Emerging Markets Fund, Swan Defined Risk Foreign Developed Fund and Swan Defined Risk U.S. Small Cap Fund– File No. 801-76701.

 

Swan Global Management, LLC, a Sub-Adviser of the Swan Defined Risk Fund, Swan Defined Risk Emerging Markets Fund, Swan Defined Risk Foreign Developed Fund and Swan Defined Risk U.S. Small Cap Fund – File No. 801-80552.

 

Persimmon Capital Management, LP, the Adviser of the Persimmon Long/Short Fund – File No. 801-56210.

 

Weatherbie Capital, LLC, a Sub-Adviser of the Persimmon Long/Short Fund – File No. 801-50672.

 

Good Harbor Financial, LLC, the Adviser of the Good Harbor Tactical Select Fund, Good Harbor Tactical Core US Fund, Leland Real Asset Opportunities Fund, Leland Currency Strategy Fund, Leland Thomson Reuters Venture Capital Index Fund and Leland Thomson Reuters Private Equity Index Fund – File No. 801-71064.

 

Gratus Capital, LLC, the Adviser of the Marathon Value Portfolio – File No. 801-40286.

 

ISF Management, LLC, a Sub-Adviser of the Persimmon Long/Short Fund – File No. 801-71827.  

 

Pinnacle Family Advisers, LLC, the Adviser of the Pinnacle Tactical Allocation Fund and Pinnacle Sherman Multi-Strategy Core Fund – File No. 801-78013.

Stonebridge Capital Advisors, LLC, the Adviser of The Covered Bridge Fund– File No. 801-53760.

 

First Associated Investment Advisors, the Adviser of The Teberg Fund – File No. 801-60972.

 

RESQ Investment Partners, LLC, the Adviser of the RESQ Absolute Equity Fund and RESQ Absolute Income Fund – File No. 801-78822.

  

Horizon Capital Management, Inc., the Adviser of the Issachar Fund – File No. 801-26038.

 

Cane Capital Management, LLC the Adviser of the Cane Alternative Strategies Fund – File No. 801-79377.

Newfound Research LLC the Adviser of the Newfound Risk Managed Global Sectors Fund, Newfound Multi-Asset Income Fund and Newfound Risk Managed U.S. Sectors Fund – File No. 801-73042.

 

Howard Capital Management, Inc. the Adviser of the HCM Tactical Growth Fund, HCM Dividend Sector Plus Fund, and HCM Income Plus Fund – File No. 801-69763.

 

Counterpoint Mutual Funds, LLC the Adviser of the Counterpoint Tactical Income Fund, Counterpoint Tactical Equity Fund, Counterpoint Long-Short Equity Fund and Counterpoint Tactical HY Municipal Fund – File No. 801-80197.

 

Ascendant Capital Management, LLC the Adviser of ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund – File No. 801-80770.

 

Infinitas Capital, LLC a Sub-Adviser of Persimmon Long/Short Fund – File No. 801-95173

 

Absolute Capital Management, LLC the Adviser of Absolute Capital Asset Allocator Fund and Absolute Capital Defender Fund – File No. 801-61336.

 

Boyd Watterson Asset Management, LLC the Adviser of Boyd Watterson Short Duration Enhanced Income Fund – File No. 801-57468.

 

Item 32. Principal Underwriter.

(a) NLD is the principal underwriter for all series of Northern Lights Fund Trust III. NLD also acts as principal underwriter for the following:

 

AdvisorOne Funds, Arrow ETF Trust, Arrow DWA Tactical ETF, Arrow QVM Equity Factor ETF, Arrow Reserve Capital Management ETF, Arrow Dogs of the World ETF, Arrow DWA Country Rotation ETF a series of Arrow Investments Trust, Centerstone Investors Trust, Copeland Trust, Equinox Funds Trust, Forethought Variable Insurance Trust, Miller Investment Trust, Multi-Strategy Growth & Income Fund, Mutual Fund and Variable Insurance Trust, Mutual Fund Series Trust, Neiman Funds, Nile Capital Investment Trust, North Country Funds, Northern Lights Fund Trust, Northern Lights Fund Trust II, Northern Lights Fund Trust IV, Northern Lights Variable Trust, OCM Mutual Fund, PREDEX, The Saratoga Advantage Trust, Tributary Funds, Inc., Two Roads Shared Trust and Vertical Capital Income Fund.

 

(b) NLD is registered with Securities and Exchange Commission as a broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. The principal business address of NLD is 17605 Wright Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68130. NLD is an affiliate of Gemini Fund Services, LLC. To the best of Registrant's knowledge, the following are the members and officers of NLD:

 

Name Positions and Offices with Underwriter Positions and Offices with the Trust
Brian Nielsen Manager, Chief Executive Officer, Secretary None
William Wostoupal President None
Daniel Applegarth Treasurer/ FINOP None
Mike Nielsen Chief Compliance Officer and AML Compliance Officer None
Bill Strait General Counsel None

 

(c) Not applicable.

 

Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records.

 

All accounts, books and documents required to be maintained by the Registrant pursuant to Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and Rules 31a-1 through 31a-3 thereunder are maintained at the office of the Registrant, Adviser, Sub-Adviser, Principal Underwriter, Transfer Agent, Fund Accountant, Administrator and Custodian at the addresses stated in the SAI.

 

Swan Capital Management, LLC 277 E. Third Avenue, Unit A Durango, CO 81301, pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Swan Defined Risk Fund, Swan Defined Risk Emerging Markets Fund, Swan Defined Risk Foreign Developed Fund and Swan Defined Risk U.S. Small Cap Fund.

 

Persimmon Capital Management, LP, 1777 Sentry Parkway, Gwynedd Hall, Suite 102, Blue Bell, PA 19422 pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all record required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Persimmon Long/Short Fund.

 

Weatherbie Capital, LLC, 256 Franklin Street, Suite 1601, Boston, MA 02110 pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement with Persimmon Capital Management, LP, maintains all record required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Persimmon Long/Short Fund.

 

Good Harbor Financial, LLC, 30 S Wacker Drive Suite 1300, Chicago, IL 60606 pursuant to the Advisory Agreements with Trust, maintains all record required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Good Harbor Tactical Select Fund, Good Harbor Tactical Core US Fund, Leland Real Asset Opportunities Fund, Leland Currency Strategy Fund, Leland Thomson Reuters Venture Capital Index Fund and Leland Thomson Reuters Private Equity Index Fund.

 

Gratus Capital, LLC, 3350 Riverwood Parkway, Suite 1550, Atlanta, GA, 30339 pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with Trust, maintains all record required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Marathon Value Portfolio.

 

ISF Management, LLC, 767 Third Avenue, 39th Floor, New York, NY 10017 pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement with Persimmon Capital Management, LP, maintains all record required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Persimmon Long/Short Fund.

 

Pinnacle Family Advisers, LLC, 4200 S. Quail Creek Ave., Suite A, Springfield, MO 65810 pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with Trust, maintains all record required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Pinnacle Tactical Allocation Fund and Pinnacle Sherman Multi-Strategy Core Fund.

 

Stonebridge Capital Advisors, LLC, 2550 University Avenue West, Suite 180 South, Saint Paul, MN 55114 pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with Trust, maintains all record required pursuant to such agreement with respect to The Covered Bridge Fund.

 

First Associated Investment Advisors, Inc., 5161 Miller Trunk Highway Duluth, MN 55811 pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with Trust, maintains all record required pursuant to such agreement with respect to The Teberg Fund.

 

RESQ Investment Partners, LLC 9383 East Bahia Drive, Suite 120, Scottsdale, AZ 85260 pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with Trust, maintains all record required pursuant to such agreement with respect to RESQ Absolute Equity Fund and RESQ Absolute Income Fund.

 

Horizon Capital Management, Inc. 106 Valerie Drive, Lafayette, LA 70508 pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with Trust, maintains all record required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Issachar Fund.

 

Cane Capital Management, LLC, 8440 Jefferson Hwy, Suite 402, Baton Rouge, LA 70809 pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with Trust, maintains all record required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Cane Alternative Strategies Fund.

 

Newfound Research LLC, 425 Boylston Street, Third Floor, Boston, MA 02116 pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with Trust, maintains all record required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Newfound Risk Managed Global Sectors Fund, the Newfound Multi-Asset Income Fund and the Newfound Risk Managed U.S. Sectors Fund.

 

Howard Capital Management, Inc., 1145 Hembree Road, Rosewell, GA 30076 pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with Trust, maintains all record required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the HCM Tactical Growth Fund, HCM Dividend Sector Plus Fund and HCM Income Plus Fund.

 

Counterpoint Mutual Funds, LLC 12760 High Bluff Drive, Suite 280, San Diego, CA 92130 pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with Trust, maintains all record required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Counterpoint Tactical Income Fund, Counterpoint Tactical Equity Fund, Counterpoint Long-Short Equity Fund and Counterpoint Tactical HY Municipal Fund.

 

Ascendant Capital Management, LLC 10866 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1600, Los Angeles, CA 90024 pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with Trust, maintains all record required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund.

 

Swan Global Management, LLC 7 Ridgetop, Palmas Del Mar, PR 19103 pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement with Swan Capital Management, Inc., maintains all record required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Swan Defined Risk, the Swan Defined Risk Emerging Markets Fund, the Swan Defined Risk Foreign Developed Fund and the Swan Defined Risk U.S. Small Cap Fund.

 

Infinitas Capital, LLC 99 Hudson Street, 5 th Floor, New York, NY 10013 pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement with Persimmon Capital Management, LP, maintains all record required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Persimmon Long/Short Fund.

 

Absolute Capital Management, LLC 101 Pennsylvania Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA 15228 pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with Trust, maintains all record required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Absolute Capital Asset Allocator Fund and Absolute Capital Defender Fund.

 

Boyd Watterson Asset Management, LLC 1801 East 9 th Street, Suite 1400, Cleveland, OH 44114 pursuant to the Advisory Agreement with Trust, maintains all record required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Boyd Watterson Short Duration Enhanced Income Fund.

 

Item 34. Management Services. Not applicable.

 

Item 35. Undertakings. The Registrant undertakes that each Subsidiary and each Director of each Subsidiary hereby consents to service of process within the United States, and to examination of its books and records.

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this registration statement under rule 485(b) under the Securities Act and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Hauppauge, and State of New York, on the 25th day of
April, 2018.

 

Northern Lights Fund Trust III

 

By: /s/ Richard Malinowski

Richard Malinowski, President

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities indicated on the dates indicated.

 

Northern Lights Fund Trust III

Name Title
/s/ Richard Malinowski President
Brian Curley* Treasurer
James U. Jensen* Independent Trustee
Patricia Luscombe* Independent Trustee
John V. Palancia* Independent Trustee
Mark H. Taylor* Independent Trustee
Jeffery D. Young* Independent Trustee

 

*By: Date:

/s/ Eric D. Kane. April 25, 2018

Eric D. Kane, Esq.

 

*Attorney-in-Fact – Pursuant to Powers of Attorney as previously filed February 26, 2015, June 17, 2016 and October 25, 2017.

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit Exhibit No.
Sub-Advisory Agreement between Persimmon Capital Management, LP and Weatherbie Capital, LLC (d) (iii)
Investment Advisory Agreement between Cane Capital Management, LLC and Registrant (d) (xiii)
Expense Limitation Agreement between Cane Capital Management, LLC and Registrant (h) (xi)
Legal Consent (i) (ii)
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (j)
Code of Ethics for the Trust (p) (i)
Code of Ethics of Weatherbie Capital, LLC (p) (v)
Code of Ethics of First Associated Investment Advisors, Inc. (p) (x)
Code of Ethics of Horizon Capital Management, Inc. (p) (xii)
Code of Ethics of Newfound Research LLC (p) (xiv)
Code of Ethics of Counterpoint Mutual Funds, LLC (p) (xvi)
Code of Ethics of Absolute Capital Management, LLC (p) (xix)
Code of Ethics of Boyd Watterson Asset Management, LLC (p) (xx)
Code of Ethics for Gratus Capital, LLC (p) (xxi)

 

 

 

SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT

THIS AGREEMENT is made and entered into as of the 1st day of March, 2017, by and between PERSIMMON CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LP, a limited partnership organized under the laws of Delaware registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”), (the “Adviser”) and WEATHERBIE CAPITAL, LLC a limited liability company organized under the laws of Delaware registered under the Advisers Act (the “Subadviser”), with respect to the Persimmon Long/Short Fund (the “Fund”), a series of the Northern Lights Fund Trust III, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Trust”).

WITNESSETH:

WHEREAS, the Trust is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) as an open-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”);

WHEREAS, the Adviser has, pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust dated as of the 29th day of November, 2012 (the “Advisory Agreement”), been retained to act as investment adviser for the Fund;

WHEREAS, the Adviser represents that the Advisory Agreement permits the Adviser to delegate certain of its duties under the Advisory Agreement to other investment advisers, subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act; and

WHEREAS, the Adviser desires to retain Subadviser to assist it in the provision of a continuous investment program for that portion of the Fund’s assets that the Adviser will assign to the Subadviser, and Subadviser is willing to render such services subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement,

NOW, THEREFORE, the parties do mutually agree and promise as follows with respect to each Fund:

1.                   Appointment as Subadviser . The Adviser hereby appoints the Subadviser to act as investment adviser for and to manage a portion of the assets of the Fund (the “Subadviser Assets”) assigned to it by the Adviser, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the Board of Trustees of the Trust and subject to the terms of this Agreement; and the Subadviser hereby accepts such appointment. In such capacity, the Subadviser shall be responsible for the investment management of the Subadviser Assets. It is recognized that the Subadviser and certain of its affiliates may act as investment adviser to one or more other investment companies and other managed accounts and that the Adviser and the Trust do not object to such activities.

 

 
 

2.                   Duties of Subadviser .

(a)                Investments . The Subadviser is hereby authorized and directed and hereby agrees, subject to the stated investment policies and restrictions of the Fund as set forth in the Fund’s prospectus (“Prospectus”) and statement of additional information (“SAI”) as currently in effect and, as soon as practical after the Trust, the Fund or the Adviser notifies the Subadviser thereof, as supplemented or amended from time to time and subject to the directions of the Adviser and the Trust’s Board of Trustees, to monitor on a continuous basis the performance of the Subadviser Assets and to conduct a continuous program of investment, evaluation and, if appropriate, sale and reinvestment of the Subadviser Assets. The Adviser agrees to provide the Subadviser with such assistance as may be reasonably requested by the Subadviser in connection with the Subadviser’s activities under this Agreement, including, without limitation, providing information concerning the Fund, its funds available, or to become available, for investment and generally as to the conditions of the Fund’s or the Trust’s affairs.

(b)                Compliance with Applicable Laws and Governing Documents . In the performance of its services under this Agreement, the Subadviser shall act in conformity with the Prospectus, SAI and the Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust and By-Laws as currently in effect and, as soon as practical after the Trust, the Fund or the Adviser notifies the Subadviser thereof, as supplemented, amended and/or restated from time to time (referred to hereinafter as the “Declaration of Trust” and “By-Laws,” respectively) and with the instructions and directions received in writing from the Adviser or the Trustees of the Trust and will conform to, and comply with, the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and all other applicable federal and state laws and regulations. Without limiting the preceding sentence, the Adviser promptly shall notify the Subadviser as to any act or omission of the Subadviser hereunder that the Adviser reasonably deems to constitute or to be the basis of any noncompliance or nonconformance with any of the Trust’s Declaration of Trust and By-Laws, the Prospectus and the SAI, the instructions and directions received in writing from the Adviser or the Trustees of the Trust, the 1940 Act, the Code, and all other applicable federal and state laws and regulations. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Adviser shall remain responsible for ensuring the Fund’s and the Trust’s overall compliance with the 1940 Act, the Code and all other applicable federal and state laws and regulations and the Subadviser is only obligated to comply with this subsection (b) with respect to the Subadviser Assets. The Adviser timely will provide the Subadviser with a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the Board of Trustees of the Trust to the extent they may affect the Fund or the services of the Subadviser, copies of any financial statements or reports made by the Fund to its shareholders, and any further materials or information which the Subadviser may reasonably request to enable it to perform its functions under this Agreement.

The Adviser shall perform quarterly and annual tax compliance tests to ensure that the Fund is in compliance with Subchapter M of the Code. In this regard, the Adviser acknowledges that the Subadviser shall rely completely upon the Adviser’s determination of whether and to what extent the Fund is in compliance with Subchapter M of the Code and that the Subadviser has no separate and independent responsibility to test the Fund for such compliance. In connection with such compliance tests, the Adviser shall inform the Subadviser at least ten (10) business days prior to a calendar quarter end if the Subadviser Assets are out of compliance with the diversification requirements under Subchapter M. If the Adviser notifies

 
 

the Subadviser that the Subadviser Assets are not in compliance with such requirements noted above, the Subadviser will take prompt action to bring the Subadviser Assets back into compliance within the time permitted under the Code thereunder.

The Adviser will provide the Subadviser with reasonable advance notice of any change in the Fund’s investment objectives, policies and restrictions as stated in the Prospectus and SAI, and the Subadviser shall, in the performance of its duties and obligations under this Agreement, manage the Subadviser Assets consistent with such changes, provided that the Subadviser has received prompt notice of the effectiveness of such changes from the Trust or the Adviser. In addition to such notice, the Adviser shall provide to the Subadviser a copy of a modified Prospectus and SAI reflecting such changes. The Adviser acknowledges and will ensure that the Prospectus and SAI will at all times be in compliance with all disclosure requirements under all applicable federal and state laws and regulations relating to the Trust or the Fund, including, without limitation, the 1940 Act, and the rules and regulations thereunder, and that the Subadviser shall have no liability in connection therewith, except as to the accuracy of material information furnished in writing by the Subadviser to the Trust or to the Adviser specifically for inclusion in the Prospectus and SAI. The Subadviser hereby agrees to provide to the Adviser in a timely manner such information relating to the Subadviser and its relationship to, and actions for, the Trust as may be required to be contained in the Prospectus, SAI or in the Trust’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A and any amendments thereto.

(c)                Voting of Proxies . The Adviser retains authority to exercise voting rights with respect to the securities and other investments in the Subadviser Assets. [OR] The Adviser hereby delegates to the Subadviser the Adviser’s discretionary authority to exercise voting rights with respect to the securities and other investments in the Subadviser Assets and authorizes the Subadviser to delegate further such discretionary authority to a designee identified in a notice given to the Trust and the Adviser. The Subadviser, including without limitation its designee, shall have the power to vote, either in person or by proxy, all securities in which the Subadviser Assets may be invested from time to time, and shall not be required to seek or take instructions from, the Adviser, the Fund or the Trust or take any action with respect thereto.

The Subadviser will establish a written procedure for proxy voting in compliance with current applicable rules and regulations, including but not limited to Rule 30b1-4 under the 1940 Act. The Subadviser will provide the Adviser or its designee, a copy of such procedure and establish a process for the timely distribution of the Subadviser’s voting record with respect to the Fund’s securities and other information necessary for the Fund to complete information required by Form N-1A under the 1940 Act and the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), Form N-PX under the 1940 Act, and Form N-CSR under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, respectively.

(d)                Agent . Subject to any other written instructions of the Adviser or the Trust, the Subadviser is hereby appointed the Adviser’s and the Trust’s agent and attorney-in-fact for the limited purposes of executing account documentation, agreements, contracts and other documents as the Subadviser shall be requested by brokers, dealers, counterparties and other persons in connection with its management of the Subadviser Assets. The Subadviser

 
 

agrees to provide the Adviser and the Trust with copies of any such agreements executed on behalf of the Adviser or the Trust.

(e)                Brokerage . The Subadviser is authorized, subject to the supervision of the Adviser and the plenary authority of the Trust’s Board of Trustees, to establish and maintain accounts on behalf of the Fund with, and place orders for the investment and reinvestment, including without limitation purchase and sale of the Subadviser Assets with or through, such persons, brokers (including, to the extent permitted by applicable law, any broker affiliated with the Subadviser) or dealers (collectively “Brokers”) as Subadviser may elect and negotiate commissions to be paid on such transactions. The Subadviser, however, is not required to obtain the consent of the Adviser or the Trust’s Board of Trustees prior to establishing any such brokerage account. The Subadviser shall place all orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio investments for the Fund’s account with Brokers selected by the Subadviser. In the selection of such Brokers and the placing of such orders, the Subadviser shall seek to obtain for the Fund the most favorable price and execution available, except to the extent it may be permitted to pay higher brokerage commissions for brokerage and research services, as provided below. In using its reasonable efforts to obtain for the Fund the most favorable price and execution available, the Subadviser, bearing in mind the best interests of the Fund at all times, shall consider all factors it deems relevant, including price, the size of the transaction, the breadth and nature of the market for the security, the difficulty of the execution, the amount of the commission, if any, the timing of the transaction, market prices and trends, the reputation, experience and financial stability of the Broker involved, and the quality of service rendered by the Broker in other transactions. The Subadviser shall not consider a Broker’s sale of Fund shares when selecting the Broker to execute trades. Notwithstanding the foregoing, neither the Trust, the Fund nor the Adviser shall instruct the Subadviser to place orders with any particular Broker(s) with respect to the Subadviser Assets. Subject to such policies as the Trustees may determine, or as may be mutually agreed to by the Adviser and the Subadviser, the Subadviser is authorized but not obligated to cause, and shall not be deemed to have acted unlawfully or to have breached any duty created by this Agreement or otherwise solely by reason of its having caused, the Fund to pay a Broker that provides brokerage and research services (within the meaning of Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) to the Subadviser an amount of commission for effecting a Subadviser Assets investment transaction that is in excess of the amount of commission that another Broker would have charged for effecting that transaction if, but only if, the Subadviser determines in good faith that such commission was reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by such Broker viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or the overall responsibility of the Subadviser with respect to the accounts as to which it exercises investment discretion.

It is recognized that the services provided by such Brokers may be useful to the Subadviser in connection with the Subadviser’s services to other clients. On occasions when the Subadviser deems the purchase or sale of a security to be in the best interests of the Fund with respect to the Subadviser Assets as well as other clients of the Subadviser, the Subadviser, to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, may, but shall be under no obligation to, aggregate the securities to be sold or purchased in order to obtain the most favorable price or lower brokerage commissions and efficient execution. In such event, allocation of securities so sold or purchased, as well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, will be made by the Subadviser in the manner the Subadviser considers to be the

 
 

most equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to the Fund and to such other clients. It is recognized that in some cases, this procedure may adversely affect the price paid or received by the Fund or the size of the position obtainable for, or disposed of by, the Fund with respect to the Subadviser Assets.

(f)                 Securities Transactions . The Subadviser and any affiliated person of the Subadviser will not purchase securities or other instruments from or sell securities or other instruments to the Fund; provided, however, the Subadviser or any affiliated person of the Subadviser may purchase securities or other instruments from or sell securities or other instruments to the Fund if such transaction is permissible under applicable laws and regulations, including, without limitation, the 1940 Act and the Advisers Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

The Subadviser, on its own behalf and with respect to its Access Persons (as defined in subsection (e) of Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act), agrees to observe and comply with Rule 17j-1 and its Code of Ethics (which shall comply in all material respects with Rule 17j-1), as the same may be amended from time to time. On at least an annual basis, the Subadviser will comply with the reporting requirements of Rule 17j-1, which include (i) certifying to the Adviser and the Trust that the Subadviser and its Access Persons have complied with the Subadviser’s Code of Ethics with respect to the Subadviser Assets and (ii) identifying any violations which have occurred with respect to the Subadviser Assets. The Subadviser will have also submitted its Code of Ethics for its initial approval by the Trust’s Board of Trustees no later than the date of execution of this agreement and subsequently within six months of any material change thereto.

Subadviser is prohibited from consulting with any other subadviser to the Fund with respect to the Fund’s transactions in securities or other assets.

(g)                Books and Records . The Subadviser shall maintain separate detailed records as are required by applicable laws and regulations of all matters hereunder pertaining to the Subadviser Assets (the “Fund’s Records”), including, without limitation, brokerage and other records of all securities transactions. The Subadviser acknowledges that the Fund’s Records are property of the Trust; except to the extent that the Subadviser is required to maintain the Fund’s Records under the Advisers Act or other applicable law and except that the Subadviser, at its own expense, is entitled to make and keep a copy of the Fund’s Records for its internal files. The Fund’s Records shall be available to the Adviser or the Trust at any time upon reasonable request during normal business hours and shall be available for telecopying promptly to the Adviser during any day that the Fund is open for business as set forth in the Prospectus.

(h)                Information Concerning Subadviser Assets and Subadviser . From time to time as the Adviser or the Trust reasonably may request in good faith, the Subadviser will furnish the requesting party reports on portfolio transactions and reports on the Subadviser Assets, all in such reasonable detail as the parties may reasonably agree in good faith. The Subadviser will also inform the Adviser in a timely manner of material changes in portfolio managers responsible for Subadviser Assets, any changes in the ownership or management of the Subadviser, or of material changes in the control of the Subadviser. Upon the Trust’s or the Adviser’s reasonable request, the Subadviser will make available its officers and

 
 

employees to meet with the Trust’s Board of Trustees to review the Subadviser Assets via telephone on a quarterly basis and on a less frequent basis as agreed upon by the parties in person.

Subject to the other provisions of this Agreement, the Subadviser will also provide such information or perform such additional acts with respect to the Subadviser Assets as are reasonably required for the Trust or the Adviser to comply with their respective obligations under applicable laws, including without limitation, the Code, the 1940 Act, the Advisers Act, and the Securities Act, and any rule or regulation thereunder.

(i)                  Custody Arrangements . The Trust or the Adviser shall notify the Subadviser of the identities of its custodian banks and the custody arrangements therewith with respect to the Subadviser Assets and shall give the Subadviser written notice of any changes in such custodian banks or custody arrangements. The Subadviser shall on each business day provide the Adviser and the Trust’s custodian such information as the Adviser and the Trust’s custodian may reasonably request in good faith relating to all transactions concerning the Subadviser Assets. The Trust shall instruct its custodian banks to (A) carry out all investment instructions as may be directed by the Subadviser with respect to the Subadviser Assets (which instructions may be orally given if confirmed in writing); and (B) provide the Subadviser with all operational information necessary for the Subadviser to trade the Subadviser Assets on behalf of the Fund. The Subadviser shall have no liability for the acts or omissions of the authorized custodian(s), unless such act or omission is required by and taken in reliance upon instructions given to the authorized custodian(s) by a representative of the Subadviser properly authorized (pursuant to written instruction by the Adviser) to give such instructions.

3.                   Independent Contractor . In the performance of its services hereunder, the Subadviser is and shall be an independent contractor and unless otherwise expressly provided herein or otherwise authorized in writing, shall have no authority to act for or represent the Fund, the Trust or the Adviser in any way or otherwise be deemed an agent of the Fund, the Trust or the Adviser.

4.                   Expenses . During the term of this Agreement, Subadviser will pay all expenses incurred by it in connection with its activities under this Agreement. The Subadviser shall, at its sole expense, employ or associate itself with such persons as it believes to be particularly fitted to assist it in the execution of its duties under this Agreement. The Subadviser shall not be responsible for the Trust’s, the Fund’s or Adviser’s expenses, which shall include, but not be limited to, the cost of securities, commodities and other investments (including brokerage commissions and other transaction charges, if any) purchased for the Fund and any losses incurred in connection therewith, expenses of holding or carrying Subadviser Assets, including, without limitation, expenses of dividends on stock borrowed to cover a short sale and interest, fees or other charges incurred in connection with leverage and related borrowings with respect to the Subadviser Assets, organizational and offering expenses (which include, but are not limited to, out-of-pocket expenses, but not overhead or employee costs of the Subadviser); expenses for legal, accounting and auditing services; taxes and governmental fees; dues and expenses incurred in connection with membership in investment company organizations; costs of printing and distributing shareholder reports, proxy materials, prospectuses, stock certificates and distribution of dividends; charges of the Fund’s custodians and sub-custodians, administrators

 
 

and sub-administrators, registrars, transfer agents, dividend disbursing agents and dividend reinvestment plan agents; payment for portfolio pricing services to a pricing agent, if any; registration and filing fees of the SEC; expenses of registering or qualifying securities of the Fund for sale in the various states; freight and other charges in connection with the shipment of the Fund’s portfolio securities; fees and expenses of non-interested Trustees; salaries of shareholder relations personnel; costs of shareholders meetings; insurance; interest; brokerage costs; and litigation and other extraordinary or non-recurring expenses. The Trust or the Adviser, as the case may be, shall reimburse the Subadviser for any expenses of the Fund or the Adviser as may be reasonably incurred by such Subadviser on behalf of the Fund or the Adviser. The Subadviser shall keep and supply to the Trust and the Adviser reasonable records of all such expenses.

5.                   Investment Analysis and Commentary . The Subadviser will provide quarterly performance analysis and market commentary (the “Investment Report”) during the term of this Agreement. The Investment Reports are due within 10 days after the end of each quarter. In addition, interim Investment Reports shall be issued at such times as may be mutually agreed upon by the Adviser and Subadviser; provided however, that any such interim Investment Report will be due within 10 days of the end of the month in which such agreement is reached between the Adviser and Subadviser. The subject of each Investment Report shall be mutually agreed upon. The Adviser is freely able to publicly distribute the Investment Report.

6.                   Compensation . For the services provided pursuant to this Agreement, the Subadviser is entitled to an annual fee equal to the percentage of the Subadviser Assets set forth on Exhibit A hereto.  Such fee will be computed daily and paid no later than the seventh (7th) business day following the end of each month, from the Adviser or the Trust, calculated at an annual rate based on the Subadviser Assets’ average daily net assets.

The method of determining the net asset value of the Subadviser Assets for purposes hereof shall be the same as the method of determining net asset value for purposes of establishing the offering and redemption price of the shares of the Trust as described in the Fund’s Prospectus and/or SAI. If this Agreement shall be effective for only a portion of a month with respect to the Fund, the aforesaid fee shall be prorated for the portion of such month during which this Agreement is in effect for the Fund.

7.                   Exclusivity . The Subadviser will not subadvise or license the Fund’s investment strategy for another regulated investment company as defined in the Code under Subchapter M without mutual consent of both the Adviser and Subadviser for a period of 12 months. Exclusivity is not applicable to the sub-investment strategies that combined, constitute the Fund’s investment strategy.

8.                   Representations and Warranties of Subadviser . The Subadviser represents and warrants to the Adviser and the Trust as follows:

(a)                The Subadviser is registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act;

 
 

(b)                The Subadviser is a limited liability company duly organized and properly registered and operating under the laws of the State of Delaware with the power to own and possess its assets and carry on its business as it is now being conducted and as proposed to be conducted hereunder;

(c)                The execution, delivery and performance by the Subadviser of this Agreement are within the Subadviser’s powers and have been duly authorized by all necessary actions of its directors or shareholders, and no action by, or in respect of, or filing with, any governmental body, agency or official is required on the part of the Subadviser for execution, delivery and performance by the Subadviser of this Agreement, and the execution, delivery and performance by the Subadviser of this Agreement do not contravene or constitute a violation of, or a material default under, (i) any provision of applicable law, rule or regulation, (ii) the Subadviser’s governing instruments, or (iii) any agreement, judgment, injunction, order, decree or other instrument binding upon the Subadviser; and

(d)                The Form ADV of the Subadviser provided to the Adviser and the Trust is a true and complete copy of the form, including that part or parts of the Form ADV filed with the SEC, that part or parts maintained in the records of the Subadviser, and/or that part or parts provided or offered to clients, in each case as required under the Advisers Act and rules thereunder, and the information contained therein is accurate and complete in all material respects and does not omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

9.                   Representations and Warranties of Adviser . The Adviser represents and warrants to the Subadviser as follows:

(a)                The Adviser is registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act;

(b)                The Adviser is a limited partnership duly organized and validly existing under the laws of the State of Delaware with the power to own and possess its assets and carry on its business as it is now being conducted and as proposed to be conducted hereunder;

(c)                The execution, delivery and performance by the Adviser of this Agreement are within the Adviser’s powers and have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of its directors, shareholders or managing unitholder, and no action by, or in respect of, or filing with, any governmental body, agency or official is required on the part of the Adviser for the execution, delivery and performance by the Adviser of this Agreement, and the execution, delivery and performance by the Adviser of this Agreement do not contravene or constitute a violation of, or a material default under, (i) any provision of applicable law, rule or regulation, (ii) the Adviser’s governing instruments, or (iii) any agreement, judgment, injunction, order, decree or other instrument binding upon the Adviser;

(d)                The Form ADV of the Adviser provided to the Subadviser and the Trust is a true and complete copy of the form, including that part or parts of the Form ADV filed with the SEC, that part or parts maintained in the records of the Adviser, and/or that part or parts provided or offered to clients, in each case as required under the Advisers Act and rules

 
 

thereunder, and the information contained therein is accurate and complete in all material respects and does not omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

(e)                The Adviser acknowledges that it received a copy of the Subadviser’s Form ADV prior to the execution of this Agreement; and

(f)                 The Adviser and the Trust have duly entered into the Advisory Agreement pursuant to which the Trust authorized the Adviser to delegate certain of its duties under the Advisory Agreement to other investment advisers, including without limitation, the appointment of a subadviser with respect to assets of the Fund, including without limitation the Adviser’s entering into and performing this Agreement.

10.               Survival of Representations and Warranties; Duty to Update Information . All representations and warranties made by the Subadviser and the Adviser pursuant to the recitals above and Sections 8 and 9, respectively, shall survive for the duration of this Agreement and the parties hereto shall promptly notify each other in writing upon becoming aware that any of the foregoing representations and warranties are no longer true or accurate in all material effects.

11.               Liability and Indemnification .

(a)                Liability . The Subadviser shall exercise its best judgment in rendering its services in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, but otherwise, in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Subadviser or a reckless disregard of its duties hereunder, the Subadviser, each of its affiliates and all respective partners, officers, directors and employees (“Affiliates”) and each person, if any, who within the meaning of the Securities Act controls the Subadviser (“Controlling Persons”), if any, shall not be subject to any expenses or liability to the Adviser, the Trust or the Fund or any of the Fund’s shareholders, in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relates, including without limitation for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of Subadviser Assets. The Adviser shall exercise its best judgment in rendering its obligations in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, but otherwise (except as set forth in Section 11(c) below), in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Adviser or a reckless disregard of its duties hereunder, the Adviser, any of its Affiliates and each of the Adviser’s Controlling Persons, if any, shall not be subject to any liability to the Subadviser, for any act or omission in the case of, or connected with, rendering services hereunder or for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of Subadviser Assets. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall relieve the Adviser and the Subadviser from any of their obligations under applicable law, including, without limitation, the federal and state securities laws.

(b)                Indemnification . The Subadviser shall indemnify the Adviser, the Trust and the Fund, and their respective Affiliates and Controlling Persons for any liability and expenses, including without limitation reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, which the Adviser, the Trust and/or the Fund and their respective Affiliates and Controlling Persons may sustain as a result of the Subadviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, reckless

 
 

disregard of its duties hereunder or violation of applicable law, including, without limitation, the federal and state securities laws. Unless otherwise obligated under applicable law, the Subadviser shall not be liable for indirect, punitive, special or consequential damages arising out of this Agreement.

The Adviser shall indemnify the Subadviser, its Affiliates and its Controlling Persons, for any liability and expenses, including without limitation reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, which may be sustained as a result of the Adviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, reckless disregard of its duties hereunder or violation of applicable law, including, without limitation, the federal and state securities laws.

(c)                The Subadviser shall not be liable to the Adviser for acts of the Subadviser which result from acts of the Adviser, including, but not limited to, a failure of the Adviser to provide accurate and current information with respect to any records maintained by the Adviser, which records are not also maintained by or otherwise available to the Subadviser upon reasonable request.

12.               Duration and Termination .

(a)                Duration . Unless sooner terminated, this Agreement shall continue for an initial period of no more than two years following the date and year upon which the Sub-Adviser begins to manage Fund assets, and thereafter shall continue automatically for successive annual periods with respect to the Fund, provided such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Trust’s Board of Trustees or vote of the lesser of (a) 67% of the shares of the Fund represented at a meeting if holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present in person or by proxy or (b) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund; provided that in either event its continuance also is approved by a majority of the Trust’s Trustees who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any party to this Agreement, by vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.

(b)                Termination . Notwithstanding whatever may be provided herein to the contrary, this Agreement may be terminated at any time with respect to the Fund, without payment of any penalty:

(i)                  By vote of a majority of the Trust’s Board of Trustees, or by “vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities” of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act), or by the Adviser, in each case, upon not more than 60 days’ written notice to the Subadviser;

(ii)               By any party hereto upon written notice to the other party in the event of a breach of any provision of this Agreement by the other party if the breach is not cured within 15 days of notice of the breach; or

(iii)             By the Subadviser upon not more than 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser and the Trust.

 
 

This Agreement shall not be assigned (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) and shall terminate automatically in the event of its assignment or upon the termination of the Advisory Agreement.

13.               Duties of the Adviser . The Adviser shall continue to have responsibility for all services to be provided to the Fund pursuant to the Advisory Agreement and shall oversee and review the Subadviser’s performance of its duties under this Agreement. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall obligate the Adviser to provide any funding or other support for the purpose of directly or indirectly promoting investments in the Fund.

14.               Reference to Adviser and Subadviser .

(a)                The Subadviser grants, subject to the conditions below, the Adviser non-exclusive rights to use, display and promote trademarks of the Subadviser in conjunction with any activity associated with the Fund. In addition, the Adviser may promote the identity of and services provided by the Subadviser to the Adviser, which references shall not differ in substance from those included in the Prospectus, SAI and this Agreement, in any advertising or promotional materials. The Adviser shall protect the goodwill and reputation of the Subadviser in connection with marketing and promotion of the Fund. The Adviser shall submit to the Subadviser for its review and approval all such public informational materials relating to the Fund that refer to any recognizable variant or any registered mark or logo or other proprietary designation of the Subadviser. Approval shall not be unreasonably withheld by the Subadviser and notice of approval or disapproval will be provided in a timely manner. Subsequent advertising or promotional materials having very substantially the same form as previously approved by the Subadviser may be used by the Adviser without obtaining the Subadviser’s consent unless such consent is withdrawn in writing by the Subadviser.

(b)                Neither the Subadviser nor any Affiliate or agent of Subadviser shall make reference to or use the name of the Adviser or any of its Affiliates, or any of their clients, except references concerning the identity of and services provided by the Adviser to the Fund or to the Subadviser, which references shall not differ in substance from those included in the Prospectus, SAI and this Agreement, in any advertising or promotional materials without the prior approval of Adviser, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. The Subadviser hereby agrees to make all reasonable efforts to cause any Affiliate of the Subadviser to satisfy the foregoing obligation.

15.               Amendment . This Agreement may be amended by mutual consent of the parties, provided that the terms of any material amendment shall be approved by: (a) the Trust’s Board of Trustees or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund (as required by the 1940 Act), and (b) the vote of a majority of those Trustees of the Trust who are not “interested persons” of any party to this Agreement cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval, if such approval is required by applicable law.

16.               Confidentiality . Subject to the duties of the Adviser, the Trust and the Subadviser to comply with applicable law, including any demand of any regulatory or taxing authority having jurisdiction, the parties hereto shall treat as confidential and shall not disclose any and all

 
 

information pertaining to the Fund and the actions of the Subadviser, the Adviser and the Fund in respect thereof; except to the extent:

(a)                Authorized . The Adviser or the Trust has authorized such disclosure;

(b)                Court or Regulatory Authority . Disclosure of such information is expressly required or requested by a court or other tribunal of competent jurisdiction or applicable federal or state regulatory authorities;

(c)                Publicly Known Without Breach . Such information becomes known to the general public without a breach of this Agreement or a similar confidential disclosure agreement regarding such information;

(d)                Already Known . Such information already was known by the party prior to the date hereof;

(e)                Received From Third Party . Such information was or is hereafter rightfully received by the party from a third party (expressly excluding the Fund’s custodian, prime broker and administrator) without restriction on its disclosure and without breach of this Agreement or of a similar confidential disclosure agreement regarding them; or

(f)                 Independently Developed . The party independently developed such information.

In addition, the Subadviser and its officers, directors and employees are prohibited from receiving compensation or other consideration, for themselves or on behalf of the Fund, as a result of disclosing the Fund’s portfolio holdings. The Subadviser agrees, consistent with its Code of Ethics that neither it nor its officers, directors or employees may engage in personal securities transactions based on non-public information about the Fund’s portfolio holdings.

 

17.               Notice . Any notice that is required to be given by the parties to each other under the terms of this Agreement shall be in writing, delivered, or mailed postpaid to the other parties, or transmitted by facsimile with acknowledgment of receipt, to the parties at the following addresses or facsimile numbers, which may from time to time be changed by the parties by notice to the other party:

(a)                If to the Subadviser:

Address: 265 Franklin Street, 16 th Floor

Boston, MA 02110

Phone: (617) 951-2550

Email: mweatherbie@weatherbiecapital.com

coneil@weatherbiecapital.com; and lflanders@weatherbiecapital.com

 

(b)                If to the Adviser:

Address: 1777 Sentry Parkway West,

 
 

Gwynedd Hall, Suite 102,

Blue Bell, PA 19422

Phone: (484) 572-0500

Email: ghorn@persimmoncapital.com

 

18.               Jurisdiction . This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the substantive laws of the State of Delaware without reference to choice of law principles thereof and in accordance with the 1940 Act. In the case of any conflict, the 1940 Act shall control.

19.               Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, all of which shall together constitute one and the same instrument.

20.               Certain Definitions . For the purposes of this Agreement and except as otherwise provided herein, “interested person,” “affiliated person,” and assignment shall have their respective meanings as set forth in the 1940 Act, subject, however, to such exemptions as may be granted by the SEC.

21.               Captions . The captions herein are included for convenience of reference only and shall be ignored in the construction or interpretation hereof.

22.               Severability . If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision or applicable law, the remainder of the Agreement shall not be affected adversely and shall remain in full force and effect.

23.               Entire Agreement . This Agreement, together with all exhibits, attachments and appendices, contains the entire understanding and agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof.

 
 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement on the day and year first written above.

 

ADVISER

 

 

By: /s/ Gregory S. Horn

Name: Gregory S. Horn

Title: President, Managing Partner

 

 

 

SUB-ADVISER

 

 

 

By: /s/ Matthew A. Weatherbie

Name: Matthew A. Weatherbie

Title: President

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT

between PERSIMMON CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LP (the “Adviser”),

and WEATHERBIE CAPITAL, LLC (“Subadviser”)

 

EXHIBIT A

 

FUNDS OF THE TRUST

 

 

NAME OF FUND

ANNUAL SUB-ADVISORY FEE AS A % OF AVERAGE NET ASSETS OF THE FUND
Persimmon Long/Short Fund 1.00%

 

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT

Between

NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST III

and

CANE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC

 

AGREEMENT, made as of January 29, 2018 between Northern Lights Fund Trust III, a Delaware statutory trust (the "Trust"), and CANE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC, a Delaware Limited Liability Company (the "Adviser") located at 8440 Jefferson Hwy., Suite 402, Baton Rouge, LA 70809.

 

RECITALS:

 

WHEREAS, the Trust is an open-end management investment company and is registered as such under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Act");

 

WHEREAS, the Trust is authorized to issue shares of beneficial interest in separate series, each having its own investment objective or objectives, policies and limitations;

 

WHEREAS, the Trust offers shares in the series named on Appendix A hereto (such series, together with all other series subsequently established by the Trust and made subject to this Agreement in accordance with Section 1.3, being herein referred to as a "Fund," and collectively as the "Funds");

 

WHEREAS, the Adviser is or soon will be registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940; and

 

WHEREAS, the Trust desires to retain the Adviser to render investment advisory services to the Trust with respect to the Fund in the manner and on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1. Services of the Adviser.

 

1.1 Investment Advisory Services. The Adviser shall act as the investment adviser to the Fund and, as such, shall (i) obtain and evaluate such information relating to the economy, industries, business, securities markets and securities as it may deem necessary or useful in discharging its responsibilities hereunder, (ii) formulate a continuing program for the investment of the assets of the Fund in a manner consistent with its investment objective(s), policies and restrictions, and (iii) determine from time to time securities to be purchased, sold, retained or lent by the Fund, and implement those decisions, including the selection of entities with or through which such purchases, sales or loans are to be effected; provided, that the Adviser will place orders pursuant to its investment determinations either directly with the issuer or with a broker or dealer, and if with a broker or dealer, (a) will attempt to obtain the best price and execution of its orders, and (b) may nevertheless in its discretion purchase and sell portfolio securities from and to brokers who provide the Adviser with research, analysis, advice and similar services and pay such brokers in return a higher commission than may be charged by other brokers.

 

The Trust hereby authorizes any entity or person associated with the Adviser or any sub-adviser retained by the Adviser pursuant to Section 9 of this Agreement, which is a member of a

 
 

national securities exchange, to effect any transaction on the exchange for the account of the Trust which is permitted by Section 11(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 11a2-2(T) thereunder, and the Trust hereby consents to the retention of compensation for such transactions in accordance with Rule 11a2-2(T)(a)(2)(iv) provided the transaction complies with the Trust’s Rule 17e-1 policies and procedures.

 

The Adviser shall carry out its duties with respect to the Fund's investments in accordance with applicable law and the investment objectives, policies and restrictions set forth in the Fund's then-current Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, and subject to such further limitations as the Trust may from time to time impose by written notice to the Adviser.

 

1.2 Administrative Services. The Trust has engaged the services of an administrator. The Adviser shall provide such additional administrative services as reasonably requested by the Board of Trustees or officers of the Trust; provided, that the Adviser shall not have any obligation to provide under this Agreement any direct or indirect services to Trust shareholders, any services related to the distribution of Trust shares, or any other services which are the subject of a separate agreement or arrangement between the Trust and the Adviser. Subject to the foregoing, in providing administrative services hereunder, the Adviser shall:

 

1.2.1 Office Space, Equipment and Facilities. Provide such office space, office equipment and office facilities as are adequate to fulfill the Adviser’s obligations hereunder.

 

1.2.2 Personnel. Provide, without remuneration from or other cost to the Trust, the services of individuals competent to perform the administrative functions which are not performed by employees or other agents engaged by the Trust or by the Adviser acting in some other capacity pursuant to a separate agreement or arrangement with the Trust.

 

1.2.3 Agents. Assist the Trust in selecting and coordinating the activities of the other agents engaged by the Trust, including the Trust's shareholder servicing agent, custodian, administrator, independent auditors and legal counsel.

 

1.2.4 Trustees and Officers. Authorize and permit the Adviser's directors, officers and employees who may be elected or appointed as Trustees or officers of the Trust to serve in such capacities, without remuneration from or other cost to the Trust.

 

1.2.5 Books and Records. Assure that all financial, accounting and other records required to be maintained and preserved by the Adviser on behalf of the Trust are maintained and preserved by it in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

 

1.2.6 Reports and Filings. Assist in the preparation of (but not pay for) all periodic reports by the Fund to its shareholders and all reports and filings required to maintain the registration and qualification of the Fund and Fund shares, or to meet other regulatory or tax requirements applicable to the Fund, under federal and state securities and tax laws.

 

1.3 Additional Series. In the event that the Trust establishes one or more series after the effectiveness of this Agreement ("Additional Series"), Appendix A to this Agreement may be amended to make such Additional Series subject to this Agreement upon the approval of the Board of Trustees of the Trust and the shareholder(s) of the Additional Series, in accordance with the provisions of the Act. The Trust or the Adviser may elect not to make any such series subject to this Agreement.

 

 
 

1.4 Change in Management or Control. The Adviser shall provide at least sixty (60) days' prior written notice to the Trust of any change in the ownership or management of the Adviser, or any event or action that may constitute a change in “control,” as that term is defined in Section 2 of the Act. The Adviser shall provide prompt notice of any change in the portfolio manager(s) responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.

 

2. Expenses of the Fund.

 

2.1 Expenses to be Paid by Adviser. The Adviser shall pay all salaries, expenses and fees of the officers, Trustees and employees of the Trust who are officers, directors, members or employees of the Adviser.

 

In the event that the Adviser pays or assumes any expenses of the Trust not required to be paid or assumed by the Adviser under this Agreement, the Adviser shall not be obligated hereby to pay or assume the same or any similar expense in the future; provided, that nothing herein contained shall be deemed to relieve the Adviser of any obligation to the Fund under any separate agreement or arrangement between the parties.

 

2.2 Expenses to be Paid by the Fund. The Fund shall bear all expenses of its operation, except those specifically allocated to the Adviser under this Agreement or under any separate agreement between the Trust and the Adviser. Subject to any separate agreement or arrangement between the Trust and the Adviser, the expenses hereby allocated to the Fund, and not to the Adviser, include but are not limited to:

 

2.2.1 Custody. All charges of depositories, custodians, and other agents for the transfer, receipt, safekeeping, and servicing of the Fund's cash, securities, and other property.

 

2.2.2 Shareholder Servicing. All expenses of maintaining and servicing shareholder accounts, including but not limited to the charges of any shareholder servicing agent, dividend disbursing agent, transfer agent or other agent engaged by the Trust to service shareholder accounts.

 

2.2.3 Shareholder Reports. All expenses of preparing, setting in type, printing and distributing reports and other communications to shareholders.

 

2.2.4 Prospectuses. All expenses of preparing, converting to EDGAR format, filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission or other appropriate regulatory body, setting in type, printing and mailing annual or more frequent revisions of the Fund's Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information and any supplements thereto and of supplying them to shareholders.

 

2.2.5 Pricing and Portfolio Valuation. All expenses of computing the Fund's net asset value per share, including any equipment or services obtained for the purpose of pricing shares or valuing the Fund's investment portfolio.

 

2.2.6 Communications. All charges for equipment or services used for communications between the Adviser or the Trust and any custodian, shareholder servicing agent, portfolio accounting services agent, or other agent engaged by the Trust.

 

2.2.7 Legal and Accounting Fees. All charges for services and expenses of the Trust's legal counsel and independent accountants.

 

 
 

2.2.8 Trustees' Fees and Expenses. All compensation of Trustees other than those affiliated with the Adviser, all expenses incurred in connection with such unaffiliated Trustees' services as Trustees, and all other expenses of meetings of the Trustees and committees of the Trustees.

 

2.2.9 Shareholder Meetings. All expenses incidental to holding meetings of shareholders, including the printing of notices and proxy materials, and proxy solicitations therefor.

 

2.2.10 Federal Registration Fees. All fees and expenses of registering and maintaining the registration of the Fund under the Act and the registration of the Fund's shares under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "1933 Act"), including all fees and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, converting to EDGAR format, setting in type, printing, and filing of any Registration Statement, Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information under the 1933 Act or the Act, and any amendments or supplements that may be made from time to time.

 

2.2.11 State Registration Fees. All fees and expenses of taking required action to permit the offer and sale of the Fund's shares under securities laws of various states or jurisdictions, and of registration and qualification of the Fund under all other laws applicable to the Trust or its business activities (including registering the Trust as a broker-dealer, or any officer of the Trust or any person as agent or salesperson of the Trust in any state).

 

2.2.12 Confirmations. All expenses incurred in connection with the issue and transfer of Fund shares, including the expenses of confirming all share transactions.

 

2.2.13 Bonding and Insurance. All expenses of bond, liability, and other insurance coverage required by law or regulation or deemed advisable by the Trustees of the Trust, including, without limitation, such bond, liability and other insurance expenses that may from time to time be allocated to the Fund in a manner approved by its Trustees.

 

2.2.14 Brokerage Commissions. All brokers' commissions and other charges incident to the purchase, sale or lending of the Fund's portfolio securities.

 

2.2.15 Taxes. All taxes or governmental fees payable by or with respect to the Fund to federal, state or other governmental agencies, domestic or foreign, including stamp or other transfer taxes.

 

2.2.16 Trade Association Fees. All fees, dues and other expenses incurred in connection with the Trust's membership in any trade association or other investment organization.

 

2.2.18 Compliance Fees. All charges for services and expenses of the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer.

 

2.2.19 Nonrecurring and Extraordinary Expenses. Such nonrecurring and extraordinary expenses as may arise including the costs of actions, suits, or proceedings to which the Trust is a party and the expenses the Trust may incur as a result of its legal obligation to provide indemnification to its officers, Trustees and agents.

 

3. Advisory Fee.

 

As compensation for all services rendered, facilities provided and expenses paid or assumed by the Adviser under this Agreement, the Fund shall pay the Adviser on the last day of each month, or as promptly as possible thereafter, a fee calculated by applying a monthly rate, based

 
 

on an annual percentage rate, to the Fund's average daily net assets for the month. The annual percentage rate applicable to the Fund is set forth in Appendix A to this Agreement, as it may be amended from time to time in accordance with Section 1.3 of this Agreement. If this Agreement shall be effective for only a portion of a month with respect to a Fund, the aforesaid fee shall be prorated for the portion of such month during which this Agreement is in effect for the Fund.

 

4. Proxy Voting.

 

The Adviser will vote, or make arrangements to have voted, all proxies solicited by or with respect to the issuers of securities in which assets of a Fund may be invested from time to time. Such proxies will be voted in a manner that you deem, in good faith, to be in the best interest of the Fund and in accordance with your proxy voting policy. You agree to provide a copy of your proxy voting policy to the Trust prior to the execution of this Agreement, and any amendments thereto promptly.

 

5. Records.

 

5.1 Tax Treatment. Both the Adviser and the Trust shall maintain, or arrange for others to maintain, the books and records of the Trust in such a manner that treats the Fund as a separate entity for federal income tax purposes.

 

5.2 Ownership. All records required to be maintained and preserved by the Trust pursuant to the provisions or rules or regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission under Section 31(a) of the Act and maintained and preserved by the Adviser on behalf of the Trust are the property of the Trust and shall be surrendered by the Adviser promptly on request by the Trust; provided, that the Adviser may at its own expense make and retain copies of any such records.

 

6. Reports to Adviser.

 

The Trust shall furnish or otherwise make available to the Adviser such copies of the Fund's Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information, financial statements, proxy statements, reports and other information relating to its business and affairs as the Adviser may, at any time or from time to time, reasonably require in order to discharge its obligations under this Agreement.

 

7. Reports to the Trust.

 

The Adviser shall prepare and furnish to the Trust such reports, statistical data and other information in such form and at such intervals as the Trust may reasonably request.

 

8. Code of Ethics.

 

The Adviser has adopted a written code of ethics complying with the requirements of Rule 17j-1 under the Act and will provide the Trust with a copy of the code and evidence of its adoption. The Adviser will provide to the Board of Trustees of the Trust at least annually a written report that describes any issues arising under the code of ethics since the last report to the Board of Trustees, including, but not limited to, information about material violations of the code and sanctions imposed in response to the material violations; and which certifies that the Adviser has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent "access persons" (as that term is defined in Rule 17j-1) from violating the code.

 

 

 
 

9. Retention of Sub-Adviser.

 

Subject to the Trust's obtaining the initial and periodic approvals required under Section 15 of the Act, the Adviser may retain one or more sub-advisers, at the Adviser's own cost and expense, for the purpose of managing the investments of the assets of one or more Funds of the Trust. Retention of one or more sub-advisers shall in no way reduce the responsibilities or obligations of the Adviser under this Agreement and the Adviser shall, subject to Section 11 of this Agreement, be responsible to the Trust for all acts or omissions of any sub-adviser in connection with the performance of the Adviser's duties hereunder.

 

10. Services to Other Clients.

 

Nothing herein contained shall limit the freedom of the Adviser or any affiliated person of the Adviser to render investment management and administrative services to other investment companies, to act as investment adviser or investment counselor to other persons, firms or corporations, or to engage in other business activities.

 

11. Limitation of Liability of Adviser and its Personnel.

 

Neither the Adviser nor any director, manager, officer or employee of the Adviser performing services for the Trust at the direction or request of the Adviser in connection with the Adviser's discharge of its obligations hereunder shall be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Trust in connection with any matter to which this Agreement relates, and the Adviser shall not be responsible for any action of the Trustees of the Trust in following or declining to follow any advice or recommendation of the Adviser or any sub-adviser retained by the Adviser pursuant to Section 9 of this Agreement; PROVIDED, that nothing herein contained shall be construed (i) to protect the Adviser against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders to which the Adviser would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of the Adviser's duties, or by reason of the Adviser's reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement, or (ii) to protect any director, manager, officer or employee of the Adviser who is or was a Trustee or officer of the Trust against any liability of the Trust or its shareholders to which such person would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person's office with the Trust.

 

12. Effect of Agreement.

 

Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to require to the Trust to take any action contrary to its Declaration of Trust or its By-Laws or any applicable law, regulation or order to which it is subject or by which it is bound, or to relieve or deprive the Trustees of the Trust of their responsibility for and control of the conduct of the business and affairs of the Trust.

 

13. Term of Agreement.

 

With respect to the Fund, the term of this Agreement shall begin as of the date and year upon which the Fund commences investment operations, and unless sooner terminated as hereinafter provided, this Agreement shall remain in effect for a period of one year. Thereafter, this Agreement shall continue in effect with respect to the Fund from year to year, subject to the termination provisions and all other terms and conditions hereof; PROVIDED, such continuance with respect to a Fund is approved at least annually by vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund or by the Trustees of the Trust; PROVIDED, that in

 
 

either event such continuance is also approved annually by the vote, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval, of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons of either party hereto. The Adviser shall furnish to the Trust, promptly upon its request, such information as may reasonably be necessary to evaluate the terms of this Agreement or any extension, renewal or amendment thereof.

 

14. Amendment or Assignment of Agreement.

 

Any amendment to this Agreement shall be in writing signed by the parties hereto; PROVIDED, that no such amendment shall be effective unless authorized (i) by resolution of the Trustees of the Trust, including the vote or written consent of a majority of the Trustees of the Trust who are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons of either party hereto, and (ii) by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund affected by such amendment if required by applicable law. This Agreement shall terminate automatically and immediately in the event of its assignment.

 

15. Termination of Agreement.

 

This Agreement may be terminated as to any Fund at any time by either party hereto, without the payment of any penalty, upon sixty (60) days' prior written notice to the other party; PROVIDED, that in the case of termination by any Fund, such action shall have been authorized (i) by resolution of the Trust's Board of Trustees, including the vote or written consent of Trustees of the Trust who are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons of either party hereto, or (ii) by vote of majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.

 

16. Use of Name.

 

The Trust is named the Northern Lights Fund Trust III and a Fund may be identified, in part, by the name "Northern Lights."

 

17. Declaration of Trust.

 

The Adviser is hereby expressly put on notice of the limitation of shareholder liability as set forth in the Trust's Declaration of Trust and agrees that the obligations assumed by the Trust or a Fund, as the case may be, pursuant to this Agreement shall be limited in all cases to the Trust or a Fund, as the case may be, and its assets, and the Adviser shall not seek satisfaction of any such obligation from the shareholders or any shareholder of the Trust. In addition, the Adviser shall not seek satisfaction of any such obligations from the Trustees or any individual Trustee. The Adviser understands that the rights and obligations of any Fund under the Declaration of Trust are separate and distinct from those of any and all other Funds. The Adviser further understands and agrees that no Fund of the Trust shall be liable for any claims against any other Fund of the Trust and that the Adviser must look solely to the assets of the pertinent Fund of the Trust for the enforcement or satisfaction of any claims against the Trust with respect to that Fund.

 

18. Confidentiality.

 

The Adviser agrees to treat all records and other information relating to the Trust and the securities holdings of the Fund as confidential and shall not disclose any such records or information to any other person unless (i) the Board of Trustees of the Trust has approved the disclosure or (ii) such disclosure is compelled by law. In addition, the Adviser and the Adviser's officers, directors, members and employees are prohibited from receiving compensation or other

 
 

consideration, for themselves or on behalf of a Fund, as a result of disclosing the Fund's portfolio holdings. The Adviser agrees that, consistent with the Adviser's Code of Ethics, neither the Adviser nor the Adviser's officers, directors, members or employees may engage in personal securities transactions based on nonpublic information about a Fund's portfolio holdings.

 

19. This Agreement shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

 

20. Interpretation and Definition of Terms.

 

Any question of interpretation of any term or provision of this Agreement having a counterpart in or otherwise derived from a term or provision of the Act shall be resolved by reference to such term or provision of the Act and to interpretation thereof, if any, by the United States courts, or, in the absence of any controlling decision of any such court, by rules, regulations or orders of the Securities and Exchange Commission validly issued pursuant to the Act. Specifically, the terms "vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities," "interested persons," "assignment" and "affiliated person," as used in this Agreement shall have the meanings assigned to them by Section 2(a) of the Act. In addition, when the effect of a requirement of the Act reflected in any provision of this Agreement is modified, interpreted or relaxed by a rule, regulation or order of the Securities and Exchange Commission, whether of special or of general application, such provision shall be deemed to incorporate the effect of such rule, regulation or order.

 

21. Captions.

 

The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and in no way define or delineate any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect.

 

22. Execution in Counterparts.

 

This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but both of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

 

 

[ Signature Page Follows ]

 
 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be signed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized as of the date and year first above written.

 

 

 

NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST III

 

 

 

By: /s/ Richard Malinowski

 

Name: Richard Malinowski

 

Title: President

 

 

 

CANE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC

 

 

 

By: /s/ David Fontenot

 

Name: David Fontenot

 

Title: Managing Partner

 

 

 
 

NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST III

 

INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT

 

APPENDIX A

 

FUNDS OF THE TRUST

 

 

NAME OF FUND

ANNUAL ADVISORY FEE AS A % OF

AVERAGE NET ASSETS OF THE FUND

Cane Atlternative Strategies Fund 1.95 %

 

NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST III


OPERATING EXPENSES LIMITATION

AND SECURITY AGREEMENT

 

CANE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC



THIS OPERATING EXPENSES LIMITATION AND SECURITY AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is effective as of the 1st day of October, 2017, by and between NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST III, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Trust”), on behalf of the Cane Alternatives Strategies Fund (the “Fund”) a series of the Trust, and the Advisor of the Fund, Cane Capital Management, LLC (the “Advisor”).

 

RECITALS:


WHEREAS , the Advisor renders advice and services to the Fund pursuant to the terms and provisions of an Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and the Advisor dated as of the 21 st day of November, 2013 (the “Advisory Agreement”); and


WHEREAS , the Fund is responsible for, and has assumed the obligation for, payment of certain expenses pursuant to the Advisory Agreement that have not been assumed by the Advisor; and


WHEREAS , the Advisor desires to limit the Fund’s Operating Expenses (as that term is defined in Paragraph 2 of this Agreement) pursuant to the terms and provisions of this Agreement, and the Trust (on behalf of the Fund) desires to allow the Advisor to implement those limits; and

 

WHEREAS , as a condition to the continuation of its contractual relationship with the Advisor, the Trust has required that Advisor grant to the Trust a continuing security interest in and to a designated account of the Advisor established with Gemini Fund Services, LLC, Transfer Agent to the Fund, or its successor and assigns (the “Securities Intermediary”);;


NOW THEREFORE , in consideration of the covenants and the mutual promises hereinafter set forth, the parties, intending to be legally bound hereby, mutually agree as follows:


1. Limit on Operating Expenses . The Advisor hereby agrees to limit the Fund’s current Operating Expenses to an annual rate, expressed as a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets for the month, to the amounts listed in Appendix A (the “Annual Limit”). In the event that the current Operating Expenses of the Fund, as accrued each month, exceed its Annual Limit, the Advisor will pay to the Fund, on a monthly basis, the excess expense within the first ten days of the month following the month in which such Operating Expenses were incurred (each payment, a “Fund Reimbursement Payment”).

 

2. Definition . For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Operating Expenses” with respect to the Fund is defined to include all expenses necessary or appropriate for the operation of the Fund

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and including the Advisor’s investment advisory or management fee detailed in the Advisory Agreement, any Rule 12b-l fees and other expenses described in the Advisory Agreement, but does not include: (i) any front-end or contingent deferred loads; (ii) brokerage fees and commissions, (iii) acquired fund fees and expenses; (iii) borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short); (iv) taxes; and (v) extraordinary expenses, such as litigation expenses (which may include indemnification of Fund officers and Trustees, contractual indemnification of Fund service providers (other than the Adviser)).

 

3. Reimbursement of Fees and Expenses . The Advisor retains its right to receive in future years on a rolling three year basis, reimbursement of any Fund Reimbursement Payments paid by the Advisor pursuant to this Agreement, if such reimbursement can be achieved within the Operating Expense Limitations listed in Appendix A .

 

4. Collateral Account and Security Interest . The Advisor, for value received, hereby pledges, assigns, sets over and grants to the Trust a continuing security interest in and to an account to be established and maintained by the Advisor with the Securities Intermediary and designated as a collateral account (the “Collateral Account”), including any replacement account established with any successor, together with all dividends, interest, stock-splits, distributions, profits and all cash and non-cash proceeds thereof and any and all other rights as may now or hereafter derive or accrue therefrom (collectively, the “Collateral”) to secure the payment of any required Fund Reimbursement Payment or Liquidation Expenses (as defined in Paragraph 5 of this Agreement). For so long as this Agreement is in effect, any transfers or conveyances of Collateral to any party shall require the approval of the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”), except as specified in Section 7(a)(ii) of this Agreement, below. In addition, the Trust will not issue entitlement orders, redeem or otherwise take any action with respect to the Collateral or Collateral Account unless a Collateral Event (defined below under Section 5 of this Agreement) has occurred or is continuing.

 

5. Collateral Event . In the event that either (a) the Advisor does not make the Fund Reimbursement Payment due in connection with a particular calendar month by the tenth day of the following calendar month or (b) the Board enacts a resolution calling for the liquidation of the Fund (either (a) or (b), a “Collateral Event”), then, in either event, the Board shall have absolute discretion to redeem any shares or other Collateral held in the Collateral Account and utilize the proceeds from such redemptions or such other Collateral to make any required Fund Reimbursement Payment, or to cover any costs or expenses which the Board, in its sole and absolute discretion, estimates will be required in connection with the liquidation of the Fund (the “Liquidation Expenses”). Pursuant to the terms of Paragraph 6 of this Agreement, upon authorization from the Board, but subject to the provisions of the Control Agreement, no further instructions shall be required from the Advisor for the Securities Intermediary to transfer any Collateral from the Collateral Account to the Fund. The Advisor acknowledges that in the event the Collateral available in the Collateral Account is insufficient to cover the full cost of any Fund Reimbursement Payment or Liquidation Expenses, the Fund shall retain the right to receive from the Advisor any costs in excess of the value of the Collateral.

 

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6. Control Agreement; Appointment of Attorney-in-Fact . The Advisor agrees to execute and deliver to the Board, in form and substance satisfactory to the Board, a Control Agreement by, between and among the Trust, the Advisor and the Securities Intermediary (the “Control Agreement”) pursuant to and consistent with Section 8-106(c) of the New York Uniform Commercial Code, which shall terminate when the Collateral Account is no longer required under this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing, for so long as the Collateral Account in required under the Agreement, the Advisor hereby irrevocably constitutes and appoints the Trust, through any officer thereof, with full power of substitution, as Advisor's true and lawful Attorney-in-Fact, with full irrevocable power and authority in place and stead of the Advisor and in the name of the Advisor or in the Trust's own name, from time to time, for the purpose of carrying out the terms of this Agreement, to take any and all appropriate actions and to execute and deliver any and all documents and instruments which the Board deems necessary to accomplish the purpose of this Agreement, which power of attorney is coupled with an interest and shall be irrevocable. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Trust shall have the right and power following any Collateral Event to receive, endorse and collect all checks and other orders for the payment of money made payable to the Advisor representing any interest payment, dividend, or other distribution payable in respect of or to the Collateral, or any part thereof, and to give full discharge for the same. So long as a Collateral Event has occurred and is continuing, the Board, in its discretion, may direct the Advisor or Advisor's agent to transfer the Collateral in certificated or uncertificated form into the name and account of the Trust or its designee.

 

7. Covenants . So long as this Agreement shall remain in effect, the Advisor represents and covenants as follows:

 

(a) Immediately upon commencement of this agreement, the Advisor shall invest at least $50,000 in the Collateral Account. Once the Collateral Account is established the Advisor will maintain at least $50,000 in said account, such that additional amounts will be deposited by the Advisor where Fund outflows or negative Fund performance reduce the Collateral Account below $50,000 for a period of more than thirty days.

 

(b) To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Advisor agrees not to challenge any action taken by the Board or the Trust in executing the terms of this Agreement; provided that the action does not constitute willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties of the Board under this Agreement, the Advisory Agreement, or to Fund shareholders.

 

(c) The Trust will not issue entitlement orders, redeem or otherwise take any action with respect to the Collateral or Collateral Account unless a Collateral Event (defined above under Section 5 of this Agreement) has occurred or is continuing.

 

8. Term . This Agreement shall become effective on the date first above written and shall remain in effect until at October 31, 2018, unless sooner terminated as provided in Paragraph 9 of this

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Agreement, and shall continue in effect for successive twelve-month periods provided that such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust.


9. Termination . This Agreement may be terminated at any time, and without payment of any penalty, by the Board, on behalf of the Fund, upon sixty (60) days’ written notice to the Advisor. This Agreement may not be terminated by the Advisor without the consent of the Board. This Agreement and the Control Agreement will automatically terminate, with respect to the Fund listed in Appendix A if the Advisory Agreement for the Fund is terminated and the Fund continues to operate under the management of a new investment adviser, with such termination effective upon the effective date of the Advisory Agreement’s termination for the Fund.


10. Assignment . This Agreement and all rights and obligations hereunder may not be assigned without the written consent of the other party.


11. Severability . If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision, statute or rule, or shall be otherwise rendered invalid, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby.


12. Governing Law . This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York without giving effect to the conflict of laws principles thereof; provided that nothing herein shall be construed to preempt, or to be inconsistent with, any federal law, regulation or rule, including the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and any rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

  

(Signature Page follows)

 

4  
 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed and attested by their duly authorized officers, all on the day and year first above written.

 

 

NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST III Cane Capital Management, LLC
on behalf of Cane Alternative Strategies Fund  
   

 

By: /s/ Richard Malinowski By: /s/ David Fontenot
Name: Richard Malinowski Name: David Fontenot
Title: President Title:   Managing Partner
5  
 


Appendix A

 

Fund Operating Expense Limit
   
Cane Alternative Strategies Fund  
        Class A Shares 2.50%
        Class C Shares 3.25%
        Class I Shares 2.25%

 

 

6  
 

 

 

April 25, 2018

 

 

Northern Lights Fund Trust III

17605 Wright Street, Suite 2

Omaha, Nebraska 68130

 

 

Re:        Northern Lights Fund Trust III - File Nos. 333-178833 and 811-22655

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

A legal opinion (the “Legal Opinion”) that we prepared was filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 297 to the Northern Lights Fund Trust III Registration Statement. We hereby give you our consent to incorporate by reference the Legal Opinion into Post-Effective Amendment No. 337 under the Securities Act of 1933 (Amendment No. 340 under the Investment Company Act of 1940) (the “Amendment”) and consent to all references to us in the Amendment.

 

Very truly yours,

/s/ Thompson Hine LLP

THOMPSON HINE LLP

 

 

      4817-2488-1741.88

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

 

 

 

We consent to the references to our firm in the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of the Northern Lights Fund Trust III and to the use of our report dated February 28, 2018 on the financial statements and financial highlights of ACM Dynamic Opportunity Fund, a series of shares of beneficial interest in Northern Lights Fund Trust III. Such financial statements and financial highlights appear in the December 31, 2017 Annual Report to Shareholders which is incorporated by reference into the Statement of Additional Information.

 

BBD, LLP

 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

April 23, 2018

aTTACHMENT 15.B

Northern Lights Fund Trust III

CODE OF ETHICS

 

Northern Lights Fund Trust III (the “Trust”) and each of its series (the “Funds”) has adopted this Code of Ethics (the “Code”) in order to set forth guidelines and procedures that promote ethical practices and conduct by all of its Access Persons and to ensure that all Access Persons comply with the federal securities laws. Although this Code contains a number of specific standards and policies, there are four key principles embodied throughout the Code.

 

The interests of the Funds must always be paramount

 

Access Persons have a legal, fiduciary duty to place the interests of the Funds ahead of their own. In any decision relating to their personal investments, Access Persons must scrupulously avoid serving their own interests ahead of those of Trust.

 

Access Persons may not take advantage of their relationship with the Funds

 

Access Persons should avoid any situation (unusual investment opportunities, perquisites and accepting gifts of more than token value from persons seeking to do business with the Funds) that might compromise, or call into question, the exercise of their fully independent judgment in the interests of the Funds.

 

All Personal Securities Transactions should avoid any actual, potential, or apparent conflicts of interest

 

Although all Personal Securities Transactions by Access Persons must be conducted in a manner consistent with this Code, the Code itself is based on the premise that Access Persons owe a fiduciary duty to the Funds, and should avoid any activity that creates an actual, potential, or apparent conflict of interest. This includes executing transactions through or for the benefit of a third party when the transaction is not in keeping with the general principles of this Code.

 

Access Persons must adhere to these general principles as well as comply with the specific provisions of this Code. Technical compliance with the Code and its procedures will not automatically prevent scrutiny of trades that show a pattern of abuse of an individual’s fiduciary duty to the Funds.

 

Access Persons must comply with all applicable laws

In both work-related and personal activities, Access Persons must comply with all applicable laws, including the federal securities laws.

 

Any violations of this Code should be reported promptly to the Chief Compliance Officer or his designee. Failure to do so will be deemed a violation of the Code.

DEFINITIONS

 

“Access Person” shall have the same meaning as set forth in Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) and shall include:

 
 
1. all officers and trustees (or persons occupying a similar status or performing a similar function) of the Funds;
2. all officers and trustees (or persons occupying a similar status or performing a similar function) of an Adviser with respect to its corresponding series of the Trust
3. any employee of the Trust or the Advisers (or of any company controlling or controlled by or under common control with the Trust or the Advisers) who, in connection with his or her regular functions or duties, makes, participates in, or obtains information regarding the purchase or sale of Covered Securities by the Funds, or whose functions relate to the making of any recommendations with respect to the purchase or sale; and
4. any other natural person controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Trust or the Advisers who obtains information concerning recommendations made to the Funds with regard to the purchase or sale of Covered Securities by the Funds.

 

“Beneficial Ownership” means in general and subject to the specific provisions of Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, having or sharing, directly or indirectly, through any contract arrangement, understanding, relationship, or otherwise, a direct or indirect “pecuniary interest” in the security.

 

“Chief Compliance Officer” means the Code of Ethics Compliance Officer of the Trust with respect to Trustees and officers of the Trust, or the CCO of the Advisers with respect to Advisers personnel.

 

“Code” means this Code of Ethics.

 

“Covered Security” means any Security, except (i) direct obligations of the U.S. Government, (ii) bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements, and (iii) shares issued by open-end mutual Funds, except funds serviced by Gemini, NLCS, or NLD.

 

Decision Making Access Person” means any Access Person who, in connection with his or her regular functions or duties, makes or participates in or obtains information regarding recommendations on the purchase or sale of a security by the Funds, or whose functions relate to the making of any recommendations with respect to such purchases or sales. Decision Makers typically are Adviser personnel.

 

“Funds” means series of the Trust.

 

“Immediate family” means an individual’s spouse, child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, siblings, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law and should include adoptive relationships. For purposes of determining whether an Access Person has an “indirect pecuniary interest” in securities, only ownership by “immediate family” members sharing the same household as the Access Person will be presumed to be an “indirect pecuniary interest” of the Access Person, absent special circumstances.

 

“Independent Trustees” means those Trustees of the Trust that would not be deemed an “interested person” of the Trust, as defined in Section 2(a)(19)(A) of the 1940 Act.

 

“Indirect Pecuniary Interest” includes, but is not limited to: (a) securities held by members of the person’s Immediate Family sharing the same household (which ownership interest may be rebutted); (b) a general partner’s proportionate interest in Fund securities held by a general or limited partnership; (c) a person’s right to dividends that is separated or separable from the underlying securities (otherwise, a right to dividends alone will not constitute a pecuniary interest in securities); (d) a person’s interest in securities held by a Trust; (e) a person’s right to acquire securities through the exercise or conversion of any derivative

 
 

security, whether or not presently exercisable; and (f) a performance-related fee, other than an asset based fee, received by any broker, dealer, bank, insurance company, investment company, investment manager, Trustee, or person or entity performing a similar function, with certain exceptions.

 

“Pecuniary Interest” means the opportunity, directly or indirectly, to profit or share in any profit derived from a transaction in securities.

 

“Personal Securities Transaction” means any transaction in a Covered Security in which an Access Person has a direct or indirect Pecuniary Interest.

 

“Purchase or Sale of a Security” includes the writing of an option to purchase or sell a Security. A Security shall be deemed “being considered for Purchase or Sale” for the Trusts when a recommendation to purchase or sell has been made and communicated by a Decision Making Access Person, and, with respect to the person making the recommendation, when such person seriously considers making such a recommendation. These recommendations are placed on the “Restricted List” until they are no longer being considered for Purchase or Sale, or until the Security has been purchased or sold.

 

“Restricted List” means the list of securities maintained by the Chief Compliance Officer in which trading by Access Persons is generally prohibited.

 

“Security” means any note, stock, treasury stock, bond, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, collateral-Trust certificate, pre-organization certificate or subscription, transferable share, investment contract, voting-Trusts certificate, certificate of deposit for a security, fractional undivided interest in oil, gas, or other mineral rights, or, in general, an interest or instrument commonly known as “security”, or any certificate or interest or participation in temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guarantee of, or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase (including options) any of the foregoing.

 

“Advisers” means the Advisers to the Trust.

 

“Trust” mean Northern Lights Fund Trust 3.

 

 

PROHIBITED ACTIONS AND ACTIVITIES

 

A. No Access Person shall purchase or sell directly or indirectly, any Covered Security in which he or she has, or by reason of such transaction acquires, any direct or indirect beneficial ownership and which he or she knows or should have known at the time of such purchase or sale;

 

(1) is being considered for purchase or sale by a Fund, or

 

(2) is being purchased or sold by a Fund.

 

B. Decision-Making Access Persons may not participate in any initial public offering of Covered Securities in any account over which they exercise Beneficial Ownership. All Access Persons must obtain prior written authorization from the Chief Compliance Officer or his designee prior to such participation;

 

C. No Access Person may purchase a Covered Security in which by reason of such transaction they acquire Beneficial Ownership in a private placement of a Security, without prior written authorization of the acquisition by the Chief Compliance Officer or his designee;
 
 

 

D. Access Persons may not accept any fee, commission, gift, or services, other than de minimus gifts, from any single person or entity that does business with or on behalf of the Trusts;

 

E. Decision-Making Access Persons may not serve on the board of directors of a publicly traded company without prior authorization from the Chief Compliance Officer or his designee based upon a determination that such service would be consistent with the interests of the Trust. If such service is authorized, procedures will then be put in place to isolate such Decision-Making Access Persons serving as directors of outside entities from those making investment decisions on behalf of the Trust.

 

Advanced notice should be given so that the Trust or Advisers may take such action concerning the conflict as deemed appropriate by the Chief Compliance Officer or his designee.

 

F. Decision-Making Access Persons may execute a Personal Securities Transaction involving a Covered Security without pre-authorization of the Chief Compliance Officer or such persons who may be designated by the Chief Compliance Officer from time to time, provided it is permitted by the Adviser’s Code of Ethics. The Chief Compliance Officer or his designee may restrict purchases of Covered Securities pursuant to the Adviser’s Code of Ethics.

 

G. It shall be a violation of this Code for any Access Person, in connection with the purchase or sale, directly or indirectly, of any Covered Security held or to be acquired by a Fund:
a. to employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud the Trust;
b. to make to the Trust any untrue statement of a material fact or to omit to state to the Trust a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading;
c. to engage in any act, practice or course of business that operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon the Trust; or
d. to engage in any manipulative practice with respect to the Trust.

 

 

EXEMPTED TRANSACTIONS

 

The provisions described above under the heading Prohibited Actions and Activities and the preclearance procedures under the heading Preclearance of Personal Securities Transactions do not apply to:

 

· Purchases or Sales of Securities effected in any account in which an Access Person has no Beneficial Ownership;

 

· Purchases or Sales of Securities which are non-volitional on the part the Access Person (for example, the receipt of stock dividends);

 

· Purchase of Securities made as part of automatic dividend reinvestment plans;

 

· Purchases of Securities made as part of an employee benefit plan involving the periodic purchase of company stock or mutual Funds; and

 

· Purchases of Securities effected upon the exercise of rights issued by an issuer pro rata to all holders of a class of its Securities, to the extent such rights were acquired from such issuer, and sale of such rights so acquired.
 
 

  

PRECLEARANCE OF PERSONAL SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS

 

All Decision-Making Access Persons wishing to engage in a Personal Securities Transaction involving, as defined in the Securities Act of 1933, an Initial Public Offering (IPO) or a Limited Offering, must obtain prior authorization of any such Personal Securities Transaction from the Chief Compliance Officer or such person or persons that the Chief Compliance Officer may from time to time designate to make such authorizations. Personal Securities Transactions by the Chief Compliance Officer involving an IPO or Limited Offering, shall require prior authorization from the President or Chief Executive Officer of the Trust (unless such person is also the Chief Compliance Officer) or their designee, who shall perform the review and approval functions relating to reports and trading by the Chief Compliance Officer. The Trust shall adopt the appropriate forms and procedures for implementing this Code of Ethics.

 

Any authorization so provided is effective until the close of business on the fifth trading day after the authorization is granted. In the event that an order for the Personal Securities Transaction involving an IPO or Limited Offering, is not placed within that time period, a new authorization must be obtained. If the order for the transaction is placed but not executed within that time period, no new authorization is required unless the person placing the order originally amends the order in any manner. Authorization for “good until canceled” orders is effective unless the order conflicts with a Trusts order.

 

If a Decision-Making Access Person wishing to effect a Personal Securities Transaction learns, while the order is pending, that the same Security is being considered for Purchase or Sale by a Fund, he or she should consult with the Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee.

 

 

REPORTING AND MONITORING

 

The Chief Compliance Officer or such person or persons that the Chief Compliance Officer may from time to time designate shall monitor all personal trading activity of all Access Persons pursuant to the procedures established under this Code. An Access Person of either Trust who is also an access person of the Trust’s principal underwriter or their affiliates or an Access Person of a Fund’s Adviser or Sub-Adviser may submit reports required by this Section on forms prescribed by the Code of Ethics of such principal underwriter, Adviser, or Sub-Adviser provided that such forms comply with the requirements of Rule 17j-1(d)(1) of the 1940 Act.

 

Disclosure of Personal Brokerage Accounts

 

Within ten days of the commencement of employment or at the commencement of a relationship with the Trust, all Access Persons, except Independent Trustees, are required to submit to the Chief Compliance Officer or his designee a report stating the names and account numbers of all of their personal brokerage accounts, brokerage accounts of members of their Immediate Family, and any brokerage accounts which they control or in which they or an Immediate Family member has Beneficial Ownership. Such report must contain the date on which it is submitted and the information in the report must be current as of a date no more than 45 days prior to that date. In addition, if a new brokerage account is opened during the course of the year, the Chief Compliance Officer or his designee must be notified immediately.

 

 
 

The information required by the above paragraph must be provided to the Chief Compliance Officer or his designee on an annual basis, and the report of such should be submitted with the annual holdings reports described below.

 

Each of these accounts is required to furnish duplicate confirmations and statements to the Chief Compliance Officer or his designee. These statements and confirms for each series of the Trusts may be sent to the Advisers.

 

Initial Holdings Report

Within ten days of becoming an Access Person (and with information that is current as of a date no more than 45 days prior to the date that the report was submitted), each Access Person, except Independent Trustees must submit a holdings report that must contain, at a minimum, the title and type of Security, and as applicable, the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, number of shares, and principal amount of each Covered Security in which the Access Person has any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership. This report must state the date on which it is submitted.

 

Annual Holdings Reports

 

All Access Persons, except Independent Trustees, must supply the information that is required in the initial holdings report on an annual basis, and such information must be current as of a date no more than 45 days prior to the date that the report was submitted. Such reports must state the date on which they are submitted.

 

QUARTERLY TRANSACTION REPORTS

 

All Access Persons shall report to the Chief Compliance Officer or his designee the following information with respect to transactions in a Covered Security in which such person has, or by reason of such transaction acquires, any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership in the Covered Security:

 

· The date of the transaction, the title, and as applicable the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, interest rate and maturity date, number of shares, and the principal amount of each Covered Security;
· The nature of the transaction (i.e., purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition);
· The price of the Covered Security at which the transaction was effected; and
· The name of the broker, dealer, or bank with or through whom the transaction was effected.
· The date the Access Person Submits the Report.

 

Reports pursuant to this section of this Code shall be made no later than 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter in which the transaction to which the report relates was effected, and shall include a certification that the reporting person has reported all Personal Securities Transactions required to be disclosed or reported pursuant to the requirements of this Code. Confirmations and Brokerage Statements sent directly to each Adviser’s address noted above is an acceptable form of a quarterly transaction report.

 

An Independent Trustee need only make a quarterly transaction report if he or she, at the time of the transaction, knew, or in the ordinary course of fulfilling his or her official duties as a Trustee, should have known that during the 15-day period immediately preceding or following the date of the transaction by the Independent Trustee, the Covered Security was purchased or sold by a Fund or was considered for purchase or sale by a Fund.

 

 

 

 
 

ENFORCEMENTS AND PENALTIES

 

The Chief Compliance Officer or his designee shall review the transaction information supplied by Access Persons. If a transaction appears to be a violation of this Code, the transaction will be reported to the Trusts Board of Trustees.

 

Upon being informed of a violation of this Code, the Trusts Board of Trustees may impose sanctions as it deems appropriate, including but not limited to, a letter of censure or suspension, termination of the employment of the violator, or a request for disgorgement of any profits received from a securities transaction effected in violation of this Code. The Trust shall impose sanctions in accordance with the principle that no Access Person may profit at the expense of its clients. Any losses are the responsibility of the violator. Any profits realized on personal securities transactions in violation of the Code must be disgorged in a manner directed by the Board of Trustees.

 

At least annually, the Chief Compliance Officer a shall issue a report on Personal Securities Transactions by Access Person. The report submitted to the board shall:

 

· Summarize existing procedures concerning Personal Securities investing and any changes in the procedures made during the prior year;
· Identify any violations of this Code and any significant remedial action taken during the prior year; and;
· Identify any recommended changes in existing restrictions or procedures based upon the experience under the Code, evolving industry practices or developments in applicable laws and regulations.

 

 

Acknowledgement

 

The Trust must provide all Access Persons with a copy of this Code. Upon receipt of this Code, all Access Persons must do the following:

 

All new Access Persons must read the Code, complete all relevant forms supplied by the Chief Compliance Officer or his designee (including a written acknowledgement of their receipt of the Code), and schedule a meeting with the Chief Compliance Officer or his designee to discuss the provisions herein within two calendar weeks of employment.

 

Existing Access Persons who did not receive this Code upon hire, for whatever reason, must read the Code, complete all relevant forms supplied by the Chief Compliance Officer or his designee (including a written acknowledgement of their receipt of the Code), and schedule a meeting with the Chief Compliance Officer or his designee to discuss the provisions herein at the earliest possible time, but no later than the end of the current quarter.

 

All Access Persons must certify on an annual basis that they have read and understood the Code.

 

Rev. 02/2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EMPLOYEE CODE OF ETHICS AND

PERSONAL TRADING POLICY AND PROCEDURES OF

WEATHERBIE CAPITAL, LLC

As amended May 19, 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been provided with a copy of and have read the Weatherbie Capital, LLC Employee Code of Ethics and Personal Trading Policy and Procedures (“Policy”), as amended May 19, 2017. I understand the Policy and agree to comply with the Policy during the course of my employment with Weatherbie Capital, LLC, its subsidiaries and affiliates.

 

 

 

 

 

Signature of Employee

 

 

 

 

Name of Employee

 

 

 

Submission Date

 

 

 

 

 

 

BOS-1470083 v4 0514770-00506m2014

 
 

EMPLOYEE CODE OF ETHICS AND

PERSONAL TRADING POLICY AND PROCEDURES OF

WEATHERBIE CAPITAL, LLC

As amended May 19, 2017

 

INTRODUCTION

 

This Employee Code of Ethics and Personal Trading Policy and Procedures (the “Policy”) sets forth: (I) the standard of business conduct expected and required of all Weatherbie Capital, LLC (“Weatherbie”) Employees; (II) the policy and procedures pertaining to personal trading and causing the trading of securities while in possession of confidential information and Material Non-Public Information; and (III) Employee reporting requirements as required under Rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“Investment Company Act”) and Rule 204A-1 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (“Advisers Act”).

 

This Policy supersedes the Employee Trading Policy and Procedures dated January 2, 2014.

 

Every Employee is required to read this Policy and retain a copy in his or her records. Any questions regarding the Policy should be referred to Ms. Elizabeth Flanders (the “Chief Compliance Officer”).

 

Definitions

 

Access Person ”: An Access Person is any Employee (i) who has access to nonpublic information regarding the purchase or sale of Securities and/or the Portfolio Holdings of any client, including any Registered Fund Client; or (ii) who is involved in making securities recommendations to clients, including any Registered Fund Client; or (iii) who has access to such recommendations that are nonpublic. As of the date of this Policy, all Weatherbie Employees are determined to meet the definition of Access Person, therefore the terms “Access Person” and “Employee” may be used interchangeably throughout this Policy. See definition of “ Employee

 

“Advisers Act” : means the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.

 

“Beneficial Ownership” : Beneficial Ownership of a Security is to be determined in the same manner as it is for purposes of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. This means that a person should generally consider himself or herself a beneficial owner of any Securities if he or she has: (i) a direct or indirect pecuniary interest in the Securities; (ii) the power to vote or direct the voting of the shares of the Securities; or (iii) the power to dispose or direct the disposition of the Securities. In addition, an Employee is deemed to have a beneficial interest in securities and other financial instruments owned by members of his or her immediate family. 1 Common examples of beneficial interest include joint accounts, spousal accounts, UGTMA

 

 

________________________ 

1   ”Immediate family” of an Employee means any of the following persons who reside in the same household as the Employee:

Child

Grandparent

Son-in-law

Stepchild Spouse Daughter-in-law
Grandchild Sibling Brother-in-law
Parent Mother-in-law Sister-in-law
 
 

accounts, partnerships, trusts and controlling interests in corporations. Any uncertainty as to whether an Employee has a beneficial interest in a security or other financial instrument should be brought to the attention of the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

“Chief Compliance Officer” : means the person appointed by Weatherbie to such position pursuant to rule 206(4)-7(c) under the Advisers Act. As of the date of this Policy, Weatherbie’s Chief Compliance Officer is Ms. Elizabeth Flanders.

 

“Employee” : means any partner, officer, director, manager or managing member (or other person occupying a similar status or performing similar functions), or other individual employed by Weatherbie, or other person who provides investment advice on behalf of Weatherbie and is subject to the supervision and control of Weatherbie. As of the date of this Policy, all Weatherbie Employees are determined to meet the definition of Access Person, therefore the terms “Access Person” and “Employee” may be used interchangeably throughout this Policy. See definition of “ Access Person ”.

 

“Federal Securities Laws” : Federal Securities Laws mean the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Investment Company Act, the Advisers Act, Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, any rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission under any of these statutes, the Bank Secrecy Act, as it applies to funds and investment advisers, and any rules adopted thereunder by the Securities and Exchange Commission or the Department of the Treasury.

 

“IPO” : An offering of Securities that is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the issuer of which, immediately before the registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of Sections 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

Investment Company Act ”: means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

“Limited Offering ”: An offering of Securities that is exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, pursuant to Section 4(2) or 4(6) thereof, or pursuant to Rules 504, 505 or 506 of Regulation D thereunder. This includes private investment funds whether or not they are managed by Weatherbie Capital, LLC

 

“Personal Account” : means any Securities account in which the Employee has direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership.

 

“Registered Fund Client” : A Registered Fund Client is an advisory client of Weatherbie that is an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act. “Registered Fund Client” includes investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act for which Weatherbie serves as sub-adviser.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stepparent              Father-in-law

Immediate family also includes adoptive relationships and any other relationship (whether or not recognized by law) that the Chief Compliance Officer determines could lead to possible conflicts of interest, diversions of corporate opportunity, or appearances of impropriety that the Policy is intended to prevent.

2  
 

Reportable Security ”, “Security” or “Security Trading” : means any note, stock, treasury stock, security future, closed-end fund, bond, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, collateral-trust certificate, pre- organization certificate or subscription, transferable share, investment contract, voting-trust certificate, certificate of deposit for a security, fractional undivided interest in oil, gas, or other mineral rights, any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege on any security (including a certificate of deposit) or on any group or index of securities (including any interest therein or based on the value thereof), or any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to foreign currency, or, in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a “security,” or any certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guarantee of, or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase any of the foregoing. In addition, all transactions in each Employee’s account in the Weatherbie Profit Sharing Plan are considered Reportable for purposes of this Policy, as are investments in Weatherbie Growth Fund, LP or any product in which Weatherbie Capital, LLC acts as investment adviser.

 

Exempt from Reporting and Pre-Clearance are the following:

 

1. Direct obligations of the Government of the United States;

 

2. Bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements;

 

3. Shares issued by open-end (mutual) funds, other than Registered Fund Clients; and

 

4. Further description for items to be Pre-Cleared appears in Part II, Section C.

 

PART I: STANDARD OF BUSINESS CONDUCT

 

A. Standards of Business Conduct

 

The following standards of business conduct shall set forth the interpretation and administration of this Policy and govern Weatherbie Employees’ fiduciary obligations and activities:

 

1. The interests of our advisory clients must be placed first at all times;

 

2. All personal securities transactions must be conducted consistent with the Policy and in such a manner as to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest or any abuse of an Employee’s position of trust and responsibility;

 

3. Employees should not take inappropriate advantage of their positions; and

 

4. Employees must comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including the applicable Federal Securities Laws.

 

The Policy does not attempt to identify all possible conflicts of interest, and literal compliance with each of its specific provisions will not shield Employees from liability for personal trading or other conduct that violates his or her fiduciary duties to clients.

 

Weatherbie forbids any Employee, manager, director or officer of Weatherbie (each an “Employee”) from trading, either personally or on behalf of others, on material nonpublic information or communicating material nonpublic information to others in violation of the law. This conduct is often referred to as “insider trading.”

3  
 

This Policy also prohibits Employees from investing in any Reportable Security without the prior consent of the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

All Employees must promptly report to the Chief Compliance Officer any violations of the Policy that come to his or her attention.

 

PART II: INSIDER TRADING POLICY

 

A. What is Insider Trading: Definitions and Implications

 

The term “insider trading” is generally used to refer to the use of material nonpublic information to trade in securities (regardless of whether one is an “insider”) or the communication of material nonpublic information to others. The law concerning insider trading prohibits:

 

1. Trading by an insider while in possession of material nonpublic information, or

 

2. Trading by a non-insider while in possession of material nonpublic information, where the information either was disclosed to the non-insider in violation of an insider's duty to keep it confidential or was misappropriated, or

 

3. “Tipping” - communicating material nonpublic information to others.

 

Some practical questions and issues regarding insider trading, and the penalties for such unlawful conduct, are detailed below.

 

(a) Who is an “Insider”?

 

In addition to any Employee, officer or director of a company, any person can be a “temporary insider” if he or she enters into a special confidential relationship in the conduct of a company's affairs and as a result is given access to information intended solely for the company's purposes. A temporary insider can include a company's attorneys, accountants, consultants, bank lending officers, and the Employees of such organizations. Weatherbie could potentially become a temporary insider of a company it advises or for which it performs other services.

(b) What is “Material Information”?

 

Material information generally is defined as information for which there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider it important in making an investment decision, or information that is reasonably certain to have a substantial effect on the price of a company's securities. Such information includes, but is not limited to, dividend changes, earnings estimates or changes in previously released estimates, significant merger or acquisition proposals or agreements, major litigation, liquidity problems, and extraordinary management developments. It is also important to note that material information does not have to relate to a company's business.

(c) What is “Nonpublic Information”?

 

Information is nonpublic until it has been effectively communicated to the market place. One must be able to point to some fact to show that the information is generally public.

4  
 
(d) What are the Penalties for Insider Trading?

 

Penalties for communicating or trading on material nonpublic information are severe, both for individuals involved in such unlawful conduct and for their employers. The unlawful use of inside information subjects the person engaged in the unlawful trading and, among others, his or her employer to civil liability (even if the Employee or employer does not personally benefit from the violation). For a party's first insider trading violation, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) may impose against controlling persons civil penalties of $1 million or three times any profits obtained or losses avoided and may impose against corporations civil penalties of $25 million for failing to take proper steps to prevent insider trading or tipping violations by those who are under their supervision.

The law requires investment advisers to adopt, maintain and enforce written insider trading policies and procedures designed to prevent the misuse of material nonpublic information by their directors, officers and Employees. Failing to do so can be a predicate for an SEC disciplinary action or, if violations occur, an SEC suit to recover the civil penalties from controlling persons and violators. Violators also may be subject to criminal penalties.

 

B. How to Avoid Insider Trading

 

The following procedures have been established to help Weatherbie Employees avoid insider trading and to help Weatherbie prevent, detect and impose sanctions against insider trading. Every Weatherbie Employee is required to follow these procedures or risk serious sanctions. These sanctions can include dismissal, substantial personal liability and criminal penalties.

 

1. Identifying Inside Information

 

Prior to trading for yourself or others in the securities of a company about which you could potentially have inside information, ask yourself the following questions:

Is the information material? Is this information that an investor would consider important in making an investment decision? Is this information that would substantially affect the market price of the securities if generally disclosed?

 

Is the information nonpublic? To whom has this information been provided? Has the information been effectively communicated to the marketplace by being published in a publication of general circulation?

 

If, after consideration of the above, you believe that the information is material and nonpublic or if you have questions as to whether the information is material and nonpublic, you should take the following steps:

Do not purchase or sell the securities or other financial instruments on behalf of yourself or others.

 

Report the matter as soon as possible to the Chief Compliance Officer or her designee.

 

Do not communicate the information to anyone other than the Chief Compliance Officer or her designee.
5  
 
After the issue has been reviewed, you will be instructed either to continue the prohibition against trading or you will be allowed to trade and/or communicate the information.

 

2. Restricting Access to Material Nonpublic Information

Information in your possession that you identify as material and nonpublic may not be communicated to anyone, including persons within Weatherbie , except as provided above. In addition, care should be taken so that such information is secure. For example, files containing material nonpublic information should be sealed, and access to computer files containing material nonpublic information should be restricted.

 

C. Pre-Clearance Procedure for Securities; Short Selling; Options and Futures

 

Weatherbie seeks to avoid conflicts of interest involving its primary business as an investment adviser. Therefore, without the prior written approval of the Chief Compliance Officer or her designee, no Weatherbie representative shall deal in any Reportable Security that currently is being purchased or sold by a client of Weatherbie, or that has been recommended by Weatherbie for purchase or sale. A gift or transfer shall be excluded from this restriction provided that the donee or transferee represents that it has no present intention of selling the donated Reportable Security. This restriction shall apply from the moment that any representative has learned or been informed in any fashion that a Weatherbie analyst, portfolio committee or manager is considering or intends to recommend the purchase or sale of such Reportable Security. In addition, without the prior written approval of the Chief Compliance Officer or her designee, no Weatherbie representative shall transmit any knowledge of such transaction, recommendation, or determination to any person other than in connection with the proper execution of such purchase or sale for our clients' accounts. In the case of an individual making the recommendation, it is the intent that s/he shall not deal in the Reportable Security from the moment s/he has determined, or been requested, to make a recommendation. These restrictions shall continue in force for ten business days after a recommendation has been made unless an authorization to buy or sell has been entered, in which case the restriction upon trading shall extend for an additional ten business day period after the last such trade has been effected.

 

Notwithstanding the above, no Employee (including an Employee's Personal Account) may buy or sell a Reportable Security for his or her own account, including but not limited to any IPO or Limited Offering, unless each transaction has received the prior written approval of the Chief Compliance Officer or her designee pursuant to the pre-clearance procedure described below.

 

Once a pre-clearance form has been presented to the CCO and she has authorized it, the employee may transact the trade immediately. A pre-clearance request in the form attached hereto as Appendix I should be completed for any transaction for an Employee's Personal Account and should be signed and presented to the Chief Compliance Officer or her designee. An Employee who obtains the written notice of a pre-clearance authority with respect to a transaction which the Employee proposes to enter for his or her account must execute that transaction on the day when such written notice is received unless otherwise stated on the notice.

 

No Weatherbie representative shall effect a short sale or purchase or sell options or futures contracts on individual securities in any Reportable Security held in a portfolio managed by Weatherbie. However, options and futures contracts on U.S. Government obligations and securities indices are permitted and do not need to be pre-cleared.

6  
 

The Chief Compliance Officer must obtain the prior written approval of the Director of Weatherbie before directly or indirectly acquiring or selling any Reportable Securities, including but not limited to Securities in an IPO or Limited Offering.

 

1. Exceptions to Pre-Clearing Requirements

 

(a) An Employee does not need pre-clearance with respect to Reportable Securities transactions effected for, and Reportable Securities held in, any account over which the Employee has no direct or indirect influence or control.
(b) Transactions involving the donation of a Reportable Security to a non-profit entity or passive, periodic security reinvestment programs 2 are not considered Reportable Securities trades for purposes of the Policy.

 

PART III: EMPLOYEE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

 

A. Investment Company Act and Investment Advisers Act

 

Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act governs personal securities transactions by Employees of advisers to Registered Fund Clients. Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act governs personal securities transactions by employees of advisers to any investment client. Fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative transactions in Securities that are held or to be acquired by any client, including but not limited to a Registered Fund Client, are prohibited. Specifically, Employees are prohibited from:

 

1. Employing any device, scheme or artifice to defraud any Registered Fund Client;

 

2. Making any untrue statement of material fact to any Registered Fund Client or omitting to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made to any Registered Fund Client, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading;

 

3. Engaging in any act, practice or course of business that operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit on any Registered Fund Client; or

 

4. Engaging in any manipulative practice with respect to any Registered Fund Client.

 

Additionally, Employees are prohibited from “front running” (directing any client’s or Registered Fund Client's investment in which any Employee or Weatherbie has an undisclosed interest).

 

B. Trading Restrictions

 

No Employee may have a beneficial interest in shares of a registered open-end investment company (other than a money market fund) that is purchased and sold, or sold and purchased, in any 30-day period. This prohibition shall apply to purchases and sales, or sales and purchases, regardless of whether those transactions occurred in a single account or across multiple accounts in which the Employee has a beneficial interest. However, this restriction shall not apply to purchases or sales made pursuant to a periodic investment or redemption plan in a deferred compensation, 401(k) or retirement plan, or the Weatherbie Profit Sharing Plan.

 

 

 

 

 

________________________ 

2       Including dividend reinvestment programs.

7  
 
C. Reporting Requirements

 

1. Initial Holdings Report

 

Each Employee shall submit to the Chief Compliance Officer an Initial Holdings Report no later than 10 days after the person becomes an Employee, containing the following information, which must be current as of a date no more than 45 days prior:

(a) ) the title and type, number of shares, the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number (if applicable) and principal amount of each Reportable Security in which the Employee has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership;

 

(b) the name of any broker, dealer, or bank with whom the Employee maintains an account in which Reportable Securities were held for direct or indirect benefit of the Employee as of the date the person became an Employee; and

 

(c) ) the date the report is submitted by the Employee.

 

2. Quarterly Transaction Reports

 

Each Employee shall provide a report of all transactions in all Personal Accounts during each calendar quarter to the Chief Compliance Officer within 30 days of the end of the quarter.

(a) With respect to any Reportable Securities transaction in any Personal Account during the quarter, such reports must contain the following information:
(i) ) the date of the transaction, title and type, the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number (if applicable) the interest rate and maturity date (if applicable), number of shares, and principal amount of each Reportable Security involved;

 

(ii) the nature of the transaction (i.e., purchase, sale or any other type acquisition or disposition);

 

(iii) the price of the Reportable Security in which the transaction was effected;

 

(iv) the name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through whom the transaction was effected; and

 

(v) the date the report is submitted by the Employee.

 

(b) With respect to any Personal Account established during any quarter by the Employee, including any account for shares in a registered open-end investment company in which the Employee has or acquires direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership:

 

(i) the name of the broker, dealer or bank with whom the Employee established the account;

 

(ii) the date the account was established; and

 

(iii) the date of the confirmation or account statement or the date the report is submitted by the Employee.
8  
 
3. Annual Holdings Reports

 

Each Employee shall report to the Chief Compliance Officer no later than January 30th of each year the following information, which must be current as of a date no more than 45 days prior:

(a) the title and type, number of shares, the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number (if applicable), and principal amount of each Reportable Security held for direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership of the Employee as of December 31 the prior year;

 

(b) the name of any broker, dealer or bank with the Employee maintains a Personal Account in which any Reportable Securities were held for the direct or indirect benefit of the Employee;

 

(c) the date the report was submitted by the Employee.

 

4. Annual Certifications

Each Employee shall report to the Chief Compliance Officer, no later than January 30th of each year:

(a) Certification that the Employee, as of December 31 of each year:

 

(i) has complied with all the terms and conditions of the prospectuses of the registered open-end investment companies in which he or she invests, including any provisions relating to market timing; and

 

(ii) does not have in place any arrangement or understanding with any registered open-end investment company in which he or she invests that would allow him or her special privileges not extended to all shareholders and not otherwise disclosed in the prospectus.

 

(b) Certification that the Employee, as of December 31of each year:
(i) has been provided with a copy of and has re-read this Policy and any amendments and agrees to continue to comply with the requirements of the Policy during the course of his or her employment with Weatherbie, its subsidiaries and affiliates.
(c) Gift Report
(i) have provided the CCO with a log of any gift received in the prior 12 month period

 

(d) Serving As Officers, Trustees and/or Directors of Outside Organizations

 

(i) have provided the CCO with request for approval to serve on an outside organization.

 

(e) Expert matching services

 

(i) have affirmed that no material non-public information was provided during a call with an expert that was not reported to the CCO.
9  
 
D. Directions for Reporting

 

1. How to Report Required Information

 

An Employee may, within the time periods as specified above in C(1)-(3), comply with the reporting requirements in C(1)-(3) above relating to Initial and Annual Holdings Reports and Quarterly Transaction Reports by either :

(a) providing to or arranging for the Chief Compliance Officer to receive duplicate copies of periodic account statements or broker trade confirmations containing information regarding Reportable Securities holdings and transactions for the relevant period in each Personal Account, provided that such statements or confirmations contain the all of the information specified in C(1) (a)-(c), C(2) (a)-(b) and C(3)(a)-(c) above; or
(b) by completing all appropriate appendices (attached hereto) with the requested information and submitting the completed appendices to the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

Employees must comply with C(4) by completing and submitting Appendix V on or before January 30th of each year.

2. Exceptions to Reporting Requirements

 

(a) An Employee need not make a report with respect to Reportable Securities transactions effected for, and Reportable Securities held in, any account over which the Employee has no direct or indirect influence or control.
(b) Transactions involving the donation of a Reportable Security to a non-profit entity or passive, periodic security reinvestment programs 3 are not considered Reportable Securities trades for purposes of the Policy.
3. Review of Reports

 

The reports described in C(1)-(4) shall be periodically reviewed by the Chief Compliance Officer.

E. Recordkeeping and Reports to Registered Fund Clients

 

Weatherbie shall maintain records at its principal place of business in the manner and to the extent set forth below, and shall make these records available for examination by the SEC or its representatives at any time and from time to time for reasonable periodic, special or other examination:

 

1. A copy of this Policy that is in effect, or at any time within the past five years has been in effect, shall be maintained in an easily accessible place;

 

2. A record of any violation of this Policy, and of any action taken as a result of such violation, shall be maintained in an easily accessible place for at least five years after the end of the fiscal year in which the violation occurs;

 

3. A copy of each report made by an Employee pursuant to this Policy, including duplicates of confirmations and account statements provided in lieu of the required reports, shall be maintained in an easily accessible place for at least five years after the end of the fiscal

 

 

 

________________________ 

3       Including dividend reinvestment programs.

10  
 

year in which the report is made or the information is provided, the first two years in an easily accessible place;

 

4. A record of all persons who are, or within the past five years have been, required to make reports pursuant to this Policy, or are or were responsible for reviewing these reports, shall be maintained in an easily accessible place;

 

5. A copy of each report and certification of the Chief Compliance Officer to each Registered Fund Client of Weatherbie must be maintained for at least five years after the end of the fiscal year in which it is made, the first two years in an easily accessible place; and

 

6. Weatherbie shall maintain a record of any decision, and the reasons supporting the decision, to approve the acquisition of Reportable Securities, including IPOs or Limited Offerings, for at least five years after the end of the fiscal year in which the approval is granted.

 

In addition, on an annual basis, Weatherbie's Chief Compliance Officer shall prepare a written report describing any issues arising under the Code of Ethics, including information about any material violations of the Code of Ethics or its underlying procedures and any sanctions imposed due to such violations and submit the information to each Registered Fund Client’s Chief Compliance Officer for review by the Registered Fund Client’s Board of Trustees.

 

Also on an annual basis, Weatherbie's Chief Compliance Officer shall certify to the Board of Trustees of each Registered Fund Client that Weatherbie has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent its employees from violating the Code of Ethics.

11  
 

APPENDIX I

WEATHERBIE CAPITAL, LLC

PERSONAL SECURITY TRANSACTION PRECLEARANCE REQUEST

As amended May 19, 2017

 

DATE:                                   

 

All Reportable Securities transactions, including but not limited to transactions in IPOs and Limited Offerings, must be precleared regardless of their size. If the transaction is to be other than a sale or purchase, mark it with an asterisk and explain the nature of the transaction on the reverse side. Describe the nature of each account in which transaction is to take place, i.e., personal, spouse, children, charitable trust, etc. If necessary, continue on reverse side.

 

 

PURCHASES

 

Security Amount or No. of Shares Broker Nature* of Account

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SALES

 

Security Amount or No. of Shares Broker Nature* of Account

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ signature page follows ]

 

 

 

 

________________________ 

*             Check here if you wish to claim that the reporting of the account or the securities transactions shall not be construed as an admission that you have any direct or indirect beneficial ownership in such account or securities.

12  
 

I represent that I am not in possession of material non-public information concerning the securities listed above or their issuer. If I am a Weatherbie Employee charged with making recommendations with respect to any of the securities listed above, I represent that I have not determined or been requested to make a recommendation in that security except as permitted by the Employee Code of Ethics and Personal Trading Policy and Procedures of Weatherbie.

 

 

 

 
Signature Date   

 

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This form must be filed prior to execution of the trade and covers all accounts in which you have a direct or indirect interest. This includes any account in which you have Beneficial Ownership (unless you have no influence or control over it) and non-client accounts over which you act in an advisory or supervisory capacity. No trade can be effected until approval from a pre-clearance authority has been obtained.

13  
 

APPENDIX II

WEATHERBIE CAPITAL, LLC INITIAL HOLDINGS REPORT

As amended May 19, 2017

This must be signed and submitted within 10 days of the start of employment with Weatherbie.

 

  TO: Chief Compliance Officer
  FROM:  DATE:                             
  RE: Initial Holdings Report

 

 

I hereby certify that the following list includes all holdings in Reportable Securities in which I have Beneficial Ownership (as defined in the Policy). I also certify that I will disclose, in writing, the identity of any new account in which I have a Beneficial Ownership in holdings at the time such account is established.

 

 

 

 

Title of Security

 

Type of Security

Ticker Symbol/CUSIP (as applicable)

Number of Shares

 

Principal Amount

 

Name of Broker/Dealer/Bank

           
           
           
           
           
           
           

 

 

 

 

 

Signature of Employee

 

 

 

Name of Employee

 

 

 

Submission Date

 

*             Check here if you wish to claim that the reporting of the account or the securities transactions shall not be construed as an admission that you have any direct or indirect beneficial ownership in such account or securities.

 

APPENDIX III

WEATHERBIE CAPITAL, LLC

QUARTERLY TRANSACTION REPORT

As amended May 19, 2017

 

This must be signed and submitted within 30 days of the end of each calendar quarter.

 

  TO: Chief Compliance Officer
  FROM:  DATE:                             
  RE: Quarterly Trading Report
    Period Ending                           

 

There were no Reportable Securities transactions during the above quarter except those listed below. Note : All transactions in Reportable Securities (as defined in the Policy) must be included, regardless of their size. Bank or brokers’ statements may be attached if desired instead of listing the transactions. If the transaction is other than a sale or purchase, mark it with an asterisk and explain the nature of transaction below. Describe the nature of the Beneficial Ownership in each account in which the transaction took place, i.e., personal, spouse, children, charitable trust, etc. If necessary, continue on the reverse side.

 

 

 

Title of Security

 

Type of Security

Ticker Symbol/CUSIP (as applicable)

Number of Shares

 

Principal Amount

 

Name of Broker/Dealer/Bank

           
           
           
           
           
           
           

 

[ signature page follows ]

 

 

 

 

 

 

I represent that none of the securities transactions reported above were effected while I was in possession of material non-public information concerning the securities or their issuer. If I am a Weatherbie Employee charged with making recommendations with respect to any of the securities listed above, I represent that the transaction in that security was not made at a time when I determined or had been requested to make a recommendation in that security except as permitted by the Employee Code of Ethics and Personal Trading Policy and Procedures of Weatherbie.

 

 

 

Signature of Employee

 

 

 

Name of Employee

 

 

 

Submission Date

 

*             Check here if you wish to claim that the reporting of the account or the securities transactions shall not be construed as an admission that you have any direct or indirect beneficial ownership in such account or securities.

 

 

 

 

 

- 2 -

 
 

APPENDIX IV

WEATHERBIE CAPITAL, LLC

ANNUAL HOLDINGS REPORT

As amended May 19, 2017

 

This must be signed and submitted by each Employee no later than January 30th of each year.

 

  TO: Chief Compliance Officer
  FROM:  DATE:                             
  RE: Annual Holdings Report For the Year Ended December 31,            

 

I hereby certify that the following list includes all holdings in Reportable Securities in which I have Beneficial Ownership (as defined in the Code). I also certify that I will disclose, in writing, the identity of any new account in which I have a Beneficial Ownership in holdings at the time such account is established.

 

 

 

Title of Security

 

Type of Security

Ticker Symbol/CUSIP (as applicable)

Number of Shares

 

Principal Amount

 

Name of Broker/Dealer/Bank

           
           
           
           
           
           
           

 

 

 

 

 

Signature of Employee

 

 

 

Name of Employee

 

 

 

Submission Date

 

*             Check here if you wish to claim that the reporting of the account or the securities transactions shall not be construed as an admission that you have any direct or indirect beneficial ownership in such account or securities.

 
 

APPENDIX V

WEATHERBIE CAPITAL, LLC

ANNUAL CERTIFICATION

As amended May 19, 2017

 

 

This must be signed and submitted by each Employee no later than January 30th of each year.

 

  TO: Chief Compliance Officer
  FROM:  DATE:                             
  RE: Annual Certifications For the Year Ended December 31, 20        .
     

 

A. Market Timing Certifications

I hereby certify that as of December 31, 20     ,

i. I have complied with all the terms and conditions of the prospectuses of the registered open-end investment companies in which I invest, including any provisions relating to market timing; and
ii. I do not have in place any arrangement or understanding with any registered open-end investment company in which I invest that would allow me special privileges not extended to all shareholders and not otherwise disclosed in the prospectus.
B. Annual Code of Ethics Certification

I hereby certify that as of December 31, 20     ,

i.      I have re-read the Policy, as amended May 19, 2017. I understand the Policy and I have complied with and will continue to comply with all of the requirements of the Policy during the course of my employment with Weatherbie, its subsidiaries and affiliates.

C. Gift Report – details enclosed
D. Outside Business Activity Report details enclosed
E. Expert Matching Service

I affirm that at no time did I receive or act on any material non-public information that was provided to me during a call that utilizes an expert matching service.

 

 

Signature of Employee

 

 

 

Name of Employee

 

 

 

Submission Date

 
 

APPENDIX VI

Gift Definition and Report

 

Definition of a gift : Employees may not accept limited investment opportunities, lavish gifts or other extravagant gratuities from individuals seeking to conduct business with Weatherbie, or on behalf of an advisory client. However, Employees may attend business meals, sporting events and other entertainment events at the expense of a giver, as long as the expense is reasonable and not lavish or extravagant in nature. Employees must report their intent to accept gifts over $100 to the CCO by completing this form. Reasonable gifts received on behalf of the Company shall not require reporting. Examples of reasonable gifts include holiday gift baskets and lunches brought to Weatherbie’s offices by unaffiliated companies, not limited to broker/dealers, vendors or clients.

 

Employees are prohibited from giving gifts that may be deemed as excessive, and must obtain approval to give all gifts in excess of $100 to any client, prospective client or any individual or entity that Weatherbie is seeking to do business with.

 

Employee(s) Receiving/Giving the Gift:

 

 

 

 

Describe the Gift:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Approximate Total Dollar Amount of Gift: $                           

 

Receiver/Giver of the Gift:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Has Employee Received/Given Additional Gifts from Receiver/Giver within the Past 12 Months? If yes, list the gifts received/given and the approximate Value of the Gifts:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Relationship of Receiver/Giver to Weatherbie and/or Employee(s):

 

 

 

 

Reason (if known) the Gift will be given by/given to Weatherbie and/or Employee(s):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

APPENDIX VII

Serving As Officers, Trustees and/or Directors of Outside Organizations

 

Employees may, under certain circumstances, be granted permission to serve as directors, trustees or officers of outside organizations by completing the form below. These organizations can include public or private corporations, partnerships, charitable foundations and other not-for- profit institutions. Employees may also receive compensation for such activities.

 

At certain times, Weatherbie may determine that it is in its clients’ best interests for an Employee(s) to serve as an officer or on the board of directors of an outside organization. For example, a company held in clients’ portfolios may be undergoing a reorganization that may affect the value of the company’s outstanding securities and the future direction of the company. Service with organizations outside of Weatherbie can, however, raise serious regulatory issues and concerns, including conflicts of interests and access to material non-public information.

 

As an outside board member or officer, an Employee may come into possession of material non- public information about the outside company, or other public companies. It is critical that a proper information barrier be in place between Weatherbie and the outside organization, and that the Employee does not communicate such information to other Employees in violation of the information barrier.

 

Similarly, Weatherbie may have a business relationship with the outside organization or may seek a relationship in the future. In those circumstances, the Employee must not be involved in the decision to retain or hire the outside organization.

 

Employees are prohibited from engaging in such outside activities without the prior written approval from the CCO. Approval will be granted on a case by case basis, subject to proper resolution of potential conflicts of interest. Outside activities will be approved only if any conflict of interest issues can be satisfactorily resolved and all of the necessary disclosures are made on Part 2A and 2B of Form ADV.

 
 

Serving As Officers, Trustees and/or Directors of Outside Organizations

 

The undersigned hereby requests approval for participation in the following outside activity:

 

 

 

 

Name and address of company or organization:

 

 

 

 

Nature of organization’s primary business or purpose:

 

 

 

Is this a public company? (YES/NO) If YES, stock symbol:

 

 

 

 

Complete description of anticipated role with organization:

 

 

 

 

 

Describe any compensation you will receive:

 

 

 

 

If this request for approval is granted:

 

Ø I agree to notify the Chief Compliance Officer of any change in the above information.

 

Ø I agree, for private or not-for-profit organizations, to seek approval to retain my position, as described above, if the organization decides to offer securities to the public, or ceases to maintain its not-for-profit status.

 

Ø I am aware of no other employees who are officers or directors of the organization noted above.

 

Ø I agree to adhere to the insider trading policies of both Weatherbie and the organization, and not to communicate any material non-public information in my possession regarding the organization to Weatherbie’s investment advisory or research staff.

 

Ø I will avoid participation in discussions regarding service, investment management, or other arrangements with Weatherbie or its affiliates, and will recuse myself from voting on any such matters.
 
 

First Associated Investment Advisors, Inc. (FAIA)

Code of Ethics and Personal Trading Policy

 

I. Overview

 

The purpose of this Code of Ethics and Personal Trading Policy (Code) is to set forth standards of conduct and personal trading guidelines that are intended to comply with Rule 204A-1 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (Advisers Act), and Rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (1940 Act). FAIA expects each of its Access Persons to follow the guidelines and requirements herein.

 

Every Access Person will be required to certify annually that:

 

· S/he has received this Code and any amendments to this Code;
· S/he has read and understood this Code and recognizes s/he is subject to its provisions; and
· S/he has complied with the applicable provisions of this Code and has reported all personal securities transactions and holdings required to be reported under Section IV of this policy.

Please see Glossary of Terms for definitions of italicized terms used throughout this Code. Questions concerning this policy should be directed to the Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) of FAIA.

 

II. Standards of Conduct

 

The Advisers Act imposes a fiduciary duty on all investment advisers, including FAIA. As a fiduciary, FAIA has a duty of utmost good faith to act solely in the best interests of each of its Clients , including The Teberg Fund (Fund), a registered investment company managed by FAIA. In meeting this fiduciary duty, FAIA and its Access Persons must strive to avoid and/or if appropriate, manage and/or disclose identified potential or actual conflicts of interest. Clients entrust the firm to prudently manage their assets, which in turn places a high standard on the conduct and integrity of Access Persons . This fiduciary duty compels all Access Persons to act with the utmost integrity in all dealings. This fiduciary duty is the core principle underlying this Code and represents the expected basis of all dealings with FAIA’s Clients and the Fund’s shareholders.

 

In connection with these expectations and in an attempt to manage conflicts of interest, FAIA and the Fund have established the following core principles of conduct. While the following principles are not all-encompassing, they are consistent with FAIA’s and the Fund’s cultures of trust, honesty, integrity, and openness which are evident throughout FAIA.

 

 
 
A. Core Principles
1. Access Persons are expected to comply with the Federal Securities Laws . Strict adherence to FAIA’s compliance policy manual and guidance provided by the CCO will assist Access Persons in complying with this important requirement;
2. The interests of Clients and the Fund’s shareholders should be placed ahead of those of all others;
3. Access Persons should not take inappropriate advantage of their position with FAIA or the Fund (as applicable);
4. Access Persons should avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest with any Client ;
5. Personal securities transactions should be conducted in a manner consistent with this policy, and should not adversely impact a Client’s account; and
6. FAIA and the Fund will strive to foster a healthy culture of compliance.
B. General Prohibitions

The Advisers Act prohibits fraudulent activities by Access Persons . Specifically, these persons may not:

 

1. Employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud a Client ;
2. Make any untrue statement of a material fact to a Client or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made to a Client , in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading;
3. Engage in any act, practice or course of business that operates or would operate as fraud or deceit on a Client ; or
4. Engage in any manipulative practice with respect to a Client .
C. Personal Conduct

1.                   Acceptance of Gifts and Receipt of Business Entertainment

 

a. Acceptance of Gifts

 

Access Persons are prohibited from receiving any gift, gratuity, hospitality or other offering of more than de minimis value (less than $100) during a calendar year excluding de minimis perishable items, from any person or entity doing business with FAIA. All gifts, with the exception of de minimis perishable items, must be reported to the CCO. The CCO will keep a log of all gifts reported and

 
 

periodically review gifts received for reasonableness, propriety and consistency with this policy.

 

b. Receipt of Business Entertainment

 

This policy does not impose a dollar limit on the receipt of business entertainment, items or events where the Access Person has reason to believe there is a legitimate business purpose, for example, business entertainment such as a dinner or a sporting event, of reasonable value. However, no Access Person may accept entertainment deemed to be excessive. A representative of the entity providing the entertainment must be present at the event to be considered legitimate business entertainment. If a representative is not at the event, then the entertainment is considered a gift subject to the limitations described in this policy. All entertainment received where the value is expected to be greater than $250 must be reported to the CCO. The CCO will keep a log of all business entertainment reported.

 

2.                   Giving of Gifts and Business Entertainment

 

a. Giving of Gifts

 

Access Persons are prohibited from giving any gift, gratuity, hospitality or other offering of more than a de minimis value (less than $100) to any person or entity doing business with FAIA during a calendar year. All gifts, with the exception of de minimis perishable items, provided shall be reported to the CCO. The CCO will maintain a log of such items. The CCO shall periodically review gifts provided for reasonableness, propriety and consistency with this policy.

 

b. Giving of Business Entertainment

 

The limits on providing gifts described above does not include providing business entertainment – items or events where the Access Person has reason to believe there is a legitimate business purpose, for example, business entertainment such as golf, a dinner or a sporting event, of reasonable value. As a general rule, an Access Person of FAIA is expected to attend any concert or sporting event where the ticket is provided by FAIA. If an FAIA Access Person is unable to attend, the tickets used by the recipient shall be considered a gift, subject to the limitations outlined at 10.3(C)(2)(a) above. No Access Person may provide business entertainment deemed to be excessive. FAIA shall track all business entertainment expenses in the firm’s corporate accounting records. Additionally, the CCO shall periodically review business entertainment hosted by FAIA.

 

3.                   Charitable Contributions

Access Persons are prohibited from making charitable contributions for the purpose of obtaining or retaining advisory contracts with organizations. In addition, Access Persons are prohibited from considering FAIA or the Fund’s

 
 

current or anticipated business relationships as a factor in making charitable contributions.

 

4.                   Political Contributions

Access Persons may only make political contributions as permitted in FAIA’s Political Contributions Policy. Access Persons are prohibited from making political contributions for the purpose of obtaining or retaining advisory contracts. In addition, Access Persons are prohibited from considering FAIA or the Fund’s current or anticipated business relationships as a factor in making political contributions.

 

5.                   Service as Director for an Outside Company

Any Access Person wishing to serve as director for an outside public company or private company (for profit or not-for-profit) must first seek the approval of the CCO. The CCO, in reviewing the request, will determine whether such service is consistent with the interests of FAIA, the Fund, Clients and the Fund’s shareholders.

 

6.                   Outside Business Activities

Access Persons wishing to engage in outside business activities must seek approval from the CCO and, if requested, provide periodic reports to the CCO, or her designee, summarizing those outside business activities.

 

D. Protection of Non-Public Information
1. Access Persons are expected to exercise diligence and care in maintaining and protecting Client and Fund shareholder non-public information as outlined in FAIA’s Privacy Policy.
2. Access Persons are also expected to not divulge information regarding FAIA’s securities recommendations or Client securities holdings to any individual outside of the firm, except as approved by the CCO.
3. Access Persons are expected to adhere to the Fund’s policy on the disclosure of mutual fund holdings.
III. Personal Trading Policy

 

A. Prohibited Transactions

Unless specifically permitted within this Code and excluding all personal securities transactions exempt from pre-clearance in Section III(B)(3), no Access Person shall execute a transaction in a Security when FAIA (on behalf of its Clients ):

 

1. Has a pending “buy” or “sell” order in that same Security ;
2. Has purchased or sold that same Security within 2 days (before or after); or
 
 
3. Is considering purchasing or selling that same Security . See the Glossary of Terms for the definition of a Security being considered for purchase or sale .”
B. Personal Trading Restrictions
1. Initial Public Offerings

Access Persons are not permitted to acquire securities in an IPO .

 

2. Private Placements

Access Persons are permitted to acquire Private Placements after requesting and obtaining pre-approval of the transaction. See Section III(A)(3) below for pre-clearance requirements.

 

3. Pre-Clearance of Personal Securities Transactions

Pre-clearance is required for all personal securities transactions with the exception of those outlined below:

 

a. Shares of registered open-end investment companies, excluding the Fund;
b. Direct obligations of the United States Government;
c. Bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and other high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements;
d. Shares issued by any money market fund;
e. Shares issued by unit investment trusts that are invested exclusively in one or more open-ended investment companies, including the Fund;
f. Transactions in accounts not managed by FAIA, in which the Access Person has no direct or indirect influence or control;
g. Securities acquired through stock dividends, automatic dividend reinvestments, stock splits, reverse stock splits, mergers, consolidations, spin-offs or other similar corporate reorganizations or distributions generally applicable to all holders of the same class of Securities; and
h. Transactions effected pursuant to an Automatic Investment Plan .

Pre-clearance requests should be submitted to the CCO, or her designee, and such requests should be made on the form maintained by the CCO. The pre-clearance authorization is effective until the close of business on the day the pre-clearance request is approved, unless extended or revoked at the discretion of the CCO. The CCO, or her designee, may disapprove such request for any reason she deems appropriate. All pre-clearance requests of the CCO shall be submitted to FAIA’s President for review and approval.

 
 

 

IV. Reporting Requirements

 

A. Quarterly Transaction Report
1. Timing of Report

Access Persons must submit a Quarterly Transaction Report to the CCO, or her designee, within 30 calendar days following the end of each calendar quarter, certifying whether the Access Person had any transactions during the previous quarter.

2. Content of Report
a. Each Quarterly Transaction Report must include the following information about the securities in which the Access Person has any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership :
i. Date of Transaction
ii. Name of Security
iii. Ticker Symbol or CUSIP Number, as applicable
iv. Interest Rate and Maturity Date, as applicable
v. Number of Shares or Par
vi. Principal Amount
vii. Nature of Transaction (i.e., Purchase or Sale)
viii. Price of Security
ix. Name of Broker
x. Date of the Report

 

b. Transactions in the following securities are not required to be reported:
1. Shares of open-end mutual funds that are not the Fund;
2. Direct obligations of the United States Government;
3. Bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper, and other high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements;
4. Shares issued by any money market fund;
5. Shares issued by unit investment trusts that are invested exclusively in one or more open-ended investment company, none of which are held in the Fund.
6. Transactions in accounts not managed by FAIA, in which the Access Person has no direct or indirect influence or control; and
7. Transactions effected pursuant to an Automatic Investment Plan .

 

c. Access Persons must also indicate on the Quarterly Transaction Report whether they established any new accounts during the previous quarter,
d. Access Persons may provide investment statements with the report if they contain all the required information described above. Either a hard copy or an electronic version is acceptable.
 
 
e. Regardless of the method of communication of transactions to FAIA, all Access Persons must sign and submit a Quarterly Transaction Report.

 

B. Initial and Annual Holdings Report
1. Timing of Report
a. Access Persons are required to submit an Initial and Annual Portfolio Holdings Report to the CCO, or her designee, indicating all personal securities holdings within 10 calendar days upon becoming an Access Person of FAIA and on an annual basis thereafter, within 30 days of calendar year end.
2. Content of Report
a. Each Holdings Report must be current as of a date not more than 45 calendar days prior to submission and include the following information about the securities in which the Access Person has any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership :

i.             Name and Type of Security

ii.             Ticker Symbol or CUSIP number

iii.             Number of Shares or Par

iv.             Principal Amount

v.             Broker or Bank Name

vi.       Date of the Report
b. Access Persons do not have to include the following securities on their Holdings Report:

i.             Direct obligations of the United States government;

ii.             Bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and other high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements;

iii.             Shares issued by any money market fund;

iv.             Shares of registered open-end investment companies, except the Fund, which is included(ETFs are not considered open-end investment companies for purposes of this Code, and therefore must be reported);

v. Shares issued by unit investment trusts that are invested exclusively in one or more open-ended investment companies, none of which are the Fund; and
vi. Holdings in accounts not managed by FAIA, in which the Access Person has no direct or indirect influence or control.
c. Investment statements may by submitted in lieu of the Holdings Report as long as all required information is included on the statements.

 

C. Review of Personal Securities Reports

The CCO shall generally consider the following factors when reviewing reportable security holdings and transactions reports as well as pre-clearance requests:

 

1. Whether the investment opportunity should have been directed to a Client’s account;
 
 
2. Whether the amount or nature of the transaction affected the price or market for the security;

3.       Whether the pre-clearance procedures were followed;

4. Whether the Access Person benefited from purchases or sales being made for Clients ;
5. Whether the transaction was consistent with the letter and the spirit of the Code;
6. Whether the transaction harmed any Client ; and
7. Whether the transaction has the appearance of impropriety.

The President will review the CCO’s personal securities reports. In no case should an Access Person review his/her own report.

 

V. Reporting to the Fund’s CCO and Board of Trustees

 

The Adviser’s CCO shall provide a quarterly report to the Fund’s CCO which shall identify any violations which required remedial action during the past quarter.

 

At least annually, the Adviser’s CCO shall prepare a written report to the Fund’s CCO that:

A. Describes any issues arising under the Code or procedures since the last report to the Fund’s Board of Trustees, including, but not limited to, information about material violations of the Code or procedures and sanctions imposed in response to the material violations; and
B. Certifies that FAIA and the Fund have adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating the Code and any material changes to the Advisers policies or Code.
VI. Reporting of Violations

 

All Access Persons shall report promptly any violation or suspected violation of this Code (including the discovery of any violation committed by another Access Person ) to the CCO. Examples of items that should be reported include (but are not limited to): non-compliance with Federal Securities Laws ; conduct that is harmful to Clients ; and purchasing securities contrary to the Personal Trading Policy. The CCO and President of FAIA will determine whether such violations should be reported to the Fund’s CCO.

 

Such persons are encouraged to report any violations or perceived violations as such good faith reports will not be viewed negatively by FAIA or the Fund’s management, even if the reportable event, upon investigation, is determined not to be a violation and the CCO determines the Access Person reported such apparent violation in good faith.

 

VII. Sanctions

 

 
 

Upon discovering a violation of the Code, the CCO and President or the Fund may impose such sanctions as they deem appropriate, including, among other sanctions, a letter of censure or suspension, or termination of employment of the violator.

 

VIII. Record Keeping Requirements

 

The following records will be kept in accordance with this Code:

 

A. Current and historic copies of this Code;
B. Access Persons’ written acknowledgement of receipt of Code;
C. Historic listings of all Access Persons subject to this Code;
D. Violations of the Code, and records of action taken as a result of the violations;
E. All personal securities transactions and holdings reports made by Access Persons and/or copies of investment account confirmations and statements;
F. All pre-clearance requests and approvals/disapprovals of personal security trading by Access Persons , including documentation of the reasons for the approval/disapproval; and
G. Any reports made to the Fund’s CCO or Board of Trustees.

 

 

Approved:    August 14, 2013

Revised:       August 1, 2016

 
 

Glossary of Terms

A. Access Person means any employee, director, owner, or officer of FAIA or the Fund; any other person the CCO has determined to be an Access Person because he or she is involved in making securities recommendations to Clients or has access to non-public information regarding (i) purchases or sales of securities, (ii) security recommendations or (iii) portfolio holdings.
B. Automatic Investment Plan means a program in which regular periodic purchases (or withdrawals) are made automatically in (or from) investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation. An Automatic Investment Plan includes a dividend reinvestment plan.
C. Beneficial Ownership has the same meaning as in Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”) except that the term applies to both debt and equity securities. As a general matter, “beneficial ownership” will be attributed to an Access Person who has or shares a direct or indirect monetary interest in a security, including through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise or who has investment control over the account in which the Access Person is beneficiary. An Access Person is not considered to have a direct or indirect pecuniary interest by virtue of a power of attorney, trusteeship or executorship unless the Access Person or a member of his or her immediate family sharing the same household has a vested interest in the securities held in, or the income of, the assets of the account, trust or estate.

Beneficial ownership typically includes:

 

1. Securities held in a person’s own name;
2. Securities held with another in joint ownership arrangements;
3. Securities held by a bank or broker as nominee or custodian on such person’s behalf or pledged as collateral for a loan;
4. Securities held by immediate family members sharing the same household (“immediate family” means any child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, including adoptive relationships); and
5. Securities owned by a corporation which is directly or indirectly controlled by, or under common control with, such person.

Any uncertainty as to whether an Access Person beneficially owns a security should be brought to the attention of the CCO.

 

D. Client means any person or entity for which FAIA serves as an investment adviser, including the Fund.
 
 
E. Disinterested Director means a director of the Fund who is not an “interested person” of the Fund within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act.
F. Federal Securities Laws means the Securities Act of 1933 (“1933 Act”), the 1934 Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the 1940 Act, the Advisers Act, Title V of the Gramm-Leach Bliley Act, any rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under any of these statutes, the Bank Secrecy Act as it applies to mutual funds and investment advisers, and any rules adopted thereunder by the SEC or the Department of Treasury.
G. Initial Public Offering (“IPO”) means an offering of securities registered under the 1933 Act, the issuer of which, immediately before the registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of Sections 13 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act.
H. Limited Offering , including Private Placements, are defined as equity positions within non-public companies and are exempt from registration pursuant to Section 4(2) or Section 4(6) under the 1933 Act, or Rule 504, 505 or 506 under said Act.
I. Monetary interest has the same meaning as “pecuniary interest” as described in Rule 16a-1(a)(2) of the 1934 Act; the opportunity to directly or indirectly profit or share in any profit derived from a security transaction.
J. Private Placement has the same meaning as “Limited Offering”.
K. Purchase or sale of a security includes, among other things, the writing of an option to purchase or sell a security, the conversion of a convertible security, and the exercise of a warrant for the purchase of a security.
L. Reportable Fund means any investment company where FAIA serves as investment adviser or sub-adviser, as defined in Section 2(a)(20) of the 1940 Act. Reportable Funds include the Fund.

 

M. Security has the same meaning as set forth in Section 202(a)(18) of the Advisers Act. Some of the more common instruments included in this definition are any note, stock, treasury stock, bond debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, interest in a private placement, or any put, call, straddle or option on any security or on any group or index of securities, including exchange traded funds.

 

N. A security is being considered for purchase or sale when a recommendation to purchase or sell a security has been made and communicated to a portfolio manager or persons advising a portfolio manager, and with respect to the person making the recommendation, when such person seriously considers making such a recommendation.

 

 

IX. Code of Ethics
A. Responsibility. It is the responsibility of all employees to ensure that HCM conducts its business with the highest level of ethical standards and to fulfill its fiduciary duties to its clients. A full copy of the HCM Code of Ethics is included in the Supplemental section of this manual.
B. Duty to Clients. HCM has a duty to exercise its authority and responsibility for the benefit of its clients, to place the interests of its clients first, and to refrain from having outside interests that conflict with the interests of its clients. HCM must avoid any circumstances that might adversely affect or appear to affect its duty of loyalty to its clients.
C. Privacy of Client Financial Information. A copy of HCM’s Privacy Principles is included in the Supplemental Section of this manual.
D. Prohibited Acts
1. Employing any device, scheme or artifice to defraud;
2. Making any untrue statement of a material fact;
3. Omitting to state a material fact necessary in order to make a statement, in light of the circumstances under which it is made, not misleading;
4. Engaging in any fraudulent or deceitful act, practice, or course of business; or,
5. Engaging in any manipulative practices.
E. Conflicts of Interest. HCM has a duty to disclose potential and actual conflicts of interest to their clients. All IARs and solicitors have a duty to report potential and actual conflicts of interest to HCM. Gifts (other than de minimis gifts, valued under $200.00) should not be accepted from persons or entities doing business with HCM.
F. Use of Disclaimers. HCM shall not attempt to limit liability for willful misconduct or gross negligence through the use of disclaimers.
G. Duty to Supervise. Advisers Act Section 203(e)(5) The CCO is responsible for ensuring adequate supervision over the activities of all persons who act on HCM’s behalf. Specific duties include, but are not limited to:
1. Establish procedures reasonably expected to prevent and detect violations by its employees;
2. Analyze its operations and create a system of controls to ensure compliance with applicable securities laws;
3. Ensure that all employees fully understand HCM's policies and procedures; and,
4. Establish an annual review process designed to provide reasonable assurance that HCM's policies and procedures are effective and are being followed.
H. Personal Trading Policy. HCM's procedures governing personal trading are covered in Section XI of this manual and the Code of Ethics in the Supplemental section of this manual.
I. Insider Trading. HCM’s procedures governing insider trading are covered in Section XII of this manual.
 
 

Code of Ethics

 

I. Introduction

 

As a professional organization serving the public in the area of investment management, Horizon Capital Management (hereinafter “HCM” or “the Company”) is guided in all actions by the highest ethical and professional standards. Accordingly, HCM has adopted this Code of Ethics (“the Code”) in order to set the standards of conduct to be followed by all persons associated with the Company. HCM has set high standards, the intention of which is to protect client interests at all times and to demonstrate the HCM’s commitment to its fiduciary duties of honesty, good faith and fair dealing with clients. All officers, directors and employees (“associated persons”) are subject to this Code and the procedures outlined in it. The policies and guidelines set forth in this Code of Ethics must be strictly adhered to by all associated persons. Severe disciplinary actions, including dismissal, may be imposed for violations of this Code of Ethics. All new employees will sign off on the Code within the first 10 days of employment. All employees will disclose annually their holdings to the CCO. All copies of the signed Code of Ethics , any holdings reports, pre-clearance forms, and any other code of ethics documents will be retained by the CCO.

 

HCM has several goals in adopting this Code. First, HCM desires to comply with all applicable laws and regulations governing its practice. We believe that compliance with such regulations is a signal to our clients that we exist to serve them, not ourselves, and that we support the efforts of those organizations dedicated to upholding the law.

 

Next, the management of HCM has determined to set forth guidelines for professional standards, under which all associated persons are to conduct themselves. All associated persons are expected to strictly adhere to these guidelines, as well as the procedures for reporting established in the Code. This will serve to educate associated persons regarding appropriate activities. HCM has instituted, as a deterrent, a policy of disciplinary actions to be taken with respect to any associated person who violates the Code.

 

Finally, HCM has adopted specific policies and procedures designed to assist in the implementation of the guidelines outlined below. Such policies and procedures will serve to assist in reviewing the effectiveness of the implementation of the Code on an ongoing basis.

 

II. Definitions

 

“Supervised Person”. This term includes directors, officers and partners of the Company, as well as any other person occupying a similar status or performing similar functions. HCM may also include in this category temporary workers, consultants, independent contractors and anyone else designated by the Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”). For purposes of the Code, such ‘outside individuals’ will generally only be included in the definition of a supervised person if their duties include access to certain types of information, which would put them in a position of sufficient knowledge to necessitate their inclusion under the Code. The CCO shall make the final determination as to which of these are considered supervised persons.

 

“Access Person”. All Access Persons are also Supervised Persons. An Access Person is one who has access to nonpublic information regarding any client’s purchase or sale of securities, is involved in making securities recommendations to clients, or has access to such recommendations that are nonpublic. All of the firm’s directors, officers, and partners are presumed to be access persons.

 

“Associated Person”. For purposes of this Code, all supervised and access persons may be collectively referred to as ‘associated persons’.

 

“Advisory Client”. Any person to whom or entity to which HCM serves an investment adviser, renders

 
 

investment advice or makes any investment decisions for a fee is considered to be a client.

 

“Reportable” or “Covered” Securities”. Such securities include stocks, bonds, notes, debentures and other evidences of indebtedness (including loan participations and assignments), limited partnership interests, investment contracts, and all derivative instruments, such as options and warrants.

 

“Non-Reportable Securities”. Specifically exempt from the definition of reportable or covered securities are: treasury securities; bank certificates of deposits, commercial paper, etc.; money market fund shares; shares of open-end mutual funds that are not advised or sub-advised by the Company; and units of a unit investment trust if the UIT is invested exclusively in unaffiliated mutual funds.

 

III. Guidelines for Professional Standards

 

· All associated persons must at all times reflect the professional standards expected of those engaged in the investment advisory business, and shall act within the spirit and the letter of the federal, state and local laws and regulations pertaining to investment advisers and the general conduct of business. These standards require all personnel to be judicious, accurate, objective and reasonable in dealing with both clients and other parties so that their personal integrity is unquestionable.

 

· All associated persons are required to report any violation of the Code, by any person, to the CCO or other appropriate person of the Company immediately. Such reports will be held in confidence.

 

· Associated persons must place the interests of Advisory Clients first. All associated persons must scrupulously avoid serving their own personal interests ahead of the interests of HCM's Advisory Clients. In addition, associated persons must work diligently to ensure that no client is preferred over any other client. HCM’s trading policy and procedures address this important issue in more detail.

 

· All associated persons are naturally prohibited from engaging in any practice that defrauds or misleads any client, or engaging in any manipulative or deceitful practice with respect to clients or securities.

 

· Associated persons must avoid taking inappropriate advantage of their positions. The receipt of investment opportunities, perquisites or gifts from persons seeking business with the Company or its Advisory Clients, could call into question the exercise of the independent judgment of an associated person. Associated persons should therefore use caution in these circumstances, and always consult the CCO when in doubt. Generally gifts valued over $200 are not permitted to be accepted by any associated person.

 

· No associated person may serve on the board of directors of any publicly traded company without prior written permission by the CCO, or other appropriate personnel.

 

· Associated persons must conduct all personal securities transactions in full compliance with this Code. Doubtful situations always should be resolved in favor of Advisory Clients and in cooperation with the CCO. Technical compliance with the Code's provisions shall not automatically insulate from scrutiny any securities transactions or actions that could indicate a violation of HCM's fiduciary duties.

 

· Personal transactions in securities by associated persons must be accomplished so as to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest on the part of such personnel with the interests of HCM’s clients. Likewise, associated persons must avoid actions or activities that allow (or appear to allow)
 
 

a person to profit or benefit from his or her position with HCM at the expense of clients, or that otherwise bring into question the person’s independence or judgment. The complete Personal Trading Policies are a part of this Code of Ethics.

 

· HCM has adopted Insider Trading Policies which set parameters for the establishment, maintenance and enforcement of policies and procedures to detect and prevent the misuse of material non-public information. The Insider Trading Policies are a part of this Code of Ethics.

 

· Associated persons are prohibited from accepting compensation for services from outside sources without the specific permission of the CCO or other qualified individual in the Company.

 

· When any associated person faces a conflict or potential conflict between their personal interest and the interests of clients, they are required to immediately report the conflict to the CCO for instruction regarding how to proceed.

 

· The recommendations and actions of HCM are confidential and private matters. Accordingly, we have adopted a Privacy Principles to prohibit the transmission, distribution or communication of any information regarding securities transactions in client accounts or other non-public information, except to broker/dealers or other bona fide service providers in the ordinary course of business. In addition, no information obtained during the course of employment regarding particular securities (including internal reports and recommendations) may be transmitted, distributed, or communicated to anyone who is not affiliated with the Company, without the prior written approval of the CCO.

 

 

 

 

 

Newfound Research LLC

Code of Ethics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amended and Restated December 2017.

 

 
 

Statement of General Policy

This Code of Ethics ("Code") has been adopted by Newfound Research LLC and is designed to comply with Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ("Advisers Act").

 

This Code establishes rules of conduct for all employees of Newfound Research LLC and is designed to, among other things, govern personal securities trading activities in the accounts of employees, immediate family/household accounts and accounts in which an employee has a beneficial interest. The Code is based upon the principle that Newfound Research LLC and its employees owe a fiduciary duty to Newfound Research LLC's clients to conduct their affairs, including their personal securities transactions, in such a manner as to avoid (i) serving their own personal interests ahead of clients, (ii) taking inappropriate advantage of their position with the firm and (iii) any actual or potential conflicts of interest or any abuse of their position of trust and responsibility.

 

The purpose of the Code is to preclude activities which may lead to or give the appearance of conflicts of interest, insider trading and other forms of prohibited or unethical business conduct.

 

Pursuant to Section 206 of the Advisers Act, both Newfound Research LLC and its employees are prohibited from engaging in fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative conduct. Compliance with this section involves more than acting with honesty and good faith alone. It means that Newfound Research LLC has an affirmative duty of utmost good faith to act solely in the best interest of its clients. Newfound Research LLC and its supervised persons shall not employ any device, scheme, or artifice to defraud any fund for which Newfound Research LLC serves as investment adviser. Furthermore, such parties shall not make any untrue statement of a material fact to such fund(s) or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made to such fund(s), in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading.

 

Newfound Research LLC and its employees are subject to the following specific fiduciary obligations when dealing with clients (where applicable):

 

The duty to have a reasonable, independent basis for the investment advice provided;
The duty to obtain best execution for a client's transactions where the Firm is in a position to direct brokerage transactions for the client;
The duty to ensure that investment advice is suitable to meeting the client's individual objectives, needs and circumstances; and
A duty to be loyal to clients.

 

In meeting its fiduciary responsibilities to its clients, Newfound Research LLC expects every employee to demonstrate the highest standards of ethical conduct for continued employment with Newfound Research LLC. Strict compliance with the provisions of the Code shall be considered a basic condition of employment with Newfound Research LLC. Newfound Research LLC's reputation for fair and honest dealing with its clients could be seriously damaged as the result of even a single securities transaction being considered questionable in light of the fiduciary duty owed to our clients. Employees are urged to seek the advice of Newfound Research LLC’s Chief Compliance Officer, for any questions about the Code or the application of the Code to their

1  
 

individual circumstances. Employees should also understand that a material breach of the provisions of the Code may constitute grounds for disciplinary action, including termination of employment with Newfound Research LLC.

 

The provisions of the Code are not all-inclusive. Rather, they are intended as a guide for employees of Newfound Research LLC in their conduct. In those situations where an employee may be uncertain as to the intent or purpose of the Code, he/she is advised to consult with the Chief Compliance Officer. The Chief Compliance Officer may grant exceptions to certain provisions contained in the Code only in those situations when it is clear beyond dispute that the interests of our clients will not be adversely affected or compromised. All questions arising in connection with personal securities trading should be resolved in favor of the client even at the expense of the interests of employees.

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Code or in any other document, nothing in this Code or in any policy or agreement shall prohibit a supervised person from reporting possible violations of federal law or regulation to any governmental agency or entity, including but not limited to the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Congress, and any agency Inspector General, or making other disclosures that are protected under the whistleblower provisions of federal law or regulation. Supervised persons do not need the prior authorization of the Chief Compliance Officer, the legal department or any other party to make any such reports or disclosures and no supervised person is required to notify Newfound Research LLC that it has made such reports or disclosures.

 

The Chief Compliance Officer will periodically report to senior management and/or the Board of Managers of Newfound Research LLC to document compliance with this Code.

 

Any amendments to the Code shall be promptly provided to the Board of any fund over which Newfound Research LLC serves as investment adviser.

 

Definitions

 

For the purposes of this Code, the following definitions shall apply:

 

“Access person” means any supervised person who: is an advisory person, a director, officer or general partner (or equivalent position for different types of organizations), or who has access to nonpublic information regarding any clients' purchase or sale of securities, or nonpublic information regarding the portfolio holdings of any Reportable fund our firm or its control affiliates manage or has access to such recommendations; or is involved in making securities recommendations to clients that are nonpublic.

 

“Advisory person” means any director, officer, general partner or employee of Newfound Research LLC (or any company or natural person in a control relationship to Newfound Research LLC) who makes, participates in or obtains information regarding the purchase or sale of reportable securities by Newfound Research LLC or whose functions relate to the making of any recommendations with respect to such purchases or sales or us otherwise designated by the Chief Compliance Officer as an access person.
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“Account” means accounts of any employee and includes accounts of the employee’s immediate family members (any relative by blood or marriage living in the employee's household), and any account in which he or she has direct or indirect beneficial interest, such as trusts and custodial accounts or other accounts in which the employee has a beneficial interest, controls or exercises investment discretion.

 

“Automatic investment” (including “pre-approved automatic 401(K) and other investments”) means a program in which regular periodic purchases or withdrawals are made automatically in (or from) investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation.

 

“Beneficial ownership” shall be interpreted in the same manner as it would be under Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 in determining whether a person is the beneficial owner of a security for purposes of Section 16 of such Act and the rules and regulations thereunder. Any report may contain a statement that the report will not be construed as an admission that the person has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership in the security to which the report relates.

 

“Federal securities laws” means the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002, the Investment Company Act of 1940, Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and any rules adopted by the Commission under any of these statutes, the Bank Secrecy Act as it applies to funds and investment advisers and any rules adopted thereunder by the Commission or the Department of the Treasury.

 

“Fund” means an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act.

 

“Initial Public Offering” or “IPO” means an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933, the issuer of which immediately before registration was not subject to the reporting requirements of Sections 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

 

“Limited Offering” means an offering exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933

 

“Reportable fund” means any registered investment company, i.e., mutual fund, for which our firm, or a control affiliate, acts as investment adviser, as defined in section 2(a) (20) of the Investment Company Act, or principal underwriter and any fund our firm controls, is controlled by or is under common control with.

 

“Reportable security” means any security as defined in Section 202(a)(18) of the Advisers Act, except that it does not include: (i) transactions and holdings in direct obligations of the Government of the United States; (ii) bankers' acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and other high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements; (iii) shares issued by money market funds; and (iv) transactions in units of a unit investment trust if the unit investment trust is
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invested exclusively in mutual funds, unless Newfound Research LLC or a control affiliate acts as the investment adviser, sub-adviser or principal underwriter for the fund (in which case such security shall be deemed a “reportable security”).

 

 

“Supervised person” means directors, officers and partners of Newfound Research LLC (or other persons occupying a similar status or performing similar functions); employees of Newfound Research LLC, including temporary employees, interns and individual consultants and contractors who provide services similar to those services provided by employees; and any other person who provides advice on behalf of Newfound Research LLC and is subject to Newfound Research LLC's supervision and control.

 

Standards of Business Conduct

 

Newfound Research LLC places the highest priority on maintaining its reputation for integrity and professionalism. That reputation is a vital business asset. The confidence and trust placed in our firm and its employees by our clients is something we value and endeavor to protect. The following Standards of Business Conduct set forth policies and procedures to achieve these goals. This Code is intended to comply with applicable federal and state laws, including the various provisions of the Advisers Act and also requires that all supervised persons comply with the various applicable provisions of applicable federal and state laws, including the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").

 

Section 204A of the Advisers Act requires the establishment and enforcement of policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent the misuse of material, nonpublic information by investment advisers. Such policies and procedures are contained in this Code. The Code also contains policies and procedures with respect to personal securities transactions of all “supervised persons” of Newfound Research LLC. These procedures cover transactions in a reportable security in which a supervised person has a beneficial interest in or accounts over which the supervised person exercises control as well as transactions by members of the supervised person's immediate family.

 

Section 206 of the Advisers Act makes it unlawful for Newfound Research LLC or its agents or employees to employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud any client or prospective client, or to engage in fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative practices. This Code contains provisions that prohibit these and other enumerated activities and that are reasonably designed to detect and prevent violations of the Code, the Advisers Act and rules thereunder.

 

Prohibition Against Insider Trading

 

Introduction

 

Trading securities while in possession of material, nonpublic information, or improperly communicating that information to others may expose supervised persons and Newfound

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Research LLC to stringent penalties. Criminal sanctions may include a fine of up to $1,000,000 and/or ten years imprisonment. The SEC can recover the profits gained or losses avoided through the illegal trading, impose a penalty of up to three times the illicit windfall, and/or issue an order permanently barring you from the securities industry. Finally, supervised persons and Newfound Research LLC may be sued by investors seeking to recover damages for insider trading violations.

 

The rules contained in this Code apply to reportable securities trading and information handling by supervised persons of Newfound Research LLC and their immediate family members.

 

The law of insider trading is continuously developing. An individual legitimately may be uncertain about the application of the rules contained in this Code in a particular circumstance. Often, a single question can avoid disciplinary action or complex legal problems. You are encouraged to notify the Chief Compliance Officer immediately if you have any reason to believe that a violation of this Code has occurred or is about to occur.

 

General Policy

 

No supervised person may trade, either personally or on behalf of others (such as investment funds and private accounts managed by Newfound Research LLC), while in the possession of material, nonpublic information, nor may any personnel of Newfound Research LLC communicate material, nonpublic information to others in violation of the law.

 

1. What is Material Information?

 

Information is material where there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider it important in making his or her investment decisions. Generally, this includes any information the disclosure of which will have a substantial effect on the price of a company's securities. No simple test exists to determine when information is material; assessments of materiality involve a highly fact-specific inquiry. For this reason, you should direct any questions about whether information is material to the Chief Compliance Officer. While the Chief Compliance Officer is available to assist you with any questions regarding the law and this Code, the responsibility ultimately rests with each individual to comply with the law and this Code, and to uphold the reputation of Newfound Research LLC.

 

Material information often relates to a company's results and operations, including, for example, dividend changes, earnings results, changes in previously released earnings estimates, significant merger or acquisition proposals or agreements, major litigation, liquidation problems, and extraordinary management developments.

 

Material information also may relate to the market for a company's securities. Information about a significant order to purchase or sell securities may, in some contexts, be material. Prepublication information regarding reports in the financial press also may be material. For example, the United States Supreme Court upheld the criminal

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convictions of insider trading defendants who capitalized on prepublication information about The Wall Street Journal's "Heard on the Street" column.

 

You should also be aware of the SEC's position that the term "material nonpublic information" relates not only to issuers but also to Newfound Research LLC's securities recommendations and client securities holdings and transactions.

 

2. What is Nonpublic Information?

 

Information is "public" when it has been disseminated broadly to investors in the marketplace. For example, information is public after it has become available to the general public through the Internet, a public filing with the SEC or some other government agency, the Dow Jones "tape" or The Wall Street Journal or some other publication of general circulation, and after sufficient time has passed so that the information has been disseminated widely. Newfound Research LLC believes that information is “nonpublic” until a reasonable time has passed after the information has become available to the general public (i.e., after a period of time necessary for the information to be absorbed by the public, and not necessarily immediately upon it becoming available).

 

3. Identifying Inside Information

 

Before executing any trade for yourself or others, including investment funds or private accounts managed by Newfound Research LLC, if any ("Client Accounts"), you must determine whether you have access to material, nonpublic information. If you think that you might have access to material, nonpublic information, you should take the following steps:

 

Report the information and proposed trade immediately to the Chief Compliance Officer.
Do not purchase or sell the securities on behalf of yourself or others, including investment funds or private accounts managed by the firm.
Do not communicate the information inside or outside the firm, other than to the Chief Compliance Officer.
After the Chief Compliance Officer has reviewed the issue, the firm will determine whether the information is material and nonpublic and, if so, what action the firm will take.

 

You are encouraged to consult with the Chief Compliance Officer before taking any action. This high degree of caution will protect you, our clients, and the firm.

 

4. Contacts with Public Companies

 

Contacts with public companies may represent an important part of our research efforts. The firm may make investment decisions on the basis of conclusions formed through such contacts and analysis of publicly available information. Difficult legal issues arise, however, when, in the

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course of these contacts, a supervised person of Newfound Research LLC or other person subject to this Code becomes aware of material, nonpublic information. This could happen, for example, if a company's Chief Financial Officer prematurely discloses quarterly results to an analyst, or an investor relations representative makes selective disclosure of adverse news to a handful of investors. In such situations, Newfound Research LLC must make a judgment as to its further conduct. To protect yourself, your clients and the firm, you should contact the Chief Compliance Officer immediately if you believe that you may have received material, nonpublic information.

5. Tender Offers

 

Tender offers represent a particular concern in the law of insider trading for two reasons: First, tender offer activity often produces extraordinary gyrations in the price of the target company's securities. Trading during this time period is more likely to attract regulatory attention (and produces a disproportionate percentage of insider trading cases). Second, the SEC has adopted a rule which expressly forbids trading and "tipping" while in the possession of material, nonpublic information regarding a tender offer received from the tender offeror, the target company or anyone acting on behalf of either. Supervised persons of Newfound Research LLC and others subject to this Code should exercise extreme caution any time they become aware of nonpublic information relating to a tender offer.

 

6. Restricted/Watch Lists

 

Although Newfound Research LLC does not typically receive confidential information from companies other than its clients, it may, if it receives such information, take appropriate procedures to establish restricted or watch lists in certain securities.

 

The Chief Compliance Officer may place certain securities on a "restricted list." Supervised persons are generally prohibited from personally, or on behalf of an advisory account, purchasing or selling securities during any period they are listed. Securities issued by companies about which a number of supervised persons are expected to regularly have material, nonpublic information should generally be placed on the restricted list. The Chief Compliance Officer shall take steps to immediately inform all supervised persons of the securities listed on the restricted list.

 

The Chief Compliance Officer may place certain securities on a "watch list." Securities issued by companies about which a limited number of supervised persons possess material, nonpublic information should generally be placed on the watch list. The list will be disclosed only to the Chief Compliance Officer and a limited number of other persons who are deemed necessary recipients of the list because of their roles in compliance.

 

Personal Securities Transactions

 

General Policy

 

Newfound Research LLC has adopted the following principles governing personal investment activities by Newfound Research LLC's supervised persons:

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The interests of client accounts will at all times be placed first;
All personal securities transactions will be conducted in such manner as to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest or any abuse of an individual's position of trust and responsibility; and
Supervised persons must not take inappropriate advantage of their positions.

 

Newfound Research LLC’s general policy is that all personal securities transactions involving reportable securities require the prior approval of the Chief Compliance Officer, subject to those exceptions listed in this Code of Ethics. Pre-cleared transactions involving reportable securities may be placed and completed prior to the end of the second trading day after approval, unless a shorter or longer time period is approved by the Chief Compliance Officer (i.e., once a transaction involving a reportable security is approved by the Chief Compliance Officer the supervised person has until the second market close after such approval to complete the transaction). Pre-clearance expirations are based on U.S. market hours. This means that if a pre-clearance is approved during market hours, it will expire at the market on the next trading day. If a pre-clearance is approved before or after trading hours, the employee will have the entirety of the next two trading days to execute the trade.

 

 

For the avoidance of doubt regarding the types of transactions that require prior approval, the following is Newfound Research LLC’s policy regarding participation in IPOs, private or limited offerings and registered funds:

 

Pre-Clearance Required for Participation in IPOs

 

No supervised person shall acquire any beneficial ownership in any securities in

an Initial Public Offering for his or her account, as defined herein, without the prior written approval of the Chief Compliance Officer, who has been provided with full details of the proposed transaction (including written certification that the investment opportunity did not arise by virtue of the supervised person's activities on behalf of a client) and, if approved, will be subject to continuous monitoring for possible future conflicts.

 

Pre-Clearance Required for Private or Limited Offerings

 

No supervised person shall acquire beneficial ownership of any securities in a limited offering or private placement without the prior written approval of the Chief Compliance Officer who has been provided with full details of the proposed transaction (including written certification that the investment opportunity did not arise by virtue of the supervised person's activities on behalf of a client) and, if approved, will be subject to continuous monitoring for possible future conflicts.

 

Pre-Clearance Required for Participation in Shares of Certain Registered Funds

 

No supervised person shall acquire or divest any beneficial interest or otherwise transact in any securities in an open-end registered mutual fund or exchange traded fund for which Newfound

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Research LLC or a control affiliate acts as the investment adviser, sub-adviser or principal underwriter for such fund for his or her account, as defined herein, without the prior written approval of the Chief Compliance Officer, who has been provided with full details of the proposed transaction (including written certification that the investment opportunity did not arise by virtue of the supervised person's activities on behalf of a client) and, if approved, will be subject to continuous monitoring for possible future conflicts. Automatic reinvestment of dividends or other distributions from such a fund shall not require additional approval of the Chief Compliance Officer. See Exhibit F.

 

Exceptions to General Policy Regarding Securities Transactions

 

Third-party accounts over which a supervised person has control or authority (whether by virtue of being a trustee for a 401(K) Plan, having been granted a power of attorney or otherwise) shall be reported to the firm through the general securities reporting system but, as long as the supervised person has not and is not actually exercising his or her powers over such accounts, transactions executed by parties other than the supervised person shall not require pre-approval of transactions, reporting of transactions or holdings to the firm and shall not be subject to the holding period requirement. At such time as the supervised person exercises such authority, all requirements of this Code of Ethics shall apply.

 

The following transactions shall not require the prior approval of the Chief Compliance Officer; however, all such transactions and holdings shall be reported to the firm through the general securities reporting system:

 

· Transactions in a managed account where the employee has no discretion;
· Dividend and capital gains automatic reinvestment;
· Pre-approved automatic 401(K) and other investments after the initial selections by the account holder (although the initial selection requires pre-clearance);
· Non-volitional transactions, such as stock splits, stock dividends, cash dividends, corporate actions, etc.;
· Transactions involving direct obligations of the government of the United States or other sovereign government or supra-national agency, high quality short-term debt investments, brokers acceptances, certificate of deposit, commercial paper and repurchase agreements;
· Purchases or sales of variable and fixed insurance products;
· Exercised stock options, rights, warrants or tender offers;
· Securities received via gift or inheritance; and
· Securities received or transferred to a spouse as part of a divorce or material dissolution proceeding or related settlement.

 

With respect to managed accounts over which the supervised person has no discretion, the Chief Compliance Officer shall confirm with the advisor that the supervised person has no discretion and in fact is not involved in any manner in the decision to purchase or sell of any security for such account.

 

Interested Transactions

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No supervised person shall recommend any securities transactions for a client without having disclosed his or her interest, if any, in such securities or the issuer thereof, including without limitation:

 

any direct or indirect beneficial ownership of any securities of such issuer;
any contemplated transaction by such person in such securities;
any position with such issuer or its affiliates; and
any present or proposed business relationship between such issuer or its affiliates and such person or any party in which such person has a significant interest.

 

Holdings Period Rule

 

Access persons must hold reportable securities for no less than 60 days. Generally, a first-in first-out accounting method will be applied to determine compliance with this holding rule. This holding period rule does not apply to reportable securities acquired via automatic dividend reinvestment.

 

Gifts and Entertainment

 

Giving, receiving or soliciting gifts in a business setting may create an appearance of impropriety or may raise a potential conflict of interest. Newfound Research LLC has adopted the policies set forth below to guide supervised persons in this area.

 

General Policy

 

Newfound Research LLC's policy with respect to gifts and entertainment is as follows:

 

No gifts shall be given or received without the prior written consent of the Chief Compliance Officer.
Giving, receiving or soliciting gifts in a business may give rise to an appearance of impropriety or may raise a potential or actual conflict of interest.
Supervised persons should not accept or provide any gifts or favors that might influence the decisions you or the recipient must make in business transactions involving Newfound Research LLC, or that others might reasonably believe would influence those decisions.
Modest gifts and favors, which would not be regarded by others as improper, may be accepted or given on an occasional basis, subject to pre-approval requirements. Dining or entertainment that satisfies these requirements and conforms to generally accepted business practices also is permissible, if, during such dining or entertainment, you are accompanied by the person or representative of the entity that does, or proposes to do, business with Newfound Research LLC.
Supervised persons shall use their reasonable judgment with respect to all gifts and entertainment, and shall consider the differences between:
o Attending a Red Sox game in May versus attending the World Series;
o Taking a prospective client for a routine lunch versus dinner at a steakhouse; and
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o Accepting tickets from a third-party to a sporting event versus accompanying a third-party to the same sporting event (the former being a gift and the latter likely being entertainment).
No supervised person shall ever give or receive inappropriate gifts, favors, entertainment, special accommodations or other things of material value that could influence decision-making or make them feel beholden to the firm or the person.
It is never appropriate or permissible to give or receive gifts of cash, cash equivalents, lottery tickets, gift cards, stocks, bonds, mutual funds or other securities if the gift involves a client, prospective client or other party Newfound Research LLC does or may do business with; unless, in the case of a gift card (for example, a Starbucks gift card) prior approval of the Chief Compliance Officer is obtained.
Any gifts given or received must be gratuitous, with donative intent, and not as compensation and never with an expectation of receiving anything in return.
Where there is a law or rule that applies to the conduct of a particular business or the acceptance of gifts of even nominal value, the law or rule must be followed.
Promotional gifts, such as those that bear the logo of a company’s name or that are routinely made available to the general public are generally acceptable business gifts that do not require pre-approval or reporting and are not considered “gifts” for purposes of this policy, provided that the value of the promotional gift does not exceed $100.00.

 

Reporting Requirements

 

All gifts and entertainment given or received to or from anyone who does business, or may do business, with Newfound Research LLC shall be reported to the Chief Compliance Officer through the firm’s compliance system, which shall be maintained by the Chief Compliance Officer. Nominal gifts and entertainment, such as business lunches, are required to be reported to the Chief Compliance Officer but occasional failures of a supervised person to report lunches the supervised person provides or receives for less than $50 shall not be deemed to be a breach of this Code of Ethics.

· This gift/entertaining-reporting requirement is for the purpose of helping Newfound Research LLC monitor the activities of its employees, including potential or actual conflicts of interest. However, the reporting of a gift does not relieve any supervised person from the obligations and policies set forth in this Section or anywhere else in this Code. If you have any questions or concerns about the appropriateness of any gift or entertainment, please consult the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

Political Contributions

 

No political contributions shall be made by Newfound Research LLC or any of its supervised persons without the written consent of the Chief Compliance Officer and only in accordance with Newfound Research LLC’s Compliance Manual. In connection with any such approval by the Chief Compliance Officer, the contributing party shall provide the Chief Compliance Officer with all information required by the firm’s “Political Contributions” policy in its manual and all such other information as may be required by the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

 

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Protecting the Confidentiality of Client Information

 

Confidential Client Information

 

In the course of investment advisory activities of Newfound Research LLC, the firm may gain access to non-public information about its clients. Such information may include a person's status as a client, personal financial and account information, the allocation of assets in a client portfolio, the composition of investments in any client portfolio, information relating to services performed for or transactions entered into on behalf of clients (if any), advice provided by Newfound Research LLC to clients, and data or analyses derived from such non-public personal information (collectively referred to as “Confidential Client Information”). All Confidential Client Information, whether relating to Newfound Research LLC's current or former clients, is subject to the Code's policies and procedures. Any doubts about the confidentiality of information must be resolved in favor of confidentiality.

 

Non-Disclosure of Confidential Client Information

 

All information regarding Newfound Research LLC's clients is confidential. Information may only be disclosed when the disclosure is consistent with the firm's policy and the client's direction. Newfound Research LLC does not share Confidential Client Information with any third parties, except in the following circumstances:

 

· As necessary to provide service that the client requested or authorized, or to maintain and service the client's account. Newfound Research LLC will require that any financial intermediary, agent or other service provider utilized by Newfound Research LLC (such as broker-dealers or sub-advisers) comply with substantially similar standards for non-disclosure and protection of Confidential Client Information and use the information provided by Newfound Research LLC only for the performance of the specific service requested by Newfound Research LLC;
· As required by regulatory authorities or law enforcement officials who have jurisdiction over Newfound Research LLC, or as otherwise required by any applicable law. In the event Newfound Research LLC is compelled to disclose Confidential Client Information, the firm shall provide prompt notice to the clients affected, so that the clients may seek a protective order or other appropriate remedy. If no protective order or other appropriate remedy is obtained, Newfound Research LLC shall disclose only such information, and only in such detail, as is legally required; and
· To the extent reasonably necessary to prevent fraud, unauthorized transactions or liability.

 

 

Employee Responsibilities

 

All supervised persons are prohibited, either during or after the termination of their employment with Newfound Research LLC, from disclosing Confidential Client Information to any person or entity outside the firm, including family members, except under the circumstances described above. A supervised person is permitted to disclose Confidential Client Information only to such

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other supervised persons who need to have access to such information to deliver the services of Newfound Research LLC to the client.

 

Supervised persons are also prohibited from making unauthorized copies of any documents or files containing Confidential Client Information and, upon termination of their employment with Newfound Research LLC, must return all such documents to Newfound Research LLC.

 

Any supervised person who violates the non-disclosure policy described above will be subject to disciplinary action, including possible termination, whether or not he or she benefited from the disclosed information.

 

Security of Confidential Personal Information

 

Newfound Research LLC enforces the following policies and procedures to protect the security of Confidential Client Information:

 

The firm restricts access to Confidential Client Information to those supervised persons who need to know such information to provide the services of Newfound Research LLC to clients;
Any supervised person who is authorized to have access to Confidential Client Information in connection with the performance of such person's duties and responsibilities is required to keep such information in a secure compartment, file or receptacle on a daily basis as of the close of each business day;
All electronic or computer files containing any Confidential Client Information shall be password secured and firewall protected from access by unauthorized persons; and
Any conversations involving Confidential Client Information, if appropriate at all, must be conducted by supervised persons in private, and care must be taken to avoid any unauthorized persons overhearing or intercepting such conversations.

 

Privacy Policy

 

Newfound Research LLC and all supervised persons, must comply with SEC Regulation S-P, which requires investment advisers to adopt policies and procedures to protect the “nonpublic personal information” of natural person clients. “Nonpublic information,” under Regulation S-P, includes personally identifiable financial information and any list, description, or grouping that is derived from personally identifiable financial information. Personally identifiable financial information is defined to include information supplied by individual clients, information resulting from transactions, any information obtained in providing products or services. Pursuant to Regulation S-P, Newfound Research LLC has adopted policies and procedures to safeguard the information of natural person clients.

 

Enforcement and Review of Confidentiality and Privacy Policies

 

The Chief Compliance Officer is responsible for reviewing, maintaining and enforcing Newfound Research LLC's confidentiality and privacy policies and is also responsible for

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conducting appropriate employee training to ensure adherence to these policies. Any exception to this policy requires the written approval of the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

Service as an Officer or Director

 

No supervised person shall serve as an officer or on the board of directors of any publicly or privately traded company without prior authorization by the Chief Compliance Officer or a designated supervisory person based upon a determination that any such board service or officer position would be consistent with the interest of Newfound Research LLC's clients. Where board service or an officer position is approved, Newfound Research LLC shall implement a "Chinese Wall" or other appropriate procedure, to isolate such person from making decisions relating to the company's securities.

 

Pre-Clearance Required for all Financial Services Related Outside Business Activities

 

No supervised person shall, directly or indirectly, serve as an officer or on the board of directors or trustees or otherwise perform any services for or be active or involved with any business activities for any company other than Newfound Research LLC if such other company is in the financial services business without the prior written approval of the Chief Compliance Officer who has been provided with full details of the proposed activities, duties or roles and, if approved, will be subject to continuous monitoring for possible future conflicts. Any supervised person who receives approval of the Chief Compliance Officer shall promptly resign from such outside business activities if requested by Newfound Research LLC or the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

Compliance Procedures

 

Reporting Requirements

 

Every supervised person shall provide initial and annual holdings reports and quarterly transaction reports to the Chief Compliance Officer which must contain the information described below (forms of which are attached to the end of this Code). It is the policy of Newfound Research LLC that each supervised person must arrange for their brokerage firm(s) to send automatic duplicate brokerage account statements and trade confirmations of all securities transactions to the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

1. Initial Holdings Report

 

Every supervised person shall, no later than ten (10) days after the person becomes a supervised person, file an initial holdings report containing the following information:

 

The title and exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, type of security, number of shares and principal amount (if applicable) of each reportable security in which the supervised person had any direct or indirect beneficial interest ownership when the person becomes a supervised person;
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The name of any broker, dealer or bank, account name, number and location with whom the supervised person maintained an account in which any securities were held for the direct or indirect benefit of the supervised person; and
The date that the report is submitted by the supervised person.

 

The information submitted must be current as of a date no more than forty-five (45) days before the person became a supervised person. See Exhibit C.

 

2. Annual Holdings Report

 

Every supervised person shall, no later than January 31 each year, file an annual holdings report containing the same information required in the initial holdings report as described above. The information submitted must be current as of a date no more than forty-five (45) days before the annual report is submitted. See Exhibit D.

 

3. Quarterly Transaction Reports

 

Every supervised person must, no later than thirty (30) days after the end of each calendar quarter, file a quarterly transaction report containing the following information:

 

With respect to any transaction during the quarter in a reportable security in which the supervised persons had any direct or indirect beneficial ownership:

 

The date of the transaction, the title and exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, the interest rate and maturity date (if applicable), the number of shares and the principal amount (if applicable) of each reportable security;
The nature of the transaction (i.e., purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition);
The price of the reportable security at which the transaction was effected;
The name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through whom the transaction was effected; and
The date the report is submitted by the supervised person.

 

See Exhibit E.

 

4. Exempt Transactions

 

A supervised person need not submit a report with respect to:

 

Transactions effected for, securities held in, any account over which the person has no direct or indirect influence or control;
Transactions effected pursuant to an automatic investment plan, e.g. a dividend reinvestment plan;
A quarterly transaction report if the report would duplicate information contained in securities transaction confirmations or brokerage account statements that Newfound
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Research LLC holds in its records so long as the firm receives the confirmations or statements no later than 30 days after the end of the applicable calendar quarter; and

Any transaction or holding report if Newfound Research LLC has only one supervised person, so long as the firm maintains records of the information otherwise required to be reported.

 

5. Monitoring and Review of Personal Securities Transactions

 

The Chief Compliance Officer, or a designee, will monitor and review all reports required under the Code for compliance with Newfound Research LLC's policies regarding personal securities transactions and applicable SEC rules and regulations. The Chief Compliance Officer may also initiate inquiries of supervised persons regarding personal securities trading. Supervised persons are required to cooperate with such inquiries and any monitoring or review procedures employed Newfound Research LLC. Any transactions for any accounts of the Chief Compliance Officer will be reviewed and approved by the Chief Investment Officer. The Chief Compliance Officer shall at least annually identify all supervised persons who are required to file reports pursuant to the Code and will inform such supervised persons of their reporting obligations.

 

6. For each new account established by a supervised person (or an account in which such person has a direct or indirect beneficial interest), the supervised person shall report, within five (5) days after the account is established, the name of the broker-dealer (or bank name), the account name, the account number, the date the account was established, and other information requested by the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

Certification

 

Initial Certification

 

All supervised persons will be provided with a copy of the Code and must initially certify in writing to the Chief Compliance Officer that they have: (i) received a copy of the Code; (ii) read and understand all provisions of the Code; (iii) agreed to abide by the Code; and (iv) reported all account holdings as required by the Code. The certification shall include the disclosure of the existence of any account over which the supervised person has authority (such as pursuant to a power of attorney or a trustee of a 401(K) plan), but which he or she is not actively exercising such power, and the certification shall so state that the power is not and has not then been exercised. The form of annual certification is attached to this Code. See Exhibit A.

 

Acknowledgement of Amendments

 

All supervised persons shall receive any amendments to the Code and must certify to the Chief Compliance Officer in writing that they have: (i) received a copy of the amendment; (ii) read and understood the amendment; and (iii) agreed to abide by the Code as amended.

 

Annual Certification

 

16  
 

All supervised persons must annually certify in writing to the Chief Compliance Officer that they have: (i) read and understood all provisions of the Code; and (ii) complied with all requirements of the Code. The certification shall include the disclosure of the existence of any account over which the supervised person has authority (such as pursuant to a power of attorney or a trustee of a 401(K) plan), but which he or she is not actively exercising such power, and the certification shall so state that the power is not and has not then been exercised. The form of annual certification is attached to this Code. See Exhibit B.

 

Further Information

 

Supervised persons should contact the Chief Compliance Officer regarding any inquiries pertaining to the Code or the policies established herein.

 

Records

 

The Chief Compliance Officer shall maintain and cause to be maintained in a readily accessible place the following records:

 

A copy of any Code of Ethics adopted by the Firm pursuant to Advisers Act Rule 204A-1 which is or has been in effect during the past five years;
A record of any violation of the Code and any action that was taken as a result of such violation for a period of five years from the end of the fiscal year in which the violation occurred;
A record of all written acknowledgements of receipt of the Code and amendments thereto for each person who is currently, or within the past five years was, a supervised person which shall be retained for five years after the individual ceases to be a supervised person of Newfound Research LLC;
A copy of each report made pursuant to Advisers Act Rule 204A-1, including any brokerage confirmations and account statements made in lieu of these reports;
A list of all persons who are, or within the preceding five years have been, access persons;
A copy of each report or certification made by an access person for at least five years after the end of the fiscal year in which the report or certification is made;
A record of all persons currently or within the past five years who are or were required to make reports or who are or were responsible for reviewing these reports; and
A record of any decision (and the reasons underlying such decision) to approve a supervised person’s acquisition of securities in IPOs and limited offerings within the past five years after the end of the fiscal year in which such approval is granted.

 

Reporting Violations and Sanctions

 

All supervised persons are required to promptly report to the Chief Compliance Officer or an alternate designee all apparent violations of the Code. Any retaliation for the reporting of a violation under this Code will constitute a violation of the Code and may be a violation of law.

 

17  
 

The Chief Compliance Officer shall promptly report to senior management all apparent material violations of the Code. When the Chief Compliance Officer finds that a violation otherwise reportable to senior management could not be reasonably found to have resulted in a fraud, deceit, or a manipulative practice in violation of Section 206 of the Advisers Act, he or she may, in his or her discretion, submit a written memorandum of such finding and the reasons therefore to a reporting file created for this purpose in lieu of reporting the matter to senior management.

 

Senior management shall consider reports made to it hereunder and shall determine whether or not the Code has been violated and what sanctions, if any, should be imposed. Possible sanctions may include reprimands, monetary fine or assessment, or suspension or termination of the employee's employment with the firm.

 

18  
 

 

Exhibit A

Newfound Research LLC

Code of Ethics

Initial Certification*

 

 

I, ______________________________ do hereby certify that:

(Print Name Above)

1.       I have received a copy of the Code of Ethics of Newfound Research LLC.

2. I have read and understand all provisions of the Code of Ethics of Newfound Research LLC.

3.       I agree to abide by the Code of Ethics of Newfound Research LLC.

4. I have reported all account holdings as required by the Code of Ethics of Newfound Research LLC.

 

 

Date: __________________________   __________________________________

 (Signature)

 

 

___________________________________

Chief Compliance Officer (Signature)

 

Date: _______________

 

 

 

 

 

*Note that Newfound Research LLC may utilize its automated compliance system in lieu of this form.

19  
 

 

 

Exhibit B

Newfound Research LLC

Code of Ethics

Annual Certification*

 

 

I, ______________________________ do hereby certify that:

(Print Name Above)

1. I have read and understand all provisions of the Code of Ethics of Newfound Research LLC.
2. I have complied with all requirements of the Code of Ethics of Newfound Research LLC.

 

Date: __________________________   __________________________________

 (Signature)

 

 

___________________________________

Chief Compliance Officer (Signature)

 

Date: _______________

 

 

 

 

 

*Note that Newfound Research LLC may utilize its automated compliance system in lieu of this form.

20  
 

 

Exhibit C

Newfound Research LLC

Code of Ethics

INITIAL HOLDINGS REPORT*

An initial holdings report must be filed by every supervised person no later than ten (10) days after the person becomes a supervised person. The information submitted must be current as of a date no more than forty-five (45) days before the person became a supervised person.

 

Name of Reporting Person: _________________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________________

 

  1. Please provide the following for each reportable security in which the supervised person had any direct or indirect beneficial interest ownership when the person becomes a supervised person:
Title and Exchange Ticker Symbol or CUSIP Type of Security Number of Shares

Principal Amount

(if applicable)

       
       
       
       
       
       

 

  1. Please provide the following information specifying with whom the supervised person maintained an account in which any securities were held for the direct or indirect benefit of the supervised person:
Name of any Broker, Dealer or Bank Account Name Account Number Location
       
       
       
       
       
       

 

_____________________________   __________________

 Signature of Reporting Person                 Date Submitted

21  
 

 

_____________________________   __________________

 Signature of CCO                                   Date

 

 

*Note that Newfound Research LLC may utilize its automated compliance system in lieu of this form.

 

22  
 

Exhibit D

Newfound Research LLC

Code of Ethics

ANNUAL HOLDINGS REPORT*

An annual holdings report must be filed by every supervised person no later than January 31 each year. The information submitted must be current as of a date no more than forty-five (45) days before the annual report is submitted.

 

Name of Reporting Person: _________________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________________

  1. Please provide the following for each reportable security in which the supervised person had any direct or indirect beneficial interest ownership:
Title and Exchange Ticker Symbol or CUSIP Type of Security Number of Shares

Principal Amount

(if applicable)

       
       
       
       
       
       

 

  1. Please provide the following information specifying with whom the supervised person maintained an account in which any securities were held for the direct or indirect benefit of the supervised person:
Name of any Broker, Dealer or Bank Account Name Account Number Location
       
       
       
       
       
       

 

_____________________________   __________________

 Signature of Reporting Person                 Date Submitted

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Received and reviewed:

 

_____________________________   __________________

 Signature of CCO                                   Date

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Note that Newfound Research LLC may utilize its automated compliance system in lieu of this form.

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Exhibit E

Newfound Research LLC

Code of Ethics

QUARTERLY TRANSACTION REPORT*

A quarterly transaction report must be filed by every supervised person no later than thirty (30) days after the end of each calendar quarter.

 

Name of Reporting Person: ____________________________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________________________________

 

With respect to any transaction during the quarter in a reportable security in which the supervised person had any direct or indirect beneficial ownership, please provide the following for each reportable security:

Date of Transaction Title and Exchange Ticker Symbol or CUSIP Interest Rate

Maturity Date

(if applicable)

Number

of

Shares

Principal Amount

(if applicable)

Nature of Transaction (i.e., purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition) Price of the reportable security at which the transaction was effected Name of Broker, Dealer or Bank
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 

 

 

_____________________________   __________________

 Signature of Reporting Person                 Date Submitted

Received and reviewed:

 

_____________________________   __________________

 Signature of CCO                                   Date

 

*Note that Newfound Research LLC may utilize its automated compliance system in lieu of this form.

25  
 

Exhibit F


Newfound Research LLC

 

Code of Ethics

 

 

Request for Pre-Clearance Form*

 

To: The Chief Compliance Officer

From:                                           

 

Date of Pre-Clearance Request:                        

Time of Pre-Clearance Request:               am/pm

 

Ticker Buy/Sell Name of Security Proposed Transaction Date No. of Shares Approved Denied
             
             
             
             
             
             

 

By signing below, I hereby request approval to complete the transaction(s) contemplated above. I acknowledge and agree that clearance of a transaction is valid only until the end of the trading day after approval. If the transaction if NOT placed and completed within such period, clearance of that transaction must be re-requested.

 

Date:                                             

 

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Signature:                                                                      

 

Print Name:                                                                   

 

 

 

Received by:                                                    Date:                                           

Compliance Officer

 

Approved by:                                                    Date:                                           

Compliance Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Note that Newfound Research LLC may utilize its automated compliance system in lieu of this form.

 

27  
 

Absolute Capital Management, LLC

Code of Ethics

______________________________________________________________________________

 

Preamble

 

This Code of Ethics (“Code”) is being adopted for Absolute Capital Management LLC (“ACM”). This Code is designed to comply with Rule 17j-l of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“1940 Act”) and Rule 204A-1 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”). Rule 17j-1 and Rule 204A-1 apply because ACM serves as investment adviser to registered investment companies (collectively referred to as the “Fund(s)”), as well as other individual and institutional customers. This Code seeks to serve and safeguard ACM’s clients by setting forth provisions reasonably necessary to ensure compliance with applicable federal securities laws.

 

Issue

The Code of Ethics is predicated on the principle that ACM owes a fiduciary duty to its clients. Accordingly, ACM’s employees must avoid activities, interests and relationships that run contrary (or appear to run contrary) to the best interests of clients. At all times, ACM must:

 

 

Any questions with respect to ACM’s Code of Ethics should be directed to the CCO and/or a Managing Director. As discussed in greater detail below, employees must promptly report any violations of the Code of Ethics to the CCO. All reported Code of Ethics violations will be treated as being made on an anonymous basis.

 

With regard to ACM’s service as investment adviser to the Funds, Rule 17j-1 imposes additional duties. 2 Under Rule 17j-1, it is unlawful for certain persons, including any officer, director or trustee of the

_______________________________

1 “Federal Securities Laws” means the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, any rules adopted by the Commission under any of these statutes, the Bank Secrecy Act as it applies to funds and investment advisers, and any rules adopted thereunder by the Commission or the Department of the Treasury.

 

2 Rule 17j-1 requires that the Adviser adopt a written code of ethics (a separate document), which must be approved by the Board of Trustees of the Fund(s). Prior to approval, ACM’s CCO submitted a certification to the Board of Trustees that ACM has adopted the procedures contained herein which are reasonably designed to prevent Access Persons from violating the Code of Ethics. Any material change to this Code of Ethics must be approved by the Board of Trustees within 6 months of the adoption of the change.

1  
 

Adviser, in connection with the purchase or sale by such person of a security “held or to be acquired” by the Funds: 3

 

(1) To employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud the Funds;
(2) To make any untrue statement of a material fact to the Funds or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made to the Funds, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading;
(3) To engage in any act, practice or course of business that operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon the Funds; or

(4)       To engage in any manipulative practice with respect to the Funds.

 

Any questions with respect to ACM’s Code of Ethics should be directed to the CCO and/or a Managing Director. As discussed in greater detail below, employees must promptly report any violations of the Code of Ethics to the CCO. All reported Code of Ethics violations will be treated as being made on an anonymous basis.

 

Risks

 

In developing these policy and procedures, ACM considered the material risks associated with administering the Code of Ethics. This analysis includes risks such as:

 

 

ACM has established the following guidelines to effectuate and monitor ACM’s Code of Ethics.

 

Guiding Principles & Standards of Conduct

 

All employees, directors, officers and partners of ACM, and consultants closely associated with the firm, will act with competence, dignity and integrity, in an ethical manner, when dealing with clients, the public, prospects, third-party service providers and fellow employees.

 

_______________________________

3 A security “Held or to be Acquired” by the Funds means any security which, if within the most recent fifteen (15) days (i) is or has been held by the Funds or any other client; (ii) is being or has been considered by the Funds or ACM for purchase by the Funds or any other client; and (iii) any option to purchase or sell, and any security convertible into or exchangeable for such a security.

 

4 “Access Person” means any Supervised Person (i) who has access to nonpublic information regarding any client’s purchase or sale of securities, or nonpublic information regarding portfolio holdings, or (ii) who is involved in making securities recommendations to clients, or who has access to such recommendations that are nonpublic. “Supervised Person” means any of the adviser’s officers, partners, directors (or other persons occupying a similar status or performing similar functions), or employees or any other person who provides investment advice on the adviser’s behalf an dis subject to the adviser’s supervision or control.

2  
 

The following set of principles frame the professional and ethical conduct that ACM expects from its employees and consultants:

 

 

Policies and Procedures

 

ACM’s CCO shall notify each Access Person (defined above) that he or she is subject to the provisions of this Code, and shall deliver a copy of this Code to each Access Person, and each such Access Person shall provide written acknowledgement of the Code’s receipt on an as hired, as amended and annual basis.

 

1.       Personal Securities Transaction Policy

 

Employees may not purchase or sell any security in which the employee has a beneficial ownership unless the transaction occurs in an exempted security or the employee has complied with the Personal Security Transaction Policy set forth below.

 

Pre-Clearance Procedures

 

ACM’s employees must have written clearance for all personal securities transactions in an initial public offerings and any other limited offering 5 before completing the transactions. ACM reserves the right to disapprove any proposed transaction that may have the appearance of improper conduct. For transactions that require pre-clearance employees shall complete ACM’s Pre-Clearance Form (See Attachment A ) or may request pre-clearance via email. All pre-clearance requests must be submitted to ACM’s CCO or someone so designated by the CCO with the CCO’s oversight. Once pre-clearance is granted to an employee, such employee may only transact in that security for the remainder of the day. If the employee wishes to transact in that security on the following or any other day, they must again obtain pre-clearance

_______________________________

5 “Limited Offering” is defined as an offering that is exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 pursuant to section 4(2) or section 4(6) or pursuant to Rules 504,505, or 506 of Regulation D. “Initial Public Offering” means an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933, the issuer of which, immediately before the registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of sections 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

3  
 

from the CCO or his designee. Unless otherwise noted, no pre-clearance is required for securities transactions that do not involve private placements or initial public offerings.

 

Securities and Instruments that are not Securities

 

ACM will regard the following as securities (“Reportable Securities”) for purposes of complying with this policy: any Reportable Fund (defined below), note, stock, treasury security, bond, closed-end mutual fund, exchange-traded fund, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, collateral-trust certificate, fractional undivided interest in oil, gas, or other mineral rights, any options, or in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a security. Futures and options on any group or index of securities shall be considered securities.

 

Exempt Securities

 

ACM requires Access Persons to provide quarterly transaction reports (See Reporting .) regarding transactions and holdings in any Reportable Securities. However, as noted in Rule 204A-1 and Rule 17j-1, the term Reportable Security does not include:

 

 

Beneficial Ownership

 

Employees are considered to have beneficial ownership of Reportable Securities if they have or share a direct or indirect pecuniary interest in the securities. Employees have a pecuniary interest in securities if they have the ability to directly or indirectly profit from a securities transaction. The following are examples of indirect pecuniary interests in securities:

 

 

Employees do not have an indirect pecuniary interest in securities held by entities in which they hold an equity interest unless they are a controlling equity holder or they share investment control over the securities held by the entity.

 

_______________________________

6 “Reportable Fund” means (a) any fund for which ACM serves as the investment adviser as defined in section 2(a)(20) of the Investment Company Act of 1940. (ACM must be approved by the Fund's Board of Trustees (as noted above)); or (b) any fund whose investment adviser or principal underwriter controls ACM, is controlled by ACM, or is under common control with ACM. Currently, the Neiman Tactical Income Fund, Absolute Capital Asset Allocator Fund and Absolute Capital Defender Fund are considered to be Reportable Funds.

4  
 

The following circumstances constitute beneficial ownership by employees of securities held by a trust:

 

 

Exempt Transactions

 

The following transactions are considered exempt transactions:

 

 

In addition, from time to time, the CCO may exempt certain transactions on a trade-by-trade basis.

 

Reporting

In order to provide ACM with information to enable it to determine with reasonable assurance any indications of scalping, front-running or the appearance of a conflict of interest with the management of ACM clients, each employee of ACM shall submit the following reports in the forms attached hereto to the CCO showing all transactions in Reportable Securities in which the person has, or by reason of such transaction acquires, any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership except for exempt transactions. (See Exemptions .)

 

Quarterly Transaction Reports

 

Access Persons shall be required to submit to ACM a Quarterly Personal Securities Transaction Report (See Attachment B .) no later than thirty (30) days after the end of each calendar quarter. Access Persons may submit a copy of their account statements in lieu of filling out the table in the report. The quarterly transaction reports (and/or brokerage statements) shall contain at least the following information for each transaction in a Reportable Security in which the employee had, or as a result of the transaction acquired, any direct or indirect beneficial ownership 8 : (a) the date of the transaction, the title, and as applicable the

 

_______________________________

7 “Automatic Investment Plan” means a program in which regular periodic purchases (or withdrawals) are made automatically in (or from) investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation. An automatic investment plan includes a dividend reinvestment plan.

 

8 “Beneficial Ownership,” as set forth under Rule 16a-1(a)(2), determines whether a person is subject to the provision of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the rules and regulations thereunder, which generally encompasses those situations in which the beneficial owner has the right to enjoy some direct or indirect “pecuniary interest” (i.e., some economic benefit) from the ownership of a security. This may also include securities held by members of an employee’s immediate family sharing the same household; provided however, this presumption may be rebutted. The term immediate family means any child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law and includes adoptive relationships. Any report of beneficial ownership required thereunder shall not be construed as an admission that the person making the report has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership in the Covered Securities to which the report relates.

5  
 

exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, the interest rate and maturity date (if applicable), the number of shares and the principal amount of each Reportable Security involved; (b) the nature of the transaction ( i.e. , purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition); (c) the price of the Reportable Security at which the transaction was effected; (d) the name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through which the transaction was effected; and (e) the date that the report is submitted.

 

Initial and Annual Holdings Reports

 

New ACM Access Persons are required to report all of their personal securities holdings (note that the Initial and Annual Holdings Reports must include a listing of all Reportable Security holdings not later than 10 days after the commencement of their employment. They may do so by completing the Initial Holdings Report. (See Attachment C .) Access Persons may provide a copy of the most recent quarter’s brokerage statement as well as any new purchases / sales as of the commencement of employment in lieu of filling out the table in the report. The Initial Holdings Report must be current as of a date not more than 45 days prior to the date the person becomes an employee.

 

Existing Access Persons are required to provide ACM with a complete list of Reportable Securities holdings on an annual basis. They may do so by completing the Annual Holdings Report. (See Attachment D .) Access Persons may provide a copy of the year-end brokerage statement. The report shall be current as of December 31st, which is a date no more than 45 days from the final date the report is due to be submitted.

 

Each Initial and Annual Holdings Report must contain, at a minimum: (a) the title and type of security, and as applicable the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, number of shares, and principal amount of each Reportable Security in which the Access Person has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership; (b) the name of any broker, dealer or bank with which the Access Person maintains an account in which any securities are held for the Access Person's direct or indirect benefit; and (c) the date the Access Person submits the report.

 

Interim Reports

 

With respect to any personal securities holdings established by an Access Person during any quarter, in which Reportable Securities are held for the direct or indirect benefit of the Access Person, the Access Person much report the following information, at a minimum to the CCO: (a) the date that the account of investment was established; (b) the name of any broker, dealer or bank with which the Access Person maintains the account; and (c) the date that the report is submitted;.

 

Exceptions from Reporting Requirements

 

Access Persons are not required to submit: (a) a transaction or Initial and Annual Holdings Report with respect to securities held in accounts over which the Access Person had no direct or indirect influence or control, and (b) a transaction report with respect to transactions effected pursuant to an automatic investment plan.

 

 

 

6  
 

Trading and Review

 

ACM strictly forbids “front-running” client accounts, which is a practice generally understood to be employees personally trading ahead of client accounts. The CCO will closely monitor Access Persons’ investment patterns to detect these abuses. The CCO shall conduct post trade reviews of ACM employee’s personal trading by reviewing Quarterly Transaction Reports and shall review all Initial and Annual Holdings Reports that are submitted by Access Persons upon hire and annually thereafter. The Initial/Annual Holdings Reports and Quarterly Transactions Reports submitted by the CCO shall be reviewed by a Managing Director.

 

Reporting Violations and Remedial Actions

 

ACM takes the potential for conflicts of interest caused by personal investing very seriously. As such, ACM requires its employees to promptly report any violations of the Code of Ethics to the CCO. ACM’s management is aware of the potential matters that may arise as a result of this requirement, and shall take action against any employee that seeks retaliation against another for reporting violations of the Code of Ethics. ACM has zero tolerance for retaliatory actions and therefore may subject offenders to more severe action than set forth below. In order to minimize the potential for such behavior, all reports of Code of Ethics violations will be treated as being made on an anonymous basis.

 

ACM has implemented remedial actions that are designed to discourage its Access Persons from violating the Personal Securities Transaction Policy. Access Persons should be aware that ACM reserves the right to impose varied sanctions on policy violators depending on the severity of the policy violation.

 

 

The CCO shall promptly report to the Board of Trustees of the Funds all apparent violations of this Code and the reporting requirements thereunder. When the CCO finds that a transaction otherwise reportable to the Board of Trustees could not reasonably be found to have resulted in a fraud, deceit or manipulative practice in violation of Rule 17j-l(b), the CCO may, in his discretion, lodge a written memorandum of such finding and the reasons therefore with the reports made pursuant to this Code, in lieu of reporting the transaction to the Fund’s Board of Trustees.

 

Annual Reporting to the Board of Trustees

 

ACM shall each prepare an annual written report relating to this Code to the Fund’s Board of Trustees. Such annual report shall:

 

· summarize existing procedures concerning personal investing and any changes in the procedures made during the past year;
· describe any issues arising under this Code or procedures since the last report to the Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer including, but not limited to, information about material violations of this Code or procedures and sanctions imposed in response to the material violations.
· identify any recommended changes in the existing restrictions or procedures based upon the experience of ACM under this Code, evolving industry practices or developments in applicable
7  
 

laws or regulations; and

· certify that ACM has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating this Code.

 

Disclosure

 

ACM shall describe its Codes of Ethics to clients in Form ADV Part 2 and, upon request, furnish clients with a copy of the Code of Ethics. All client requests for ACM’s Code of Ethics shall be directed to the CCO.

 

Recordkeeping

 

ACM shall maintain records in the manner and to the extent set forth below, which records shall be available for appropriate examination by representatives of the SEC or ACM’s management.

 

 

2.       Insider Trading Policy

 

Section 204A of the Advisers Act requires every investment adviser to establish, maintain, and enforce written policies and procedures reasonably designed, taking into consideration the nature of such investment adviser's business, to prevent the misuse of material nonpublic information by such investment adviser or any person associated with such investment adviser. In accordance with Section 204A, ACM has instituted procedures to prevent the misuse of nonpublic information. The CCO will provide training to all employees regarding ACM’s Insider Trading Policy as hired, annually or as amended.

 

Although “insider trading” is not defined in securities laws, it is generally thought to be described as trading either personally or on behalf of others on the basis of material nonpublic information or communicating material nonpublic information to others in violation of the law. In the past, securities laws have been interpreted to prohibit the following activities:

8  
 

 

 

Whom Does the Policy Cover?

 

At the time that each individual is hired, ACM’s Managing Director and CCO will determine the scope of access to be provided to such individual and whether that individual will be considered an Access Person of the firm. ACM’s personal trading policies apply to all Access Persons as well as any transactions in any securities participated in by family members, trusts or corporations directly or indirectly controlled by such persons. In addition, the policy applies to transactions engaged in by corporations in which the Access Person is an officer, director or 10% or greater stockholder and a partnership of which the Access Person is a partner unless the Access Person has no direct or indirect control over the partnership. .

 

What Information is Material?

 

Individuals may not be held liable for trading on inside information unless the information is material. “Material information” is generally defined as information for which there is a substantial likelihood that an investor would consider it important in making his or her investment decisions, or information that is reasonably certain to have a substantial effect on the price of a company’s securities. Advance knowledge of the following types of information is generally regarded as “material”:

 

 

Information provided by a company could be material because of its expected effect on a particular class of a company’s securities, all of the company’s securities, the securities of another company, or the securities of several companies. The misuse of material nonpublic information applies to all types of securities, including equity, debt, commercial paper, government securities and options.

 

Material information does not have to relate to a company’s business. For example, material information about the contents of an upcoming newspaper column may effect the price of a security, and therefore be considered material.

 

9  
 

What Information is Nonpublic?

 

In order for issues concerning insider trading to arise, information must not only be material, but also non-public. “Nonpublic” information generally means information that has not been available to the investing public.

 

Once material nonpublic information has been effectively distributed to the investing public, it is no longer classified as material nonpublic information. However, the distribution of nonpublic information must occur through commonly recognized channels for the classification to change. In addition, the information must not only be publicly disclosed, there must be adequate time for the public to receive and digest the information. Lastly, nonpublic information does not change to public information solely by selective dissemination.

 

ACM’s employees must be aware that even where there is no expectation of confidentiality, a person may become an insider upon receiving material nonpublic information. Whether the “tip” made to the employee makes him/her a “tippee” depends on whether the corporate insider expects to benefit personally, either directly or indirectly, from the disclosure. The “benefit” is not limited to a present or future monetary gain; it could be a reputational benefit or an expectation of a quid pro quo from the recipient by a gift of the information. Employees may also become insiders or tippees if they obtain material nonpublic information by happenstance, at social gatherings, by overhearing conversations, etc.

 

Penalties for Trading on Insider Information

 

Severe penalties exist for firms and individuals that engage in the act of insider trading, including civil injunctions, treble damages, disgorgement of profits and jail sentences. Further, fines for individuals and firms found guilty of insider trading are levied in amounts up to three times the profit gained or loss avoided, and up to the greater of $1,000,000 or three times the profit gained or loss avoided, respectively.

 

Procedures to follow if an Employee Believes that he/she Possesses Material Nonpublic Information

 

If an employee has questions as to whether they are in possession of material nonpublic information, they must inform the CCO and a Managing Director as soon as possible. From this point, the employee, CCO and the Managing Director will conduct research to determine if the information is likely to be considered important to investors in making investment decisions, and whether the information has been publicly disseminated. In addition, on an as hired and annual basis, all employees are required to complete ACM’s Conflicts of interest Questionnaire which is designed to provide a reminder to employees regarding their disclosure responsibilities with respect to any actual or perceived conflict of interest (including the receipt of material nonpublic information) to the CCO and Managing Director.

 

Given the severe penalties imposed on individuals and firms engaging in insider trading, employees:

 

 

3.       Outside Business Activities Policy

 

Employees may, under certain circumstances, be granted permission to serve as directors, trustees or officers of outside organizations. These organizations can include public or private corporations, partnerships, charitable foundations and other not-for-profit institutions. Employees may also receive compensation for such activities.

 

At certain times, ACM may determine that it is in its clients’ best interests for an employee(s) to serve as officers or on the board of directors of outside organizations. For example, a company held in clients’ portfolios may be undergoing a reorganization that may affect the value of the company’s outstanding securities and the future direction of the company. Service with organizations outside of ACM can, however, raise serious regulatory issues and concerns, including conflicts of interests and may result in access to material nonpublic information.

 

As an outside board member or officer, an employee may come into possession of material nonpublic information about the outside company, or other public companies. It is critical that a proper information barrier be in place between ACM and the outside organization, and that the employee does not communicate such information to other ACM employees in violation of the information barrier.

 

Similarly, ACM may have a business relationship with the outside organization or may seek a relationship in the future. In those circumstances, the employee must not be involved in the decision to retain or hire ACM.

 

ACM employees are prohibited from engaging in outside business activities without the prior written approval from the CCO. Approval will be granted on a case by case basis, subject to proper resolution of potential conflicts of interest. Outside activities will be approved only if any conflict of interest issues can be satisfactorily resolved and all of the necessary disclosures are made in Form ADV Part 2. In addition, employees must confirm their outside business activities via the annual Conflicts of Interest Questionnaire. This annual disclosure will help ensure that the CCO has an accurate record of all requests for approval.

 

4.       Gifts Policy

 

Employees may not accept investment opportunities, gifts or other gratuities from individuals seeking to conduct business with ACM, or on behalf of an advisory client. However, employees may accept gifts from a single giver in aggregate amounts not exceeding $100, and may attend business meals, sporting events and other entertainment events at the expense of a giver, as long as the expense is reasonable and both the giver(s) and the employee(s) are present. Employees must report their acceptance of any reportable gift (i.e., exceeding $100) to the CCO immediately upon receipt.

 

ACM and its employees are prohibited from giving gifts that may be deemed as excessive, and must obtain approval from the CCO prior to giving any gift in excess of $100 to any client, prospective client or any individual that ACM is seeking to do business with. However, employees may attend business meals, sporting events and other entertainment events with these individuals at the expense of ACM, as long as the expense is reasonable and both the client, prospective client or any individual(s) that ACM is seeking to do business with and the employee(s) are present.

11  
 

 

Employees are reminded that notwithstanding this policy, any gratuity provided by ACM to labor unions or union representatives that have an “interest” in the Taft-Hartley fund (including the members covered by the Taft-Hartley fund) in excess of $250 per fiscal year are required to be reported additionally to the Department Labor via Form LM-10 within 90 days following the end of ACM’s fiscal year.

The Department of Labor has issued further guidance on the filing of Form LM-10 through its website (www.dol.gov).

 

The CCO shall track all reportable entertainment and gifts as part of ACM’s Gift Log in the Compliance Program. In addition, employees must provide the CCO with a list of all reportable gifts given and/or received via the annual Conflicts of Interest Questionnaire. This annual disclosure will help ensure that the CCO has an accurate record of all requests for approval.

 

5.       Political Contributions & Pay to Play Policy

 

Pay to Play is the practice of making campaign contributions and related payments to elected officials in order to influence the awarding of lucrative contracts for the management of public pension plan assets and similar government investment accounts. The SEC has adopted new measures to curtail Pay to Play practices by registered investment advisers. Currently, ACM does not provide investment management services to any government related or public pension plan clients, however, ACM’s prohibitions with respect to political contributions and pay to play practices are as follows:

 

1. Employees are prohibited from asking another person or political action committee to make a contribution to an elected official (or candidate) that may influence the selection of an investment adviser.
2. Employees are prohibited from making payment to a political party of a state or locality where ACM is seeking to provide investment advisory services to a government related entity.
3. Employees are prohibited from directing or funding contributions through third parties such as spouses, lawyers, or other entities if that conduct would violate the rule if the employee were to do it directly. This provision prevents employees from circumventing the rule by directing or funding contributions through third parties.
4. ACM is prohibited from paying a third party to solicit a government client unless that third party is an SEC registered investment adviser or broker-dealer that is subject to similar pay to play restrictions.

 

Employees must obtain written consent from the CCO prior to making any political contribution. Pursuant to the SEC’s de minimus provision, an employee may make contributions of up to $350 per election per candidate if the employee is entitled to vote for the candidate and up to $150 per election per candidate if the employee is not entitled to vote for the candidate. Again, prior written approval of the CCO is required.

 

In addition, employees must provide the CCO with a list of their political contributions via the annual Conflicts of Interest Questionnaire. This annual disclosure will help ensure that the CCO has an accurate record of all requests for approval. The reporting of a political contribution does not relieve any employee from the obligations and policies set forth in this Manual. If an employee has any questions or concerns about the appropriateness of any political contribution, they are instructed to consult the CCO or Managing Director.

 

 

 

 

12  
 

Responsibility

 

The CCO will be responsible for administering the Code of Ethics. All questions regarding this policy should be directed to the CCO or the Managing Directors.

13  
 

Attachment A

Personal Trading Pre-Clearance Form

 

The pre-clearance form documents that the proposed transaction is not a conflicting transaction. Pre-clearance must be granted prior to placing a trade, and is only good for the day of the approval.

 

1. Buy ____________ Sell ____________ Short ____________

 

2. Security ____________________________________________________

 

3. Common Stock _________ Option _________ Debt __________ Other ____________

 

4. If applicable, is the Equity a “New Issue”? Yes____________ No____________

 

5. Symbol ________________________

 

6. Number of Shares/Contracts/Principal _____________________

 

7. Brokerage Account Number ____________________

 

8. Custodian ________________________

 

9. Employee has no inside information or other knowledge pertaining to this proposed transaction that constitutes a violation of Company policy or securities laws.

 

10. Any transaction described above establishing a position in a security is undertaken with the intention of holding such position for not less than seven (7) days.

 

11. Any transaction described above establishing a position in a security is undertaken with the intention of holding such position for not less than thirty (30) days if the security is held in a client account as of the date below.

 

Employee___________________________________________ (PRINT NAME)

 

Signed ________________________________________________    __________________

Date

 

By signing below, the individual verifies that the proposed transaction described above does not violate ACM’s Personal Securities Transaction Policy. Note: One signature is required for pre-clearance.

 

 

_______________________________________________   __________________

Chief Compliance Officer                                                            Date

 

_______________________________________________

Managing Director

14  
 

 

A ttachment B

 

Quarterly Securities Transaction Report

 

IN LIEU OF COMPLETING THE TRANSACTIONS TABLE LISTED BELOW, YOU MAY SUBMIT A COPY OF YOUR ACCOUNT STATEMENT(S) DETAILING THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE TABLE FOR EACH ACCOUNT WITH REPORTABLE SECURITIES AND INDICATE TO “SEE ATTACHED” IN THE TABLE. THIS REPORT MUST STILL BE SIGNED AND DATED.

 

For the Calendar Quarter Ended: __________________________________

(month/day/year)

 

During the quarter referred to above, the following transactions were effected in Reportable Securities in which I may be deemed to have had, or by reason of such transaction acquired, a direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership, and which are required to be reported pursuant to ACM’s Code of Ethics.

 

SECURITY TICKER/CUSIP DATE SHARES PRINCIPAL AMOUNT INTEREST RATE/ MATURITY DATE BUY/ SELL PRICE BROKER-DEALER/ CUSTODIAN
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 

 

This report (i) excludes holdings with respect to which I had no direct or indirect influence or control, and (ii) is not an admission that I have or had any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership in the securities listed above.

 

Date: _____________ Signature: _______________________________________

 

Print Name: _______________________________________

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Attachment C

 

Initial Holdings Report

 

YOU MAY ATTACH A COPY OF YOUR MOST RECENT ACCOUNT STATEMENT(S) IN LIEU OF COMPLETING THE TABLE BELOW. YOU MUST STILL SIGN AND DATE THIS REPORT AND INDICATE TO “SEE ATTACHED” IN THE TABLE.

 

NOTE THAT THE TABLE ON PAGE 2 OF THIS REPORT MUST BE COMPLETED BY ALL EMPLOYEES.

 

Name: __________________________________________________

 

Date of Employment: _________________________________(month/day/year)

 

The following is a list of Reportable Securities holdings as of a date not more than 45 days prior to the date I became an Access Person of ACM:

 

SECURITY TYPE TICKER/CUSIP SHARES PRINCIPAL AMOUNT CUSTODIAN
           
           
           
           
           
           
           

 

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Initial Holdings Form-Continued

 

In this section, you must list all accounts holding Reportable Securities by you or any member of your household. This includes CDs, mutual funds, 401(k)s, IRAs, etc.

 

Name of Broker, Dealer or Bank Account Title Account Number
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

 

I certify that this form fully discloses all of the Reportable Securities which I have direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership and all brokerage accounts in which I own securities.

 

Signature _____________________________________________ Date______________________

 

 

 

Reviewed by: __________________________

 

Date of Review: ________________________

 

Exception(s) Noted: ____No _____Yes

 

If Yes, Describe: ________________________

 

 

17  
 

 

 

Attachment D

 

Annual Holdings Report

 

YOU MAY ATTACH A COPY OF YOUR YEAR END ACCOUNT STATEMENT(S) IN LIEU OF COMPLETING THE TABLE BELOW. YOU MUST STILL SIGN AND DATE THIS REPORT AND INDICATE TO “SEE ATTACHED” IN THE TABLE.

 

Name: __________________________________________________

 

For the Period Ended: __________________________________(month/day/year)

 

NOTE THAT THE TABLE ON PAGE 2 OF THIS REPORT MUST BE COMPLETED BY ALL EMPLOYEES.

 

The following is a list of Reportable Securities holdings, as of 12/31/2016, which is no more than 45 days prior to the submission date of this Report:

 

SECURITY TYPE TICKER/CUSIP SHARES PRINCIPAL AMOUNT CUSTODIAN
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           

 

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Annual Holdings Report-Continued

 

In this section, you must list all accounts holding Reportable Securities by you or any member of your household. This includes CDs, mutual funds, 401(k)s, IRAs, etc.

 

Name of Broker, Dealer or Bank Account Title Account Number
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

 

I certify that this form fully discloses all of the Reportable Securities which I have direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership and all brokerage accounts in which I own securities.

 

 

Signature ______________________________________________ Date____________________

 

 

 

Reviewed by: __________________________

 

Date of Review: ________________________

 

Exception(s) Noted: ____No _____Yes

 

If Yes, Describe: ________________________

 

 

 

 

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CODE OF ETHICS AND STANDARDS OF BUSINESS CONDUCT

 

1. Introduction

 

Pursuant to Rule 204A-1 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“the Advisers Act”), an investment adviser is required to establish, maintain, and enforce a written code of ethics that must set forth standards of conduct expected of advisory personnel and address conflicts that arise from personal trading by advisory personnel.

 

Similar requirements to adopt a written code of ethics exist under Rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“Investment Company Act”) for investment advisers to registered investment companies.

 

As an investment advisory firm registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) under the Advisers Act, Counterpoint Mutual Funds, LLC (“ Counterpoint ,” “we,” “our,” “the firm” or “us”) has adopted the following Code of Ethics and Standards of Business Conduct ( the “Code ”), which will govern the activities of all Supervised Persons of the firm.

 

2. Definitions

 

Defined terms used throughout this Code have the following meanings:

 

Access Person

 

An “Access Person” is defined as follows:

 

  1. Counterpoint’s managers, partners, officers, and directors;
  2. Any Supervised Person who has access to nonpublic information regarding any clients’ purchase or sale of securities, or nonpublic information regarding the portfolio holdings of any reportable fund;
  3. Any Supervised Person who is involved in making securities recommendations to clients, or who has access to such recommendations that are nonpublic; or
  4. A Fund Access Person.

 

Fund Access Person

 

A “Fund Access Person” means:

1. Any Advisory Person of a Fund or of a Fund's investment adviser. If an investment adviser's primary business is advising Funds or other advisory clients, all of the investment adviser's directors, officers, and general partners are presumed to be Access Persons of any Fund advised by the investment adviser. All of a Fund's directors, officers, and general partners are presumed to be Access Persons of the Fund.
2. Any director, officer or general partner of a principal underwriter who, in the ordinary course of business, makes, participates in or obtains information regarding, the purchase or sale of Covered Securities by the Fund for which the principal underwriter acts, or whose functions or duties in the ordinary course of business relate to the making of any recommendation to the Fund regarding the purchase or sale of Covered Securities.

 

1  
 

Advisory Person of a Fund

 

An “Advisory Person of a Fund” or of a Fund's investment adviser means:

1. Any director, officer, general partner or employee of the Fund or investment adviser (or of any company in a control relationship to the Fund or investment adviser) who, in connection with his or her regular functions or duties, makes, participates in, or obtains information regarding, the purchase or sale of Covered Securities by a Fund, or whose functions relate to the making of any recommendations with respect to such purchases or sales; and
2. Any natural person in a control relationship to the Fund or investment adviser who obtains information concerning recommendations made to the Fund with regard to the purchase or sale of Covered Securities by the Fund.

 

 

Beneficial Owner

 

An individual is a “beneficial owner” of an account if the individual has or shares a direct or indirect pecuniary interest in the securities in the account. A pecuniary interest means the opportunity, directly or indirectly, to profit or share in any profit derived from a transaction in the securities. An indirect pecuniary interest includes but is not limited to: securities held by members of a person’s immediate family sharing the same household, a person’s interest in securities held by a trust, and a person’s right to acquire equity securities through the exercise or conversion of any derivative security, whether or not presently exercisable.

 

The definition of “beneficial ownership” is complex. If you have any question whether you have a beneficial interest in a security, please consult with our Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”).

 

Federal Securities Laws

 

“Federal securities laws” means the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”), the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Investment Company Act”), the Advisers Act, Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, any rules adopted by the Commission under any of these statutes, the Bank Secrecy Act as it applies to funds and investment advisers, and any rules adopted thereunder by the Commission or the Department of the Treasury.

 

Immediate Family

 

“Immediate family” means any of the following persons who reside in the same household as the Access Person:

 

Child Grandparent Son-In-Law

Stepchild Spouse Daughter-In-Law

Grandchild Sibling Brother-In-Law

Parent Mother-In-Law Sister-In-Law

Stepparent Father-In-Law

 

Immediate family includes adoptive relationships and any other relationship (whether or not recognized by law or shown above), which the CCO determines could lead to possible conflicts of interest,

2  
 

diversions of corporate opportunity, or appearances of impropriety, which this Code is intended to prevent.

 

Limited Offering

 

“Limited offering” means an offering that is exempt from registration under the Securities Act pursuant to section 4(2) or section 4(6) or pursuant to Regulation D §§ 230.504, 230.505, or 230.506.

 

This includes transactions by an issuer not involving any public offering; transactions involving offers by an issuer solely to one or more accredited investors, if the aggregate offering price of an issue of securities offered in reliance on the registration exemption does not exceed the amount allowed under regulation, if there is no advertising or public solicitation in connection with the transaction by the issuer or anyone acting on the issuer’s behalf, and if the issuer files notice with the Commission as the Commission prescribes; or transactions that meet exemptions as provided under Regulation D.

 

Reportable Security

 

A “Reportable Security” includes any interest or instrument that is commonly considered a “security,” including, but not limited to:

 

  1. An equity security including common and preferred stock;
  2. A debt security including corporate, municipal, and mortgage/asset backed bonds, but excluding exempted government obligations;
  3. An investment convertible into, or exchangeable for, equity or debt securities;
  4. Any derivative instrument relating to any of the above securities, including warrants, options and futures;
  5. Any pooled investment vehicle, excluding open-end investment companies;
  6. Shares of closed-end investment companies;
  7. Reportable funds (registered investment companies for which Counterpoint serves as an investment adviser or whose investment adviser or principal underwriter controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with Counterpoint)
  8. Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs); and
  9. Any private placement.

 

A “Reportable Security” does not include securities that are:

 

  1. Direct obligations of the Government of the United States;
  2. Bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements;
  3. Shares issued by money market funds;
  4. Shares issued by open-end investment companies (other than reportable funds);
  5. Shares issued by unit investment trusts that are invested exclusively in one or more open-end investment companies, none of which are reportable funds; and
  6. Interests in 529 Plans not managed, distributed, marketed, or underwritten by Counterpoint or a control affiliate.

 

3  
 

Supervised Person

 

Counterpoint’s “Supervised Persons” are:

 

1. Counterpoint’s managers, partners, officers, and directors (or other persons occupying a similar status or performing similar functions);
2. Counterpoint’s employees; and
3. Any other persons who provide advice on behalf of Counterpoint and are subject to Counterpoint’s supervision and control.

 

3. Scope of the Code

 

Supervised Persons

 

1. All Supervised Persons of Counterpoint are subject to and required to comply with the Code at all times.

 

2. “You” are a Supervised Person of the firm.

 

3. The Code and subsequent Compliance Policies & Procedures (“P&P”) make use of functional titles/roles to identify Supervised Persons and their responsibilities. As a Supervised Person, you should be mindful that you may have multiple functional roles and must take care to identify all of the policies and procedures for which you are responsible.

 

  1. At times Counterpoint may have temporary personnel, such as independent contractors or clerical personnel provided by an agency. Generally, the nature of those individuals’ engagements and activities will not be such that they would be Supervised Persons. Counterpoint will decide the status of those personnel on a case-by-case basis.

 

Chief Compliance Officer

 

  1. Michael B. Krause is the Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) for Counterpoint. The CCO is responsible for the administration of Counterpoint’s compliance program. Any questions regarding the Code should be addressed with the CCO.

 

  1. The Code requires Supervised Persons to report or disclose to and/or seek approval from the CCO for certain activities. In the case of the CCO, the CCO will report to and seek approval from the Associate Compliance Officer (“ACO”), who will review such activities. The ACO will also serve as a backup to the CCO in the absence of the CCO during vacations, extended illness, or incapacity. However, the ACO may never approve his/her own activities.

 

Supervision

 

 

  1. Supervised Persons with supervisory responsibility, authority, or the ability to influence the conduct of others must exercise reasonable supervision over those subject to their supervision
  2. 4  
     
  3. or authority, in order to prevent violation of applicable statutes, regulations, or provisions of the Code.

 

  1. In performing supervisory activities, Supervised Persons may rely on procedures established by Counterpoint that are designed to prevent and detect violations.

 

  1. The Michael B. Krause , Manager , is responsible for the general supervision of all Supervised Persons of Counterpoint.

 

Amendments

 

  1. The Code does not attempt to anticipate every ethical dilemma that Supervised Persons might face. Instead, it sets forth general guidelines on certain issues for maintaining Counterpoint’s high ethical standards.

 

  1. Counterpoint recognizes the need to respond flexibly to ever-changing business needs and circumstances. Accordingly, Counterpoint reserves the right to revoke, modify, interpret, and apply our guidelines, policies, or procedures at our sole discretion, and without prior notice.

 

  1. Counterpoint will periodically, at least annually, review the Code and make amendments as needed.

 

  1. For any mutual fund to which Counterpoint provides investment management services, Counterpoint will submit a copy of the Code for approval by the mutual fund’s board of directors:
a. Initially, before it is retained as an investment adviser to the mutual fund; and
b. With each material change, no later than six months after adoption of the change.

 

Code of Ethics Acknowledgements

 

  1. Counterpoint will provide to each Supervised Person a copy of the Code and any amendments to the Code at time of hire and each time it is amended.

 

  1. Each Supervised Person must acknowledge with each version, in writing, that he or she has received a copy of the Code, has read and understood it, has had an opportunity to ask questions about what it means and how it applies to him/her, and that he/she will abide by it.

 

4. Fiduciary Duty

 

Counterpoint is an investment adviser and as such is a fiduciary that owes our clients a duty of undivided loyalty. Counterpoint and our Supervised Persons will:

 

  1. Act for the benefit of our clients and place our clients’ interests before our own;
  2. Act in a position of trust and fiduciary responsibility to clients and do nothing to violate that trust;
  3. Conduct ourselves with integrity and dignity, and act in an ethical manner in our dealings with the public, clients, prospects, employer, and fellow Supervised Persons;
  4. 5  
     
  5. Act with competence, use reasonable care and exercise independent professional judgment;
  6. Exercise independence when making investment decisions for clients;
  7. Conduct personal securities transactions in a manner that is consistent with the Code and act to avoid actual or potential conflicts of interest or abuse of our position of trust and responsibility;
  8. Eliminate and/or disclose all material conflicts of interest;
  9. Safeguard and keep confidential nonpublic personal information of clients; and
  10. Comply with applicable federal securities laws.

 

Counterpoint and our Supervised Persons will not:

 

  1. Employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud a client;
  2. Make any untrue statement to a client or omit to state any material fact that a client would reasonably require in order to make sound decisions;
  3. Engage in any act, practice or course of business that operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit on a client; or
  4. Engage in any manipulative practice with respect to a client.
  5. Make statements, orally or in writing, that misrepresent:
    1. The services that Supervised Persons or the firm is capable of performing;
    2. Supervised Persons’ qualifications or the qualifications of the firm; or
    3. Supervised Persons’ academic or professional credentials.
  6. Make or imply, orally or in writing, any assurances or guarantees regarding any investment, except to communicate accurate information regarding the terms of the investment and the issuer’s obligations.

 

5. Standards of Business Conduct

 

This Code summarizes the standards of conduct for Supervised Persons of Counterpoint. Its purpose is to promote and maintain the highest level of professional conduct and business ethics among all Supervised Persons, so that we do not compromise our clients’ well-being and interests.

 

Compliance with Securities Laws & Rules

 

  1. Supervised Persons must comply with all applicable federal securities laws.

 

  1. Supervised Persons must not engage in any professional conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation.

 

Conflicts of Interest

 

  1. Counterpoint considers a “conflict of interest” to be any situation in which the Supervised Person’s own interests could interfere with the Supervised Person’s responsibilities as a representative of Counterpoint.

 

  1. Supervised Persons must make best efforts to identify actual and potential conflicts of interest and must report all known actual or potential conflicts of interest to the CCO.

 

    6  
     
  1. Supervised Persons must seek to avoid conducting personal or private business that conflicts with, or gives the appearance of conflicting with, the interests of the firm and/or our clients. The appearance alone of a conflict of interest can be as damaging to the firm as an actual conflict.

 

  1. Where potential conflicts cannot be eliminated, Supervised Persons must fully disclose those to Counterpoint, and Counterpoint will fully disclose material facts concerning the conflict(s) to the client(s).

 

  1. Each Supervised Person must also comply with requirements to disclose conflicts of interest as imposed by rule or regulation of any professional organization governing your activities and must comply with any prohibitions on your activities if conflicts of interest exist.

 

  1. The CCO and the ACO are responsible for reviewing for potential conflicts of interest. They will periodically review for any conflict that might arise out of, but are not limited to:
    1. The operation of non-investment management businesses in which Counterpoint or an affiliated person of Counterpoint engages;
    2. Counterpoint engaging in a new business;
    3. Counterpoint making available a new investment product or service;
    4. Counterpoint making significant changes in which we operate;
    5. Any examination, enforcement action, or investigation by a regulator;
    6. Any criminal or civil litigation or other court action;
    7. Any violations by Counterpoint or any affiliate the mutual fund policies of any fund advised by Counterpoint.

 

Outside Business Activities

 

  1. Each Supervised Person has a duty of loyalty to the firm, and your efforts should be devoted to the firm’s business. Counterpoint encourages your participation in outside business activities that are civic, charitable, and/or professional in nature and that enhance your professionalism and the reputation of the firm. Simultaneously, Counterpoint recognizes that outside business activities may create conflicts of interest.

 

  1. Each Supervised Person must disclose, at the time you become a Supervised Person of Counterpoint and upon any change thereafter, all outside business activities, whether for compensation or not.

 

  1. Supervised Persons may not engage in any outside business activity without first receiving prior written approval from the CCO.

 

  1. Material changes in the role with, time devoted to, or amount of compensation received from a previously-approved outside business activity must similarly be pre-cleared with the CCO.

 

  1. All pre-approvals must be sought in writing with a clear description of the activities to be performed and any compensation to be received.

 

  1. Outside business activity disclosures and decisions by the CCO will be maintained in an appropriate file, and applicable outside business activities will be disclosed to clients, if applicable.
7  
 

 

  1. Outside business activities include, but are not limited to:

 

a. Being employed by or compensated by any other entity;
b. Being active in any other business, including part-time, evening, or weekend employment;
c. Serving as an officer, director or partner in any other entity;
d. Serving on the board of a public company;
e. Ownership interest in any non-publicly traded company or other private, non-real property investment;
f. Engaging in any public speaking or writing activities related to investment management;
g. Acting as a trustee for client accounts, with the exception of immediate or close family accounts;
h. Acting as a general partner of a client limited partnership, or acting as a managing member of a client limited liability company;
i. Holding a seat in public office, or committing to a candidacy or a formal position on a campaign committee;
j. Operating a hedge fund or sponsoring or participating in an association or group formed to invest in securities (e.g., an investment club); or
k. Recommending another firm’s financial planning, investment management, brokerage or similar services for a referral fee.

 

Maintenance of Independence and Objectivity

 

  1. Supervised Persons must use particular care and good judgment to achieve and maintain independence and objectivity in the performance of your roles and responsibilities.

 

  1. Supervised Persons must avoid giving or receiving any gift, donation, benefit, service or other favor that might affect, or be seen to potentially affect, the performance of your roles and responsibilities, or which might compromise the credibility of Counterpoint.

 

Gifts and Entertainment

 

  1. Counterpoint recognizes the potential conflicts of interest when Supervised Persons of the firm give and/or receive gifts, entertainment, or other items of value to/from any person or entity that does business with the firm.

 

  1. The overriding principle is that Supervised Persons may not accept inappropriate gifts, favors, entertainment, special accommodations, or others things of material value that could influence decision-making or make the Supervised Person feel beholden to another person or firm.

 

  1. Similarly, Supervised Persons may not offer gifts, favors, entertainment, or other things of value that may be viewed as overly generous or aimed at influencing decision-making or making a client or prospective client feel beholden to the firm.

 

  1. Counterpoint has adopted the following policies and procedures to implement these principles:

 

a. Supervised Persons may not give any gift (including reimbursements or other items of value) to any client, vendor, potential vendor or anyone else that does business or seeks
8  
 

to do business with the firm that is in excess of $200 per calendar year per person/entity, without prior approval from the CCO.

 

b. Supervised Persons may not make gifts (including reimbursements or other items of value) to potential clients with the exception of de minimis items that would be considered exclusions under these policies (see below).

 

c. Supervised Persons may not accept any gift (including reimbursements or other items of value) from any client, potential client, vendor, potential vendor, or anyone else that does business or seeks to do business with the firm that is in excess of $200 per calendar year per person/entity, without approval from the CCO.

 

d. Cash and/or cash equivalents may never be offered or accepted, regardless of the amount. For purposes of this policy, merchant gift cards are not considered cash equivalents.

 

e. Supervised Persons may not provide or accept extravagant or excessive entertainment to or from a client, prospective client, or any person or entity that does or seeks to do business with the firm. Supervised Persons may occasionally provide or accept a business entertainment event, such as a dinner, sporting event, or concert of reasonable value, as well as any transportation and/or lodging accompanying or related to such activity or event. Normally, the person or entity providing the entertainment will be present. Counterpoint does not consider these occasional entertainment expenses to be gifts and therefore does not count them toward the annual gift allowance. However, no entertainment event should be given or accepted in such frequency or amount that would violate Counterpoint’s overriding principle as stated above. Generally, business entertainment of not more than $500 per individual per year is considered reasonable. All entertainment events in excess of $500 given or received must be pre-approved by the CCO.

 

f. From time to time, Supervised Persons may receive offers to attend conferences, seminars, due diligence meetings, or similar events provided by or sponsored by a person or entity that does or seeks to do business with Counterpoint, such as a mutual fund company, issuer, vendor, custodian, or broker-dealer. In addition, the sponsors may offer to cover or reimburse Counterpoint for the costs associated with the attendance of these events such as travel, lodging, meals, and conference fees. Supervised Persons may not accept transportation or lodging offers; rather the cost for these expenses will be borne by the Supervised Person or Counterpoint. Offers for any other expense coverage must be submitted for pre-approval to the CCO, who will make a determination on whether the event and/or any covered or reimbursed expenses associated with the event would present Counterpoint with related real or perceived conflicts of interest. In considering granting approval for such events, the CCO will consider, among other things, the extent to which the event enhances the firm’s management of client accounts or supports the firm’s due diligence process of reviewing securities and issuers.

 

g. Supervised Persons must report all gifts and entertainment in excess of the limits set forth above to the CCO, who will maintain a record of such items, including the name of the
9  
 

person or company giving/receiving the item, the date the item was given/received, a description of the item, and its approximate value.

 

  1. If a third party would reasonably perceive a gift as being improper or as compromising the integrity of Supervised Persons and/or Counterpoint, the gift should be respectfully declined. If there is any question as to whether a payment or consideration may be accepted, the Supervised Person should contact the CCO.

 

Exclusions

 

The following items are not subject to Counterpoint’s Gifts and Entertainment policies:

 

  1. Infrequent gifts of a personal nature, such as wedding gifts or congratulatory gifts for the birth of a child;
  2. Gifts and entertainment given to or received from individuals who are also family members of Supervised Persons of Counterpoint (gifts to and from family members are not required to be reported to the CCO); and
  3. Items of de minimis value given or received such as pens, mugs, shirts, golf balls, and other similar promotional items ( de minimis items are not required to be reported to the CCO).

 

Additional Standards

 

Supervised Persons may be subject to additional codes of conduct mandated by professional organizations of which the Supervised Person is a member or designation holder. As a matter of professional integrity and responsibility, Supervised Persons must always abide by the higher standard in situations where varying procedures among multiple entities exist. Supervised Persons may be subject to an additional Code of Ethics and professional responsibilities as it relates to any professional designations held by each Supervised Person. The provisions of any additional standards are not incorporated into this Code, but examples of other professional standards that may apply are noted below.

 

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)

 

Certain Supervised Persons of Counterpoint have earned the right to use the CFA designation and are members of the CFA Institute. In addition to the firm’s Code, all such Supervised Persons are also subject to the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct .

 

6. Personal Trading

 

  1. Counterpoint permits Access Persons, as that term is defined above, to transact in personal securities accounts provided that investing by Access Persons is consistent with Counterpoint’s fiduciary duty to our clients and with regulatory requirements.

 

  1. The personal trading policies and procedures, including the subsections outlined below, also apply to accounts of immediate family members (as defined above) of the Access Person living
  2. 10  
     
  3. in the same household and any account of which the Access Person is a beneficial owner (as defined above). The Access Person must comply with these policies for all such accounts.

 

  1. Personal securities transactions must never adversely affect clients.

 

  1. Counterpoint will monitor trading activity of our Access Persons to confirm that the interests of clients come first and that their trading activity complies with applicable securities laws. Securities transactions and holdings in any account of an Access Person, including accounts for which the Access Person is considered a beneficial owner (see definition above), are subject to review by Counterpoint.

 

5. The CCO will generally consider the following factors when reviewing Reportable Security holdings and transactions reports as well as pre-clearance requests:
a. Whether the investment opportunity should be directed to a client’s account;
b. Whether the amount or nature of the transaction affected the price or market for the security;
c. Whether the Access Person benefited from purchases or sales being made for clients;
d. Whether the transaction harmed any client; and
e. Whether the transaction has the appearance of impropriety.

 

  1. The CCO will conduct a quarterly review of personal trades of Access Persons against the trades executed for clients. In the event that Counterpoint’s personal trading policies were violated, even if inadvertently, the trade may be canceled and any profits disgorged depending on the perceived or actual breach of fiduciary duty to clients.

 

Current Access Persons

 

  1. Counterpoint maintains a record of our current and former Access Persons in accordance with recordkeeping requirements of the Advisers Act.

 

  1. All Supervised Persons, with the exception of persons who are sales persons only, of Counterpoint are considered to be Access Persons for purposes of these policies. Sales persons do not make, participate in or obtain information regarding, the purchase or sale of Reportable Securities by registered funds.

 

Personal Securities Transactions Policy

 

  1. Counterpoint and our Access Persons are permitted to personally invest in securities that are also recommended for client accounts.

 

  1. For personal transactions in a Reportable Security (as defined above), Access Persons must follow the procedures under Pre-Clearance of Trades , below, before transacting.

 

  1. All pre-approval requests and responses will be maintained in accordance with applicable books and records rules.

 

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Pre-Clearance of Trades

 

  1. Access Persons must obtain the prior written approval from the CCO for any transaction:
a. That involves the purchase of an initial public offering (“IPO”), both in new issues and secondary offerings,
b. That involves the purchase of a limited offering (defined above), including all private placements, or
c. In any Reportable Security (as defined above) with the exception of:
i. broad market index ETFs and broad market futures and derivatives (such as futures options, options) that track such broad market index ETFs and broad market futures; or
ii. individual municipal bonds

 

  1. Pre-clearance is not required for the following transactions:
a. For subsequent purchases of securities effected pursuant to an automatic investment plan that was previously approved or exempt pursuant to these policies; or

 

  1. Access Persons desiring to transact in a security requiring pre-clearance must submit a request for pre-approval to the CCO in advance of the trade.
a. Pre-approval requests must be submitted using the firm’s Pre-Approval for Securities Transaction Form or other written request (including e-mail) containing the same information as the form. Any pre-approval requests sent via e-mail must be copied to the “trading” e-mail for recordkeeping purposes.
b. Only upon the receipt of written approval may the Access Person execute the desired transaction .
c. Pre-approvals for limited offerings are granted for 30 days. If the Access Person does not purchase a limited offering within the 30 days, the Access Person must submit a new request if desiring to participate on a later date.

 

  1. In the event of the CCO’s absence or for personal trading activity of the CCO, the ACO is responsible for reviewing pre-approval requests and issuing an appropriate response.

 

  1. Reasons the CCO may not grant approval for personal securities transactions include:
a. The proposed transaction is a violation of the Code;
b. The proposed transaction is a violation of the P&P; or
c. The proposed transaction creates a conflict of interest that may reasonably affect the ability of that Access Person to provide independent, objective advice and to act in the best interest of the client.

 

  1. The purpose of pre-clearance is so that Counterpoint may adhere to our fiduciary duty to clients. However, there is no guarantee under this policy that clients will always receive more favorable pricing than Access Persons for trades in like positions.

 

Personal Account Reporting

 

  1. Access Persons must disclose to Counterpoint holdings and transactions in securities for which the Access Person is a beneficial owner.

 

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Personal Holdings Reports

 

  1. Access Persons must, within ten (10) days of becoming an Access Person and at least annually during each calendar year thereafter, report to the CCO all personal securities holdings of Reportable Securities (including limited offering holdings) on the firm’s Holdings Report or a supplemental report containing the same information.

 

  1. Each Holdings Report must contain, at a minimum, the following information:
a. The title and type of security, and as applicable, the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, number of shares and principal amount of each reportable security in which the Access Person has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership;
b. The name of any broker, dealer or bank with which the Access Person maintains an account in which any securities are held for the Access Person’s direct or indirect benefit; and
c. The date the Access Person submits the report.

 

  1. The required information must be current as of a date not more than 45 days prior to the employee becoming an Access Person (for initial reports) or the date the report is submitted (for annual reports).

 

  1. The CCO will conduct a periodic review of the holdings reports and brokerage statements for potential conflicts of interest or violations of the Code. The ACO will review the holdings of the CCO.

 

Personal Security Transaction Reports

 

  1. Access Persons must report all personal securities transactions in Reportable Securities (including limited offering transactions) on a quarterly basis. Access Persons must also report on a quarterly basis any account that was established in which any securities were held during the quarter for the direct or indirect benefit of the Access Person.

 

  1. Access Persons must provide a signed Quarterly Securities Transaction Report to the CCO no later than thirty (30) days after the end of each calendar quarter.

 

  1. Each transaction report must contain, at a minimum, the following information about each transaction involving a Reportable Security in which the Access Person had, or as a result of the transaction acquired, any direct or indirect beneficial ownership:
a. The date of the transaction, the title, and as applicable the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, interest rate and maturity date, number of shares, and principal amount of each Reportable Security involved;
b. The nature of the transaction (i.e., purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition);
c. The price of the security at which the transaction was effected;
d. The name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through which the transaction was effected; and
e. The date the Access Person submits the report.

 

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  1. Each transaction report must also contain the following information with respect to any account established by the Access Person in which any securities were held during the quarter for the direct or indirect benefit of the Access Person:
    1. The name of the broker, dealer, or bank with which the Access Person established the account;
    2. The date the account was established; and
    3. The date the Access Person submits the report.

 

  1. The CCO will review the personal transaction activity for violations of insider trading, front running, pre-clearance of trades (as described above), and other potentially abusive practices. The ACO will review the transactions of the CCO.

 

7. Insider Trading

 

The Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act of 1988 requires an investment adviser to establish, maintain and enforce written policies and procedures designed to prevent the misuse of material nonpublic information by its directors, officers and employees.

 

Counterpoint has adopted the following policies and procedures to reasonably prevent the misuse of material nonpublic information. All Supervised Persons of Counterpoint are required to adhere to the firm’s policy.

 

Background

 

Pursuant to Section 204A of the Advisers Act, registered investment advisers are required to maintain and enforce written policies reasonably designed to prevent the misuse of material nonpublic information by the adviser or any person associated with the adviser.

 

The securities laws prohibit improper disclosure or use of nonpublic information relative to publicly traded securities. Violations of the prohibitions against “insider trading” are punishable by severe sanctions, including criminal penalties. In general, the securities laws prohibit trading by a person while in the possession of material nonpublic information about a company or about the market for that company’s securities. The securities laws also prohibit a person who is in possession of material nonpublic information from communicating any such information to others.

 

Insider trading violations are likely to result in harsh consequences for the individuals involved, including exposure to investigations by the Commission, criminal and civil prosecution, disgorgement of any profits realized or losses avoided through the use of the nonpublic information, civil penalties of up to $1 million or three times such profits or losses, whichever is greater, exposure to additional liability in private actions, and incarceration.

 

Insider

 

The term “insider” includes both traditional insiders and temporary insiders. A traditional insider is generally any officer, director, partner, manager, or employee of a company who obtains material nonpublic information about that company by virtue of his/her position or relationship with the company. A traditional insider who acts on inside information breaches a duty of trust and confidence to

14  
 

the shareholders of his/her corporation. A temporary insider is any person who receives material nonpublic information about a company in the course of performing services for the company. Temporary insiders may include, but are not limited to, accountants, lawyers, consultants, underwriters, or the immediate family members of traditional insiders. A temporary insider who acts on inside information breaches a duty of loyalty and confidentiality to the person who shared the confidential information with him/her. An insider who becomes aware of and uses or discloses material nonpublic information about a company obtained as the result of his/her relationship with another company may be deemed to have misappropriated such information.

 

Material

 

The term “material information” is generally defined as information that a reasonable investor would consider important in making his/her investment decision with respect to a company’s securities or information that is reasonably certain to affect the market price of the company’s securities, regardless of whether the information is directly related to the company’s business. Material information may include, but is not limited to: dividend changes, earnings estimates, changes in previously released earnings estimates, significant new products or discoveries, significant mergers or tender offer proposals or agreements, developments regarding major litigation by or against the company, liquidity or solvency problems, extraordinary management developments, or similar major developments.

 

Nonpublic

 

Information is to be considered “nonpublic” until it has been effectively disseminated to the marketplace for a sufficient period of time to be reflected in the security’s price. Information remains nonpublic until it has been publicly disclosed, meaning that it has been broadly distributed to the public in a non-exclusionary manner, such as via a filing with the Commission, or by appearance in publications of general circulation.

 

Policies

 

All Supervised Persons must adhere to the following:

 

  1. Any Supervised Person having doubts regarding the propriety of a proposed securities transaction should seek advice from the CCO, who has been designated by Counterpoint to handle such matters.

 

  1. No Supervised Person, who as a company “insider” has come into possession of material nonpublic information about a company or about the market for that company’s securities, may for your portfolio or for the portfolios of others buy or sell the securities of that company, or derivatives of such securities (e.g., options, warrants, etc.), until that information becomes publicly disseminated and the market has had an opportunity to react.

 

  1. No Supervised Person may benefit and/or trade on any material non-public information gained from interaction with portfolio companies or counter-parties.

 

  1. No Supervised Person may communicate or “tip” material nonpublic information about a company to any person except for lawful purposes.
15  
 

 

  1. No Supervised Person may disclose material nonpublic information about a company or the market for that company’s securities to any person except to the extent necessary to carry out the legitimate business obligations of Counterpoint.

 

  1. Mutual fund holdings are considered nonpublic until they have been disseminated to the public (such as through publicly available filings with the Commission). No Supervised Person may disclose the holdings of any mutual fund advised by Counterpoint until the holdings have become public. Supervised Persons should check with the CCO before disclosing any holdings of Counterpoint advised funds.

 

Procedures and Responsible Party

 

  1. Every Supervised Person is required to disclose any outside business activities to the CCO.

 

  1. Every Supervised Person must disclose to the CCO any other activities they engage in that may reasonably cause them to have access to inside information.

 

  1. If necessary, the CCO will develop and maintain “restricted lists” and “watch lists” which identify the securities that may not be traded in client, employee and proprietary accounts without prior approval from the CCO.

 

  1. Every Supervised Person, before trading or making investment recommendations, for themselves or others, in the securities of a company about which the Supervised Person may have potential insider information, must consider whether the information is material and nonpublic. If after consideration, the information is determined to be material and nonpublic, or the Supervised Person is unable to determine whether the information is material and nonpublic, the Supervised Person must do the following:
a. Report the matter immediately to the CCO;
b. Not purchase, sell or recommend securities on behalf of yourself or others, including accounts managed by Counterpoint;
c. Not communicate the information inside or outside Counterpoint other than to the CCO or senior management.

 

After the CCO has reviewed the matter, the Supervised Person will be instructed as to the proper course of action to take.

 

  1. Counterpoint will distribute to our Supervised Persons at time of hire, and at least with each newly updated version, the firm’s insider trading policy, by providing this Code. Every Supervised Person will be required to certify that they have received the Code.

 

  1. Counterpoint will periodically review and update our insider trading policies as necessary to reflect regulatory, business, or industry changes.

 

  1. Counterpoint’s CCO will review Access Persons’ holdings and transaction reports for potential violations of the policy.

 

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Questions about Counterpoint’s Insider Trading Policy

 

While compliance with the law and with Counterpoint’s policies and procedures described in this manual is each individual’s responsibility, interpretive questions may arise, such as whether certain information is material or nonpublic, or whether trading restrictions should be applicable in a given situation. Any questions should immediately be addressed to the CCO, who has been designated by Counterpoint to respond to such questions.

 

Violations of Insider Trading

 

Violations of Counterpoint’s policies and procedures relative to prohibitions against insider trading will be regarded with the utmost seriousness and will constitute grounds for immediate dismissal and/or reporting to all applicable legal authorities.

 

8. Preserving Confidentiality

 

Counterpoint has implemented policies and procedures, which are outlined in Counterpoint’s P&P, to limit the sharing of and access to nonpublic personal information regarding the firm’s clients to Counterpoint personnel and third parties, as applicable, who need that information to provide services to those clients.

 

Supervised Persons must preserve the confidentiality of information communicated by clients, prospects, or employees unless you receive information concerning illegal activities. If a Supervised Person becomes aware of illegal activity, the information should be given directly to the CCO for further action.

 

9. Violations of the Code

 

Supervised Persons must promptly report any violation or suspected violation of the Code or of any securities laws or rules to the CCO. Such reports will be treated confidentially to the extent permitted by law and investigated promptly and appropriately. Reporting may be on an anonymous basis. No retaliation or retribution of any kind will be taken against a Supervised Person for reporting a violation or potential violation in good faith. Retaliation against a person for reporting an alleged violation is also a violation of this Code.

 

If the CCO is not available or is suspected of being involved in the reported violation, Supervised Persons may report the violation to the ACO , provided the CCO receives a copy of the report.

All reports will be promptly investigated and, if deemed necessary, appropriate action will be taken. The CCO will be responsible for leading any investigations and reporting violations and investigative findings to the appropriate supervisor and senior management.

Reports to Mutual Fund

 

Per Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act, investment advisers to mutual funds must annually provide to the mutual fund’s board of directors a written report that:

 

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  1. Describes any issues arising under the code of ethics or procedures since the last report to the board of directors, including, but not limited to, information about material violations of the code or procedures and sanctions imposed in response to the material violations; and
  2. Certifies that the investment adviser has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Fund Access Persons from violating the code.

 

Sanctions/Disciplinary Policy

 

Counterpoint and senior management may use any or all of the following sanctions against any Supervised Person found to have violated either the Code or the firm’s P&P.

 

  1. Cancel trades, disgorge profits and/or sell positions
  2. Letter of caution
  3. Admonishment
  4. Fine, disgorgement
  5. Suspension of personal trading privileges
  6. Suspension of employment
  7. Termination of employment
  8. Report violation to regulatory authorities

2       CODE OF ETHICS

   

TEXT BOX: 2.1 OVERVIEW

 

 

 

Boyd has many important assets, but the most valuable is our established and unquestioned reputation for integrity. As professionals, we are judged by our conduct, and we must act in a manner that merits the trust and confidence of our customers and the public in general. Because of the nature of the investment advisory business, many people hold us to a higher standard than the general business world. Boyd has adopted this Code of Ethics (“Code”) to help ensure that it retains its integrity and continues to merit trust and confidence. Additionally, Boyd’s employees that are CFA Institute members are also expected to comply with CFA Institute’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.

 

Boyd and its employees owe an undivided duty of loyalty to Boyd’s clients and must place client interests first at all times. Employees will, in varying degrees, participate in or be aware of fiduciary and investment services provided to registered investment companies, institutional investment clients, employee benefit trusts and other types of investment advisory clients. Our fiduciary relationship mandates adherence to the highest standards of conduct and integrity.

 

Accordingly, employees acting in a fiduciary capacity must carry out their duties for the exclusive benefit of client accounts. Employees must avoid any activity that might create an actual or potential conflict of interest and should never take unfair advantage of their positions with Boyd. Employees may not cause a client to take action (or fail to take action) for the employee’s personal benefit, rather than for the benefit of the client.

 

 

TEXT BOX: 2.2 DEFINITIONS

 

 

The following terms are used commonly throughout this Code. There are several other technical definitions that may apply to the requirements set forth in the Code, and you are encouraged to consult with Compliance for clarification, if needed.

 

1. An “Access Person” of Boyd is any employee that:

 

·                      Has access to non-public information regarding any clients' purchase or sale of securities, or non-public information regarding the portfolio holdings of any mutual fund that Boyd advises; or

 

·                      Is involved in making securities recommendations to clients, or who has access to such recommendations that are non-public.

 

2. An “Advised Fund” is a registered investment company for which Boyd serves as adviser or sub-adviser.
1  
 
3. An “ARM” is an account relationship manager.

 

4. “Reportable Security” is as defined in Section 2.6.2 of this Code.

 

 

TEXT BOX: 2.3 GENERAL GUIDANCE

 

 

In most situations, our personal values and integrity will guide us to the right decision. However, we must always keep in mind how our actions affect the credibility of Boyd. For this reason, our business ethics must reflect the highest values and standards of conduct outlined in this Code. We encourage each employee to ask questions, seek guidance and express any concerns they may have. When in doubt, directors, officers and employees should ask themselves the following questions:

 

· Is my action legal? If so, is it also ethical?
· Are my actions honest in every respect?
· Would I be proud to read about my action in the newspaper?
· Can I defend my action with a clear conscience?
· Would it be helpful to ask for guidance before taking any action?

 

If your answers to these questions are troubling in any respect, it may be that whatever you are considering is not the correct or appropriate course of action and you should contact Compliance or a member of Executive Management with any questions.

 

 

TEXT BOX: 2.4 CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

 

 

A major component of carrying out our fiduciary duties to our clients involves the awareness and disclosure of actual and potential conflicts of interest. A conflict of interest occurs when the best interests of Boyd and/or its employees are contrary to the interests of our clients. A conflict situation can arise if you have a personal financial or other interest that may make it difficult to perform your duties objectively and effectively. Conflicts of interest may also arise if you or a family member or another organization in which you have an interest receives a personal benefit as a result of your position with Boyd.

 

All Access Persons must disclose actual or potential conflicts of interest to Compliance, so that they may be adequately disclosed and mitigated.

 

 

TEXT BOX: 2.5 COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL SECURITIES LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS

 

 

You must conduct yourself in a manner which is in full compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations, including Rule 204A-1 of the Advisers Act and Rule 17j-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), as well as with all of Boyd’s other policies and procedures. Activity or behavior which would be criminally or civilly actionable is deemed not to be in compliance. Boyd’s Chief Compliance Officer has an “open door” policy

2  
 

and all employees may feel free to seek guidance whenever a regulatory matter comes into question.

 

 

TEXT BOX: 2.6 PERSONAL SECURITIES HOLDINGS AND TRANSACTIONS

 

 

The following provisions apply to all securities accounts in which Access Persons have a direct or indirect beneficial ownership interest. Beneficial ownership interest includes securities held in the name of your spouse, minor children and other relatives (including adult children) resident in your home and unrelated persons in circumstances where you are entitled to share in any profit derived from a transaction in those securities. If there is any question as to whether a particular account is subject to these requirements, Compliance should be consulted for guidance.

 

 

 

 

Diversion of Investment Opportunity

 

Access Persons should not acquire a security that would be suitable for a client account without first considering whether to recommend or purchase that security to or for the client’s account.

 

Prohibition of Front Running

 

“Front running” is generally considered to be the practice of effecting a securities transaction with advance knowledge of another transaction in the same or related security for client accounts, typically a block transaction, in order to personally benefit from the effect of the block transaction upon the price of the security or related security. Front running is a prohibited practice and Access Persons’ personal securities transactions will be reviewed periodically by Compliance for evidence of front running.

 

Blackout Periods

 

Pending Trades

 

Access Persons may not purchase or sell a security in an account under the Access Person’s control on a day during which any client account, including any Advised Fund, has a pending order in the same security. This restriction applies until the client’s order has been executed or cancelled.

 

Securities Under Consideration

 

Access Persons may not purchase or sell a security if the Access Person knows that a transaction in the same security is being considered for a client account, including any Advised Fund(s), or that a decision has been made to effect such a transaction.

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Frequent Trading

 

Frequent trading by Access Persons is discouraged. While there is no objective measure of excess frequency, Compliance and Executive Management will use their best judgment to determine if an Access Person is spending too much time trading for his or her own account and limits may be set accordingly on a case-by-case basis.

 

 

 

 

Access Persons must pre-clear all personal transactions in Reportable Securities, except as provided below. Access Persons are personally responsible for ensuring that the proposed transaction does not violate Boyd’s policies or applicable securities laws and regulations.

 

Reportable Security is defined by SEC Rule 204A-1(e)(10) and is broad in scope. Examples of a Reportable Security include, without limitation, a physical stock certificate, a bond, or an equity security such as company stock in a retirement plan account. However, a Reportable Security does not include:

 

- Direct obligations of the U.S. government;

 

- Money market instruments, including bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper, repurchase agreements, and other high-quality short- term debt instruments;

 

- Shares issued by money market funds;

 

- Shares issued by open-end mutual funds (other than exchange traded funds); and

 

- Shares issued by open-end unit investment trusts (UITs) if the UIT is invested exclusively in open end mutual funds (other than Advised Funds).

 

Pre-clearance is also required for a transaction in any security that is on any restricted securities list maintained by Boyd.

 

Access Persons shall submit a pre-clearance request through Schwab Compliance Technologies system for review by Portfolio Management, Trading and/or Compliance. Once reviewed, the Access Person will receive notification as to whether the transaction has been approved or denied. A record of the pre-clearance request and its review will be maintained by the system in accordance with Boyd’s books and records obligations.

 

An approval is only valid until the close of business on the same day it is granted. If the order is not placed during that period or is placed but not executed, a new approval must be obtained.

 

Exemptions to Pre-Clearance Requirement

 

Except as provided in Section 2.6.3 below, the following types of transactions are exempt from pre-clearance:

 

1. Securities purchased or sold in fully discretionary accounts managed by a third party
4  
 
2. Open-end U.S. mutual fund shares, other than transactions in Advised Fund(s) not made through a 401(k) plan or other automatic investment plan
3. Exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”)
4. Reorganizations (e.g., tender offers)
5. Futures and options on indices
6. Option exercises
7. Other securities that are not Reportable Securities

 

 

 

 

Prior to effecting a transaction in an initial public offering (“IPO”) or in a limited offering, Access Persons must obtain the approval of Compliance and/or Executive Management. In evaluating such requests, the reviewer should consider all relevant factors, including:

 

1. Whether the investment opportunity is being made available to the Access Person due to the Access Person’s position with Boyd;

 

2. Whether the investment opportunity creates a conflict of interest relating to the Access Person’s fiduciary responsibilities at Boyd; and

 

3. Whether the investment opportunity is suitable for and should be reserved for Boyd’s clients.

 

If the reviewer approves the Access Person’s request to participate in an IPO or in a limited offering, the reviewer must sign the form and must indicate the reasons for his or her decision.

 

If an Access Person has acquired securities in an IPO or in a limited offering, he or she must disclose that interest to Compliance before the Access Person may play a material role in a decision to recommend or cause an Advised Fund to invest in securities of the same issuer. This disclosure is required even if the Access Person has complied with the preclearance and reporting requirements of the Code.

 

 

 

 

Access Persons must disclose all securities and applicable accounts (including fully discretionary accounts), provided that the following personal securities accounts are not reportable under the Code unless they hold Reportable Securities:

 

- 401(k) and 403(b) retirement plan accounts that only hold open end mutual funds

 

- Accounts held directly at mutual fund companies (mutual fund only accounts)

 

- Accounts held directly at 529 college savings plans
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To ensure compliance with this requirement, Access Persons must instruct any bank, broker or other financial institution that maintains such accounts to send duplicate copies of all trade confirmations and account statements promptly to the attention of Compliance.

 

In order to comply with applicable requirements, Boyd must receive account statements no later than 30 days after the end of any calendar month or quarter (depending on account activity).

 

Holdings Reports

 

Within ten (10) days of becoming an Access Person, and annually thereafter, each Access Person must submit holding information for all Reportable Securities to Compliance. The information in the holdings report must be current as of a date no more than 45 days before the report is submitted.

 

Quarterly Transaction Reports

 

Within thirty (30) days of the end of each calendar quarter, all Access Persons must review, report and certify all trading activity in Reportable Securities for the quarter. All Access Persons must also report any new Accounts opened during the calendar quarter. All purchases or sales of an Advised Fund must be reported quarterly.

 

 

 

 

 

Compliance is responsible for monitoring personal securities trading for compliance with the Code. On a periodic basis (but at least quarterly,) Compliance will review the statements and reports submitted pursuant to the Code. Any unusual trading activity, patterns of transactions, or indications of violations of this Code will be addressed as necessary.

 

 

 

TEXT BOX: 2.7 INSIDER TRADING AND CONFIDENTIALITY

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boyd strictly prohibits employees from effecting securities transactions while in possession of material, non-public information. Employees are also prohibited from disclosing such information to others. The prohibition against insider trading applies not only to the security to which the inside information directly relates, but also to related securities, such as options.

 

No employee who has material non-public information regarding any company may buy or sell securities of that company or a related company, directly or indirectly, or engage in any other action to take personal advantage of that information, or disclose such information to others, such as family, relatives, and business or social acquaintances.

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For purposes of this Policy, “material” information is any information that a reasonable investor would likely consider important in a decision to buy, hold or sell securities. “Non-public” information is any information which has not been disclosed generally to the marketplace.

 

Remember: if your securities transactions become the subject of scrutiny, they will be viewed after the fact with the benefit of hindsight. As a result, before engaging in any transaction, you should carefully consider how regulators and others might view your transaction in hindsight.

 

Any employee who believes that they may have come into possession of material non-public information should discuss the matter with Compliance or Executive Management immediately. Further, if any employees have personal relationships that may result in the employee obtaining such information (e.g., a spouse who holds a high level position in a publicly traded company, a friend who works in investment banking and deals with public companies, etc.), Compliance should also be notified.

 

 

 

 

 

While there are various legal nuances regarding the true definition of insider trading, insider trading generally includes the following scenarios:

 

1. Classical Scenario : Trading by an insider who owes a duty to the issuer of the security traded;

 

2. Misappropriation Scenario : Trading based on material nonpublic information in breach of a duty owed to someone other than the issuer;

 

3. Tipping Scenario : The tippee assumes the same liability as the tipper if the tippee knows or should have known that the tipper is breaching a duty by transmitting the information.

 

 

 

 

 

Another source of potential material non-public information may include confidential Boyd information regarding investment recommendations and client account holdings and transactions. Employees should:

 

· Not discuss confidential information, except as necessary to perform their duties to Boyd
· Not store confidential information in plain view in public areas of the office
· Not discuss confidential information in public areas, including airports, elevators, etc.
· Not share confidential information outside Boyd, including with spouses, friends, etc.
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Upon determination that the information may represent material inside information, Compliance and Executive Management will take the following actions, as deemed appropriate:

 

1. Consider a halt to all firm trading activity in the security;

 

2. Consider a halt to all recommendations of the security;

 

3. Consider requesting the issuer or other appropriate parties to disseminate the information promptly to the public if the information is valid and nonpublic;

 

4. Take steps to ensure all files containing material, nonpublic information are sealed and access to computer files containing material, nonpublic information are restricted;

 

5. Consult with other senior members of the firm; and

 

6. Notify legal counsel and request advice as to what further steps should be taken before transactions or recommendations in the securities are resumed.

 

In addition, Compliance and Executive Management will confidentially document the firm’s actions in addressing the material inside information.

 

 

 

 

A violation of The Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act of 1988 may result in criminal and civil penalties of $1,000,000 or more. There are also very substantial criminal and civil penalties (including imprisonment) for improper insider trading or tipping. Litigation and investigations of insider trading cases are extremely burdensome, expensive, frequently publicized, and can be based on appearance alone.

 

If material non-public information is inadvertently disclosed, no matter what the circumstances, by any employee, the person making or discovering such disclosure should immediately report the facts to Compliance.

 

 

 

TEXT BOX: 2.8 GIFT POLICY

 

 

Giving, receiving or soliciting gifts in a business setting may create an appearance of impropriety, raise a potential conflict of interest, or be an improper payment in violation of applicable law.

Boyd has adopted the policies set forth below to guide all employees in this area. In general, gifts are distinguishable from permitted business meals and business entertainment. However, under Boyd’s policies, gifts include, without limitation, golf outings, sporting events, concerts, and other

8  
 

entertainment where the employee or other business party is not present and/or a business meeting or discussion is not held before, at or after the event.

 

 

 

 

Boyd’s policy with respect to business entertainment and workplace gifts is as follows:

 

·          Employees should not accept or provide any gifts or favors that might influence the decisions the employee or the recipient must make in business transactions involving Boyd, or that others might reasonably believe would influence those decisions;

 

· Modest gifts and favors, which would not be regarded by others as improper, and which otherwise conform to generally accepted business practices, may be accepted or given on an occasional basis.

 

· Business meals and entertainment (such as athletic or cultural events) which are consistent with general business practices and that are not extravagant (i.e. cost is not unusually high in comparison to other business meals or entertainment in similar venues, geographical locations and settings) or frequent in nature also are permissible. Unless otherwise provided in this Code or in other policies of Boyd, business meals and business entertainment associated with or incident to a business meeting or function that comply these requirements, are not considered to be gifts, gratuities, hospitalities or similar offerings.

 

· Employees are prohibited from giving or accepting cash, cash equivalents and securities. This includes items that could be redeemed for cash, such as checks, tickets and cash- redeemable gift certificates. This policy does not include gift certificates that can only be redeemed for goods and services.

 

· Where there is a law or rule that applies to the conduct of a particular business or the acceptance of gifts of even nominal value, the law or rule must be followed.

 

· Acceptance of loans from banks or financial institutions on terms generally available to the public at large, acceptance of discounts or rebates on merchandise or services on terms generally available to the public at large or on terms generally available to Boyd employees, and gifts based upon a family relationship or close personal relationship pre- dating your involvement with Boyd, are permissible.

 

 

 

 

General Gift Limit

 

Employees are prohibited from receiving any gift, gratuity, hospitality or similar offering of more than $250.00 in aggregated value during a calendar year from any person or entity doing business with Boyd without the prior consent of Compliance, with the exception of accounts subject to Department of Labor (“DOL”) oversight (such as ERISA qualified accounts), whereby Boyd imposes different rules based on Boyd’s understanding of current DOL accepted standards.

 

Cash gifts are not allowed.

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Receipt of Gifts from ERISA Service Providers

 

Employees are prohibited from accepting gifts from vendors or service providers in connection with any services provided by Boyd to a client that is a pension plan (subject to Form 5500 Schedule C reporting obligations), unless the following three conditions are all met: (i) the gift is tax deductible for federal income tax purposes for the vendor or service provider and would not be taxable income to Boyd or any employee; (ii) the gift does not exceed $50; and (iii) gifts from any one vendor or service provider do not exceed $100 during a calendar year. Additional policies with respect to pension plan clients are set forth are set forth in Exhibit A to Boyd’s Travel, and Entertainment and Business Expense Policies.

 

Gifts from multiple employees of one vendor or service provider to Boyd will be treated as a single source when calculating whether the $100 limit applies. However, in applying the limit to an occasional gift received by multiple employees from a single vendor or service provider, the amount received by each employee may be separately determined in applying the $100 limit.

Employees may accept occasional gifts of less than $10 without the gift counting toward the $100 limit. Employees may also accept promotional gifts of little intrinsic value that display a company logo (for example, pens with the company name). Cash gifts are not allowed.

 

If a vendor or service provider provides services to Boyd relating to Boyd’s pension plan clients and its non-pension plan clients, a pro rata share of the value of any gift received will be counted toward the $50 and $100 limits.

 

Additional gift and gratuity policies with respect to pension plan clients are set forth are set forth in Exhibit A to Boyd’s Travel, and Entertainment and Business Expense Policies.

 

 

 

 

 

General Gift Limit

 

Employees are prohibited from giving any gift, gratuity, hospitality or similar offering of more $250 in aggregated value during a calendar year to any person or entity doing business with Boyd, without the prior written consent of Compliance, with the exception of accounts subject to Department of Labor (“DOL”) oversight (such as ERISA qualified accounts), whereby Boyd imposes different rules based on Boyd’s understanding of current DOL accepted standards.

 

Cash gifts are not allowed.

 

Gifts to ERISA Plan Fiduciaries

 

In general, Boyd and its employees may not provide any person who is a fiduciary of an ERISA plan gifts, entertainment or other consideration with an aggregate value of $250.00 or more during a calendar year. Additional gift and gratuity policies with respect to pension plan clients are set forth in Exhibit A to Boyd’s Travel, and Entertainment and Business Expense Policies.

 

Cash gifts and gifts of more than $50 in value are not allowed.

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If an employee becomes aware that he or she is a beneficiary of a gift or bequest under a will or trust agreement of a customer, former customer, or supplier (other than someone related by blood or marriage), the employee should promptly report it to Compliance. Depending on the circumstances, the employee may be required to take all reasonable steps to have the will or trust instrument amended to remove himself or herself as a beneficiary. In certain circumstances, if the employee is not removed as a beneficiary, the employee may be terminated in order to avoid the perception of a conflict of interest or improper influence. Likewise, an employee may not accept a bequest or devise from a customer, former customer, or supplier without prior approval of Compliance.

 

 

 

 

 

Procedural Summary

Who: All employees
What: Notify Compliance of gifts received
When: On an ongoing basis
Evidence: Compliance will retain a Gift Log

 

When an employee receives a gift, it is their responsibility to report it to Compliance for tracking on Boyd’s Gift Log. Gifts of nominal value (less than $10.00 in value) do not need to be reported, nor do promotional gifts of little intrinsic value that display a company logo or typical holiday gifts, such as food and fruit baskets.

 

Compliance will periodically review the gift log to identify any unusual patterns involving gifts or entertainment indicating a potential conflict of interest.

 

If an employee has any questions as to whether any proposed or contemplated gift or business entertainment activity complies with the above policy, please contact Compliance.

 

TEXT BOX: 2.9 REPORTING VIOLATIONS OF THE CODE

 

 

 

 

 

You have a duty to adhere to this Code and all other existing company policies and to report any suspected violations by yourself or any other employee, officer or director of Boyd. You should report violations of this Code by contacting Compliance. Your report will be dealt with anonymously and confidentially.

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The responsibility for administering the Code, investigating alleged violations and determining corrective and disciplinary action rests with various groups within Boyd. Compliance is responsible for maintaining and updating the Code. Compliance may work together with other relevant parties in order to promptly handle investigations and recommend corrective and disciplinary actions. Depending on the circumstances, in some cases senior managers and other officers will be involved to consider and determine the appropriate corrective or disciplinary action. Compliance will periodically report Code violations and the corrective actions taken to Boyd’s Executive Management. In some cases, Executive Management will be responsible for conducting the investigation and determining the actions to be taken.

 

 

 

 

Our commitment to promoting the highest ethical standards includes a responsibility to foster an environment that allows our employees to report violations without the fear of retaliation or retribution. You will not be disciplined, lose your job, or be retaliated against in any other way for asking questions or voicing concerns about our legal or ethical obligations, as long as you are acting in good faith. “Good faith” does not mean that you have to be right, but it does mean that you believe that you are providing truthful information. The important thing is that you bring your question or concern to Boyd’s attention through one of the available channels.

 

Our employees must never be discouraged from using any available channel within the organization. Even simple questioning of a person reporting a violation can lead to unintentional retaliation, as it may make that person feel that he or she did something wrong by choosing one method over another. Persons reporting a violation under this Code must be able to choose whichever method they are most comfortable with to communicate their concern.

 

Any employee who retaliates against another employee for reporting known or suspected violations of our legal or ethical obligations will be in violation of the Code and subject to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal. Retaliation also may be a violation of the law and, as such, could subject both the individual offender and Boyd to legal liability.

 

 

"TEXT BOX: 2.10?DISTRIBUTION OF CODE"

 

 

Compliance is responsible for providing new Access Persons with a copy of the most recent version of the Code upon employment and providing any amendments to the Code to all Access Persons thereafter. Any time an access person is provided with the Code, a signed acknowledgement of receipt and understanding will be required.

 

 

"TEXT BOX: 2.11?DISCIPLINE"

 

 

If an Employee has violated the Code, Boyd may take whatever discipline and other remedial action it deems appropriate. Discipline will vary but may include reprimand, censure, limitation or

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prohibition of personal trading, unwinding the transaction, profit disgorgement, and suspension or termination of employment, monetary fines and other sanctions.

 

All monetary fines or sanctions imposed shall be made payable anonymously to one or more charities that Boyd supports.

 

Advised Fund Board Reporting

 

Compliance will prepare, or supervise the preparation of, a written report that describes any issues arising under the Code during each calendar quarter as may be required by Advised Funds. Such reports may address any material violation of these policies and procedures and any sanctions imposed in response. In addition, Boyd may be required to certify that it has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent violations of its Code.

 

 

"TEXT BOX: 2.12?WAIVERS"

 

 

Under certain circumstances, it may be appropriate for a provision of the Code to be waived for a particular employee. Any employee seeking a waiver should confer with Executive Management and/or Compliance regarding the circumstances surrounding the waiver request. Approval for waiver requests will be granted in writing.

 

 

"TEXT BOX: 2.13?RECORD-KEEPING"

 

 

Compliance will maintain records in a manner and to the extent set forth below, which records shall be available for examination by representatives of the appropriate regulatory authority.

 

1. A copy of this Code and any other code, which is or at any time within the past five (5) years has been in effect, shall be preserved in an easily accessible place.

 

2. A record of any violation of this Code and of any action taken as a result of such violation shall be preserved in an easily accessible place for a period of not less than five (5) years following the end of the fiscal year in which the violation occurs.

 

3. A copy of each quarterly and annual report, including any brokerage statements, made by an Access Person pursuant to this Code shall be preserved for a period of not less than five (5) years following the end of the fiscal year in which the reports occur, the first two (2) years in an easily accessible place.

 

4. A copy of each preclearance or similar request, and the reasons supporting the approval of such request, if applicable, shall be preserved for a period of not less than five (5) years following the end of the fiscal year in which the reports occur, the first two (2) years in an easily accessible place.
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5. A list of all Access Persons who are, or within the past (5) years have been, required to make reports pursuant to this Code shall be maintained and preserved for a period of not less than five (5) years following the end of the fiscal year in which the reports occur, the first two (2) years in an easily accessible place.

 

6. Records related to political contributions, as described in Section 3.1.5 of this Manual.

 

7. All written documents acknowledging receipt of the Code or any amendments to the Code by all current Access Persons or those who were Access Persons within the past five (5) years.

 

XIII. CODE OF ETHICS AND INSIDER TRADING POLICY
A. Code of Ethics
1. Statement of General Policy

This Code of Ethics has been adopted by Gratus Capital, LLC and applies to all of its personnel. The basic principle to govern all persons is that their functions should be performed with loyalty to our Clients. All personnel receive annually, in January, a copy of this Code including updates or amendments, if any. Each person must submit an acknowledgement of receipt and certify that he or she has complied with the Code throughout the previous year.

In adhering to the foregoing basic principle of loyalty, a person must not profit, directly or indirectly, from his or her position with the company. No such person shall take for personal benefit any corporate opportunity for profit, which that person learns about from his or her position.

All persons are required to report immediately to the Advisor’s CCO or Managing Directors any violations of this Code of Ethics.

2. Definition of Terms Used
(a) "Advisor" means Gratus Capital, LLC
(b) "Fund" means any investment company advised by the Advisor, whether directly or through a subadvisory arrangement, and any entity exempt from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940 pursuant paragraphs
(1) or (7) of Section 3 (c) of that Act.
(c) "Client" means any investment Client of the Advisor including a Fund.
(d) "Investment department personnel" mean all employees who work in the Advisor's investment department, including portfolio managers, research analysts, trading personnel and staff.
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(e) "Beneficial interest" includes: (i) the ownership of any security held in the name of a person or a spouse, minor child or relative of a person or relative of a spouse of a person sharing the same household; and (ii) any contract, understanding, relationship, agreement or other arrangement by which a person obtains present or future benefits substantially equivalent to an ownership interest in a security. Beneficial interest does not include activities of such spouse, children or relatives of a person in his or her capacity as an employee or owner of a business that sells or buys securities for non-Advisor (third party) Clients, or advises non-Advisor (third party) Clients as to securities.
(f) "Personal benefit" includes any intended benefit for oneself or any other individual, company, group or organization of any kind whatsoever except a benefit for a Client, but such term does not include any investment advisory fee payable to the Advisor by a Client or, in the case of any Fund, payment in the nature of a dividend or distribution paid by the Client on terms governing the payment of such dividends and distributions to all owners of such entity.

 

(g) "Security" includes without limitation any and all stocks, bonds, notes, bills, debentures and any interest commonly known as a security including any interest that might be selected for, or be included in, a Client's portfolio and also includes puts, calls, other options or rights in such securities, securities-based futures contracts and ETFs or inverse index ETF’s.

 

3. Transactions With The Clients

 

No person shall sell to, or purchase from, a Client any security or other property (except merchandise in the ordinary course of business), in which such person has or would acquire a beneficial interest, unless such purchase or sale involves solely securities of that Client.

 

4. Disclosure of Information

 

No person shall discuss with or otherwise inform others of any actual or contemplated security transaction by a Client or the Adviser except in the performance of employment duties or in an official capacity and then only for the benefit of the Client or the Adviser, as appropriate, and in no event for personal benefit or for the benefit of others.

 

No person shall release information to dealers or brokers or others (except to those concerned with the execution of the transaction) as to any

2  
 

investment portfolio changes, proposed or in process, except (i) upon the completion of such changes, or (ii) when the disclosure results from the publication of a Fund prospectus, or (iii) in conjunction with a regular report to Clients or to any governmental authority resulting in such information becoming public knowledge or (iv) in connection with any report to which Clients are entitled.

 

5. Preferential Treatment, Gifts, and Entertainment

 

No person shall seek or accept favors, preferential treatment, or any other personal benefit because of his or her association with a Client or the Adviser, except those usual and normal benefits directly provided by such Client or the Adviser.

No person shall accept any entertainment, gift or other personal benefit that may create or appear to create a conflict between the interests of such person and any Client or the Adviser. In addition, investment department personnel are prohibited from receiving any gift or other thing of more than de minimis value ($250.00) from any person or entity that does business with or on behalf of any Client or the Adviser.

 

6. Conflicts of Interest

 

If any person is aware of a personal interest that is, or might be, in conflict with the interest of a Client, that person should disclose the situation or transaction and the nature of the conflict to the President of the Adviser for appropriate consideration.

 

7. Service as a Director

 

Investment department personnel are prohibited from serving on the boards of directors of publicly traded companies, absent prior authorization by the President of the Adviser based upon a determination that the board service would be consistent with the interests of the Clients and that adequate procedures exist to ensure isolation from those making investment decisions.

 

8. Inside Information

 

Securities laws and regulations prohibit the misuse of "inside" or "material non-public" information when trading or recommending securities.

 

Inside information obtained by any person from any source must be kept strictly confidential. All inside information should be kept secure, and access to files and computer files containing such information should be restricted. Persons shall not act upon or disclose material non-public or insider information except as may be necessary for legitimate business

3  
 

purposes on behalf of a Client or the Adviser as appropriate. Questions and requests for assistance regarding insider information should be promptly directed to the Adviser's legal counsel.

 

Inside information may include, but is not limited to, knowledge of pending orders or research recommendations, corporate finance activity, mergers or acquisitions, and other material non-public information that could affect the price of a security.

 

Client and Client account information is also confidential and must not be discussed with any individual whose responsibilities do not require knowledge of such information.

 

9. Personal Security Transactions

 

No person shall knowingly take advantage of a corporate opportunity of the Adviser or Client for personal benefit, or take action inconsistent with such person's obligations to the Adviser or Clients. All personal securities transactions must be consistent with this Code of Ethics and must avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest or any abuse of any person's position of trust and responsibility. The following rules apply to all accounts in which a person has a beneficial interest:

 

a) All Persons:

 

(1)                 No person shall purchase or sell any security which such person knows that the Adviser either is purchasing or selling, or is considering for purchase or sale, for one or more Clients.

 

(2)                 No person shall knowingly purchase or sell a security during any period when there is an open order for the purchase or sale of that security by a Client and, subject to sub-paragraph (f) below, for three days after such order has been executed or cancelled.

 

(3)                 No person shall purchase any securities in an initial public offering without prior written authorization of the acquisition by the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

(4)                 No person shall purchase any securities in a limited offering without prior written authorization of the acquisition by the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

b) Related Instruments:
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When anything in this paragraph prohibits the purchase or sale of a security, it also prohibits the purchase or sale of any related securities, such as puts, calls, other options or rights in such securities.

 

c) Disgorgement:

Any person who trades in violation of this paragraph 8 must unwind the trade or disgorge the profits.

d) Exceptions:

(1)                 Under unusual circumstances, such as a personal financial emergency, employee stock ownership plans, stock option plans and certain personal trusts, or when it is clear that no conflict of interest or other breach of duty is involved, application for an exception may be made to the CCO of the Adviser, with a copy of the request delivered to the President of the Adviser, which application may be granted or denied. To request consideration of an exception, submit a written request containing the details of your circumstances, reasons for the exception and the exception requested. The request should be sent to the CCO of the Adviser.

 

(2)                 This paragraph shall not apply to transactions involving U.S. Government securities, bankers' acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper, and non-volitional purchases and sales, such as dividend reinvestment programs or "calls” or redemptions of securities.

(3)                 The clearance and reporting provisions of this chapter shall not apply to transactions by or for any client, ownership by the Adviser or an Affiliate of the Adviser of a qualifying interest in a Client (such as shares of a Fund) shall not disqualify the Client from this exception.

 

(4)                 Purchases or sales of securities involving less than 2,000 shares of any security included in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index.

 

(5)                 Purchases or sales of securities involving less than 2,000 shares of a security of a company with a market capitalization in excess of $200 million and average daily

5  
 

trading volume in excess of 50,000 shares for the past ten days.

(6)                 Purchase or sales of options contracts on a broad- based market index.

(7)                 Purchases or sales of securities effected in any account in which the Adviser personnel has no beneficial ownership.

 

e) Clearance

 

A person who wishes to purchase or sell a security which the Adviser is purchasing or selling for a Client, and who is prohibited from executing such transaction, may later request pre-clearance to execute such transaction once the portfolio manager responsible for the Client transactions confirms to the CCO by a time stamped writing, that all transactions in the subject security have been completed for all Clients, and a transaction may be effected pursuant to this procedure notwithstanding the fact that a Client transaction has occurred within the preceding three day period.

For the purposes of approving transactions pursuant to this paragraph (f), the CCO may deem all transactions in a security for Clients to be completed if the only factor which may result in further transactions in such security will be the unanticipated addition of funds to, or removal of funds from, a client account.

Trades taking place within proprietary accounts that are included on the firms list of managed accounts and traded alongside client accounts require allocations to be done only after all allocations have been made to client accounts. These trades may take place within the same block trade as client accounts.

f) Open End Investment Company

 

When an employee places a personal securities transaction in shares of an open-end investment company, the employee shall not knowingly request, direct, or authorize the transaction to be placed or executed at any price that is not consistent with the laws and regulations governing pricing of such transactions. An employee shall not place any transaction intended to benefit from short-term trading of any open-end investment company security if such transaction is not consistent with the publicly disclosed policies and practices announced by that investment company.

EMPLOYEES MUST PRE-CLEARPERSONAL TRANSACTIONS IN ANY FUND MANAGED BY GRATUS,

and shall never engage in such a practice in any fund with which Gratus is affiliated.

6  
 
10. Procedures

Each person must follow these procedures for all securities or accounts in which he or she has a beneficial interest:

Pre-clearance:

 

All employees are required to strictly comply with the firm’s policies and procedures regarding personal securities transactions, including transactions in any fund managed by Gratus. Employees are required to custody their

investment accounts at Schwab.

 

IPOs: Employees are required to receive prior approval before acquiring any securities in an initial public offering. Requests are to be submitted through Schwab Compliance Technologies. The CCO reviews and either approves or denies the request.

 

Limited Offering/Private Placement: Employees are required to receive prior approval for any acquisition of securities in a limited offering, including private funds managed by Gratus. This prior approval will take into account whether the investment opportunity should be reserved for clients and whether the opportunity is being offered to an individual by virtue of his or her position with the adviser. Investment personnel who have been authorized to acquire securities in a private placement are required to disclose that investment when they play a part in any client’s subsequent consideration of an investment in the issuer and the decision to purchase the securities of the issuer for the client should be made by another employee.

Requests are to be submitted through Schwab Compliance Technologies. The CCO reviews and either approves or denies the request.

 

Trade Approval and Holding Period: Employees are required to receive prior approval before executing trades in their personal brokerage accounts. Requests are to be submitted through Schwab Compliance Technologies. The CCO reviews and either approves or denies the request.

 

Approval can be granted by the Director of Investments or the Chief Operating Officer or the CCO.

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Employees are required to hold securities for at least 30 days.

 

Employees are prohibited from:

 

· Executing a securities transaction on a day during which any client has a pending “buy” or “sell” order in the same or a related security until that order is executed unless the employee is participating in a block trade with the client and both the client and employee will receive the same average execution price and a prorate number of shares should the block only partially execute.
· Using knowledge about pending or currently considered securities transactions for clients to profit personally, directly or indirectly, as a result of such transactions, including by purchasing or selling such securities or related securities such as options.
· Executing a securities transaction in options or other securities related to the holdings in our managed portfolios unless the employee is participating in a block trade with the client and both the client and employee will receive the same average execution price and a prorated number of shares should the block only partially execute. Buying calls in options related to the holdings in our managed portfolios is permitted with prior approval as long as there is not pending buy or sell order in the same or related security until that order is executed.
· Executing a securities transaction in the securities or related securities (options) on our Securities Watchlist.

 

Reports - All Persons:

 

(1)                 Securities positions: Each person shall report to the CCO of the Adviser all purchases or sales of any security in which such person has, or by virtue of such transaction acquires, any beneficial interest via the Schwab Compliance Technologies.

 

(2)                 Form of Report: All such reports shall be in shall be made prior to any such purchase or sale that was effected, and shall set forth the title of the security, the date

8  
 

and nature of the transaction, the number or amount of securities involved, the purchase or sale price, the broker/dealer or bank through whom the transaction is to be effected and the extent of such person's interest in the transaction. Reports are compiled and stored using Schwab Compliance Technologies.

 

(3)                 Broker confirms and statements: Each person must provide to the CCO of the Adviser all securities or commodities brokerage accounts in which that person has a beneficial interest. Each person shall cause to be provided on a timely basis copies of periodic statements for all securities accounts in which that person has a beneficial interest. Such Securities and Commodities Brokerage Account Reports and periodic statements shall be directed to the CCO of the Adviser. As of January 2016, all employee statements are compiled and stored using Schwab Compliance Technologies.

 

11. Delegation

 

The President, Managing Directors or CCO of the Adviser may delegate any of the responsibilities, powers and authorities conferred by this Code of Ethics. Such delegation may be to an individual, such as a compliance officer, or a committee, such as an Ethics Committee, or both.

 

12. Research Reports

 

The fact that a security has been the subject of a formal or informal research report shall not, in and of itself, indicate that the security is under consideration for purchase or sale. No person shall be considered as knowing, nor be said to be in a position of knowing, that a security was under consideration for purchase or sale or that such security had been purchased or sold solely on the basis of receipt of a research report thereon.

 

13. Condition of Employment or Service

 

All persons shall conduct themselves at all times in the best interests of the Clients. Compliance with this Code of Ethics shall be a condition of employment or continued affiliation with the Adviser, and conduct not in accordance with this Code of Ethics shall constitute grounds for actions including termination of employment or removal from office. All persons shall certify annually that they have read and agree to comply in all respects with this Code of Ethics and that they have disclosed or reported all personal securities transactions, holdings and accounts required to be disclosed or reported by this Code of Ethics.

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14. Pooled investment vehicles managed by Gratus

 

Pooled investment vehicles managed by Gratus will be treated pari-passu with other client entities even if an affiliate of Gratus has an interest in the entity, and Advisor will not prefer this entity over other clients. This will include the right to participate in suitable investments, such as IPOs.

 

B. Gratus’s Policy Statement on Insider Trading

 

Gratus forbids any officer, director, employee, or their family members from trading, either personally or on behalf of others, including mutual funds and private accounts managed by Gratus, using material non-public information or communicating material non-public information to others in violation of the law. This conduct is frequently referred to as "insider trading." This policy applies to every officer, director and employee of Gratus and extends to activities within and outside their duties at Gratus. Every officer, director and employee must read and retain this policy statement. Any questions regarding Gratus's policy and procedures should be referred to the CCO, Managing Directors or her designee.

 

The term "insider trading" is not defined in the federal securities laws, but generally is used to refer to the use of material non-public information to trade in securities (whether or not one is an "insider") or to communications of material non-public information to others.

 

While the law concerning insider trading is not static, it is generally understood that the law prohibits:

 

-trading by an insider, while in possession of material non-public information, or

 

-trading by a non-insider, while in possession of material non-public information, where the information either was disclosed to the non-insider in violation of an insider's duty to keep it confidential or was misappropriated, or

 

-communicating material non-public information to others.

 

The elements of insider trading and the penalties for such unlawful conduct are discussed below. If, after reviewing this policy statement, you have any questions, you should' consult CCO, Managing Directors or any designee.

 

1. Who is an Insider?

 

The concept of "insider" is broad. It includes officers, directors and employees of a company. In addition, a person can be a "temporary

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insider" if he or she enters into a special, confidential relationship in the conduct of a company's affairs and as a result is given access to information solely for the company's purposes. A temporary insider can include, among others, a company's attorneys, accountants, consultants, bank lending officers, and the employees of such organizations. In addition, Gratus may become a temporary insider of a company it advises or for which it performs other services. According to the Supreme Court, in order for an outsider to be considered an insider, the company must expect the outsider to keep the disclosed non-public information confidential.

 

2. What is Material Information?

 

Trading on inside information is not a basis for liability unless the information is material. "Material information" generally is defined as information for which there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider it is important in making his or her investment decisions, or information that is reasonably certain to have a substantial effect on the price of a company's securities. Information that officers, directors and employees should consider material includes, but is not limited to: dividend changes, earnings' estimates, changes in previously released earnings' estimates, significant merger or acquisition proposals or agreements, major litigation, liquidation problems, and extraordinary management developments.

 

Material information does not have to relate to a company's business. For example, in Carpenter v. U.S. , 108 U.S. 316 (1987), the Supreme Court considered as material certain information about the contents of a forthcoming newspaper column that was expected to affect the market price of a security. In that case, a Wall Street Journal reporter was found criminally liable for disclosing to others the dates that reports on various companies would appear in the Journal and whether those reports would be favorable or not.

 

In the case of Gratus, weekly Net Asset Values (NAVs) on our publicly traded funds are considered material information.

3. What is Non Public Information?

 

Information is non-public until it has been effectively communicated to the marketplace. One must be able to point to some fact to show that the information is generally public. For example, information found in a report filed with the SEC, or appearing in Dow Jones, Reuters Economic Service, The Wall Street Journal or other publications of general circulation would be considered public.

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4. Bases for Liability
a) Fiduciary Duty Theory.

 

In 1980, the Supreme Court found that there is no general duty to disclose before trading on material non-public information, but that such a duty arises only where there is a fiduciary relationship.

That is, there must be a relationship between parties to the transaction such that one party has a right to expect that the other party will not disclose any material; non-public information or refrain from trading.

 

In Dirks v. SEC , the Supreme Court stated alternate theories under which non-insiders can acquire the fiduciary duties of insiders: they can enter into a confidential relationship with the company through which they gain information (e.g., attorneys, accountants), or they can acquire a fiduciary duty to the company's shareholders as "tippies" if they are aware or should have been aware that they have been given confidential information by an insider who has violated his fiduciary duty to the company's shareholders.

 

b) Misappropriation Theory.

 

Another basis for insider trading liability is the "misappropriation" theory, where liability is established when trading occurs on material non-public information that was stolen or misappropriated from any other person. In Carpenter v. U.S., the Court found in 1987 a columnist defrauded The Wall Street Journal when he stole information from the Journal and used it for trading in the securities markets. It should be noted that the misappropriation theory can be used to reach a variety of individuals (such as printers, taxi drivers, etc.) not previously thought to be encompassed under the fiduciary duty theory.

4. Penalties for Insider Trading.

 

Penalties for trading on or communicating material non-public information are severe, both for individuals involved in such unlawful conduct and their employers. A person can be subject to some or all the penalties below even if he or she does not personally benefit from the violation.

Penalties include:

 

-civil injunctions

-treble damages

-disgorgement of profits

-jail sentences

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-fines for the person who committed the violation of up to three times the profit gained or loss avoided, whether or not the person actually benefited

-fines for the employer or other controlling person of up to the greater of $1,000,000 or three times the amount of the profit gained or loss avoided.

In addition, any violation of this policy statement can be expected to result in serious sanctions by Gratus, including dismissal of the persons involved.

5. Procedures to Implement Gratus’ Policy.

 

The following procedures have been established to aid the officers, directors and employees of Gratus in avoiding insider trading, and to aid Gratus in preventing, detecting and imposing sanctions against insider trading. Every officer, director and employee of Gratus must follow these procedures or risk serious sanctions, including dismissal, substantial personal liability and criminal penalties. If you have any questions about these procedures, you should consult with Gratus's CCO, Managing Directors or any designee.

 

a) Identifying Insider Information.

 

Before trading for yourself or others, including investment companies or private accounts managed by Gratus, in the securities of a company about which you may have potential inside information, ask yourself the following questions:

 

Is the information material?

Is this information that an investor would consider important in making his or her investment decisions?

Is this information that would substantially affect the market price of the securities if generally disclosed?

Is the information non-public?

To whom has this information been provided?

Has the information been effectively communicated to the marketplace by being published in Reuters , The Wall Street Journal or other publications of general circulation?

 

If, after consideration of the above, you believe that the information is material and non-public, or if you have questions as to whether the information is material and nonpublic, you should take the following steps:

 

-Report the matter immediately to Gratus's CCO, Managing Directors, or any designee.

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-Do not purchase or sell the securities on behalf of yourself or others, including investment companies or private accounts managed by Gratus.

 

-Do not communicate the information believed to be material inside or outside Gratus other than to the CCO or the Managing Directors.

 

-After Gratus's COO, Managing Directors, or any designee has reviewed the issue, you will be instructed to continue the prohibitions against trading and communication, or you will be allowed to trade and communicate the information.

 

b) Quarterly Compliance Review.

 

The Compliance Department will circulate copies of the Insider Trading Policy and Procedures to all officers, directors and employees of Gratus annually. Each employee will be requested to read and familiarize themselves with Gratus' Insider Trading Policies and Procedures and will be required to complete and electronically acknowledge a Compliance Acknowledgment that confirms their understanding and compliance with Gratus’ Insider Trading Policy and Procedures.

 

6. Restricting Access to Material Non Public Information.

 

Information in your possession that you identify as material and non- public may not be communicated to anyone, including persons within Gratus, except as provided in paragraph 1 above. In addition, care should be taken so that such information is secure. For example, files containing material non-public information should be restricted.

 

C. Communications with Media

 

1) All requests for interviews should be directed to the Chief Compliance Officer.
2) Employees should not identify nor discuss specific private client accounts.
3) Employees should not discuss specific client account performance and should use caution when discussing sample account performance. Any performance information provided should include the full information provided in Gratus’ written materials.
4) Employees should not guarantee, promise or predict a specific level of investment performance.
5) Employees should not discuss firm confidential information, including legal or regulatory issues.
6) Employees should not discuss competitors of Gratus.
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7) Any written materials that will be provided, printed, or displayed, including those that are given for broadcast, must be approved in writing by the CCO prior to use.
8) Employees should use care when discussing investments, and should present information in a balanced manner. A discussion of an investments positive attributes should be balanced with its drawbacks or negative features.

 

Print Media

 

9) Employees should clearly communicate to the reporter when they wish to go “off the record”
10) If, after completing or during an interview, an employee becomes uncomfortable with the integrity or agenda of the reporter, the employee should either discontinue the interview or request a list of quotes to be used in the publication before it is published.

 

Broadcast Media (e.g., TV and Radio)

 

11) Employees should not discuss the firm’s performance in verbal interviews, as the employee would not be able to relate all disclosure language that Gratus requires to be accompanied with performance information.
12) Each employee should assume s/he is “on the air” as soon as the employee is seated in front of the interviewer.
13) Employees should not answer questions they are not comfortable answering, even with pressure from the media. Rather, the employee should indicate that s/he would need to look into the question further before answering.

 

D. Political Contributions by Investment Advisers (Pay-to-Play)

 

1. Background:

 

Rule 206(4)-5 of the Advisers Act provides that an adviser who makes political contributions to an elected official who is in a position to influence the selection of the adviser to provide to a government entity will be barred for two years from providing for compensation to that government entity. The rule applies to the adviser as well as certain executives and employees of the adviser. Form more specific information on this rule, please see Appendix A.

 

2. Restrictions on Political Contributions.

 

Rule 206(4)-5 makes it unlawful for an adviser to receive compensation for providing to a government entity for a two-year period after the adviser or any of its covered associates makes a political contribution to an elected official or candidate of a government entity that is in a position to directly or indirectly influence the hiring of the adviser or has the authority to

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appoint an person who could directly or indirectly influence the hiring of the adviser.

 

3. Prohibition on the Use of Third-Party Solicitors.

 

Rule 206(4)-5(a)(2)(i) makes it unlawful for an adviser subject to the rule and its covered associates to make or agree to make payments to any third- party solicitor or placement agent, directly or indirectly, to solicit a government entity for advisory business, unless the solicitor or placement agent is a “regulated person” subject to prohibitions against engaging in pay-to-play practices.

 

4. Ban on Solicitation or Coordination of Contributions.

 

Rule 206(4)-5(a)(2)(ii) makes it unlawful for an adviser subject to the rule and its covered associates to coordinate or solicit any person or PAC to make contributions to an official of a government entity to which the adviser is providing or seeking to provide investment , or to make payments to a political party of a state or locality where the adviser is providing or seeking to provide investment to a government entity.

 

5. Prohibition on Certain Indirect Activities.

 

To ensure that advisers and government officials do not structure pay-to- play arrangements in a way that attempts to evade the prohibitions of the rule, the rule includes a provision that makes it unlawful for an adviser or any of its covered associates to do anything indirectly that, if done directly, would result in a violation of the rule. As a result, an adviser and its covered associates may not funnel payments through third parties, including, for example, consultants, attorneys, family members, friends, or companies affiliated with the adviser as a means to circumvent the rule.

 

6. Application to Covered Investment Pools.

 

An adviser to certain pooled investment vehicles in which a government entity invests or is solicited to invest, is treated as though the adviser were providing or seeking to provide investment services directly to the government entity. Thus, a political contribution to a government official that would, under the rule, trigger the two-year time-out from providing advice for compensation to the government entity would also trigger a two-year time-out from the receipt of compensation for the management of those assets through a covered investment pool. Covered investment pools include registered investment companies, hedge funds, private equity funds, and collective investment trusts.

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7. Sub-advisers.

 

By the terms of the rule, if an adviser or sub-adviser makes a contribution that triggers the two-year time-out, the sub-adviser or adviser, as applicable, that did not make the triggering contribution could continue to receive compensation from the government entity, unless the arrangement were a means to do indirectly what the adviser or sub-adviser could not do directly under the rule. Advisers to underlying funds in a fund-of-funds arrangement are not required to look through the investing fund to determine whether a government entity is an investor in the investing fund unless the investment was made in that manner as a means for the adviser to do indirectly what it could not do directly under the rule.

 

8. SEC Exemptions.

 

Rule 206(4)-5 contains a provision authorizing the SEC to exempt advisers from the time-out requirements where the adviser discovers the contributions that trigger the compensation ban only after they have been made or when the imposition of the prohibitions is unnecessary to achieve the rule’s intended purpose. Rule 206(4)-5(e) lists the factors to be considered by the SEC in determining whether to grant an exemption. An adviser seeking an exemption could place into an escrow account any advisory fees earned between the date of the contribution triggering the prohibition and the date on which the SEC determines whether to grant an exemption. The escrow account would be payable to the adviser if the SEC grants the exemption. If the SEC does not grant the exemption, the fees contained in the account would be returned to the government entity client.

 

9. Recordkeeping Requirements.

 

Rule 204-2 under the Advisers Act requires an adviser who is registered or required to be registered with the SEC to make and keep records of contributions made by the adviser and covered associates to government officials and candidates, payments to state or local political parties and PACs, and the names of regulated persons the adviser pays for solicitation services. The amendments only require advisers to make and keep records of their covered associates, and their own and their covered associates’ contributions, if they provide advisory services to a government client.

However, an adviser who does not maintain these records because it currently does not have any government entity clients risks violating Rule 206(4)-5 and subjecting itself to the two-year time-out if it ultimately obtains a government entity client.

 

The records of contributions and payments are required to be in chronological order and indicate the name and title of the contributor, the

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name and title of the recipient, the amount and date of each contribution or payment, and whether the contribution or payment was subject to an exception provided by the rule. The records would need to be maintained for five years, the first two in the office of the investment adviser.

 

10. Procedures:

 

1. Prior to commencement of employment, all new covered associates must disclose in writing all political contributions to elected officials or candidates for office made within the last 24 months. The disclosure shall include:

 

a. The name of the elected official or candidate;

 

b. The name of the elected office held by the official or sought by the candidate;

 

c. The date of the contribution; and

 

d. The amount contributed.

 

2. All covered associates must obtain pre-clearance before contributing the following to an elected official or candidate for office:

 

a. Gifts;

 

b. Subscriptions;

 

c. Loans, advances, or deposits of money;

 

d. Payment of debt incurred in connection with an election;

 

e. Transition or inaugural expenses; or

 

f. Anything of value made for the purpose of influencing an election for federal, state, or local office.

 

3. All covered associates must obtain pre-clearance before donating time to the election campaign of an elected official or candidate for elected office.

 

4. Covered associates must obtain pre-clearance before hosting a fundraising meeting or conference for a candidate or official, or volunteering to bear expenses associated with such fundraising meeting or conference.
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5. On an annual basis, all covered associates must disclose in writing all political contributions to elected officials or candidates for office and volunteer in connection with the campaigns of such elected officials or candidates for office made within the last 24 months. Disclosures are made through Schwab Compliance Technologies.

 

6. If the Advisers discovers a political contributions made in violation of Rule 206(4)-5 for which an exception is not available:

 

a. If assets of the government entity are managed in a separate account, the Adviser shall:

 

(1) Return all compensation promptly upon discovering the triggering contribution; and

 

(2) waive the advisory fee or terminate the contract with the governmental entity.

 

b. If the government entity is invested in a private pool, the Adviser shall:

 

(1) cause the pool to redeem the investment of the government entity; or

 

(2) waive or rebate the portion of its fees or any performance allocation or carried interest attributable to assets of the government client.

 

c. If the government entity is invested in a registered investment company, the Adviser shall:

 

(1) waive its advisory fee for the fund as a whole in an amount approximately equal to fees attributable to the government entity; or

 

(2) rebate the government entities portion of the advisory fee to the fund as a whole.