As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 31, 2018
Securities Act Registration No. 333-174926
Investment Company Act Registration No. 811-22549
FORM N-1A
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 x
Pre-Effective Amendment No. □
Post-Effective Amendment No. 404 x
and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 x
Amendment No. 406
(Check Appropriate Box or Boxes)
Northern Lights Fund Trust II
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
17605 Wright Street
Omaha, NE 68130
Attention: Brian Nielsen
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)(Zip Code)
(402) 895-1600
(Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
The Corporation Trust Company
Corporate Trust Center
251 Little Falls Drive
Wilmington, DE 19808
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)
With a copy to:
Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering:
It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):
( ) immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b).
(X) On October 31, 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.
Pursuant to Rule 24f-2 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, Registrant hereby elects to register an indefinite number of shares of Registrant and any series thereof hereinafter created.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This Post-Effective Amendment No. 404 to the Registration Statement contains the Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information describing the Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund, Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund and the Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund (the “Funds”), each a series of the Registrant. This Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement is organized as follows: (a) Prospectus relating to the Funds; (b) Statement of Additional Information relating to the Funds; and (c) Part C Information relating to all series of the Registrant. The Prospectuses and Statements of Additional Information for the other series of the Registrant are not affected hereby.
Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund
Class I Shares (Symbol: [ ])
Class N Shares (Symbol: [ ])
Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund
Class I Shares (Symbol: [ ])
Class N Shares (Symbol: [ ])
Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund
Class I Shares (Symbol: [ ])
Class N Shares (Symbol: [ ])
Prospectus
October 31, 2018
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this Prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund
Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund
Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund
each a series of the Northern Lights Fund Trust II (the “Trust”)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Summary Section Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund | 1 |
Summary Section Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund | 5 |
Summary Section Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund | 9 |
Investment Strategies, Related Risks and Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings | 12 |
Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund | 12 |
Investment Objective | 12 |
Principal Investment Strategies | 12 |
Principal Risks of Investing in the Small Cap Value Fund | 13 |
Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund | 15 |
Investment Objective | 15 |
Principal Investment Strategies | 15 |
Principal Risks of Investing in the Small Cap Growth Fund | 16 |
Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund | 18 |
Investment Objective | 18 |
Principal Investment Strategies | 18 |
Principal Risks of Investing in the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund | 20 |
Portfolio Holdings Information | 21 |
Management of the Funds | 21 |
The Adviser | 21 |
Portfolio Managers | 22 |
Shareholder Information | 23 |
Choosing a Share Class | 23 |
Share Price | 23 |
More About Class N Shares | 24 |
More About Class I Shares | 24 |
How to Purchase Shares | 25 |
How to Redeem Shares | 26 |
Redemption Fee | 28 |
Tools to Combat Frequent Transactions | 28 |
Distribution of Fund Shares | 29 |
Distributions and Taxes | 29 |
Tax Status, Dividends and Distributions | 29 |
Financial Highlights | 30 |
PRIVACY NOTICE | 31 |
Summary Section – Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund
Investment Objective. The investment objective of the Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund (the “Small Cap Value Fund”) is to seek long-term capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Small Cap Value Fund. This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Small Cap Value Fund.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
Class N | Class I |
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) |
None | None |
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the original offering price) |
None | None |
Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed within 60 days of purchase) |
None | None |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
||
Management Fees | 0.55% | 0.55% |
Distribution and Service (Rule 12b-1) Fees | 0.25% | 0.00% |
Other Expenses | 0.39% | 0.39% |
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (1) | 0.01% | 0.01% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 1.20% | 0.95% |
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement | (0.27)% | (0.27)% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement (2) | 0.93% | 0.68% |
(1) | This number represents an estimate for the Small Cap Value Fund’s current fiscal year of the combined total fees and operating expenses of acquired funds owned by the Small Cap Value Fund and would not be a direct expense incurred by the Small Cap Value Fund or deducted from Small Cap Value Fund assets. |
(2) | Pursuant to an operating expense limitation agreement between Innealta Capital, LLC (the “Adviser”) and the Small Cap Value Fund, the Adviser has agreed to waive its fees and/or absorb expenses of the Small Cap Value Fund to ensure that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding any brokerage fees and commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short), taxes and extraordinary expenses such as litigation) for the Small Cap Value Fund do not exceed 0.92% or 0.67% of the Small Cap Value Fund’s average net assets, for Class N or Class I shares, respectively, through April 30, 2020. This operating expense limitation agreement can be terminated only by, or with the consent of, the Board of Trustees. The Adviser is permitted to receive reimbursement from the Funds for fees it waived and Fund expenses it paid, subject to the limitation that: (1) the reimbursement for fees and expenses will be made only if payable within three years from the date the fees and expenses were initially waived or reimbursed; and (2) the reimbursement may not be made if it would cause the expense limitation in effect at the time of the waiver or currently in effect, whichever is lower, to be exceeded. |
Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Small Cap Value Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Small Cap Value 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 Small Cap Value Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement discussed in the table above is reflected only through April 30, 2020. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
One Year | Three Years | |
Class N | $95 | $354 |
Class I | $69 | $276 |
Portfolio Turnover. The Small Cap Value Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Small Cap Value Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Small Cap Value Fund’s performance. Because the Small Cap Value Fund is newly organized, portfolio turnover information is not yet available.
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Principal Investment Strategies. The Small Cap Value Fund employs a quantitatively driven, factor-based investment strategy. Particularly, the Adviser selects, from the U.S. publicly traded stock universe, securities that the Adviser considers to be small capitalization value stocks.
Under normal market conditions, the Small Cap Value Fund is expected to hold approximately 600 different stocks, where no individual issuer represents more than 5% of the portfolio total value. The Adviser defines a small capitalization value company as any company that simultaneously meets the following two requirements: (i) be in the lowest 10% of U.S. aggregate market capitalization; and (ii) exhibit a low market value relative to its book value. Thus, the market capitalization threshold for a company to be categorized as a small capitalization company will fluctuate along with market prices. For context, the Adviser, as of the date of this Prospectus, places the small capitalization upper threshold at approximately $5 billion and the lower threshold at approximately $10 million. The strategy aims to invest in a broad and well-diversified basket of securities that are eligible in accordance with the aforementioned requirements. As a non-fundamental policy (i.e., one that can be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval), under normal market conditions, the Small Cap Value Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets in equity securities of small cap U.S. companies. The Small Cap Value Fund may obtain exposure to equity securities through futures and options on futures contracts. Such derivative investments will be valued at market value rather than notional value, and will not exceed more than 20% of the Small Cap Value Fund’s total assets.
The Adviser will use a set of investment factors, which in some peer-reviewed academic journals have been linked to higher expected returns, to over- or underweight securities in the Small Cap Value Fund, relative to their market weight. Some of the factors considered include market capitalization, book-to-market, profitability, re-investment of earnings, and momentum. In addition, the Adviser will use a set of investment variables, that the Adviser believes are linked to higher expected returns, during the strategy implementation stage (e.g., trading), to further over- or underweight securities in the Small Cap Value Fund, relative to their multi-factor adjusted weight. Some of the variables considered include stock-specific market interest rate in security lending markets, market liquidity, and price reversals. From time to time, the Adviser may consider additional factors or investment variables as deemed appropriate by the investment committee of the Adviser. The Small Cap Value Fund is long-only (no shorting) and does not directly use hedging or leverage, although it will use futures for cash management purposes (these instruments may have embedded economic leverage). The Small Cap Value Fund will normally invest 5% or less of its total assets in futures, although it can invest up to 20% of its total assets in such instruments.
The Small Cap Value Fund will also use futures and options on futures contracts for U.S. equity securities and indices, and exchange-traded-funds (“ETFs”) to adjust market exposure or manage cash needs. Such equity-related futures and options on futures contracts will count towards the Small Cap Value Fund’s 80% investment policy and such instruments will be valued at market value rather than notional value.
The Small Cap Value Fund may lend its portfolio securities in order to generate additional income for the Small Cap Value Fund.
Principal Risks. Remember that in addition to possibly not achieving your investment goals, you could lose money by investing in the Small Cap Value Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Small Cap Value Fund are:
· | General Risk. Domestic economic growth and market conditions, interest rate levels, and political events are among the factors affecting the securities markets in which the Small Cap Value Fund invests. There is risk that these and other factors may adversely affect the Small Cap Value Fund’s performance. |
· | Equity Securities Risk. The Small Cap Value Fund invests primarily in common stock, which subjects the Small Cap Value Fund and its shareholders to the risks associated with common stock investing. Overall stock market risks may affect the value of the Small Cap Value Fund. Factors such as domestic economic growth and market conditions, interest rate levels, and political events affect the securities markets. When the value of the Small Cap Value Fund’s investments goes down, your investment in the Small Cap Value Fund decreases in value and you could lose money. |
· | Small-Sized Companies Risk. The Small Cap Value Fund invests in the stocks of small capitalization companies. The earnings and prospects of these companies are more volatile than larger companies. Small sized companies may experience higher failure rates than do larger companies. |
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· | Value Investing Risk. Value investing attempts to identify companies selling at a discount to their intrinsic value. Value investing is subject to the risk that a company’s intrinsic value may never be fully realized by the market or that a company judged by the Adviser to be undervalued may actually be appropriately priced. |
· | Limited Operating History Risk . The Small Cap Value Fund is new and has a limited history of operation. Accordingly, an investment in the Small Cap Value Fund entails a high degree of risk. There can be no assurance that the Small Cap Value Fund and the Adviser will achieve the Small Cap Value Fund’s investment objective. |
· | Management Risk . Management risk is the risk that the investment process used by the Small Cap Value Fund’s portfolio manager could fail to achieve the Small Cap Value Fund’s investment goal and cause an investment in the Small Cap Value Fund to lose value. |
· | Derivatives Risk . Derivative instruments (such as futures and options on futures) are subject to changes in the value of the underlying assets or indices on which such instruments are based. The Small Cap Value Fund’s investments in derivatives may not perform as anticipated, may not be able to be closed out at a favorable time or price, or may increase the Small Cap Value Fund’s volatility. Even a small investment in derivatives, such as futures and options on futures, may give rise to leverage risk and can have a significant impact on the Small Cap Value Fund’s exposure to securities markets values. It is possible that the Small Cap Value Fund’s liquid assets may be insufficient to support its obligations under its derivatives positions. The use of derivatives for other than hedging purposes may be considered a speculative activity and involves greater risks than are involved in hedging. The use of derivatives may cause the Small Cap Value Fund to incur losses greater than those that would have occurred had derivatives not been used. |
· | Futures Risk . The successful use of futures contracts draws upon the Adviser’s skill and experience with respect to such instruments and are subject to special risk considerations. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts are (a) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by the Small Cap Value Fund and the price of the futures contract; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (d) the Adviser’s inability to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; (e) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations; and (f) if the Small Cap Value Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, and the Small Cap Value Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. |
· | Securities Lending Risk . Securities lending involves the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. As a result, the Small Cap Value Fund may lose money and there may be a delay in recovering the loaned securities. The Small Cap Value Fund could also lose money if it does not recover the securities and/or the value of the collateral falls, including the value of investments made with cash collateral. Securities lending also may have certain adverse tax consequences. |
Performance. Because the Small Cap Value Fund is new, no performance information is presented for the Small Cap Value Fund at this time. In the future, performance information will be presented in this section of this Prospectus. Also, shareholder reports containing financial and performance information will be mailed to shareholders semi-annually. Remember, the Small Cap Value Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Small Cap Value Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information will be available at no cost by calling the Small Cap Value Fund toll-free at 1-855-873-3837 or on the Small Cap Value Fund’s website www.acclivityfunds.com.
Investment Adviser. Innealta Capital, LLC serves as the Small Cap Value Fund’s investment adviser (the “Adviser”).
Portfolio Manager. The following serve as the Small Cap Value Fund’s portfolio managers:
Portfolio Manager | Primary Title | With the Small Cap Value Fund Since: |
Dr. Sheridan Titman | Portfolio Manager | December 2018 |
Dr. Vito Sciaraffia | Portfolio Manager | December 2018 |
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Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares. You may conduct transactions by mail (Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund, c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC, 17605 Wright Street, Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68130), or by telephone at 1-855-873-3837. Investors who wish to purchase or redeem Small Cap Value Fund shares through a financial intermediary should contact the financial intermediary directly. The minimum initial investment in each share class of the Funds is $100,000 for Class I shares and $10,000 for Class N shares, with a minimum subsequent investment of $1,000 for Class N shares. There is no minimum subsequent investment amount for Class I shares. The Small Cap Value Fund reserves the right to waive minimum initial investment or minimum subsequent investment requirements in its sole discretion.
Tax Information. The Small Cap Value Fund’s distributions are taxable, and will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account, though such accounts may be taxed upon withdrawal.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries. If you purchase Small Cap Value Fund shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Small Cap Value Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Small Cap Value Fund shares and related services. These payments may create conflicts of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Small Cap Value Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Summary Section – Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund
Investment Objective. The investment objective of the Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund (the “Small Cap Growth Fund”) is to seek long-term capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Small Cap Growth Fund. This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Small Cap Growth Fund.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
Class N | Class I |
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) |
None | None |
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the original offering price) |
None | None |
Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed within 60 days of purchase) |
None | None |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
||
Management Fees | 0.55% | 0.55% |
Distribution and Service (Rule 12b-1) Fees | 0.25% | 0.00% |
Other Expenses | 0.38% | 0.38% |
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (1) | 0.01% | 0.01% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 1.19% | 0.94% |
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement | (0.26)% | (0.26)% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement (2) | 0.93% | 0.68% |
(1) | This number represents an estimate for the Small Cap Growth Fund’s current fiscal year of the combined total fees and operating expenses of acquired funds owned by the Small Cap Growth Fund and would not be a direct expense incurred by the Small Cap Growth Fund or deducted from Small Cap Growth Fund assets. |
(2) | Pursuant to an operating expense limitation agreement between Innealta Capital , LLC (the “Adviser”) and the Small Cap Growth Fund, the Adviser has agreed to waive its fees and/or absorb expenses of the Small Cap Growth Fund to ensure that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding any brokerage fees and commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short), taxes and extraordinary expenses such as litigation) for the Small Cap Growth Fund do not exceed 0.92% or 0.67% of the Small Cap Growth Fund’s average net assets, for Class N shares or Class I shares, respectively, through April 30, 2020. This operating expense limitation agreement can be terminated only by, or with the consent of, the Board of Trustees. The Adviser is permitted to receive reimbursement from the Funds for fees it waived and Fund expenses it paid, subject to the limitation that: (1) the reimbursement for fees and expenses will be made only if payable within three years from the date the fees and expenses were initially waived or reimbursed; and (2) the reimbursement may not be made if it would cause the expense limitation in effect at the time of the waiver or currently in effect, whichever is lower, to be exceeded. |
Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Small Cap Growth Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Small Cap Growth 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 Small Cap Growth Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement discussed in the table above is reflected only through April 30, 2020. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
One Year | Three Years | |
Class N | $95 | $352 |
Class I | $69 | $274 |
5 |
Portfolio Turnover. The Small Cap Growth Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Small Cap Growth Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Small Cap Growth Fund’s performance. Because the Small Cap Growth Fund is newly organized, portfolio turnover information is not yet available.
Principal Investment Strategies. The Small Cap Growth Fund employs a quantitatively driven, factor-based investment strategy. Particularly, the Adviser selects, from the U.S. publicly traded stock universe, securities that the Adviser considers to be small capitalization growth stocks.
Under normal market conditions, the Small Cap Growth Fund is expected to hold approximately 500 different stocks, where no individual issuer represents more than 5% of the portfolio total value. The Adviser defines a small capitalization growth company as any company that simultaneously meets the following two requirements: (i) be in the lowest 10% of U.S. aggregate market capitalization; and (ii) exhibit a high market value relative to its book value. Thus, the market capitalization threshold for a company to be categorized as a small capitalization company will fluctuate along with market prices. For context, the Adviser, as of the date of this Prospectus, places the small capitalization upper threshold at approximately $5 billion and the lower threshold at approximately $10 million. The strategy aims to invest in a broad and well-diversified basket of securities that are eligible in accordance with the aforementioned requirements. As a non-fundamental policy (i.e., one that can be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval), under normal market conditions, the Small Cap Growth Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets in equity securities of small cap U.S. companies. The Small Cap Growth Fund may obtain exposure to equity securities through futures and options on futures contracts. Such derivative investments will be valued at market value rather than notional value, and will not exceed more than 20% of the Small Cap Growth Fund’s total assets.
The Adviser will use a set of investment factors, which in some peer-reviewed academic journals have been linked to higher expected returns, to over- or underweight securities in the Small Cap Growth Fund, relative to their market weight. Some of the factors considered include market capitalization, book-to-market, profitability, re-investment of earnings, and momentum. In addition, the Adviser will use a set of investment variables, that the Adviser believes are linked to higher expected returns, during the strategy implementation stage (e.g., trading), to further over- or underweight securities in the Small Cap Growth Fund, relative to their multi-factor adjusted weight. Some of the variables considered include stock-specific market interest rate in security lending markets, market liquidity, and price reversals. From time to time, the Adviser may consider additional factors or investment variables as deemed appropriate by the investment committee of the Adviser. The Small Cap Growth Fund is long-only (no shorting) and does not directly use hedging or leverage, although it will use futures for cash management purposes (these instruments may have embedded economic leverage). The Small Cap Growth Fund will normally invest 5% or less of its total assets in futures, although it can invest up to 20% of its total assets in such instruments.
The Small Cap Growth Fund will also use futures and options on futures contracts for U.S. equity securities and indices, and exchange-traded-funds (“ETFs”) to adjust market exposure or manage cash needs. Such equity-related futures and options on futures contracts will count towards the Small Cap Growth Fund’s 80% investment policy and such instruments will be valued at market value rather than notional value.
The Small Cap Growth Fund may lend its portfolio securities in order to generate additional income for the Small Cap Growth Fund.
Principal Risks. Remember that in addition to possibly not achieving your investment goals, you could lose money by investing in the Small Cap Growth Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Small Cap Growth Fund are:
· | General Risk. Domestic economic growth and market conditions, interest rate levels, and political events are among the factors affecting the securities markets in which the Small Cap Growth Fund invests. There is risk that these and other factors may adversely affect the Small Cap Growth Fund’s performance. |
· | Equity Securities Risk. The Small Cap Growth Fund invests primarily in common stock, which subjects the Small Cap Growth Fund and its shareholders to the risks associated with common stock investing. Overall stock market risks may affect the value of the Small Cap Growth Fund. Factors such as domestic economic |
6 |
growth and market conditions, interest rate levels, and political events affect the securities markets. When the value of the Small Cap Growth Fund’s investments goes down, your investment in the Small Cap Growth Fund decreases in value and you could lose money.
· | Small-Sized Companies Risk. The Small Cap Value Fund invests in the stocks of small capitalization companies. The earnings and prospects of these companies are more volatile than larger companies. Small sized companies may experience higher failure rates than do larger companies. |
· | Limited Operating History Risk . The Small Cap Growth Fund is new and has a limited history of operation. Accordingly, an investment in the Small Cap Growth Fund entails a high degree of risk. There can be no assurance that the Small Cap Growth Fund and the Adviser will achieve the Small Cap Growth Fund’s investment objective. |
· | Management Risk . Management risk is the risk that the investment process used by the Small Cap Growth Fund’s portfolio manager could fail to achieve the Small Cap Growth Fund’s investment goal and cause an investment in the Small Cap Growth Fund to lose value. |
· | Derivatives Risk . Derivative instruments (such as futures and options on futures) are subject to changes in the value of the underlying assets or indices on which such instruments are based. The Small Cap Growth Fund’s investments in derivatives may not perform as anticipated, may not be able to be closed out at a favorable time or price, or may increase the Small Cap Growth Fund’s volatility. Even a small investment in derivatives, such as futures and options on futures, may give rise to leverage risk and can have a significant impact on the Small Cap Growth Fund’s exposure to securities markets values. It is possible that the Small Cap Growth Fund’s liquid assets may be insufficient to support its obligations under its derivatives positions. The use of derivatives for other than hedging purposes may be considered a speculative activity, and involves greater risks than are involved in hedging. The use of derivatives may cause the Small Cap Growth Fund to incur losses greater than those that would have occurred had derivatives not been used. |
· | Futures Risk . The successful use of futures contracts draws upon the Adviser’s skill and experience with respect to such instruments and are subject to special risk considerations. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts are (a) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by the Small Cap Growth Fund and the price of the futures contract; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (d) the Adviser’s inability to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; (e) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations; and (f) if the Small Cap Growth Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, and the Small Cap Growth Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. |
· | Securities Lending Risk . Securities lending involves the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. As a result, the Small Cap Growth Fund may lose money and there may be a delay in recovering the loaned securities. The Small Cap Growth Fund could also lose money if it does not recover the securities and/or the value of the collateral falls, including the value of investments made with cash collateral. Securities lending also may have certain adverse tax consequences. |
Performance. Because the Small Cap Growth Fund is new, no performance information is presented for the Small Cap Growth Fund at this time. In the future, performance information will be presented in this section of this Prospectus. Also, shareholder reports containing financial and performance information will be mailed to shareholders semi-annually. Remember, the Small Cap Growth Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Small Cap Growth Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information will be available at no cost by calling the Small Cap Growth Fund toll-free at 1-855-873-3837 or on the Small Cap Growth Fund’s website www.acclivityfunds.com.
Investment Adviser. Innealta Capital, LLC serves as the Small Cap Growth Fund’s investment adviser (the “Adviser”).
Portfolio Manager. The following serve as the Small Cap Growth Fund’s portfolio managers:
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Portfolio Manager | Primary Title | With the Small Cap Growth Fund Since: |
Dr. Sheridan Titman | Portfolio Manager | December 2018 |
Dr. Vito Sciaraffia | Portfolio Manager | December 2018 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares. You may conduct transactions by mail (Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund, c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC, 17605 Wright Street, Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68130), or by telephone at 1-855-873-3837. Investors who wish to purchase or redeem Small Cap Growth Fund shares through a financial intermediary should contact the financial intermediary directly. The minimum initial investment in each share class of the Funds is $100,000 for Class I shares and $10,000 for Class N shares, with a minimum subsequent investment of $1,000 for Class N shares. There is no minimum subsequent investment amount for Class I shares. The Small Cap Growth Fund reserves the right to waive minimum initial investment or minimum subsequent investment requirements in its sole discretion.
Tax Information. The Small Cap Growth Fund’s distributions are taxable, and will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account, though such accounts may be taxed upon withdrawal.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries. If you purchase Small Cap Growth Fund shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Small Cap Growth Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Small Cap Growth Fund shares and related services. These payments may create conflicts of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Small Cap Growth Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Summary Section – Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund
Investment Objective. The investment objective of the Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund (the “Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund”) is to seek long term capital appreciation.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) |
Class N | Class I |
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price) |
None | None |
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the original offering price) |
None | None |
Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed within 60 days of purchase) |
None | None |
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
||
Management Fees | 0.45% | 0.45% |
Distribution and Service (Rule 12b-1) Fees | 0.25% | 0.00% |
Other Expenses | 0.53% | 0.53% |
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (1) | 0.01% | 0.01% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 1.24% | 0.99% |
Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement | (0.43)% | (0.43)% |
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver/ Expense Reimbursement (2) |
0.81% | 0.56% |
(3) | This number represents an estimate for the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s current fiscal year of the combined total fees and operating expenses of acquired funds owned by the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund and would not be a direct expense incurred by the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund or deducted from Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund assets. |
(4) | Pursuant to an operating expense limitation agreement between Innealta Capital , LLC (the “Adviser”) and the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund, the Adviser has agreed to waive its fees and/or absorb expenses of the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund to ensure that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding any brokerage fees and commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short), taxes and extraordinary expenses such as litigation) for the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund do not exceed 0.80% or 0.55% of the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s average net assets, for Class N shares or Class I shares, respectively, through April 30, 2020. This operating expense limitation agreement can be terminated only by, or with the consent of, the Board of Trustees. The Adviser is permitted to receive reimbursement from the Funds for fees it waived and Fund expenses it paid, subject to the limitation that: (1) the reimbursement for fees and expenses will be made only if payable within three years from the date the fees and expenses were initially waived or reimbursed; and (2) the reimbursement may not be made if it would cause the expense limitation in effect at the time of the waiver or currently in effect, whichever is lower, to be exceeded. |
Example. This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Mid Cap Multi-Style 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 Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The fee waiver/expense reimbursement arrangement discussed in the table above is reflected only through April 30, 2020. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
One Year | Three Years | |
Class N | $83 | $351 |
Class I | $57 | $272 |
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Portfolio Turnover. The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s performance. Because the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund is newly organized, portfolio turnover information is not yet available.
Principal Investment Strategies. The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund employs a quantitatively driven, factor-based investment strategy. Particularly, the Adviser selects, from the U.S. publicly traded stock universe, securities that the Adviser considers to be mid capitalization stocks.
Under normal market conditions, the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund is expected to hold approximately 300 different stocks, where no individual issuer represents more than 5% of the portfolio total value. The Adviser defines a mid-capitalization company as any company that is neither in the highest 60% of U.S. aggregate market capitalization nor in the lowest 10% of U.S. aggregate market capitalization. Effectively, this excludes the largest and smallest companies in the market. The market capitalization upper and lower thresholds for a company to be categorized as a mid-capitalization company will thus fluctuate along with market prices. For context, the Adviser, as of the date of this Prospectus, places the mid-capitalization upper threshold at approximately $10 billion and the lower threshold at approximately $4 billion. The strategy aims to invest in a broad and well-diversified basket of securities that are eligible in accordance with the aforementioned requirements. As a non-fundamental policy (i.e., one that can be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval), under normal market conditions, the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets in equity securities of mid-cap companies. The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund may obtain exposure to equity securities through futures and options on futures contracts. Such derivative investments will be valued at market value rather than notional value, and will not exceed more than 20% of the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s total assets.
The Adviser will use a set of investment factors, which in some peer-reviewed academic journals have been linked to higher expected returns, to over- or underweight securities in the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund, relative to their market weight. Some of the factors considered include market capitalization, book-to-market, profitability, re-investment of earnings, and momentum. In addition, the Adviser will use a set of investment variables, that the Adviser believes are linked to higher expected returns, during the strategy implementation stage (e.g., trading), to further over- or underweight securities in the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund, relative to their multi-factor adjusted weight. Some of the variables considered include stock-specific market interest rate in security lending markets, market liquidity, and price reversals. From time to time, the Adviser may consider additional factors or investment variables as deemed appropriate by the investment committee of the Adviser. The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund is long-only (no shorting) and does not directly use hedging or leverage, although it will use futures for cash management purposes (these instruments may have embedded economic leverage). The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund will normally invest 5% or less of its total assets in futures, although it can invest up to 20% of its total assets in such instruments.
The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund will also use futures and options on futures contracts for U.S. equity securities and indices, and exchange-traded-funds (“ETFs”) to adjust market exposure or manage cash needs. Such equity-related futures and options on futures contracts will count towards the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s 80% investment policy and such instruments will be valued at market value rather than notional value.
The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund may lend its portfolio securities in order to generate additional income for the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund.
Principal Risks. Remember that in addition to possibly not achieving your investment goals, you could lose money by investing in the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund. The principal risks of investing in the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund are:
· | General Risk. Domestic economic growth and market conditions, interest rate levels, and political events are among the factors affecting the securities markets in which the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund invests. There is risk that these and other factors may adversely affect the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s performance. |
· | Equity Securities Risk. The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund invests primarily in common stock, which subjects the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund and its shareholders to the risks associated with common stock investing. Overall stock market risks may affect the value of the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund. Factors such as domestic |
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economic growth and market conditions, interest rate levels, and political events affect the securities markets. When the value of the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s investments goes down, your investment in the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund decreases in value and you could lose money.
· | Mid-Capitalization Securities Risk. The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund may invest in mid-capitalization (or “mid-cap”) companies. Mid-cap companies often have narrower markets, limited managerial and financial resources, more volatile performance and greater risk of failure, compared to larger, more established companies. These factors could increase the volatility of the Fund’s portfolio, performance and share price. |
· | Limited Operating History Risk . The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund is new and has a limited history of operation. Accordingly, an investment in the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund entails a high degree of risk. There can be no assurance that the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund and the Adviser will achieve the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s investment objective. |
· | Management Risk . Management risk is the risk that the investment process used by the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s portfolio manager could fail to achieve the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s investment goal and cause an investment in the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund to lose value. |
· | Derivatives Risk . Derivative instruments (such as futures and options on futures) are subject to changes in the value of the underlying assets or indices on which such instruments are based. The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s investments in derivatives may not perform as anticipated, may not be able to be closed out at a favorable time or price, or may increase the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s volatility. Even a small investment in derivatives, such as futures and options on futures, may give rise to leverage risk and can have a significant impact on the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s exposure to securities markets values. It is possible that the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s liquid assets may be insufficient to support its obligations under its derivatives positions. The use of derivatives for other than hedging purposes may be considered a speculative activity, and involves greater risks than are involved in hedging. The use of derivatives may cause the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund to incur losses greater than those that would have occurred had derivatives not been used. |
· | Futures Risk . The successful use of futures contracts draws upon the Adviser’s skill and experience with respect to such instruments and are subject to special risk considerations. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts are (a) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund and the price of the futures contract; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (d) the Adviser’s inability to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; (e) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations; and (f) if the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, and the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. |
· | Securities Lending Risk . Securities lending involves the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. As a result, the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund may lose money and there may be a delay in recovering the loaned securities. The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund could also lose money if it does not recover the securities and/or the value of the collateral falls, including the value of investments made with cash collateral. Securities lending also may have certain adverse tax consequences. |
Performance. Because the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund is new, no performance information is presented for the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund at this time. In the future, performance information will be presented in this section of this Prospectus. Also, shareholder reports containing financial and performance information will be mailed to shareholders semi-annually. Remember, the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information will be available at no cost by calling the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund toll-free at 1-855-873-3837 or on the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s website www.acclivityfunds.com.
Investment Adviser. Innealta Capital, LLC serves as the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s investment adviser (the “Adviser”).
Portfolio Manager. The following serve as the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s portfolio managers:
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Portfolio Manager | Primary Title | With the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund Since: |
Dr. Sheridan Titman | Portfolio Manager | December 2018 |
Dr. Vito Sciaraffia | Portfolio Manager | December 2018 |
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares. You may conduct transactions by mail (Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund, c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC, 17605 Wright Street, Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68130), or by telephone at 1-855-873-3837. Investors who wish to purchase or redeem Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund shares through a financial intermediary should contact the financial intermediary directly. The minimum initial investment in each share class of the Funds is $100,000 for Class I shares and $10,000 for Class N shares, with a minimum subsequent investment of $1,000 for Class N shares. There is no minimum subsequent investment amount for Class I shares. The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund reserves the right to waive minimum initial investment or minimum subsequent investment requirements in its sole discretion.
Tax Information. The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s distributions are taxable, and will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account, though such accounts may be taxed upon withdrawal.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries. If you purchase Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund shares and related services. These payments may create conflicts of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
Investment Strategies, Related Risks and Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings
Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund
Investment Objective
The primary investment objective of the Small Cap Value Fund is to seek long-term capital appreciation.
The Small Cap Value Fund’s investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed without the approval of shareholders. Shareholders will be given 60 days’ notice of any such change.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Small Cap Value Fund employs a quantitatively driven, factor-based investment strategy. Particularly, the Adviser selects, from the U.S. publicly traded stock universe, securities that the Adviser considers to be small capitalization value stocks. Under normal market conditions, the Small Cap Value Fund is expected to hold approximately 600 different stocks, where no individual issuer represents more than 5% of the portfolio total value. The Adviser defines a small capitalization value company as any company that simultaneously meets the following two requirements: (i) be in the lowest 10% of U.S. aggregate market capitalization; and (ii) exhibit a low market value relative to its book value. Thus, the market capitalization threshold for a company to be categorized as a small capitalization company will fluctuate along with market prices. For context, the Adviser, as of the date of this Prospectus, places the small capitalization upper threshold at approximately $5 billion and the lower threshold at approximately $10 million. The strategy aims to invest in a broad and well-diversified basket of securities that are eligible in accordance with the aforementioned requirements. As a non-fundamental policy (i.e., one that can be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval), under normal market conditions, the Small Cap Value Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets in equity securities of small cap U.S. companies. The Small Cap Value Fund may obtain exposure to equity securities through futures and options on futures contracts. Such derivative investments will be valued at market value rather than notional value, and will not exceed more than 20% of the Small Cap Value Fund’s total assets.
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The Adviser will use a set of investment factors, which in some peer-reviewed academic journals have been linked to higher expected returns, to over- or underweight securities in the Small Cap Value Fund, relative to their market weight. Some of the factors considered include market capitalization, book-to-market, profitability, re-investment of earnings, and momentum. In addition, the Adviser will use a set of investment variables, that the Adviser believes are linked to higher expected returns, during the strategy implementation stage (e.g., trading), to further over- or underweight securities in the Small Cap Value Fund, relative to their multi-factor adjusted weight. Some of the variables considered include stock-specific market interest rate in security lending markets, market liquidity, and price reversals. From time to time, the Adviser may consider additional factors or investment variables as deemed appropriate by the investment committee of the Adviser. The Small Cap Value Fund is long-only (no shorting) and does not directly use hedging or leverage, although it will use futures for cash management purposes (these instruments may have embedded economic leverage). The Small Cap Value Fund will normally invest 5% or less of its total assets in futures, although it can invest up to 20% of its total assets in such instruments.
The Small Cap Value Fund’s Adviser uses a quantitative bottom-up approach to construct the Small Cap Value Fund’s portfolio. Information in the Adviser’s approach comes from company fundamentals, performance metrics, security lending metrics, market liquidity, among other factors.
The Small Cap Value Fund will also use futures and options on futures contracts for U.S. equity securities and indices, and exchange-traded-funds (“ETFs”) to adjust market exposure or manage cash needs. Such equity-related futures and options on futures contracts will count towards the Small Cap Value Fund’s 80% investment policy and such instruments will be valued at market value rather than notional value.
The Small Cap Value Fund may lend its portfolio securities in order to generate additional income for the Small Cap Value Fund. The Small Cap Value Fund plans to lend its portfolio securities to banks, brokers-dealers, and other financial institutions (referred to as “borrowers”), each of which may act as an intermediary, provided that: (i) the loan is continuously secured by collateral in cash, cash equivalents, bank letters of credit or U.S. Government securities equal to at least 100% of the value of the loaned securities, and such collateral must be valued, or “marked to market,” daily (borrowers are required to furnish additional collateral to the Small Cap Value Fund as necessary to fully cover their obligations); (ii) the loan may be recalled at any time by the Small Cap Value Fund and the loaned securities returned; (iii) the Small Cap Value Fund will receive any interest, dividends or other distributions paid on the loaned securities; and (iv) the aggregate value of the loaned securities will not exceed 33 1/3% of the Small Cap Value Fund’s total assets. The Small Cap Value Fund generally retains part or all of the interest received on investment of the cash collateral or receives a fee from the borrower. While this practice will not impact the Small Cap Value Fund’s principal investment strategy, it does subject the Small Cap Value Fund to the securities lending risk described in this Prospectus. Once the Small Cap Value Fund actively engages in the security lending, the revenue generated by the security lending activity is expected to range between 0.10% and 0.20% of the Small Cap Value Fund’s value, however, that additional income should be considered incidental to the Small Cap Value Fund’s principal investment strategy.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Small Cap Value Fund
Before investing in the Small Cap Value Fund, you should carefully consider your own investment goals, the amount of time you are willing to leave your money invested and the amount of risk you are willing to take. Remember that in addition to possibly not achieving your investment goals, you could lose money by investing in the Small Cap Value Fund. The value of your investment in the Small Cap Value Fund will go up and down with the prices of the securities in which the Small Cap Value Fund invests. The principal risks of investing in the Small Cap Value Fund are:
General Risk. Domestic and foreign economic growth and market conditions, interest rate levels, and political events are among the factors affecting the securities markets of the Small Cap Value Fund’s investments. There is risk that these and other factors may adversely affect the Small Cap Value Fund’s performance. You should consider your own investment goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance before investing in the Small Cap Value Fund. An investment in the Small Cap Value Fund may not be appropriate for all investors and is not intended to be a complete investment program. An investment in the Small Cap Value Fund is not a deposit in the bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
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Equity Risk. The risks that could affect the value of the Small Cap Value Fund’s shares and the total return on your investment include the possibility that the equity securities held by the Small Cap Value Fund will experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. Equity securities may also lose value because of factors affecting an entire industry or sector, such as increases in production costs, or factors directly related to a specific company, such as decisions made by its management.
· | Common Stocks. Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors including: expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic and banking crises. If you held common stock of any given issuer, you would generally be exposed to greater risk than if you held preferred stocks and debt obligations of the issuer because holders of common stock generally have inferior rights to receive payments from issuers in comparison with the rights of the holders of other securities, bondholders and other creditors of such issuers. |
· | Preferred Stocks. A preferred stock is a blend of the characteristics of a bond and common stock. It can offer the higher yield of a bond and has priority over common stock in equity ownership, but does not have the seniority of a bond and, unlike common stock, its participation in the issuer’s growth may be limited. Preferred stock has preference over common stock in the receipt of dividends and in any residual assets after payment to creditors should the issuer be dissolved. Although the dividend on a preferred stock may be set at a fixed annual rate, in some circumstances it can be changed or omitted by the issuer. Because preferred stocks represent an equity ownership interest in an issuer, their value will usually react more strongly than bonds and other debt instruments to actual or perceived changes in an issuer's financial condition or prospects or to fluctuations in the equity markets. |
Small-Sized Companies Risk. Because the Small Cap Value Fund invests primarily in securities issued by small-cap companies, it is likely to be more volatile than a fund that focuses on securities issued by larger companies. The earnings and prospects of these companies are more volatile than larger companies. Small sized companies may experience higher failure rates than do larger companies. The trading volume of securities of small sized companies is normally less than that of larger companies and, therefore, may disproportionately affect their market price, tending to make them fall more in response to selling pressure than is the case with larger companies. Small sized companies may have limited markets, product lines or financial resources and may lack management experience. Small-sized companies often have less experienced management, narrower product lines, more limited financial resources, and less publicly available information than larger companies. In addition, smaller companies are typically more sensitive to changes in overall economic conditions and their securities may be difficult to trade.
Value Investing Risk. Value investing attempts to identify companies selling at a discount to their intrinsic value. Value investing is subject to the risk that a company’s intrinsic value may never be fully realized by the market or that a company judged by the Adviser to be undervalued may actually be appropriately priced.
Management Risk . Management risk is the risk that the investment process used by the Small Cap Value Fund’s portfolio manager could fail to achieve the Small Cap Value Fund’s investment goal and cause an investment in the Small Cap Value Fund to lose value.
Derivatives Risk . Derivative instruments (such as futures and options on futures) are subject to changes in the value of the underlying assets or indices on which such instruments are based. Futures contracts provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a specific underlying reference instrument at a specified future time at a specified price. An option on a futures contract is the right, purchased for a certain price, to either buy or sell the underlying futures contract during a certain period of time for a fixed price. The Small Cap Value Fund’s investments in derivatives may not perform as anticipated, may not be able to be closed out at a favorable time or price, or may increase the Small Cap Value Fund’s volatility. Even a small investment in derivatives, such as futures and options on futures, may give rise to leverage risk and can have a significant impact on the Small Cap Value Fund’s exposure to securities markets values. It is possible that the Small Cap Value Fund’s liquid assets may be insufficient to support its obligations under its derivatives positions. The use of derivatives for other than hedging purposes may be
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considered a speculative activity, and involves greater risks than are involved in hedging. The use of derivatives may cause the Small Cap Value Fund to incur losses greater than those that would have occurred had derivatives not been used.
Futures Risk . The successful use of futures contracts draws upon the Adviser’s skill and experience with respect to such instruments and are subject to special risk considerations. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts are (a) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by the Small Cap Value Fund and the price of the futures contract; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (d) the Adviser’s inability to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; (e) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations; and (f) if the Small Cap Value Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, and the Small Cap Value Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.
Limited Operating History Risk . The Small Cap Value Fund is new and has a limited history of operation. Accordingly, an investment in the Small Cap Value Fund entails a high degree of risk. There can be no assurance that the Small Cap Value Fund and the Adviser will achieve the Small Cap Value Fund’s investment objective notwithstanding the performance of any or all of the foregoing or their respective affiliates or principals in other transactions including, without limitation, arrangements similar in nature to the Small Cap Value Fund.
Securities Lending Risk . Securities lending involves the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. As a result, the Small Cap Value Fund may lose money and there may be a delay in recovering the loaned securities. The Small Cap Value Fund could also lose money if it does not recover the securities and/or the value of the collateral falls, including the value of investments made with cash collateral. Securities lending also may have certain adverse tax consequences.
Cyber Security Risk. As the use of technology has become more prevalent in the course of business, the Small Cap Value Fund may be susceptible to operational, financial and information security risks resulting from cyber-attacks and/or technological malfunctions. Cyber-attacks include, among other things, the attempted theft, loss, misuse, improper release, corruption or destruction of, or unauthorized access to, confidential or highly restricted data relating to the Small Cap Value Fund and its shareholders; and attempted compromises or failures to systems, networks, devices and applications relating to the operations of the Small Cap Value Fund and its service providers. Cyber security breaches may result from unauthorized access to digital systems ( e.g. , through “hacking” or malicious software coding) or from outside attacks, such as denial-of-service attacks on websites ( i.e ., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users).
Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund
Investment Objective
The primary investment objective of the Small Cap Growth Fund is to seek long-term capital appreciation.
The Small Cap Growth Fund’s investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed without the approval of shareholders. Shareholders will be given 60 days’ notice of any such change.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Small Cap Growth Fund employs a quantitatively driven, factor-based investment strategy. Particularly, the Adviser selects, from the U.S. publicly traded stock universe, securities that the Adviser considers to be small capitalization growth stocks. Under normal market conditions, the Small Cap Growth Fund is expected to hold approximately 500 different stocks, where no individual issuer represents more than 5% of the portfolio total value. The Adviser defines a small capitalization growth company as any company that simultaneously meets the following two requirements: (i) be in the lowest 10% of U.S. aggregate market capitalization; and (ii) exhibit a high market value relative to its book value. Thus, the market capitalization threshold for a company to be categorized as a small capitalization company will fluctuate
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along with market prices. For context, the Adviser, as of the date of this Prospectus, places the small capitalization upper threshold at approximately $5 billion and the lower threshold at approximately $10 million. The strategy aims to invest in a broad and well-diversified basket of securities that are eligible in accordance with the aforementioned requirements. As a non-fundamental policy (i.e., one that can be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval), under normal market conditions, the Small Cap Growth Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets in equity securities of small cap U.S. companies. The Small Cap Growth Fund may obtain exposure to equity securities through futures and options on futures contracts. Such derivative investments will be valued at market value rather than notional value, and will not exceed more than 20% of the Small Cap Growth Fund’s total assets.
The Adviser will use a set of investment factors, which in some peer-reviewed academic journals have been linked to higher expected returns, to over- or underweight securities in the Small Cap Growth Fund, relative to their market weight. Some of the factors considered include market capitalization, book-to-market, profitability, re-investment of earnings, and momentum. In addition, the Adviser will use a set of investment variables, that the Adviser believes are linked to higher expected returns, during the strategy implementation stage (e.g., trading), to further over- or underweight securities in the Small Cap Growth Fund, relative to their multi-factor adjusted weight. Some of the variables considered include stock-specific market interest rate in security lending markets, market liquidity, and price reversals. From time to time, the Adviser may consider additional factors or investment variables as deemed appropriate by the investment committee of the Adviser. The Small Cap Growth Fund is long-only (no shorting) and does not directly use hedging or leverage, although it will use futures for cash management purposes (these instruments may have embedded economic leverage). The Small Cap Growth Fund will normally invest 5% or less of its total assets in futures, although it can invest up to 20% of its total assets in such instruments.
The Small Cap Growth Fund’s Adviser uses a quantitative bottom-up approach to construct the Small Cap Growth Fund’s portfolio. Information in the Adviser’s approach comes from company fundamentals, performance metrics, security lending metrics, market liquidity, among other factors.
The Small Cap Growth Fund will also use futures and options on futures contracts for U.S. equity securities and indices, and exchange-traded-funds (“ETFs”) to adjust market exposure or manage cash needs. Such equity-related futures and options on futures contracts will count towards the Small Cap Growth Fund’s 80% investment policy and such instruments will be valued at market value rather than notional value.
The Small Cap Growth Fund may lend its portfolio securities in order to generate additional income for the Small Cap Growth Fund. The Small Cap Growth Fund plans to lend its portfolio securities to banks, brokers-dealers, and other financial institutions (referred to as “borrowers”), each of which may act as an intermediary, provided that: (i) the loan is continuously secured by collateral in cash, cash equivalents, bank letters of credit or U.S. Government securities equal to at least 100% of the value of the loaned securities, and such collateral must be valued, or “marked to market,” daily (borrowers are required to furnish additional collateral to the Small Cap Growth Fund as necessary to fully cover their obligations); (ii) the loan may be recalled at any time by the Small Cap Growth Fund and the loaned securities returned; (iii) the Small Cap Growth Fund will receive any interest, dividends or other distributions paid on the loaned securities; and (iv) the aggregate value of the loaned securities will not exceed 33 1/3% of the Small Cap Growth Fund’s total assets. The Small Cap Growth Fund generally retains part or all of the interest received on investment of the cash collateral or receives a fee from the borrower. While this practice will not impact the Small Cap Growth Fund’s principal investment strategy, it does subject the Small Cap Growth Fund to the securities lending risk described in this Prospectus. Once the Small Cap Growth Fund actively engages in the security lending, the revenue generated by the security lending activity is expected to range between 0.10% and 0.20% of the Small Cap Growth Fund’s value, however, that additional income should be considered incidental to the Small Cap Growth Fund’s principal investment strategy.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Small Cap Growth Fund
Before investing in the Small Cap Growth Fund, you should carefully consider your own investment goals, the amount of time you are willing to leave your money invested and the amount of risk you are willing to take. Remember that in addition to possibly not achieving your investment goals, you could lose money by investing in the Small Cap Growth Fund. The value of your investment in the Small Cap Growth Fund will go up and down with the prices of the securities in which the Small Cap Growth Fund invests. The principal risks of investing in the Small Cap Growth Fund are:
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General Risk. Domestic and foreign economic growth and market conditions, interest rate levels, and political events are among the factors affecting the securities markets of the Small Cap Growth Fund’s investments. There is risk that these and other factors may adversely affect the Small Cap Growth Fund’s performance. You should consider your own investment goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance before investing in the Small Cap Growth Fund. An investment in the Small Cap Growth Fund may not be appropriate for all investors and is not intended to be a complete investment program. An investment in the Small Cap Growth Fund is not a deposit in the bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Equity Risk. The risks that could affect the value of the Small Cap Growth Fund’s shares and the total return on your investment include the possibility that the equity securities held by the Small Cap Growth Fund will experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. Equity securities may also lose value because of factors affecting an entire industry or sector, such as increases in production costs, or factors directly related to a specific company, such as decisions made by its management.
· | Common Stocks. Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors including: expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic and banking crises. If you held common stock of any given issuer, you would generally be exposed to greater risk than if you held preferred stocks and debt obligations of the issuer because holders of common stock generally have inferior rights to receive payments from issuers in comparison with the rights of the holders of other securities, bondholders and other creditors of such issuers. |
· | Preferred Stocks. A preferred stock is a blend of the characteristics of a bond and common stock. It can offer the higher yield of a bond and has priority over common stock in equity ownership, but does not have the seniority of a bond and, unlike common stock, its participation in the issuer’s growth may be limited. Preferred stock has preference over common stock in the receipt of dividends and in any residual assets after payment to creditors should the issuer be dissolved. Although the dividend on a preferred stock may be set at a fixed annual rate, in some circumstances it can be changed or omitted by the issuer. Because preferred stocks represent an equity ownership interest in an issuer, their value will usually react more strongly than bonds and other debt instruments to actual or perceived changes in an issuer's financial condition or prospects or to fluctuations in the equity markets. |
Small-Sized Companies Risk. Because the Small Cap Growth Fund invests primarily in securities issued by small-cap companies, it is likely to be more volatile than a fund that focuses on securities issued by larger companies. The earnings and prospects of these companies are more volatile than larger companies. Small sized companies may experience higher failure rates than do larger companies. The trading volume of securities of small sized companies is normally less than that of larger companies and, therefore, may disproportionately affect their market price, tending to make them fall more in response to selling pressure than is the case with larger companies. Small sized companies may have limited markets, product lines or financial resources and may lack management experience. Small-sized companies often have less experienced management, narrower product lines, more limited financial resources, and less publicly available information than larger companies. In addition, smaller companies are typically more sensitive to changes in overall economic conditions and their securities may be difficult to trade.
Management Risk . Management risk is the risk that the investment process used by the Small Cap Growth Fund’s portfolio manager could fail to achieve the Small Cap Growth Fund’s investment goal and cause an investment in the Small Cap Growth Fund to lose value.
Derivatives Risk . Derivative instruments (such as futures and options on futures ) are subject to changes in the value of the underlying assets or indices on which such instruments are based. Futures contracts provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a specific underlying reference instrument at a specified future time at a specified price. An option on a futures contract is the right, purchased for a certain price, to either buy or sell the underlying futures contract during a certain period of time for a fixed price. The Small Cap Growth
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Fund’s investments in derivatives may not perform as anticipated, may not be able to be closed out at a favorable time or price, or may increase the Small Cap Growth Fund’s volatility. Even a small investment in derivatives, such as futures and options on futures, may give rise to leverage risk and can have a significant impact on the Small Cap Growth Fund’s exposure to securities markets values. It is possible that the Small Cap Growth Fund’s liquid assets may be insufficient to support its obligations under its derivatives positions. The use of derivatives for other than hedging purposes may be considered a speculative activity, and involves greater risks than are involved in hedging. The use of derivatives may cause the Small Cap Growth Fund to incur losses greater than those that would have occurred had derivatives not been used.
Futures Risk . The successful use of futures contracts draws upon the Adviser’s skill and experience with respect to such instruments and are subject to special risk considerations. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts are (a) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by the Small Cap Growth Fund and the price of the futures contract; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (d) the Adviser’s inability to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; (e) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations; and (f) if the Small Cap Growth Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, and the Small Cap Growth Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.
Limited Operating History Risk . The Small Cap Growth Fund is new and has a limited history of operation. Accordingly, an investment in the Small Cap Growth Fund entails a high degree of risk. There can be no assurance that the Small Cap Growth Fund and the Adviser will achieve the Small Cap Growth Fund’s investment objective notwithstanding the performance of any or all of the foregoing or their respective affiliates or principals in other transactions including, without limitation, arrangements similar in nature to the Small Cap Growth Fund.
Securities Lending Risk . Securities lending involves the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. As a result, the Small Cap Growth Fund may lose money and there may be a delay in recovering the loaned securities. The Small Cap Growth Fund could also lose money if it does not recover the securities and/or the value of the collateral falls, including the value of investments made with cash collateral. Securities lending also may have certain adverse tax consequences.
Cyber Security Risk. As the use of technology has become more prevalent in the course of business, the Small Cap Growth Fund may be susceptible to operational, financial and information security risks resulting from cyber-attacks and/or technological malfunctions. Cyber-attacks include, among other things, the attempted theft, loss, misuse, improper release, corruption or destruction of, or unauthorized access to, confidential or highly restricted data relating to the Small Cap Growth Fund and its shareholders; and attempted compromises or failures to systems, networks, devices and applications relating to the operations of the Small Cap Growth Fund and its service providers. Cyber security breaches may result from unauthorized access to digital systems ( e.g. , through “hacking” or malicious software coding) or from outside attacks, such as denial-of-service attacks on websites ( i.e ., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users).
Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund
Investment Objective
The primary investment objective of the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund is to seek long-term capital appreciation.
The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed without the approval of shareholders. Shareholders will be given 60 days’ notice of any such change.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund employs a quantitatively driven, factor-based investment strategy. Particularly, the strategy Adviser selects, from the U.S. publicly traded stock universe, securities that the Adviser considers to be mid
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capitalization stocks. Under normal market conditions, the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund is expected to hold approximately 300 different stocks, where no individual issuer represents more than 5% of the portfolio total value. The Adviser defines a mid-capitalization company as any company that is neither in the highest 60% of U.S. aggregate market capitalization nor in the lowest 10% of U.S. aggregate market capitalization. Effectively, this excludes the largest and smallest companies in the market. The market capitalization upper and lower thresholds for a company to be categorized as a mid-capitalization company will thus fluctuate along with market prices. For context, the Adviser, as of the date of this Prospectus, places the mid capitalization upper threshold at approximately $10 billion and the lower threshold at approximately $4 billion. The strategy aims to invest in a broad and well-diversified basket of securities that are eligible in accordance with the aforementioned requirements. As a non-fundamental policy (i.e., one that can be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval), under normal market conditions, the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets in equity securities of small cap U.S. companies. The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund may obtain exposure to equity securities through futures and options on futures contracts. Such derivative investments will be valued at market value rather than notional value, and will not exceed more than 20% of the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s total assets.
The Adviser will use a set of investment factors, which in some peer-reviewed academic journals have been linked to higher expected returns, to over- or underweight securities in the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund, relative to their market weight. Some of the factors considered include market capitalization, book-to-market, profitability, re-investment of earnings, and momentum. In addition, the Adviser will use a set of investment variables, that the Adviser believes are linked to higher expected returns, during the strategy implementation stage (e.g., trading), to further over- or underweight securities in the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund, relative to their multi-factor adjusted weight. Some of the variables considered include stock-specific market interest rate in security lending markets, market liquidity, and price reversals. From time to time, the Adviser may consider additional factors or investment variables as deemed appropriate by the investment committee of the Adviser. The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund is long-only (no shorting) and does not directly use hedging or leverage, although it will use futures for cash management purposes (these instruments may have embedded economic leverage). The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund will normally invest 5% or less of its total assets in futures, although it can invest up to 20% of its total assets in such instruments.
The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s Adviser uses a quantitative bottom-up approach to construct the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s portfolio. Information in the Adviser’s approach comes from company fundamentals, performance metrics, security lending metrics, market liquidity, among other factors.
The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund will also use futures and options on futures contracts for U.S. equity securities and indices, and exchange-traded-funds (“ETFs”) to adjust market exposure or manage cash needs. Such equity-related futures and options on futures contracts will count towards the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s 80% investment policy and such instruments will be valued at market value rather than notional value.
The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund may lend its portfolio securities in order to generate additional income for the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund. The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund plans to lend its portfolio securities to banks, brokers-dealers, and other financial institutions (referred to as “borrowers”), each of which may act as an intermediary, provided that: (i) the loan is continuously secured by collateral in cash, cash equivalents, bank letters of credit or U.S. Government securities equal to at least 100% of the value of the loaned securities, and such collateral must be valued, or “marked to market,” daily (borrowers are required to furnish additional collateral to the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund as necessary to fully cover their obligations); (ii) the loan may be recalled at any time by the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund and the loaned securities returned; (iii) the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund will receive any interest, dividends or other distributions paid on the loaned securities; and (iv) the aggregate value of the loaned securities will not exceed 33 1/3% of the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s total assets. The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund generally retains part or all of the interest received on investment of the cash collateral or receives a fee from the borrower. While this practice will not impact the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s principal investment strategy, it does subject the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund to the securities lending risk described in this Prospectus. Once the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund actively engages in the security lending, the revenue generated by the security lending activity is expected to range between 0.10% and 0.20% of the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s value, however, that additional income should be considered incidental to the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s principal investment strategy.
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Principal Risks of Investing in the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund
Before investing in the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund, you should carefully consider your own investment goals, the amount of time you are willing to leave your money invested and the amount of risk you are willing to take. Remember that in addition to possibly not achieving your investment goals, you could lose money by investing in the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund. The value of your investment in the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund will go up and down with the prices of the securities in which the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund invests. The principal risks of investing in the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund are:
General Risk. Domestic and foreign economic growth and market conditions, interest rate levels, and political events are among the factors affecting the securities markets of the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s investments. There is risk that these and other factors may adversely affect the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s performance. You should consider your own investment goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance before investing in the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund. An investment in the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund may not be appropriate for all investors and is not intended to be a complete investment program. An investment in the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund is not a deposit in the bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Equity Risk. The risks that could affect the value of the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s shares and the total return on your investment include the possibility that the equity securities held by the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund will experience sudden, unpredictable drops in value or long periods of decline in value. Equity securities may also lose value because of factors affecting an entire industry or sector, such as increases in production costs, or factors directly related to a specific company, such as decisions made by its management.
· | Common Stocks. Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence in and perceptions of their issuers change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors including: expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies; inflation and interest rates; economic expansion or contraction; and global or regional political, economic and banking crises. If you held common stock of any given issuer, you would generally be exposed to greater risk than if you held preferred stocks and debt obligations of the issuer because holders of common stock generally have inferior rights to receive payments from issuers in comparison with the rights of the holders of other securities, bondholders and other creditors of such issuers. |
· | Preferred Stocks. A preferred stock is a blend of the characteristics of a bond and common stock. It can offer the higher yield of a bond and has priority over common stock in equity ownership, but does not have the seniority of a bond and, unlike common stock, its participation in the issuer’s growth may be limited. Preferred stock has preference over common stock in the receipt of dividends and in any residual assets after payment to creditors should the issuer be dissolved. Although the dividend on a preferred stock may be set at a fixed annual rate, in some circumstances it can be changed or omitted by the issuer. Because preferred stocks represent an equity ownership interest in an issuer, their value will usually react more strongly than bonds and other debt instruments to actual or perceived changes in an issuer's financial condition or prospects or to fluctuations in the equity markets. |
Mid-Capitalization Securities Risk. The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund may invest in mid-capitalization (or “mid-cap”) companies. Mid-cap companies often have narrower markets, limited managerial and financial resources, more volatile performance and greater risk of failure, compared to larger, more established companies. These factors could increase the volatility of the Fund’s portfolio, performance and share price. Mid-sized companies are generally less established than larger companies. Mid-capitalization securities may underperform the market as a whole.
Management Risk . Management risk is the risk that the investment process used by the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s portfolio manager could fail to achieve the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s investment goal and cause an investment in the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund to lose value.
Derivatives Risk . Derivative instruments (such as futures and options on futures) are subject to changes in the value of the underlying assets or indices on which such instruments are based. Futures contracts provide for the future sale by
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one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a specific underlying reference instrument at a specified future time at a specified price. An option on a futures contract is the right, purchased for a certain price, to either buy or sell the underlying futures contract during a certain period of time for a fixed price. The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s investments in derivatives may not perform as anticipated, may not be able to be closed out at a favorable time or price, or may increase the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s volatility. Even a small investment in derivatives, such as futures and options on futures, may give rise to leverage risk and can have a significant impact on the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s exposure to securities markets values. It is possible that the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s liquid assets may be insufficient to support its obligations under its derivatives positions. The use of derivatives for other than hedging purposes may be considered a speculative activity, and involves greater risks than are involved in hedging. The use of derivatives may cause the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund to incur losses greater than those that would have occurred had derivatives not been used.
Futures Risk . The successful use of futures contracts draws upon the Adviser’s skill and experience with respect to such instruments and are subject to special risk considerations. The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts are (a) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund and the price of the futures contract; (b) possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; (c) losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which are potentially unlimited; (d) the Adviser’s inability to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; (e) the possibility that the counterparty will default in the performance of its obligations; and (f) if the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, and the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.
Limited Operating History Risk . The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund is new and has a limited history of operation. Accordingly, an investment in the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund entails a high degree of risk. There can be no assurance that the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund and the Adviser will achieve the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s investment objective notwithstanding the performance of any or all of the foregoing or their respective affiliates or principals in other transactions including, without limitation, arrangements similar in nature to the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund.
Securities Lending Risk . Securities lending involves the risk that the borrower may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. As a result, the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund may lose money and there may be a delay in recovering the loaned securities. The Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund could also lose money if it does not recover the securities and/or the value of the collateral falls, including the value of investments made with cash collateral. Securities lending also may have certain adverse tax consequences.
Cyber Security Risk. As the use of technology has become more prevalent in the course of business, the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund may be susceptible to operational, financial and information security risks resulting from cyber-attacks and/or technological malfunctions. Cyber-attacks include, among other things, the attempted theft, loss, misuse, improper release, corruption or destruction of, or unauthorized access to, confidential or highly restricted data relating to the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund and its shareholders; and attempted compromises or failures to systems, networks, devices and applications relating to the operations of the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund and its service providers. Cyber security breaches may result from unauthorized access to digital systems ( e.g. , through “hacking” or malicious software coding) or from outside attacks, such as denial-of-service attacks on websites ( i.e ., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users).
Portfolio Holdings Information
A description of the policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of a Fund’s portfolio holdings for the Small Cap Value Fund, Small Cap Growth Fund, and Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund (each a “Fund” and collectively the “Funds”) is available in the Funds’ statement of additional information (“SAI”).
Management of the Funds
The Adviser
The Fund has entered into an Agreement (“Advisory Agreement”) with Innealta Capital, LLC, located at 13215 Bee Cave Pkwy., Bldg. A, Suite 240, Austin, TX 78738, under which the Adviser manages each Fund’s investments subject
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to the supervision of the Board of Trustees. Under the Advisory Agreement, the Small Cap Value Fund, Small Cap Growth Fund, and Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund each compensate the Adviser for its y services at the annual rate of 0.55%, 0.55%, and 0.45% of each Fund’s average daily net assets, respectively, payable on a monthly basis. The Adviser is registered as an investment adviser with the SEC.
Fund Expenses . Each Fund is responsible for its own operating expenses. Pursuant to an operating expense limitation agreement between the Adviser and each Fund, the Adviser has agreed to reduce its management fees and/or pay expenses of the Funds to ensure that the total amount of Fund operating expenses (excluding brokerage fees and commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short), taxes and extraordinary expenses such as litigation) do not exceed 0.92% or 0.67% of the Small Cap Value Fund’s average net assets for Class N shares or Class I shares, respectively, 0.92% or 0.67% of the Small Cap Growth Fund’s average net assets for Class N shares or Class I shares, respectively, and 0.80% or 0.55% of the Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund’s average net assets for Class N shares or Class I shares, respectively, through April 30, 2020 subject thereafter to annual re-approval of the agreement by the Board of Trustees. The Adviser is permitted to receive reimbursement from the Funds for fees it waived and Fund expenses it paid, subject to the limitation that: (1) the reimbursement for fees and expenses will be made only if payable within three years from the date the fees and expenses were initially waived or reimbursed; and (2) the reimbursement may not be made if it would cause the expense limitation in effect at the time of the waiver or currently in effect, whichever is lower, to be exceeded. This Operating Expense Limitation Agreement can be terminated only by, or with the consent, of the Board of Trustees.
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the Advisory Agreement for the Small Cap Value Fund, Small Cap Growth Fund, and Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund will be available in the Funds’ first annual or semi-annual report to shareholders.
Portfolio Managers
Dr. Sheridan Titman.
Dr. Titman is one of the pioneers of modern finance. His impact on the field is ubiquitous; he has published several textbooks and over 100 articles in the leading academic and practitioner journals. These articles, which have been recognized by a number of awards, have been cited over 70,000 times. Dr. Titman has served as President of the Western Finance Association (WFA), the American Finance Association (AFA) and the American Real Estate and Urban Economics Associations (AREUEA). He has also served on the boards of the WFA and the AFA, as well as on the boards of the Asian Pacific Finance Association and the Financial Management Association. In addition to his academic work, Dr. Titman has consulted for asset management firms and served as a special assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy. Dr. Titman is currently a Professor of Finance at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin. He has also served as a Professor at UCLA, Boston College, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology where he was one of the founding professors. He is also a research associate at both the National Bureau of Economic Research and the Asian Bureau of Finance and Economic Research and is a special term professor at the Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance. Through his research, Dr. Titman has changed the way Investment Managers design and manage their portfolios. Some of his most notable contributions are his insights about momentum in the cross-section of equity returns, which constitutes an important part of the toolkit that quantitative asset managers use worldwide.
Sheridan holds a B.S. in Management Science from the University of Colorado and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Economics from Carnegie Mellon University. He has served as a professor of finance at the University of California at Los Angeles and Boston College, and was one of the founding professors of the School of Business and Management at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. In addition, he served in Washington D.C. as the special assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy.
Dr. Vito Sciaraffia.
Dr. Sciaraffia serves as Chief Investment Officer of Innealta Capital, LLC. In addition, Dr. Sciaraffia served as Chief Investment Officer of Innealta Capital, a division of AFAM Capital Inc., since October 1 st , 2015 to July 31 st , 2018. In his Chief Investment Officer role, Dr. Sciaraffia is responsible for ensuring prudent management of all client assets,
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designing quantitative strategies, and leading the research activities of the investment team. His professional experience focuses heavily on the quantitative evaluation of equity securities and financial markets. Also, Dr. Sciaraffia is actively involved with clients through conference presentations, training activities, webinars, and written market commentaries. He has been in the financial industry since 2004. Dr. Sciaraffia’s previous work experience includes: Senior Researcher on the Investment Strategy Research Team at Dimensional Fund Advisors from May 2013 to June 2015, where he conducted empirical asset pricing research, wrote research papers, enhanced the design of investment strategies, and collaborated with their marketing and sales departments by delivering technical presentations to various clients; and Academic in the Finance Department at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin from January 2012 to May 2013 and January 2017 to present, where he focuses his research on empirical asset pricing and has taught the core Investment Management course and the Quantitative Investment Strategies course for graduate students. In addition, Dr. Sciaraffia has served as a Management Associate in the Investment Banking Division at Citigroup, member of the Market Risk Team at JP Morgan, and consultant to multiple private and public organizations.
Dr. Sciaraffia earned his PhD in Business Administration from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. In addition, he has an MA in Mathematics with an emphasis in stochastic processes and an MS in Business from the University of California, Berkeley, an MBA and an MS in Finance from the University of Chile, and a BS in Economics and Management from the Catholic University of Chile.
The SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers, and the Portfolio Managers’ ownership of securities in the Fund.
Shareholder Information
Choosing a Share Class
The Trust has adopted a multiple class plan that allows each Fund to offer one or more classes of shares. The Funds have registered two classes of shares – Class N shares and Class I shares. The different classes of shares represent investments in the same portfolio of securities, but the classes generally offered through different distribution channels and are subject to different expenses and may have different share prices as outlined below:
· | Class N shares are sold without an initial sales charge, but are subject to a 0.25% Rule 12b-1 distribution and servicing fee. Class N shares are generally offered through financial intermediary platforms, including, but not limited to, asset allocation, mutual fund wrap, or other discretionary and non-discretionary fee-based y programs, as well as directly from the Funds’ distributor. |
· | Class I shares are sold at NAV without an initial sales charge. This means that 100% of your initial investment is placed into shares of each Fund. |
Share Price
Shares of the Funds are sold at net asset value (“NAV”). The NAV of each Fund is determined at close of regular trading (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) on each day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open for business. NAV is computed by determining, on a per class basis, the aggregate market value of all assets of each 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 each 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 each Fund (or an authorized broker or agent, or its authorized designee) before the close of trading on the NYSE on that day.
Generally, each 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
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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 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 team composed of one or more officers from each of the (i) Trust, (ii) administrator, and (iii) Advisor. The team 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 Funds may use independent pricing services to assist in calculating the value of the Funds’ securities. In addition, market prices for foreign securities are not determined at the same time of day as the NAV for the Funds. Because the Funds 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 each Fund’s portfolio securities may change on days when you may not be able to buy or sell Fund shares.
In computing the NAV, each 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 each Fund’s portfolio, particularly foreign securities, occur after the close of trading on a foreign market but before each 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 each Fund calculates its NAV, the Adviser may need to price the security using the Funds’ 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 Funds’ 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 each 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 net asset value, or from the price that may be realized upon the actual sale of the security.
With respect to any portion of the Funds’ assets that are invested in one or more open-end management investment companies registered under the 1940 Act, the Funds’ net asset value are calculated based upon the net asset values 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.
More About Class N Shares
Class N shares of the Funds are sold at NAV without an initial sales charge. This means that 100% of your initial investment is placed into shares of the respective Fund. Class N shares pay up to 0.25% on an annualized basis of the average daily net assets as reimbursement or compensation for service and distribution-related activities with respect to a Fund and/or shareholder services. Over time, fees paid under this distribution and service plan will increase the cost of a Class N shareholder’s investment and may cost more than other types of sales charges. The minimum initial investment in Class N shares of the Fund is $10,000. The minimum subsequent investment in Class N shares is $1,000.
More About Class I Shares
Class I shares may be purchased without the imposition of any sales charges. Each Fund offers Class I shares primarily for direct investment by investors such as pension and profit-sharing plans, employee benefit trusts, endowments,
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foundations, corporations and high net worth individuals. Class I shares may also be offered through certain financial intermediaries (including broker-dealers) and their agents in fee based and other programs. In these programs financial intermediaries have made arrangements with the Funds and are authorized to buy and sell shares of the Funds that charge their customers transaction or other distribution or service fees with respect to their customers’ investments in the Funds. Class I shares are sold at NAV without an initial sales charge, and are not subject to 12b-1 distribution fees. The minimum initial investment in Class I shares of a Fund is $100,000. There is no minimum subsequent investment amount for Class I shares.
How to Purchase Shares
The Funds offer two classes of shares so that you can choose the class that best suits your investment needs: Class N shares and Class I shares. The main differences between the classes are the ongoing fees. In choosing which class of shares to purchase, you should consider which will be most beneficial to you given your investment goals, the amount of your purchase and the length of time you expect to hold the shares. Each class of shares in the Funds represents an interest in the same portfolio of investments in each Fund. Not all share classes may be available for purchase in all states.
Purchase by Mail. To purchase a Fund’s shares, simply complete and sign the Account Application and mail it, along with a check made payable to “Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund” or the “Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund,” or the “Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund” and mail to the applicable Fund:
via Regular mail: | via Overnight mail: | |
Gemini Fund Services, LLC | Gemini Fund Services, LLC | |
P.O. Box 541150 | 17605 Wright Street, Suite 2 | |
Omaha, NE 68154 | Omaha, NE 68130 |
Purchase through Brokers. You may invest in the Funds through brokers or agents who have entered into selling agreements with the Funds’ distributor. The brokers and agents are authorized to receive purchase and redemption orders on behalf of the Funds. A Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an authorized broker or its 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 a 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 a Fund. You should carefully read the program materials provided to you by your servicing agent. Such brokers are authorized to designate other intermediaries to receive purchase and redemption orders on the fund’s behalf.
Purchase by Wire. If you wish to wire money to make an investment in a Fund, please call the Fund at 1-855-873-3837
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 Funds will normally accept wired funds for investment on the day received if they are received by the Funds’ 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 Funds’ Automatic Investment Plan, an investment plan that automatically moves money from your bank account and invests it in a 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 Funds at 1-855-873-3837 for more information about the Funds’ Automatic Investment Plan. Minimum initial investment requirements may be waived for Automatic Investment Plan investors, at a Fund’s discretion.
The Funds, however, reserves the right, each 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 “Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund” or “Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund” or “Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund”. The Funds will not accept payment in cash, cashier’s checks or money orders.
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To prevent check fraud, the Funds 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 Funds’ transfer agent, will charge a $25 fee against a shareholder’s account, in addition to any loss sustained by a Fund, for any check returned to the transfer agent for insufficient funds.
Anti-Money Laundering Program. The USA PATRIOT Act requires financial institutions, including the Funds, 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 a Fund in verifying your identity. Until such verification is made, a Fund may temporarily limit additional share purchases. In addition, a Fund may limit additional share purchases or close an account if it is unable to verify a shareholder’s identity. As required by law, a 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.
In order to ensure compliance with these laws, the Account Application asks for, among other things, the following information for all “customers” seeking to open an “account” (as those terms are defined in rules adopted pursuant to the USA PATRIOT Act):
· | full name; |
· | date of birth (individuals only); |
· | Social Security or taxpayer identification number; and |
· | permanent street address (P.O. Box only is not acceptable). |
Accounts opened by entities, such as corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships or trusts, will require additional documentation.
Please note that if any information listed above is missing, your Account Application will be returned and your account will not be opened. In compliance with the USA PATRIOT Act and other applicable anti-money laundering laws and regulations, the Transfer Agent will verify the information on your application as part of the Program. The Funds reserve the right to request additional clarifying information and may close your account if such clarifying information is not received by a Fund within a reasonable time of the request or if a Fund cannot form a reasonable belief as to the true identity of a customer. If you require additional assistance when completing your Account Application, please contact the Transfer Agent at 1-855-873-3837.
How to Redeem Shares
Each Fund typically expects that it will take up to 7 days following the receipt of your redemption request to pay out redemptions from cash, cash equivalents, proceeds from the sale of the Fund shares, any line of credit, and then from the sale of portfolio 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 the applicable Fund:
via regular mail: | via overnight mail: | |||
c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC | c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC | |||
P.O. Box 541150 | 17605 Wright Street, Suite 2 | |||
Omaha, NE 68154 | Omaha, NE 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 a 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 1-855-
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873-3837. The redemption proceeds normally will be sent by mail or by wire within three business days after receipt of your telephone instructions. IRA accounts are not redeemable by telephone.
The Funds reserve 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 Funds, 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 Funds or the transfer agent, or both, will employ reasonable procedures to determine that telephone instructions are genuine. If the Funds 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 other things, 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 a Fund are held by a broker-dealer, financial institution or other servicing agent, you must contact that servicing agent to redeem shares of a 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 Funds’ 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 Funds’ Automatic Withdrawal Plan, an investment plan that automatically moves money to your bank account from a 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 Funds at 1-855-873-3837 for more information about the Funds’ Automatic Withdrawal Plan.
Redemptions in Kind: The Funds reserve the right to honor requests for redemption or repurchase orders made by a shareholder during any 90-day period by making payment in whole or in part in portfolio securities (“redemption in kind”) if the amount of such a request is large enough to affect operations (if the request is greater than the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of a Fund’s net assets at the beginning of the 90-day period). The securities will be chosen by a Fund and valued using the same procedures as used in calculating the Fund’s NAV. A shareholder may incur transaction expenses in converting these securities to cash and securities redeemed in-kind remain at the risk of the market until they are sold and the shareholder will bear market risk until the securities are converted to cash.
When Redemptions are Sent: Once a 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.
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:
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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 a 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 a Fund; |
· | you request that a redemption be mailed to an address other than that on record with a 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 a 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 falls below $10,000 for Class N shares or $100,000 for Class I shares, a Fund may notify you that, unless the account is brought up to the minimum investment amount within 30 days of the notice, your account could be closed. After the notice period, a 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 minimum due to a decline in NAV.
Tools to Combat Frequent Transactions
The Funds discourage and do not accommodate market timing. Frequent trading into and out of a 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 Funds are designed for long-term investors and is not intended for market timing or other disruptive trading activities. Accordingly, the Funds’ 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 Funds currently use several methods to reduce the risk of market timing. These methods include:
· | Committing staff to review, on a continuing basis, recent trading activity in order to identify trading activity that may be contrary to the Funds’ “Market Timing Trading Policy,” and |
· | .Rejecting or limiting specific purchase requests |
Though these methods involve judgments that are inherently subjective and involve some selectivity in their application, a Fund seeks to make judgments and applications that are consistent with the interests of the Fund’s shareholders.
The Funds reserve the right to reject or restrict purchase or exchange 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 Funds nor the Adviser will be liable for any losses resulting from rejected purchase or exchange orders. The Adviser may also bar an investor who has violated these policies (and the investor’s financial adviser) from opening new accounts with the Funds.
Although the Funds attempt 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 Funds will be able to identify or limit these activities. Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of the Fund. While the Funds will encourage financial intermediaries to apply the Funds’ Market Timing Trading Policy to their customers who invest indirectly in a Fund, the Funds are limited in its ability to monitor the trading activity or enforce the Funds’ Market Timing Trading Policy with respect to customers of financial intermediaries. For example, should it occur, a Fund may not be able
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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 Funds’ 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, a Fund may not be able to determine whether trading by customers of financial intermediaries is contrary to the Funds’ Market Timing Trading Policy. Brokers maintaining omnibus accounts with the Funds have agreed to provide shareholder transaction information to the extent known to the broker to the Funds upon request. If the Funds or their transfer agent or shareholder servicing agent suspects there is market timing activity in the account, the Funds 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.
Householding. To reduce expenses, the Funds mail only one copy of the 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 Funds at 1-855-873-3837 on days the Funds are open for business or contact your financial institution. The Funds will begin sending you individual copies thirty days after receiving your request.
Distribution of Fund Shares
The Distributor
Northern Lights Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”) is located at 17605 Wright Street, Omaha, NE 68130, and serves as distributor and principal underwriter to the Funds. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). Shares of the Funds are offered on a continuous basis.
Distribution and/or Shareholder Servicing (12b-1) Plan
The Funds have adopted a Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 (the “12b-1 Plan”) under the 1940 Act applicable to the Class N shares. Under the 12b-1 Plan, the Funds are authorized to pay the Funds’ distributor, or such other entities as approved by the Board of Trustees, a fee for the promotion and distribution of each Fund and the provision of personal services to shareholders. The maximum amount of the fee authorized is 0.25% of each Fund’s average daily net assets annually for Class N shares. The distributor may pay any or all amounts received under the 12b-1 Plan to other persons, including the Adviser, for any distribution or service activity. Because these fees are paid out of each Fund’s assets on an on-going basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment in each Fund and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.
Additional Compensation to Financial Intermediaries
The distributor, its affiliates and the Adviser, out of its own resources, and without additional cost to the Funds or its shareholders, may provide additional cash payments or non-cash compensation to intermediaries who sell shares of the Funds. Such payments and compensation are in addition to service fees paid by the Funds, if any. These additional cash payments are generally made to intermediaries that provide shareholder servicing, marketing support and/or access to sales meetings, sales representatives and management representatives of the intermediary. Cash compensation may also be paid to intermediaries for inclusion of the Funds on a sales list, including a preferred or select sales list, in other sales programs or as an expense reimbursement in cases where the intermediary provides shareholder services to the Fund’s shareholders. The Adviser may also pay cash compensation in the form of finder’s fees that vary depending on the dollar amount of the shares sold.
Distributions and Taxes
Tax Status, Dividends and Distributions
Any sale or exchange of a 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 a Fund.)
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Dividends from net investment income are generally made at least annually for the Funds. Capital gain distributions from net profits from the sale of investments are generally made at least annually. The distributions will be reinvested in shares of the respective 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 a 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 Funds 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 income tax purposes. A capital gain or loss on your investment is the difference between the 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 Funds to withhold a percentage of any dividend, redemption or exchange proceeds. Each 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. Each Fund is required to withhold taxes if a number is not delivered to a Fund within seven days.
This summary is not intended to be and should not be construed to be legal or tax advice. This summary is general in nature and should not be regarded as an exhaustive presentation of all possible tax ramifications. The tax considerations relevant to a specific shareholder depend upon its specific circumstances, and this summary does not attempt to discuss all potential tax considerations that could be relevant to a prospective shareholder with respect to a Fund or its investments. This general summary is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), the Federal Income Tax Regulations promulgated thereunder, and administrative and judicial interpretations thereof as of the date hereof, all of which are subject to change (potentially on a retroactive basis). You should consult your own independent tax advisors to determine the tax consequences of owning the Fund’s shares.
Other Reporting and Withholding Requirements. 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 30% withholding tax on: (a) income and dividends paid by a Fund and (b) certain capital gain distributions and the gross proceeds arising from the sale of Fund shares paid by the Fund after December 31, 2018. FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided: (a) by an FFI, subject to any applicable intergovernmental agreement or other exemption, if it either enters into a valid agreement with the IRS or otherwise complies with the specific requirements and provisions of an applicable intergovernmental agreement, in each case to, among other requirements, to collect and 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. A 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 a Fund fails to provide the Fund with appropriate certifications or other documentation concerning its status under FATCA.
Financial Highlights
Because the Funds have only recently commenced investment operations, no financial highlights are available for the Funds at this time. In the future, financial highlights will be presented in this section of the Prospectus.
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PRIVACY NOTICE
Rev. July 2018
FACTS | WHAT DOES NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST II (“NLFT II”) 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 · Employment information · Account balances |
· Account transactions · Income · Investment experience |
||||
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 a customer’s personal information to run their everyday business - to process transactions, maintain customer accounts, and report to credit bureaus. In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customer’s personal information; the reasons NLFT II chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing. | ||||
Reasons we can share your personal information | Does NLFT II 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 |
Yes | No | |||
For joint marketing with other financial companies | Yes | No | |||
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes --
information about your transactions and experiences |
Yes | No | |||
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 1-402-493-4603 | ||||
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Investment Adviser
Innealta Capital, LLC
13215 Bee Cave Pkwy., Bldg. A, Suite 240
Austin, TX 78738
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
BBD, LLP
1835 Market Street, 3rd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Legal Counsel
Alston & Bird, LLP
950 F Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20004
Custodian
MUFG Union Bank, National Association
400 California Street, 6th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94104
Transfer Agent, Fund Accountant and Fund Administrator
Gemini Fund Services, LLC
17605 Wright Street, Suite 2
Omaha, NE 68130
Distributor
Northern Lights Distributors, LLC
17605 Wright Street
Omaha, NE 68130
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Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund
Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund
Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund
each a series of the Northern Lights Fund Trust II
FOR MORE INFORMATION |
You can find more information about the Funds in the following documents:
Statement of Additional Information
The SAI provides additional details about the investments and techniques of the Funds and certain other additional information. A current SAI is on file with the SEC and is incorporated into this Prospectus by reference. This means that the SAI is legally considered a part of this Prospectus even though it is not physically within this Prospectus.
Annual and Semi-Annual Reports
The Funds’ annual and semi-annual reports provide the most recent financial reports and portfolio listings. The annual report contains a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that affected the Funds’ performance during the Funds’ last fiscal year.
To obtain a free copy of the SAI and, when issued, the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders, or make general inquiries about the Funds by calling the Funds (toll-free) at 1-855-873-3837, or by writing to:
Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund
Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund
Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund
c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC
17605 Wright Street, Suite 2
Omaha, NE 68130
Information is also available at www.acclivityfunds.com.
You can review and copy information, including the Funds’ reports and SAI, at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. You can obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling (202) 551-8090. Reports and other information about the Funds are also available:
· | free of charge from the SEC’s EDGAR database on the SEC’s Internet website at http://www.sec.gov; |
· | for a fee, by writing to the SEC’s Public Reference Room, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549-1520; or |
· | for a fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov. |
(The Trust’s SEC Investment Company Act file number is 811-22549)
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Statement of Additional Information
Dated: October 31, 2018
Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund
Class I Shares (Symbol: [ ])
Class N Shares (Symbol: [ ])
Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund
Class I Shares (Symbol: [ ])
Class N Shares (Symbol: [ ])
Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund
Class I Shares (Symbol: [ ])
Class N Shares (Symbol: [ ])
This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) provides general information about the Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund, the Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund, and the Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund (each a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”), each a series of Northern Lights Fund Trust II (the “Trust”). This SAI is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the Funds’ current prospectus for Class N and Class I shares of the Funds dated October 31, 2018 (the “Prospectus”), as supplemented and amended from time to time, which is incorporated herein by reference. To obtain a copy of the Prospectus free of charge, please write or call the Funds at the address or telephone number below:
Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund
Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund
Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund
c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC
17605 Wright Street, Suite 2
Omaha, NE 68130
1-855-873-3837
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---------------------------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
---------------------------------
The Trust | 3 |
Investment Policies, Strategies and Associated Risks | 4 |
Fundamental Investment Limitations | 16 |
Management of the Funds | 17 |
Board of Trustees | 17 |
Board Leadership Structure | 18 |
Trustees and Officers | 19 |
Board Committees | 22 |
Other Committees of the Trust | 22 |
Trustee Compensation | 23 |
Control Persons and Principal Shareholders | 24 |
Investment Adviser | 24 |
Portfolio Managers | 26 |
Other Service Providers | 28 |
Distribution of Fund Shares | 30 |
12b-1 Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan | 30 |
Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage Allocation | 31 |
Portfolio Turnover | 33 |
Code of Ethics | 33 |
Proxy Voting Procedures | 33 |
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Program | 34 |
Portfolio Holdings Information | 34 |
Determination of Net Asset Value | 36 |
Financial Statements | 45 |
APPENDIX “A” RATINGS DEFINITIONS | 46 |
APPENDIX “B” Proxy Voting Policy | 64 |
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The Trust
Each of the Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund, the Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund, and the Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund (each a “Fund,” and together the “Funds”) is a series of Northern Lights Fund Trust II, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Trust”) organized on August 26, 2010.
The Trust is registered as an open-end management investment company. The Trust is governed by its Board of Trustees (the “Board” or “Trustees”). The Funds may issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest. All shares of the Funds have equal rights and privileges. Each share of a Fund is entitled to one vote on all matters as to which shares are entitled to vote. In addition, each share of a Fund is entitled to participate equally with other shares (i) in dividends and distributions declared by a Fund and (ii) on liquidation to its proportionate share of the assets remaining after satisfaction of outstanding liabilities. Shares of a Fund are fully paid, non-assessable and fully transferable when issued 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.
Each Fund is a diversified series of the Trust. The Funds’ investment objectives, restrictions and policies are more fully described here and in the Prospectus. The Board may add classes to and reclassify the shares of the Funds, start other series and offer shares of a new fund under the Trust at any time.
Each Fund offers two classes of shares: Class N and Class I shares. Each share class represents an interest in the same assets of each 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. Each share of the Funds is entitled to one vote on all matters as to which shares are entitled to vote. In addition, each share of the Funds is entitled to participate equally with other shares on a class-specific basis (i) in dividends and distributions declared by a Fund and (ii) on liquidation to its proportionate share of the assets remaining after satisfaction of outstanding liabilities. Shares of a Fund are fully paid, non-assessable and fully transferable when issued 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.
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.
Innealta Capital, LLC (the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser to each Fund.
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Investment Policies, Strategies and Associated Risks
The investment objective of the Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund is to seek long-term capital appreciation. The investment objective of the Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund is to seek long-term capital appreciation. The investment objective of the Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund is to seek long-term capital appreciation. The investment objectives of the Funds and the descriptions of each Fund’s principal investment strategies are set forth under “Investment Strategies, Related Risks and Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings” in the Prospectus. Each 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, although a Fund will provide shareholders with notice of any change to a Fund’s investment objectives at least 60 days prior to such change.
Each Fund is diversified. Under applicable federal laws, to qualify as a diversified fund, a Fund, with respect to 75% of its total assets, may not invest greater than 5% of its total assets in any one issuer and may not hold greater than 10% of the securities of one issuer. The remaining 25% of a Fund’s total assets does not need to be “diversified” and may be invested in securities of a single issuer, subject to other applicable laws. The diversification of a Fund’s holdings is measured at the time the Fund purchases a security. However, if a Fund purchases a security and holds it for a period of time, the security may become a larger percentage of a Fund’s total assets due to movements in the financial markets. If the market affects several securities held by a Fund, the Fund may have a greater percentage of its assets invested in securities of fewer issuers. Because a Fund is diversified, the Fund is less subject to the risk that its performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few securities despite the Fund qualifying as a diversified fund under applicable federal laws.
The following pages contain more detailed information about the types of instruments in which the Funds may invest, strategies the Adviser may employ in pursuit of each Fund’s investment objective and a summary of related risks.
Equity Securities
The Funds may invest in equity securities consistent with their investment objective and strategies. Common stocks, preferred stocks and convertible securities are examples of equity securities in which the Funds may invest.
All investments in equity securities are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fall. Historically, the equity markets have moved in cycles and the value of the securities in the Funds’ portfolio may fluctuate substantially from day to day. Owning an equity security can also subject the Funds to the risk that the issuer may discontinue paying dividends. Other risks of investing globally in equity securities may include changes in currency exchange rates, exchange control regulations, expropriation of assets or nationalization, imposition of taxes including withholding taxes on dividend or interest payments, and difficulty in obtaining and enforcing judgments against entities. Equities investments may involve substantial risks and may be subject to wide and sudden fluctuations in market value, with a resulting fluctuation in the amount of profits and losses. There are no absolute restrictions in regard to the size or operating experience of the companies in which the Funds may invest directly or indirectly. In addition, relatively small companies in which the Funds may invest may lack management depth or the ability to generate internally, or obtain externally, the funds necessary for growth and companies with new products or services could sustain significant losses if projected markets do not materialize.
To the extent the Funds invest in the equity securities of small- and medium-sized companies, they will be exposed to the risks of small- and medium-sized companies. Such companies often have narrower markets for their goods and/or services and more limited managerial and financial resources than larger,
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more established companies. Furthermore, those companies often have limited product lines, or services, markets, or financial resources, or are dependent on a small management group. In addition, because these stocks are not well-known to the investing public, do not have significant institutional ownership, and are followed by relatively few security analysts, there will normally be less publicly available information concerning these securities compared to what is available for the securities of larger companies. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether based on fundamental analysis, can decrease the value and liquidity of securities held by the Funds. As a result, their performance can be more volatile and they face greater risk of business failure, which could increase the volatility of each Fund’s portfolio.
Common Stock
A common stock represents a proportionate share of the ownership of a company and its value is based on the success of the company’s business, any income paid to stockholders, the value of its assets, and general market conditions. In addition to the general risks set forth above, investments in common stocks are subject to the risk that in the event a company in which a Fund invests is liquidated, the holders of preferred stock and creditors of that company will be paid in full before any payments are made to a Fund as a holder of common stock. It is possible that all assets of that company will be exhausted before any payments are made to each Fund.
Preferred Stock
Preferred stocks are equity securities that often pay dividends at a specific rate and have a preference over common stocks in dividend payments and liquidation of assets. A preferred stock has a blend of the characteristics of a bond and common stock. It can offer the higher yield of a bond and has priority over common stock in equity ownership, but does not have the seniority of a bond and, unlike common stock, its participation in the issuer’s growth may be limited. Although the dividend is set at a fixed annual rate, in some circumstances it can be changed or omitted by the issuer.
Rights and Warrants
Each Fund may invest in rights or warrants. Rights and warrants entitle the holder to buy equity securities at a specific price for a specific period of time. Rights and warrants may be considered more speculative than certain other types of investments in that they do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying securities that may be purchased nor do they represent any rights in the assets of the issuing company. Also, the value of a right or warrant does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities and a right or warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to the expiration date.
Convertible Securities
Each Fund may invest in convertible securities. Convertible securities (such as debt securities or preferred stock) may be converted into or exchanged for a prescribed amount of common stock of the same or different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible security entitles the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on debt or dividends paid on preferred stock until the convertible stock matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. While no securities investment is without some risk, investments in convertible securities generally entail less risk than the issuer’s common stock. However, the extent to which such risk is reduced depends in large measure upon the degree to which the convertible security sells above its value as a fixed income security. In addition to the general risk associated with equity securities discussed above, the market value of convertible securities is also affected by prevailing interest rates, the credit quality of the issuer and any call provisions. While convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than nonconvertible debt securities of similar
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quality, they do enable the investor to benefit from any increases in the market price of the underlying common stock.
Other Investment Companies
Each Fund may invest in shares of other registered investment companies, including money market mutual funds, in accordance with the limitations established under the 1940 Act. Investments in the securities of other investment companies may involve duplication of advisory fees and certain other expenses. By investing in another investment company, each Fund becomes a shareholder of that investment company. As a result, each Fund shareholders indirectly will bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses paid by shareholders of the other investment company, in addition to the fees and expenses each Fund shareholders directly bear in connection with the Fund’s own operations.
Each Fund currently intends to limit its investments in securities issued by other investment companies so that not more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of any one investment company (other than money market funds) will be owned by each Fund, or its affiliated persons, as a whole. In addition to the advisory and operational fees each Fund bears directly in connection with its own operation, each Fund would also bear its pro rata portions of each other investment company’s advisory and operational expenses.
Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by registered investment companies in securities of other registered investment companies. The acquisition of shares by each Fund in other registered investment companies is therefore subject to the restrictions of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, except as may be permitted by Rule and/or an exemptive order obtained by the other registered investment companies that permits each Fund to invest in the other registered investment companies beyond the limits of Section 12(d)(1), subject to certain terms and conditions, including that each Fund enter into an agreement with the other registered investment companies regarding the terms of the investment.
In accordance with Section 12(d)(1)(F) and Rule 12d1-3 of the 1940 Act, the provisions of Section 12(d)(1) shall not apply to securities purchased or otherwise acquired by each Fund if (i) immediately after such purchase or acquisition not more than 3% of the total outstanding stock of such registered investment company is owned by each Fund and all affiliated persons of the Fund; and (ii) the Fund is not proposing to offer or sell any security issued by it through a principal underwriter or otherwise at a public or offering price including a sales load that exceeds the limits set forth in Rule 2341 of the Conduct Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) applicable to a fund of funds ( i.e. , 8.5%).
Exchange-Traded Funds
Each Fund may invest in Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”). ETFs are typically open-end investment companies that are bought and sold on a national securities exchange. An ETF is similar to a traditional mutual fund, but trades at different prices during the day on a security exchange like a stock. Similar to investments in other investment companies discussed above, each Fund’s investments in ETFs will involve duplication of advisory fees and other expenses since the Fund will be investing in another investment company. In addition, each Fund’s investment in ETFs is also subject to its limitations on investments in investment companies discussed above, absent another applicable exemption. To the extent each Fund invests in ETFs which focus on a particular market segment or industry, the Fund will also be subject to the risks associated with investing in those sectors or industries. The shares of the ETFs in which each Fund will invest will be listed on a national securities exchange and the Fund will purchase or sell these shares on the secondary market at its current market price, which may be more or less than its net asset value per share (“NAV”). Investors in each Fund should be aware that ETFs are subject to “tracking risk,” which is the risk that an ETF will not be able to replicate exactly the performance of the index it tracks.
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As a purchaser of ETF shares on the secondary market, each Fund will be subject to the market risk associated with owning any security whose value is based on market price. ETF shares historically have tended to trade at or near their NAV, but there is no guarantee that they will continue to do so. Unlike traditional mutual funds, shares of an ETF may be purchased and redeemed directly from the ETFs only in large blocks (typically, 50,000 shares or more) and only through participating organizations that have entered into contractual agreements with the ETF. The Funds do not expect to enter into such agreements and therefore will not be able to purchase and redeem their ETF shares directly from the ETF.
Money Market Mutual Funds
Each Fund may invest in money market mutual funds in connection with its management of daily cash positions or for temporary defensive purposes. Money market mutual funds are regulated investment companies under the 1940 Act and each Fund will invest in money market funds in accordance with applicable rules and regulations with respect to investments in other investment companies. Please note that in addition to the advisory and operational fees each Fund pays in connection with its own operations, to the extent each Fund invests in money market funds, the Fund will also bear its pro rata portion of each such money market fund’s fees and expenses.
Illiquid Securities
Each Fund may not invest more than 15% of the value of its net assets in illiquid securities. The Adviser will monitor the amount of illiquid securities in each Fund’s portfolio, under the supervision of the Board, to ensure compliance with this investment restriction.
Historically, illiquid securities have included securities subject to contractual or legal restrictions on resale because they have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), securities which are otherwise not readily marketable and repurchase agreements having a maturity of longer than seven days. Mutual funds do not typically hold a significant amount of these restricted or other illiquid securities because of the potential for delays on resale and uncertainty in valuation. Limitations on resale may have an adverse effect on the marketability of portfolio securities, and the Funds might be unable to sell illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices and might thereby experience difficulty satisfying redemption requests within seven days.
Fixed Income Securities
General
Each Fund may invest in fixed income securities. Examples of such securities are described below.
Indexed Securities
Each Fund may purchase securities whose prices are indexed to the prices of other securities, securities indices, currencies, precious metals or other commodities, or other financial indicators. Indexed securities typically, but not always, are debt securities or deposits whose value at maturity or coupon rate is determined by reference to a specific instrument or statistic. Gold-indexed securities, for example, typically provide for a maturity value that depends on the price of gold, resulting in a security whose price tends to rise and fall together with gold prices. Currency-indexed securities typically are short-term to intermediate-term debt securities whose maturity values or interest rates are determined by reference to the values of one or more specified foreign currencies, and may offer higher yields than U.S. dollar-denominated securities of equivalent issuers. Currency-indexed securities may be positively or negatively indexed; that is, their maturity value may increase when the specified currency value increases, resulting in a security that
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performs similarly to a foreign-denominated instrument, or their maturity value may decline when foreign currencies increase, resulting in a security whose price characteristics are similar to a put on the underlying currency. Currency-indexed securities may also have prices that depend on the value of a number of different foreign currencies relative to each other.
The performance of indexed securities depends to a great extent on the performance of the security, currency, or other instrument to which they are indexed, and may also be influenced by interest rate changes in the United States and abroad. At the same time, indexed securities are subject to the credit risks associated with the issuer of the security, and their values may decline substantially if the issuer’s creditworthiness deteriorates. Recent issuers of indexed securities have included banks, corporations, and certain U.S. government agencies. Indexed securities may be more volatile than the underlying instruments.
Real Estate-Related Investments
Real estate-related instruments include real estate investment trusts, commercial and residential mortgage-backed securities, and real estate financings. Real estate-related instruments are sensitive to factors such as real estate values, property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, overbuilding, and the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Real estate-related instruments may also be affected by tax and regulatory requirements, such as those relating to the environment.
Initial Public Offerings
Each Fund may purchase shares in initial public offerings (“IPOs”). Because IPO shares frequently are volatile in price, each Fund may hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of the Fund’s portfolio and may lead to increased expenses to the Fund, such as brokerage commissions and transaction costs. By selling shares, a Fund may realize taxable capital gains that it will subsequently distribute to shareholders. Investing in IPOs increases risk because IPO shares are frequently volatile in price. As a result, their performance can be more volatile and they face greater risk of business failure, which could increase the volatility of each Fund’s portfolio.
Borrowing
Each Fund may borrow money for investment purposes. The Funds’ Investment Restriction regarding borrowing will be interpreted to permit the Funds to engage in trading practices and investments that may be considered to be borrowing to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act.
Each Fund may borrow money in amounts of up to one-third of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) from banks. In addition, each Fund is authorized to borrow money from time to time for temporary, extraordinary or emergency purposes or for clearance of transactions. The use of borrowing by each Fund involves special risk considerations that may not be associated with other funds having similar objectives and policies. Since substantially all of the Funds’ assets fluctuate in value, while the interest obligation resulting from a borrowing will be fixed by the terms of each Fund’s agreement with its lender, the NAV per share of each Fund will tend to increase more when its portfolio securities increase in value and to decrease more when its portfolio assets decrease in value than would otherwise be the case if the Fund did not borrow funds. In addition, interest costs on borrowings may fluctuate with changing market rates of interest and may partially offset or exceed the return earned on borrowed funds. Under adverse market conditions, each Fund might have to sell portfolio securities to meet interest or principal payments at a time when fundamental investment considerations would not favor such sales.
The 1940 Act permits a portfolio to borrow money in amounts of up to one-third of each Fund’s total assets from banks for any purpose, and to borrow up to 5% of each Fund’s total assets from banks or other lenders for temporary purposes. To limit the risks attendant to borrowing, the 1940 Act requires
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each Fund to maintain at all times an “asset coverage” of at least 300% of the amount of its borrowings. Asset coverage means the ratio that the value of each Fund’s total assets, minus liabilities other than borrowings, bears to the aggregate amount of all borrowings. Borrowing money to increase each Fund’s investment portfolio is known as “leveraging.” Borrowing, especially when used for leverage, may cause the value of each Fund’s shares to be more volatile than if the Fund did not borrow. This is because borrowing tends to magnify the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of each Fund’s portfolio holdings. Borrowed money thus creates an opportunity for greater gains, but also greater losses. To repay borrowings, each Fund may have to sell securities at a time and at a price that is unfavorable to the Fund. There also are costs associated with borrowing money, and these costs would offset and could eliminate each Fund’s net investment income in any given period. Currently, each Fund’s does not contemplate borrowing money for investment purposes. The Funds’ Investment Restriction regarding borrowing will be interpreted to permit each Fund to engage in trading practices and investments that may be considered to be borrowing to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. Reverse repurchase agreements may be considered to be a type of borrowing. Short-term credits necessary for the settlement of securities transactions and arrangements with respect to securities lending will not be considered to be borrowings under the policy. Practices and investments that may involve leverage but are not considered to be borrowings are not subject to the policy. Such trading practices may include futures, options on futures, forward contracts and other derivative investments.
Issuance of Senior Securities
Generally, issuing senior securities is prohibited under the 1940 Act; however, certain exceptions apply such as in the case of borrowing and certain other leveraging transactions. With respect to each Fund’s fundamental investment restriction relating to issuing senior securities, “senior securities” are defined as fund obligations that have a priority over the Fund’s shares with respect to the payment of dividends or the distribution of fund assets. The 1940 Act prohibits each Fund from issuing senior securities except that the Fund may borrow money in amounts of up to one-third of the Fund’s total assets from banks for any purpose as discussed above. Each Fund also may borrow up to 5% of the Fund’s total assets from banks or other lenders for temporary purposes, and these borrowings are not considered senior securities. The issuance of senior securities by a Fund can increase the speculative character of the Fund’s outstanding shares through leveraging. Leveraging of a Fund’s portfolio through the issuance of senior securities magnifies the potential for gain or loss on monies, because even though the Fund’s net assets remain the same, the total risk to investors is increased. Certain widely used investment practices that involve a commitment by a Fund to deliver money or securities in the future are not considered by the SEC to be senior securities, provided that the Fund segregates cash or liquid securities in an amount necessary to pay the obligation or the Fund holds an offsetting commitment from another party. These investment practices include repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements, dollar rolls, options, futures and forward contracts. The Funds’ policy will be interpreted not to prevent collateral arrangements with respect to options, forward or futures contracts or other derivatives, or the posting of initial or variation margin.
Options, Futures and Other Derivative Strategies
General
Each Fund may invest in futures, forwards, options, spot contracts, financial indices and instruments, currencies and interest rates (collectively, “Financial Instruments”). The use of such Financial Instruments is subject to applicable regulations of the SEC, the several exchanges upon which they are traded and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”). In addition, the Funds’ ability to use Financial Instruments will be limited by tax considerations.
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In addition to the instruments, strategies and risks described below and in the Prospectus, the Adviser may discover additional opportunities in connection with Financial Instruments and other similar or related techniques. These new opportunities may become available as the Adviser develops new techniques, as regulatory authorities broaden the range of permitted transactions and as new Financial Instruments or other techniques are developed. The Adviser may utilize these opportunities to the extent that they are consistent with the Funds’ investment objectives and permitted by the Funds’ investment limitations and applicable regulatory authorities. The Prospectus or this SAI will be supplemented to the extent that new products or techniques involve materially different risks than those described below or in the Prospectus.
The use of Financial Instruments involves special considerations and risks which include, but are not limited to, the following:
(1) | Successful use of most Financial Instruments depends upon the Adviser’s ability to predict movements of the overall securities markets, which requires different skills than predicting changes in the prices of individual securities. The ordinary spreads between prices in the cash and futures markets, due to the differences in the natures of those markets, are subject to distortion. Due to the possibility of distortion, a correct forecast of stock market trends by the Adviser may still not result in a successful transaction. The Adviser may be incorrect in its expectations as to the extent of market movements or the time span within which the movements take place, which, thus, may result in the strategy being unsuccessful. |
(2) | The prices of Financial Instruments can diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments and may be affected by such factors as current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument and the time remaining until expiration of the contract, which may not affect security prices the same way. Imperfect or no correlation also may result from differing levels of demand in the options and futures markets and the securities markets, from structural differences in how options and futures and securities are traded, and from imposition of daily price fluctuation limits or trading halts. |
(3) | As described below, each Fund might be required to maintain assets as “cover,” maintain segregated accounts or make margin payments when it takes positions in Financial Instruments involving obligations to third parties ( e.g. , Financial Instruments other than purchased options). If a Fund were unable to close out its positions in such Financial Instruments, it might be required to continue to maintain such assets or accounts or make such payments until the position expired or matured. These requirements might impair a Fund’s ability to sell a portfolio security or make an investment when it would otherwise be favorable to do so or require that the Fund sell a portfolio security at a disadvantageous time. A Fund’s ability to close out a position in a Financial Instrument prior to expiration or maturity depends on the existence of a liquid secondary market or, in the absence of such a market, the ability and willingness of the other party to the transaction (the “counter-party”) to enter into a transaction closing out the position. Therefore, there is no assurance that any position can be closed out at a time and price that is favorable to the Fund. |
Each Fund will not enter into any transactions using Financial Instruments (except for purchased options) unless it owns either (1) an offsetting (“covered”) position in securities or other options or futures contracts or (2) cash and liquid assets with a value, marked-to-market daily, sufficient to cover its potential obligations to the extent not covered as provided in (1) above. Each Fund will comply with SEC guidelines regarding cover for these instruments and will, if the guidelines so require, set aside cash or liquid assets in an account with its custodian in the prescribed amount as determined daily.
Assets used as cover or held in an account cannot be sold while the position in the corresponding Financial Instrument is open, unless they are replaced with other appropriate assets. As a result, the
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commitment of a large portion of each Fund’s assets to cover or held in accounts could impede portfolio management or the Fund’s ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations. Losses may arise due to unanticipated market price movements, lack of a liquid secondary market for any particular instrument at a particular time or due to losses from premiums paid by a Fund on options transactions.
Options
A call option gives the purchaser the right to buy, and obligates the writer to sell, the underlying investment at the agreed-upon price during the option period. A put option gives the purchaser the right to sell, and obligates the writer to buy, the underlying investment at the agreed-upon price during the option period. Purchasers of options pay an amount, known as a premium, to the option writer in exchange for the right under the option contract.
The purchase of call options can serve as a long hedge, and the purchase of put options can serve as a short hedge. Writing put or call options can enable a Fund to enhance income or yield by reason of the premiums paid by the purchasers of such options. However, a Fund may also suffer a loss as the result of writing options. For example, if the market price of the security underlying a put option declines to less than the exercise price of the option, minus the premium received, the Fund would suffer a loss.
Writing call options can serve as a limited short hedge, because declines in the value of the hedged investment would be offset to the extent of the premium received for writing the option. However, if the security appreciates to a price higher than the exercise price of the call option, it can be expected that the option will be exercised and the Fund will be obligated to sell the security at less than its market value. If the call option is an over-the-counter (OTC) option, the securities or other assets used as cover may be considered illiquid.
Writing put options can serve as a limited long hedge because increases in the value of the hedged investment would be offset to the extent of the premium received for writing the option. However, if the security depreciates to a price lower than the exercise price of the put option, it can be expected that the put option will be exercised and a Fund will be obligated to purchase the security or at more than its market value. If the put option is an OTC option, the securities or other assets used as cover may be considered illiquid.
The value of an option position will reflect, among other things, the current market value of the underlying investment, the time remaining until expiration, the relationship of the exercise price to the market price of the underlying investment, the historical price volatility of the underlying investment and general market conditions. The exercise price of the options may be below, equal to or above the current market value of the underlying security or other instrument. Options that expire unexercised have no value, and the Fund will realize a loss in the amount of the premium paid and any transaction costs.
Each Fund may effectively terminate its right or obligation under an option by entering into a closing transaction. For example, each Fund may terminate its obligation under a call or put option that it had written by purchasing an identical call or put option; this is known as a closing purchase transaction. Conversely, each Fund may terminate a position in a put or call option it had purchased by writing an identical put or call option; this is known as a closing sale transaction. Closing transactions permit each Fund to realize profits or limit losses on an option position prior to its exercise or expiration.
Risks of Options on Securities. Options offer large amounts of leverage, which will result in each Fund’s net asset value being more sensitive to changes in the value of the related instrument. Each Fund may purchase or write both exchange-traded and OTC options. Exchange-traded options in the United States are issued by a clearing organization affiliated with the exchange on which the option is listed that, in effect, guarantees completion of every exchange-traded option transaction. In contrast, OTC options
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are contracts between a Fund and its counterparty (usually a securities dealer or a bank) with no clearing organization guarantee. Thus, when a Fund purchases an OTC option, it relies on the counterparty from whom it purchased the option to make or take delivery of the underlying investment upon exercise of the option. Failure by the counterparty to do so would result in the loss of any premium paid by a Fund as well as the loss of any expected benefit of the transaction.
Each Fund’s ability to establish and close out positions in exchange-listed options depends on the existence of a liquid market. However, there can be no assurance that such a market will exist at any particular time. Closing transactions can be made for OTC options only by negotiating directly with the counterparty, or by a transaction in the secondary market if any such market exists. There can be no assurance that each Fund will in fact be able to close out an OTC option position at a favorable price prior to expiration. In the event of insolvency of the counterparty, each Fund might be unable to close out an OTC option position at any time prior to its expiration, if at all.
If a Fund were unable to effect a closing transaction for an option it had purchased, due to the absence of a secondary market, the imposition of price limits or otherwise, it would have to exercise the option to realize any profit. The inability to enter into a closing transaction for a covered call option written by a Fund could leave the Fund unable to prevent material losses because the Fund would be unable to sell the investment used as cover for the written option until the option expires or is exercised.
OTC Options. Unlike exchange-traded options, which are standardized with respect to the underlying instrument, expiration date, contract size and strike price, the terms of OTC options (options not traded on exchanges) generally are established through negotiation with the other party to the option contract. While this type of arrangement allows each Fund great flexibility to tailor the option to its needs, OTC options generally involve greater risk than exchange-traded options, which are guaranteed by the clearing organization of the exchanges where they are traded. Assets used as cover for OTC options may be considered illiquid.
Options on Indices. Puts and calls on indices are similar to puts and calls on securities except that all settlements are in cash and gain or loss depends on changes in the index in question rather than on price movements in individual securities. When a Fund writes a call on an index, it receives a premium and agrees that, prior to the expiration date, the purchaser of the call, upon exercise of the call, will receive from the Fund an amount of cash if the closing level of the index upon which the call is based is greater than the exercise price of the call. The amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the index and the exercise price of the call times a specified multiple (“multiplier”), which determines the total dollar value for each point of such difference. When a Fund buys a call on an index, it pays a premium and has the same rights as to such call as are indicated above. When a Fund buys a put on an index, it pays a premium and has the right, prior to the expiration date, to require the seller of the put, upon the Fund’s exercise of the put, to deliver to the Fund an amount of cash if the closing level of the index upon which the put is based is less than the exercise price of the put, which amount of cash is determined by the multiplier, as described above for calls. When a Fund writes a put on an index, it receives a premium and the purchaser of the put has the right, prior to the expiration date, to require the Fund to deliver to it an amount of cash equal to the difference between the closing level of the index and exercise price times the multiplier if the closing level is less than the exercise price.
Risks of Options on Indices. The risks of investment in options on indices may be greater than options on securities. Because index options are settled in cash, when a Fund writes a call on an index it cannot provide in advance for its potential settlement obligations by acquiring and holding the underlying securities. A Fund can offset some of the risk of writing a call index option by holding a diversified portfolio of securities similar to those on which the underlying index is based. However, each Fund cannot, as a
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practical matter, acquire and hold a portfolio containing exactly the same securities as underlie the index and, as a result, bears a risk that the value of the securities held will vary from the value of the index.
Even if a Fund could assemble a portfolio that exactly reproduced the composition of the underlying index, it still would not be fully covered from a risk standpoint because of the “timing risk” inherent in writing index options. When an index option is exercised, the amount of cash that the holder is entitled to receive is determined by the difference between the exercise price and the closing index level on the date when the option is exercised. As with other kinds of options, a Fund as the call writer will not learn that the Fund has been assigned until the next business day at the earliest. The time lag between exercise and notice of assignment poses no risk for the writer of a covered call on a specific underlying security, such as common stock, because there the writer’s obligation is to deliver the underlying security, not to pay its value as of a fixed time in the past. So long as the writer already owns the underlying security, it can satisfy its settlement obligations by simply delivering it, and the risk that its value may have declined since the exercise date is borne by the exercising holder. In contrast, even if the writer of an index call holds securities that exactly match the composition of the underlying index, it will not be able to satisfy its assignment obligations by delivering those securities against payment of the exercise price. Instead, it will be required to pay cash in an amount based on the closing index value on the exercise date. By the time it learns that it has been assigned, the index may have declined, with a corresponding decline in the value of its portfolio. This “timing risk” is an inherent limitation on the ability of index call writers to cover their risk exposure by holding securities positions.
If a Fund has purchased an index option and exercises it before the closing index value for that day is available, it runs the risk that the level of the underlying index may subsequently change. If such a change causes the exercised option to fall out-of-the-money, a Fund will be required to pay the difference between the closing index value and the exercise price of the option (times the applicable multiplier) to the assigned writer.
Futures and Options on Futures
Futures contracts provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a specific underlying reference instrument at a specified future time at a specified price.
An option on a futures contract is the right, purchased for a certain price, to either buy or sell the underlying futures contract during a certain period of time for a fixed price. Options trading requires many of the same skills as does successful futures contract trading. However, since specific market movements of the underlying futures contract must be predicted accurately, the risks involved are somewhat different. For example, if a Fund buys an option (either to sell or buy a futures contract), the Fund will pay a “premium” representing the market value of the option. Unless the price of the futures contract underlying the option changes and it becomes profitable to exercise or offset the option before it expires, a Fund may lose the entire amount of the premium. Conversely, if a Fund sells an option (either to sell or buy a futures contract), the Fund will be credited with the premium but will have to deposit margin due to the Fund’s contingent liability to take or make delivery of the underlying futures contract in the event the option is exercised. The writing of an option involves the risk of losing the entire investment or substantially more than the entire investment, thereby causing significant losses to the client in a relatively short period of time. The ability to trade in or exercise options may be restricted in the event that trading in the underlying futures contract becomes restricted.
An index futures contract is a bilateral agreement pursuant to which two parties agree to take or make delivery of an amount of cash equal to a specified dollar amount times the difference between the index value at the close of trading of the contract and the price at which the futures contract is originally
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struck. No physical delivery of the securities comprising the index is made; generally contracts are closed out prior to their expiration date.
There are risks associated with these activities, including the following: (1) the success of a hedging strategy may depend on an ability to predict movements in the prices of individual securities, fluctuations in markets and movements in interest rates; (2) there may be an imperfect or lack of correlation between the changes in market value of the securities held and the prices of futures and options on futures; (3) there may not be a liquid secondary market for a futures contract or option; (4) trading restrictions or limitations may be imposed by an exchange; and (5) government regulations may restrict trading in futures contracts and options on futures.
Forward Trading. Each Fund may trade forward contracts. Forward contracts are not traded on exchanges and are not standardized; rather, banks and dealers act as principals in these markets negotiating each transaction on an individual basis. Neither the CFTC nor any banking authority regulates trading in forward contracts. In addition, there is no limitation on the daily price movements of forward contracts. Principals in the forward markets have no obligation to continue to make markets in the forward contracts traded. There have been periods during which certain banks or dealers have refused to quote prices for forward contracts or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they are prepared to buy and that at which they are prepared to sell. Disruptions can occur in the forward markets because of unusually high trading volume, political intervention or other factors. For example, the imposition of credit controls by governmental authorities might limit forward trading, to the possible detriment of the Fund.
In its forward trading, a Fund is subject to the risk of the bankruptcy of, or the inability or refusal to perform with respect to its forward contracts by, the principals with which the Fund trades. Funds on deposit with such principals are generally not protected by the same segregation requirements imposed on CFTC regulated commodity brokers in respect of customer funds on deposit with them. However, each Fund intends to engage in forward trading only with large, well-capitalized banks and dealers. Each Fund may place forward trades through agents, so that the insolvency or bankruptcy of such agents could also subject the Fund to the risk of loss.
Short-Term Investments
Each Fund may invest in any of the following securities and instruments:
Certificates of Deposit, Bankers’ Acceptances and Time Deposits
Each Fund may hold certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances and time deposits. Certificates of deposit are negotiable certificates issued against funds deposited in a commercial bank for a definite period of time and earning a specified return. Bankers’ acceptances are negotiable drafts or bills of exchange, normally drawn by an importer or exporter to pay for specific merchandise, which are “accepted” by a bank, meaning in effect that the bank unconditionally agrees to pay the face value of the instrument on maturity. Certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances acquired by a Fund will be dollar-denominated obligations of domestic banks, savings and loan associations or financial institutions which, at the time of purchase, have capital, surplus and undivided profits in excess of $100 million (including assets of both domestic and foreign branches), based on latest published reports or less than $100 million if the principal amount of such bank obligations are fully insured by the U.S. government.
In addition to buying certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances, each Fund also may make interest-bearing time or other interest-bearing deposits in commercial or savings banks. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained at a banking institution for a specified period of time at a specified interest rate.
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Repurchase Agreements
When cash is temporarily available, or for temporary defensive purposes, each Fund may invest without limit in repurchase agreements. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which either U.S. Government obligations or other high-quality liquid debt securities are acquired from a securities dealer or bank subject to resale at an agreed-upon price and date. The securities are held for the Funds by a custodian bank as collateral until resold and will be supplemented by additional collateral if necessary to maintain a total value equal to or in excess of the value of the repurchase agreement. Each Fund bears a risk of loss if the other party to a repurchase agreement defaults on its obligations and the Fund is delayed or prevented from exercising its rights to dispose of the collateral securities, which may decline in value in the interim. Each Fund will enter into repurchase agreements only with financial institutions determined by the Adviser to present minimal risk of default during the term of the agreement. Repurchase agreements are usually for a term of one week or less but may be for longer periods. Repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days may be considered illiquid.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements
Each Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreements. A reverse repurchase agreement has the characteristics of a secured borrowing by each Fund and creates leverage in the Fund’s portfolio. In a reverse repurchase transaction, a Fund sells a portfolio instrument to another person, such as a financial institution or broker/dealer, in return for cash. At the same time, each Fund agrees to repurchase the instrument at an agreed-upon time and at a price that is greater than the amount of cash that the Fund received when it sold the instrument, representing the equivalent of an interest payment by the Fund for the use of the cash. During the term of the transaction, a Fund will continue to receive any principal and interest payments (or the equivalent thereof) on the underlying instruments. Each Fund may engage in reverse repurchase agreements as a means of raising cash to satisfy redemption requests or for other temporary or emergency purposes. Unless otherwise limited in the Prospectus or this SAI, each Fund may also engage in reverse repurchase agreements to the extent permitted by its fundamental investment policies in order to raise additional cash to be invested by the Fund’s portfolio manager in other securities or instruments in an effort to increase the Fund’s investment returns. During the term of the transaction, each Fund will remain at risk for any fluctuations in the market value of the instruments subject to the reverse repurchase agreement as if it had not entered into the transaction. When a Fund reinvests the proceeds of a reverse repurchase agreement in other securities, the Fund will also be at risk for any fluctuations in the market value of the securities in which the proceeds are invested. Like other leveraging risks, this makes the value of an investment in a Fund more volatile and increases the Fund’s overall investment exposure. In addition, if a Fund’s return on its investment of the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement does not equal or exceed the implied interest that it is obligated to pay under the reverse repurchase agreement, engaging in the transaction will lower the Fund’s return. When a Fund enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, it is subject to the risk that the buyer under the agreement may file for bankruptcy, become insolvent or otherwise default on its obligations to the Fund. In the event of a default by the counterparty, there may be delays, costs and risks of loss involved in a Fund’s exercising its rights under the agreement, or those rights may be limited by other contractual agreements or obligations or by applicable law. In addition, a Fund may be unable to sell the instruments subject to the reverse repurchase agreement at a time when it would be advantageous to do so, or may be required to liquidate portfolio securities at a time when it would be disadvantageous to do so in order to make payments with respect to its obligations under a reverse repurchase agreement. This could adversely affect the portfolio manager’s strategy and result in lower Fund returns. At the time a Fund enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund is required to set aside cash or other appropriate liquid securities in the amount of the Fund’s obligation under the reverse repurchase agreement or take certain other actions in accordance with SEC guidelines, which may affect the Fund’s liquidity and ability to manage its assets. Although complying with SEC guidelines would have the effect of limiting the amount of Fund assets that may be committed to reverse repurchase
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agreements and other similar transactions at any time, it does not otherwise mitigate the risks of entering into reverse repurchase agreements.
Additional Risks
Risk of Potential Government Regulation of Derivatives
It is possible that government regulation of various types of derivative instruments, including futures and swap agreements, may limit or prevent each Fund from using such instruments as part of its investment strategy, and could ultimately prevent the Fund from being able to achieve its investment goals. For example, some legislative and regulatory proposals, such as those in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) (which was passed into law in July 2010), would upon implementation impose limits on the maximum position that could be held by a single trader in certain contracts and would subject some derivatives transactions to new forms of regulation that could create barriers to some types of investment activity. Other provisions would require many swaps to be cleared and traded on an exchange, expand entity registration requirements, impose business conduct requirements on dealers that enter into swaps with a pension plan, endowment, retirement plan or government entity, and require banks to move some derivatives trading units to a non-guaranteed affiliate separate from the deposit-taking bank or divest them altogether. While many provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act must be implemented through future rulemaking, and any regulatory or legislative activity may not necessarily have a direct, immediate effect upon each Fund, it is possible that, upon implementation of these measures or any future measures, they could potentially limit or completely restrict the ability of the Fund to use these instruments as a part of its investment strategy, increase the costs of using these instruments or make them less effective.
Fundamental Investment Limitations
The Trust (on behalf of the Funds) has adopted the following restrictions as fundamental policies, which may not be changed without the favorable vote of the holders of a “majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund,” as defined in the 1940 Act. Under the 1940 Act, the “vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities” means the vote of the holders of the lesser of (i) 67% of the shares of a Fund represented at a meeting at which the holders of more than 50% of its outstanding shares are represented or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of a Fund.
Each 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 of 1933, 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 or real estate |
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acquired as a result of such investments. 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 commodity futures contracts, except that the Fund may purchase and sell 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; |
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; or |
8. | Make an investment unless 75% of the value of that Fund’s total assets is represented by cash, cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other investment companies and “other securities.” For purposes of this restriction, the term “other securities” means securities as to which the Fund invests no more than 5% of the value of its total assets in any one issuer or purchases no more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer. As a matter of operating policy, the Fund will not consider repurchase agreements to be subject to the above-stated 5% limitation if all of the collateral underlying the repurchase agreements are U.S. government securities and such repurchase agreements are fully collateralized. |
The following lists the non-fundamental investment restrictions applicable to the Fund. These restrictions can be changed by the Board of Trustees, but the change will only be effective after notice is given to shareholders of the Fund.
Each Fund may not:
1. | Invest in securities of other investment companies except as permitted under the 1940 Act or the rules thereunder; |
2. | Invest 15% or more of the value of its net assets, computed at the time of investment, in illiquid securities. Illiquid securities are those securities without readily available market quotations, including repurchase agreements having a maturity of more than seven days. Illiquid securities may include restricted securities not determined by the Board of Trustees to be liquid, non-negotiable time deposits, over-the-counter options and repurchase agreements providing for settlement in more than seven days after notice; or |
3. | Invest in other investment companies advised by the same investment adviser as the Fund or in investment companies advised by affiliates of such adviser. |
Except with respect to borrowing and illiquid securities, if a percentage or rating restriction on investment or use of assets set forth herein or in the Prospectus is adhered to at the time a transaction is effected, later changes in percentage resulting from any cause other than actions by the Fund will not be considered a violation.
Management of the Funds
Board of Trustees
The management and affairs of the Funds are supervised by the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees consists of five individuals, four (4) of whom are not “interested persons” (as defined under the 1940 Act)
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of the Trust and the Adviser (“Independent Trustees”). The Trustees are fiduciaries for the Fund’s shareholders and are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware in this regard. The Board of Trustees establishes policies for the operation of the Fund and appoints the officers who conduct the daily business of the Funds.
Board Leadership Structure
The Trust is led by Mr. Brian Nielsen, who has served as the Chairman of the Board since 2011. Mr. Nielsen is an interested person by virtue of his affiliation with Gemini Fund Services, LLC, (the Trust’s Administrator, Fund Accountant, and Transfer Agent (“GFS”)) and Northern Lights Distributors, LLC (the Fund’s Distributor). The Board of Trustees is comprised of Mr. Nielsen and four (4) Independent Trustees. Under certain 1940 Act governance guidelines that apply to the Trust, the Independent Trustees will meet in executive session, at least quarterly. 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, (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. The Trust believes that (i) its Chairman, Brian Nielsen, (ii) the independent chair of the Audit Committee, Keith Rhoades and (iii), as an entity, the full Board of Trustees, provide effective leadership that is in the best interests of the Trust, its funds and each shareholder The Independent Trustees have selected Anthony H. Lewis as the Lead Independent Trustee.
In accordance with the fund governance standards prescribed by the SEC under the 1940 Act, the Independent Trustees on the Nominating Committee select and nominate all candidates for Independent Trustee positions. Each Trustee was appointed to serve on the Board of Trustees because of his experience, qualifications, attributes and/or skills as set forth below. The Board of Trustees reviews its leadership structure regularly. The Board of Trustees believes that the structure described above facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the Trustees from the officers of the Trust, the advisers of the funds that comprise the Trust and other service providers, and facilitates the effective evaluation of the risks and other issues, including conflicts of interest, that may impact the Trust as a whole as well as the funds individually. The Board of Trustees believes that the orderly and efficient flow of information and the ability of the Board of Trustees to bring each Trustee’s experience and skills to bear in overseeing the Trust’s operations is important given the characteristics and circumstances of the Trust, including: the unaffiliated nature of each investment adviser and the fund(s) managed by such adviser; the number of funds that comprise the Trust; the variety of asset classes that those funds reflect; the net assets of the Trust; the committee structure of the Trust; and the independent distribution arrangements of each of the Trust’s series. For these reasons, the Board of Trustees believes that its leadership structure is appropriate.
Board Responsibilities
The Board of Trustees’ role is one of oversight rather than day-to-day management of any of the Trust’s series. The Trust’s Audit Committee assists with this oversight function. The Board of Trustees’ oversight extends to the Trust’s risk management processes. Those processes are overseen by Trust officers, including the President, the Treasurer, the Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”), who regularly report to the Board of Trustees on a variety of matters at Board meetings.
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Board Risk Oversight.
The Board of Trustees is comprised of Mr. Nielsen and four (4) Independent Trustees with a standing independent 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 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.
Investment advisers managing the Trust’s series report to the Board of Trustees, on a regular and as-needed basis, on actual and possible risks affecting the Trust’s series. These investment advisers report to the Board of Trustees on various elements of risk, including investment, credit, liquidity, valuation, operational and compliance risks, as well as any overall business risks that could impact the Trust’s series.
The Board of Trustees has appointed the CCO, who reports directly to the Board of Trustees and who participates in its regular meetings. In addition, the CCO presents an annual report to the Board of Trustees in accordance with the Trust’s compliance policies and procedures. The CCO, together with the Trust’s Treasurer and Secretary, regularly discusses risk issues affecting the Trust and its series during Board of Trustee meetings. The CCO also provides updates to the Board of Trustees on the operation of the Trust’s compliance policies and procedures and on how these procedures are designed to mitigate risk. Finally, the CCO and/or other officers of the Trust report to the Board of Trustees in the event that any material risk issues arise in between Board meetings.
Trustee Qualifications.
Generally, the Trust believes that each Trustee is competent to serve because of their individual overall merits including: (i) experience, (ii) qualifications, (iii) attributes and (iv) skills. Mr. Nielsen has over ten years of business experience in the investment management and brokerage business and possesses a strong understanding of the regulatory framework under which investment companies must operate. Since 2010, Thomas Sarkany has been the President of TTS Consultants, LLC, a financial services firm and from 1994 through 2010 held various roles at Value Line, Inc. (a publicly held company providing financial research, publications and money management services to retail and institutional investors), including Director of Marketing and Asset Management, Director of Index Licensing, and member of the Board of Directors. Anthony Lewis has been Chairman and CEO of The Lewis Group USA, an executive consulting firm, for the past ten years, and also serves as a Director, the Chairman of the Compensation Committee, and a Member of the Audit Committee of Torotel Inc. Keith Rhoades served as the Director then Senior Director of General Ledger/Financial Research for Union Pacific Railroad, and Randy Skalla has served as the President of L5 Enterprises, Inc. since 2001 and from 2001 through 2017 was a member of the Orizon Investment Counsel Board. The Trust does not believe any one factor is determinative in assessing a Trustee’s qualifications, but that the collective experience of each Trustee makes them each highly qualified.
The Board of Trustees has established three standing board committees – the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, and the Nominating Committee. All Independent Trustees are members of the Audit Committee and the Nominating Committee. Inclusion of all Independent Trustees as members of the Audit Committee and the Nominating Committee allows all such Trustees to participate in the full range of the Board of Trustees’ oversight duties, including oversight of risk management processes.
Trustees and Officers
The Trustees and the officers of the Trust are listed below with their addresses, present positions with the Trust and principal occupations over at least the last five years. Unless otherwise noted, the address of each Trustee and Officer is 17605 Wright Street, Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68130.
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Independent Trustees
Name, Address and Year of Birth | Position/Term of Office* |
Principal Occupation During the Past Five Years |
Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee *** | Other Directorships held by Trustee During the Past Five Years |
Thomas T. Sarkany 1946
|
Trustee since October 2011 |
President, TTS Consultants, LLC (financial services)(since 2010).
|
5 | Director, Aquila Distributors; Trustee, Arrow ETF Trust; Trustee, Arrow Investments Trust; Trustee, Northern Lights Fund Trust IV |
Anthony H. Lewis 1946
|
Trustee Since May 2011
|
Chairman and CEO of The Lewis Group USA (executive consulting firm)(since 2007). | 5 | Director, Member of the Compensation Committee and Member of the Risk Committee of Torotel Inc. (Magnetics, Aerospace and Defense), Trustee, Chairman of the Fair Valuation Committee and Member of the Audit Committee of the Wildermuth Endowment Strategy Fund |
Keith Rhoades 1948 |
Trustee Since May 2011 | Retired since 2008. | 5 | NONE |
Randal D. Skalla 1962
|
Trustee since May 2011 |
President, L5 Enterprises, Inc. (financial services company) (since 2001).
|
5 | Board Member, Orizon Investment Counsel (financial services company) (from 2001 to 2017) |
Interested Trustees and Officers
Name, Address and Year of Birth | Position/Term of Office* |
Principal Occupation During the Past Five Years |
Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee *** |
Other Directorships held by Trustee During the Past Five Years | |
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Brian Nielsen** 1972
|
Trustee Since May 2011 |
Trustee (since 2011) of Northern Lights Fund Trust II; Special Projects Counsel of NorthStar Financial Services Group, LLC (since 2018); General Counsel (from 2001 to 2014) and Secretary (from 2001 to 2018) of CLS Investments, LLC; General Counsel (from 2001 to 2014) and Secretary (from 2001 to 2018) of Orion Advisor Services, LLC; Manager (from 2012 to 2015), General Counsel and Secretary (from 2003 to 2018) of NorthStar Financial Services Group, LLC; CEO (from 2012 to 2018), General Counsel (from 2003 to 2014) and Secretary (from 2003 to 2018), Manager (from 2005 to 2018), President (from 2005 to 2013) of Northern Lights Distributors, LLC; Director, Secretary and General Counsel (from 2004 to 2018) of Constellation Trust Company; CEO (from 2015 to 2018), Manager (from 2008 to 2015), General Counsel and Secretary (from 2011 to 2018) of Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC; General Counsel and Secretary (from 2011 to 2018) of Blu Giant, LLC; General Counsel (from 2012 to 2014) and Secretary (from 2012 to 2018) of Gemini Fund Services, LLC; Manager (from 2012 to 2018) of Arbor Point Advisors, LLC; General Counsel and Secretary (from 2013 to 2014) of Gemini Hedge Fund Services, LLC; General Counsel and Secretary (from 2013 to 2014) of Gemini Alternative Funds, LLC; Assistant Secretary (from 2011 to 2013) of Northern Lights Fund Trust; Assistant Secretary (from 2011 to 2013) of Northern Lights Variable Trust; Manager, Secretary and General Counsel of NorthStar Holdings, LLC (from 2013 to 2015); Director, Secretary and General Counsel of NorthStar CTC Holdings, Inc. (from 2015 to 2018) and Secretary and Chief Legal Officer (from 2003 to 2018) of AdvisorOne Funds. | 5 | Manager of Northern Lights Distributors, LLC (from 2005 to 2018); Manager of NorthStar Financial Services Group, LLC (from 2012 to 2015); Manager of Arbor Point Advisors, LLC (from 2012 to 2018); Director of Constellation Trust Company |
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Kevin E. Wolf 80 Arkay Drive Hauppauge, NY 11788 1969 |
President Since January 2013 |
President, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (since 2012). | N/A | N/A |
Erik Naviloff 80 Arkay Drive Hauppauge, NY 11788 1968 |
Treasurer Since January 2013 |
Vice President of Gemini Fund Services, LLC (since 2011). | N/A | N/A |
Emile R. Molineaux 80 Arkay Drive Hauppauge, NY 11788 1962 |
Chief Compliance Officer and Anti Money Laundering Officer Since May 2011 |
Senior Compliance Officer and CCO of Various clients of Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC (since 2011). | N/A | N/A |
* The term of office for each Trustee and Officer listed above will continue indefinitely.
** Brian Nielsen is an “interested person” of the Trust as that term is defined under the 1940 Act, because of his affiliation with Gemini Fund Services, LLC, (the Trust’s Administrator, Fund Accountant, and Transfer Agent) and Northern Lights Distributors, LLC (the Fund’s Distributor), Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC (the Fund’s Compliance provider) and Blu Giant, LLC (the Fund’s Edgar and printing service provider).
***As of September 30, 2018, the Trust was comprised of 22 active portfolios managed by unaffiliated investment advisers. The term “Fund Complex” applies only to the Funds. The Funds do not hold themselves out as related to any other series within the Trust for investment purposes, nor do they share the same investment adviser with any other series.
Board Committees
Audit Committee . The Board has an Audit Committee, which is comprised of the independent members of the Board of Trustees. The Audit Committee reviews financial statements and other audit-related matters for the Funds. The Audit Committee also holds discussions with management and with the Funds’ independent auditor concerning the scope of the audit and the auditor’s independence and will meet at least four times annually.
Nominating Committee . The Board has a Nominating Committee, which is comprised of the independent members of the Board of Trustees. The Nominating Committee is responsible for seeking and reviewing candidates for consideration as nominees for the position of trustee and meets only as necessary. The Nominating Committee generally will not consider shareholder nominees.
Compensation Committee . The Board has a Compensation Committee, which is comprised of the independent members of the Board of Trustees. The role of the Compensation Committee is to oversee the evaluation of, and review and approve compensation for, the independent members of the Board of Trustees. The Compensation Committee will generally meet annually.
Other Committees of the Trust
Valuation Committee . The Trust has a Valuation Committee. The Valuation Committee is responsible for the following: (1) monitoring the valuation of Fund securities and other investments; and (2) as required, when the Board of Trustees is not in session, determining the fair value of illiquid securities and other
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holdings after consideration of all relevant factors, which determinations are reported to the Board. The Valuation Committee shall, at all times, consist of no less than three members, including the Trust’s President and Treasurer, and may include such number of alternate members that are officers of the Trust’s Administrator or the investment adviser of a series of the Trust as the Board of Trustees or the members of the Valuation Committee may from time to time designate. The Valuation Committee meets as necessary when a price for a portfolio security is not readily available.
Trustee Compensation
Effective January 1, 2019, each Trustee will receive a quarterly fee of $21,250 (the “Trustee Fee”) to be paid at the beginning of each calendar quarter, allocated among each of the various portfolios comprising the Trust. Each Trustee will also receive reimbursement for any reasonable expenses incurred attending the regular quarterly meetings of the Trust. In addition to the Trustee Fee, the Audit Committee Chairman will receive an additional quarterly fee of $4,000 and the Chairman of the Trust will receive an additional quarterly fee of $5,250. For special in-person meetings, each Trustee will receive a $2,500 special in-person meeting fee, as well as reimbursement for any reasonable expenses incurred attending the special in-person meeting, which fees will generally be paid by the Adviser requesting the special in-person meeting. None of the executive officers will receive compensation from the Trust.
Prior to January 1, 2019, each Trustee received a quarterly fee of $20,000 (the “Trustee Fee”) e paid at the beginning of each calendar quarter, allocated among each of the various portfolios comprising the Trust. Each Trustee also received reimbursement for any reasonable expenses incurred attending the regular quarterly meetings of the Trust. In addition to the Trustee Fee, the Audit Committee Chairman received an additional quarterly fee of $3,750 and the Chairman of the Trust will received an additional quarterly fee of $5,000. For special in-person meetings, each Trustee received a $2,500 special in-person meeting fee, as well as reimbursement for any reasonable expenses incurred attending the special in-person meeting, which fees were generally be paid by the Adviser requesting the special in-person meeting. None of the executive officers received compensation from the Trust.
The table below details the amount of compensation the Trustees received from the Funds during the period ended September 30, 2018.
Name | The Funds | Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses | Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement | Total Compensation From the Fund Complex Paid to Trustees*** |
Thomas T. Sarkany | $0 | None | None | $0 |
Anthony Lewis | $0 | None | None | $0 |
Keith Rhoades* | $0 | None | None | $0 |
Randy Skalla | $0 | None | None | $0 |
Brian Nielsen** | $0 | None | None | $0 |
*Mr. Rhoades also serves as chairman of the Audit Committee.
**Mr. Nielsen is deemed to be an ‘interested person’ as defined in the 1940 Act as a result of his affiliation with Gemini Fund Services, LLC (the Trust’s Administrator, Transfer Agent and Fund Accountant), Northern Lights Distributors, LLC (the Fund’s Distributor), Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC (the Trust’s compliance service provider) and Blu Giant, LLC (the Fund’s Edgar and printing service provider).
*** There are currently multiple series comprising the Trust. The term “Fund Complex” refers only to the Funds, and not to any other series of the Trust. For the period ended September 30, 2018, aggregate Independent Trustees’ fees were $338,250.00.
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Trustee Ownership
Because there were no shares outstanding as of the date of this SAI, the Trustees and officers, as a group, owned 0% of the Funds’ outstanding shares.
Control Persons and Principal Shareholders
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 the Fund or acknowledges the existence of control. A controlling person possesses the ability to control the outcome of matters submitted for shareholder vote by the Fund. As of the date of this SAI, there were no principal or control shareholders as there were no shares of the Fund outstanding.
Investment Adviser
As stated in the Prospectus, investment advisory services are provided to the Funds by Innealta Capital, LLC, located at 13215 Bee Cave Pkwy., Bldg. A, Suite 240, Austin, TX 78738, pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”). The Adviser is controlled by Riomaggiore Investments, LLC. Riomaggiore Investments, LLC. is controlled by Vito A. Sciaraffia, PhD. Subject to such policies as the Board of Trustees may determine, the Adviser is ultimately responsible for investment decisions for the Funds. Pursuant to the terms of the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser provides the Funds with such investment advice and supervision as it deems necessary for the proper supervision of the Funds’ investments.
After an initial period of two years, the Advisory Agreement will continue in effect from year to year only if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board of Trustees or by vote of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities and by a majority of the trustees who are not parties to the Advisory Agreement or interested persons of any such party, at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the Advisory Agreement. The Advisory Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on behalf of a Fund upon 60 days’ prior written notice when authorized either by a majority vote of the applicable Fund’s shareholders or by a vote of a majority of the Board of Trustees, or by the Adviser upon 60 days’ prior written notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act). The Advisory Agreement provides that the Adviser, under such agreement, shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss arising out of any investment or for any act or omission in the execution of portfolio transactions for the Fund, except for willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of its duties, or by reason of reckless disregard of its obligations and duties thereunder.
Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser, under the supervision of the Board, agrees (directly or through a subadviser) to invest the assets of the Funds in accordance with applicable law and the investment objectives, policies and restrictions set forth in the Funds’ 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. The Adviser shall act as the investment adviser to the Fund and, as such shall (directly or through a subadviser) (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 here under, (ii) formulate a continuing program for the investment of the assets of the Fund in a manner consistent with its investment objective, policies and restrictions, and (iii) determine from time to time securities to be purchased, sold or retained by the Funds, and implement those decisions, including the selection of entities with or through which such purchases or sales are to be effected; provided, that the Adviser (directly or through a subadviser) 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 or spread than may be charged by
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other brokers. The Adviser also provides the Funds with all necessary office facilities and personnel for servicing the Funds’ investments, compensates all officers, Trustees and employees of the Trust who are officers, directors or employees of the Adviser, and all personnel of the Funds or the Adviser performing services relating to research, statistical and investment activities. The Advisory Agreement was approved by the Board of the Trust, including by a majority of the Independent Trustees, at a meeting held on July 23-24, 2018, with respect to the Funds.
In addition, the Adviser, directly subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees, provides the management services necessary for the operation of the Funds and such additional administrative services as reasonably requested by the Board of Trustees. These services include providing such office space, office equipment and office facilities as are adequate to fulfill the Adviser’s obligations under the Advisory Agreement; assisting the Trust in supervising relations with custodians, transfer and pricing agents, accountants, underwriters and other persons dealing with the Funds; assisting in preparing all general shareholder communications and conducting shareholder relations; assuring the Funds’ records and the registration of the Funds’ shares under federal securities laws and making necessary filings under state securities laws; developing management and shareholder services for the Funds; and furnishing reports, evaluations and analyses on a variety of subjects to the Trustees. Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund, Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund, and Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund pay the Adviser a management fee at the annual rate of 0.55%, 0.55%, and 0.45% of each Fund’s average daily net assets, respectively. The fee is computed daily and payable monthly The Adviser has agreed contractually to waive its management fee and to reimburse operating expenses (excluding brokerage fees and commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short), taxes and extraordinary expenses such as litigation) at least until April 30, 2020, such that net annual fund operating expenses of each Fund do not exceed the percentages in the table below. This operating expense limitation agreement can be terminated only by, or with the consent of, the Board of Trustees. The Adviser is permitted to receive reimbursement of any excess expense payments paid by it pursuant to the operating expense limitation agreement in future years on a rolling three-year basis, as long as the reimbursement does not cause a Fund’s annual operating expenses to exceed the expense cap. Fee waiver and reimbursement arrangements can decrease the Funds’ expenses and increase its performance.
Expenses not expressly assumed by the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement are paid by the Funds. Under the terms of the Advisory Agreement, the Funds are responsible for the payment of the following expenses among others: (a) the fees payable to the Adviser, (b) the fees and expenses of Trustees who are not affiliated persons of the Adviser or Distributor (as defined under the section entitled (“The Distributor”) (c) the fees and certain expenses of the Custodian (as defined under the section entitled “Custodian”) and Transfer and Dividend Disbursing Agent (as defined under the section entitled “Transfer Agent”), including the cost of maintaining certain required records of the Funds and of pricing the Funds’ shares, (d) the charges and expenses of legal counsel and independent accountants for the Funds, (e) brokerage commissions and any issue or transfer taxes chargeable to the Funds in connection with its
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securities transactions, (f) all taxes and corporate fees payable by the Funds to governmental agencies, (g) the fees of any trade association of which the Funds may be a member, (h) the cost of share certificates representing shares of the Funds, (i) the cost of fidelity and liability insurance, (j) the fees and expenses involved in registering and maintaining registration of the Funds and of their shares with the SEC, qualifying its shares under state securities laws, including the preparation and printing of the Funds’ registration statements and prospectuses for such purposes, (k) all expenses of shareholders and Trustees’ meetings (including travel expenses of trustees and officers of the Trust who are directors, officers or employees of the Adviser) and of preparing, printing and mailing reports, proxy statements and prospectuses to shareholders in the amount necessary for distribution to the shareholders, and (l) litigation and indemnification expenses and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Trust’s business.
The Adviser has only recently been engaged to manage the Fund and has not been paid any advisory fees as of the date of this SAI.
Portfolio Managers
The following section provides information regarding the Portfolio Manager’s other accounts managed, compensation, material conflicts of interests, and any ownership of securities in the Funds.
Dr. Sheridan Titman.
Dr. Titman is one of the pioneers of modern finance. His impact on the field is ubiquitous; he has published several textbooks and over 100 articles in the leading academic and practitioner journals. These articles, which have been recognized by a number of awards, have been cited over 70,000 times. Dr. Titman has served as President of the Western Finance Association (WFA), the American Finance Association (AFA) and the American Real Estate and Urban Economics Associations (AREUEA). He has also served on the boards of the WFA and the AFA, as well as on the boards of the Asian Pacific Finance Association and the Financial Management Association. In addition to his academic work, Dr. Titman has consulted for asset management firms and served as a special assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy. Dr. Titman is currently a Professor of Finance at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin. He has also served as a Professor at UCLA, Boston College, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology where he was one of the founding professors. He is also a research associate at both the National Bureau of Economic Research and the Asian Bureau of Finance and Economic Research and is a special term professor at the Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance. Through his research, Dr. Titman has changed the way Investment Managers design and manage their portfolios. Some of his most notable contributions are his insights about momentum in the cross-section of equity returns, which constitutes an important part of the toolkit that quantitative asset managers use worldwide.
Dr. Titman holds a B.S. in Management Science from the University of Colorado and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Economics from Carnegie Mellon University. He has served as a professor of finance at the University of California at Los Angeles and Boston College, and was one of the founding professors of the School of Business and Management at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. In addition, he served in Washington D.C. as the special assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy.
Dr. Vito Sciaraffia.
Dr. Sciaraffia serves as Chief Investment Officer of Innealta Capital, LLC. In addition, Dr. Sciaraffia serves as Chief Investment Officer of Innealta Capital, a division of AFAM Capital Inc., since October 1st, 2015. In his Chief Investment Officer role, Dr. Sciaraffia is responsible for ensuring prudent management of all client assets, designing quantitative strategies, and leading the research activities of the investment team. His professional experience focuses heavily on the quantitative evaluation of equity securities and financial markets. Also, Dr. Sciaraffia is actively involved with clients through conference presentations, training
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activities, webinars, and written market commentaries. He has been in the financial industry since 2004. Dr. Sciaraffia’s previous work experience includes: Senior Researcher on the Investment Strategy Research Team at Dimensional Fund Advisors from May 2013 to June 2015, where he conducted empirical asset pricing research, wrote research papers, enhanced the design of investment strategies, and collaborated with their marketing and sales departments by delivering technical presentations to various clients; and Academic in the Finance Department at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin from January 2012 to May 2013 and January 2017 to present, where he focuses his research on empirical asset pricing and has taught the core Investment Management course and the Quantitative Investment Strategies course for graduate students. In addition, Dr. Sciaraffia has served as a Management Associate in the Investment Banking Division at Citigroup, member of the Market Risk Team at JP Morgan, and consultant to multiple private and public organizations.
Dr. Sciaraffia earned his PhD in Business Administration from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. In addition, he has an MA in Mathematics with an emphasis in stochastic processes and an MS in Business from the University of California, Berkeley, an MBA and an MS in Finance from the University of Chile, and a BS in Economics and Management from the Catholic University of Chile.
Other Accounts Managed by the Portfolio Managers
The table below identifies, for the Portfolio Managers of the Funds, the number of accounts managed (excluding the Funds) and the total assets in such accounts, within each of the following categories: registered investment companies, other pooled investment vehicles, and other accounts. To the extent that the advisory fees for any of these accounts are based on account performance, this information is reflected in separate tables below. Asset amounts are approximate as of the date of this SAI, and have been rounded. The following table lists the number and types of accounts managed.
As of September 30, 2018, Dr. Titman and Dr. Sciaraffia were responsible for the management of the following types of accounts in addition to the Funds:
Material Conflicts of Interest
Actual or apparent material conflicts of interest may arise when a Portfolio Manager has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to more than one investment account or in other circumstances. Portfolio Managers who manage other investment accounts in addition to the Fund may be presented with the potential conflicts described below.
Individual investment professionals at the Adviser manage other accounts for other clients. These accounts may include separate accounts. The Fund’s managers listed in the prospectus who are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund (“Portfolio Managers”) generally manage accounts in several different investment styles. These accounts may have investment objectives, strategies, time horizons, tax considerations and risk profiles that differ from those of the Fund. The Portfolio Managers make investment decisions for each account, including the Fund, based on the investment objectives, policies,
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practices, benchmarks, cash flows, tax and other relevant investment considerations applicable to that account. Consequently, the Portfolio Managers may purchase or sell securities for one account and not another account, and the performance of securities purchased for one account may vary from the performance of securities purchased for other accounts. Alternatively, these accounts may be managed in a similar fashion to the Fund and thus the accounts may have similar, and in some cases nearly identical, objectives, strategies and/or holdings to that of the Fund.
The Adviser offers separately managed accounts and other investment fund products in addition to the Fund. Some of these offerings include portfolios of investments which may be substantially identical to the Fund, which could create certain conflicts of interest. As the Fund and any separate accounts or investment funds managed similarly to the Fund will be managed concurrently, all transactions will be implemented according to the Adviser’s trade allocation procedures. These procedures, among other things, ensure that all trades allocated to advisory clients (including the Fund) fulfill the Adviser’s fiduciary duty to each client and otherwise allocate securities on a basis that is fair and nondiscriminatory. Such procedures are generally applied in numerous instances, including, among other things, block and bunched trades, cross transactions and private placements. In determining a fair allocation, the Adviser takes into account a number of factors, including among other things, the Adviser’s fiduciary duty to each client, any potential conflicts of interest, the size of the transaction, the relative size of a client’s portfolio, cash available for investment, suitability as well as each client’s investment objectives.
Portfolio Managers’ Compensation
The following section describes the structure of, and the methods used to determine the different types of compensation ( e.g. , salary, bonus, deferred compensation, retirement plans and arrangements) for the Funds’ portfolio manager as of the most recent practicable date.
The portfolio manager is compensated with a base salary which is determined by individual and firm-wide performance as well as an annual incentive bonus.
Portfolio Managers’ Ownership of the Funds
Because there were no shares outstanding as of the date of this SAI, no Portfolio Managers owned any of the Fund’s outstanding shares.
Other Service Providers
Administrator
Pursuant to a Fund Services Agreement (the “Administration Service Agreement”), Gemini Fund Services, LLC (“GFS”), 80 Arkay Drive, Suite 110, Hauppauge, NY 11788 (the “Administrator”), acts as administrator for the Funds, 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 provide persons to serve as officers of the Funds. Such officers may be directors, officers or employees of GFS or its affiliates.
The Administration Service Agreement was initially approved by the Board at a meeting held on July 23-24, 2018 with respect to the Funds. The Agreement shall remain in effect for 2 years from the date of each Fund’s commencement of operations, and subject to annual approval of the Board for one-year periods thereafter. The Administration Service Agreement is terminable by the Board or GFS on 60 days’ prior written notice and may be assigned provided the non-assigning party provides prior written consent. This Agreement provides that in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of GFS or reckless disregard of its obligations thereunder, GFS shall not be liable for any action or failure to act in accordance with its duties thereunder.
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Under the Administration Service Agreement, GFS provides facilitating administrative services, including: (i) providing services of persons competent to perform such administrative and clerical functions as are necessary to provide effective administration of the Funds; (ii) facilitating the performance of administrative and professional services to the Funds by others, including the Funds’ Custodian; (iii) preparing, but not paying for, the periodic updating of the Funds’ Registration Statement, Prospectuses and Statement of Additional Information in conjunction with Fund counsel, including the printing of such documents for the purpose of filings with the SEC and state securities administrators, and preparing reports to each Fund’s shareholders and the SEC; (iv) preparing in conjunction with Fund counsel, but not paying for, all filings under the securities or “Blue Sky” laws of such states or countries as are designated by the Distributor, which may be required to register or qualify, or continue the registration or qualification, of the Funds and/or their shares under such laws; (v) preparing notices and agendas for meetings of the Board and minutes of such meetings in all matters required by the 1940 Act to be acted upon by the Board; and (vi) monitoring daily and periodic compliance with respect to all requirements and restrictions of the 1940 Act, the Internal Revenue Code and the Prospectus.
For the services rendered to the Funds by the Administrator, each 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.
Fund Accounting
GFS, pursuant to the Administration Service Agreement, provides the Funds with accounting services, including: (i) daily computation of net asset value; (ii) maintenance of security ledgers and books and records as required by the 1940 Act; (iii) production of the Funds’ listing of portfolio securities and general ledger reports; (iv) reconciliation of accounting records; (v) calculation of yield and total return for the Funds; (vi) maintaining certain books and records described in Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act, and reconciling account information and balances among the Funds’ custodian or Adviser; and (vii) monitoring and evaluating daily income and expense accruals, and sales and redemptions of shares of the Funds. The Fund also pays GFS for any out-of-pocket expenses.
Transfer Agent
GFS, 17605 Wright Street, Omaha, NE 68130, acts as transfer, dividend disbursing, and shareholder servicing agent for the Funds pursuant to a written agreement with the Funds. 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.
Custodian |
MUFG Union Bank, National Association (the “Custodian”), serves as the custodian of the Funds’ assets pursuant to a Custody Agreement by and between the Custodian and the Trust on behalf of the Funds. The Custodian’s responsibilities include safeguarding and controlling the Funds’ cash and securities, handling the receipt and delivery of securities, and collecting interest and dividends on the Funds’ 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 Funds may employ foreign sub-custodians that are approved by the Board to hold foreign assets.
Compliance Services
Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC (“NLCS”), 17605 Wright Street Omaha, NE 68130, 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. The Funds pay a compliance service fee to NLCS.
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Legal Counsel
Alston & Bird, LLP, 950 F Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20004, serves as counsel to the Trust. Blank Rome LLP, 405 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10174 serves as counsel to the Independent Trustees.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
BBD, LLP, 1835 Market Street, 3rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103 serves as the independent registered public accounting firm of the Funds.
Distribution of Fund Shares
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 each 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 Funds’ shares.
The Underwriting Agreement has an initial term of two years and will continue in effect only if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board of Trustees or by vote of a majority of the Funds’ outstanding voting securities and, in either case, by a majority of the trustees who are not parties to the Underwriting Agreement or “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of any such party. The Underwriting Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on behalf of the Funds on 60 days’ notice when authorized either by a majority vote of the Funds’ outstanding voting securities or by vote of a majority of the Board of Trustees, including a majority of the trustees who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust, or by the Distributor on 60 days’ notice, and will automatically terminate in the event of its “assignment” (as defined in the 1940 Act).
12b-1 Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan
As noted in the Prospectus, the Trust has adopted a Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act for each Fund’s Class N shares (the “Plan”) pursuant to which Class N shares of the Funds are authorized to pay fees to the Distributor for providing distribution and/or shareholder services to each Fund. Under the Plan, Class N shares of each Fund may pay a combined distribution or shareholder servicing fee at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of the average net assets of Class N shares as compensation for the Distributor providing account maintenance and/or distribution services to shareholders. Such fees are to be paid by each Fund monthly, or at such other intervals, as the Board shall determine. Such fees shall be based upon the Class N share’s average daily net assets during the preceding month, and shall be calculated and accrued daily. The Funds may pay fees to the Distributor at a lesser rate, as agreed upon by the Board of the Trust 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 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 each Fund; assisting in the establishment and maintenance of accounts or sub-accounts in each Fund and in processing purchase and redemption transactions; making each Fund’s investment plan and shareholder services available; and providing such other information and services to investors in shares of each Fund as the Distributor or the Trust, on behalf of each 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 each Fund. The Adviser may be compensated by the Distributor for its distribution and marketing efforts.
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The Distributor is required to provide a written report, at least quarterly to the Board of the Trust, specifying in reasonable detail the amounts expended pursuant to the Rule 12b-1 Plan 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 initial term of the Rule 12b-1 Plan is one year and will continue in effect from year to year thereafter, provided such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a majority of the Board of the Trust and a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust and do not have a direct or indirect financial interest in the Rule 12b-1 Plan (“Rule 12b-1 Trustees”) by votes cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the Rule 12b-1 Plan. The Rule 12b-1 Plan may be terminated at any time by the Trust or the Fund by vote of a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting shares of the respective Fund.
The Rule 12b-1 Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount of the Distributor’s compensation to be paid by each Fund, unless such amendment is approved by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the affected class of the respective Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act). All material amendments must be approved by a majority of the Board of the Trust and a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees by votes cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on a Rule 12b-1 Plan. During the term of a Rule 12b-1 Plan, 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 Rule 12b-1 Plan, 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 Rule 12b-1 Plan will be in writing and provide that: (a) it may be terminated by the Trust or the applicable Fund at any time upon sixty days’ written notice, without the payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees, or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust or 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 Rule 12b-1 Trustees by votes cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such agreement.
To the extent these asset-based fees and other payments made under the Distribution Plan to these financial intermediaries for the distribution services they provide to each Fund’s shareholders exceed the Distribution Fees available, these payments are made by the Adviser from its own resources, which may include its profits from the advisory fee it receives from the respective Fund. In addition, each Fund may participate in various “fund supermarkets” in which a mutual fund supermarket sponsor (usually a broker-dealer) offers many mutual funds to the sponsor’s customers without charging the customers a sales charge. In connection with its participation in such platforms, the Adviser may use all or a portion of the Distribution Fee to pay one or more supermarket sponsors a negotiated fee for distributing each Fund’s shares. In addition, in its discretion, the Adviser may pay additional fees to such intermediaries from its own assets.
Portfolio Transactions and Brokerage Allocation
Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser determines which securities are to be purchased and sold by the Funds and which broker-dealers are eligible to execute the Funds’ portfolio transactions. Purchases and sales of securities in the OTC market will generally be executed directly with a “market-maker” unless, in the opinion of the Adviser, a better price and execution can otherwise be obtained by using a broker for the transaction.
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Purchases of portfolio securities for the Funds will be effected through broker-dealers (including banks) that specialize in the types of securities that the Funds will be holding, unless better executions are available elsewhere. Dealers usually act as principal for their own accounts. Purchases from dealers will include a spread between the bid and the asked price. If the execution and price offered by more than one dealer are comparable, the order may be allocated to a dealer that has provided research or other services as discussed below.
In placing portfolio transactions, the Adviser will use reasonable efforts to choose broker-dealers capable of providing the services necessary to obtain the most favorable price and execution available. The full range and quality of services available will be considered in making these determinations, such as the size of the order, the difficulty of execution, the operational facilities of the firm involved, the firm’s risk in positioning a block of securities and other factors. In those instances where it is reasonably determined that more than one broker-dealer can offer the services needed to obtain the most favorable price and execution available, consideration may be given to those broker-dealers that furnish or supply research and statistical information to the Adviser that they may lawfully and appropriately use in their investment advisory capacities, as well as provide other brokerage services in addition to execution services. The Adviser considers such information, which is in addition to and not in lieu of the services required to be performed by it under its Advisory Agreement with the Fund, to be useful in varying degrees, but of indeterminable value.
While it is each Fund’s general policy to first seek to obtain the most favorable price and execution available in selecting a broker-dealer to execute portfolio transactions for the Fund, weight is also given to the ability of a broker-dealer to furnish brokerage and research services to the Fund or to the Adviser, even if the specific services are not directly useful to the Fund and may be useful to the Adviser in advising other clients. The Adviser retains the right to update this policy. In negotiating commissions with a broker or evaluating the spread to be paid to a dealer, the Fund may therefore pay a higher commission or spread than would be the case if no weight were given to the furnishing of these supplemental services, provided that the amount of such commission or spread has been determined in good faith by the Adviser to be reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and/or research services provided by such broker-dealer. The standard of reasonableness is to be measured in light of the Adviser’s overall responsibilities to the Fund.
Investment decisions for the Funds may or may not be made independently from those of other client accounts of the Adviser. In certain instances, investment decisions will be made similar to other accounts managed. In the case where the Funds use similar strategies, applicable procedures will be taken to ensure trading allocations will be handled fairly and abide by all appropriate rules and regulations. Nevertheless, it is possible that at times identical securities will be acceptable for both the Funds and one or more of such client accounts. In such event, the position of the Funds and such client account(s) in the same issuer may vary and the length of time that each may choose to hold its investment in the same issuer may likewise vary. However, to the extent any of these client accounts seek to acquire the same security as the Funds at the same time, the Fund may not be able to acquire as large a portion of such security as it desires, or it may have to pay a higher price or obtain a lower yield for such security. Similarly, the Fund may not be able to obtain as high a price for, or as large an execution of, an order to sell any particular security at the same time. If one or more of such client accounts simultaneously purchases or sells the same security that the Fund is purchasing or selling, each day’s transactions in such security will be allocated between the Fund and all such client accounts in a manner deemed equitable by the Adviser, taking into account the respective sizes of the accounts and the amount being purchased or sold. It is recognized that in some cases this system could have a detrimental effect on the price or value of the security insofar as the Fund is concerned. In other cases, however, it is believed that the ability of the Fund to participate in volume transactions may produce better executions for the Fund. Notwithstanding the above, the Adviser may execute buy and sell orders for accounts and take action in performance of their duties with respect to any of their accounts that may differ from actions taken with respect to another account, so long as the Adviser
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shall, to the extent practical, allocate investment opportunities to accounts, including the Fund, over a period of time on a fair and equitable basis and in accordance with applicable law. Whenever possible, all trades are done in a block with allocations made on a pro-rata basis. Each client will participate in the transaction at an average price, allocated in a pro-rata amount based on the asset size of the account.
The Funds are required to identify any securities of its “regular brokers or dealers” that the Funds have acquired during its most recent fiscal year. The Funds are also required to identify any brokerage transactions during its most recent fiscal year that were directed to a broker because of research services provided, along with the amount of any such transactions and any related commissions paid by the Fund.
Brokers or dealers executing a portfolio transaction on behalf of the Fund may receive a commission in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for executing the transaction if the Adviser determines in good faith that such commission is reasonable in relation to the value of brokerage, research and other services provided to the Fund. In allocating portfolio brokerage, the Adviser may select brokers or dealers who also provide brokerage, research and other services to other accounts over which the Adviser exercises investment discretion. Some of the services received as the result of Fund transactions may primarily benefit accounts other than the Fund, while services received as the result of portfolio transactions effected on behalf of those other accounts may primarily benefit the Fund.
Portfolio Turnover
Although the Funds generally will not invest for short-term trading purposes, portfolio securities may be sold without regard to the length of time they have been held when, in the opinion of the Adviser, investment considerations warrant such action. Portfolio turnover rate is calculated by dividing (i) the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the fiscal year by (ii) the monthly average of the value of portfolio securities owned during the fiscal year. A 100% turnover rate would occur if all the securities in the Fund’s portfolio, with the exception of securities whose maturities at the time of acquisition were one year or less, were sold and either repurchased or replaced within one year. A high rate of portfolio turnover (100% or more) generally leads to above-average transaction costs, could generate capital gains that must be distributed to shareholders as short-term capital gains taxed at ordinary income tax rates (currently as high as 37%) and could increase brokerage commission costs. To the extent that the Fund experiences an increase in brokerage commissions due to a higher portfolio turnover rate, the performance of the Funds could be negatively impacted by the increased expenses incurred by the Funds and may result in a greater number of taxable transactions.
Code of Ethics
The Funds, the Adviser, and the Distributor have each adopted Codes of Ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act. These Codes permit, subject to certain conditions, personnel of the Adviser, and Distributor to invest in securities that may be purchased or held by each Fund.
Proxy Voting Procedures
The Board of Trustees has adopted Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (“Policies”) on behalf of the Trust, which delegate the responsibility for voting proxies of securities held by each Fund to the Adviser and responsibility for voting proxies of securities held by a Fund to the Adviser, subject to the Board of Trustee’s continuing oversight. The Policies require that the Adviser vote proxies received in a manner consistent with the best interests of each Fund and its shareholders. The Policies also require the Adviser to present to the Board of Trustees, at least annually, the Adviser’s Proxy Policies and a record of each proxy voted by the Adviser on behalf of each Fund, including a report on the resolution of all proxies identified by the Adviser as involving a conflict of interest. Notwithstanding this delegation of responsibilities, however, each Fund retains the right to vote proxies relating to its portfolio securities. A copy of the Adviser’s Proxy Voting Policies is attached hereto as Appendix B.
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More Information. The actual voting records relating to portfolio securities during the 12-month period ended June 30 will be available without charge, upon request, by calling toll-free, 1-800-SEC-0330 or by accessing the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance 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 CCO 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 a providing a complete and thorough review of all new opening 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.
Portfolio Holdings Information
The Trust has adopted policies and procedures that govern the disclosure of the Funds’ 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 Funds disclose their 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 Funds disclose their portfolio holdings reports on Forms N-CSR and Form N-Q two months after the end of each quarter/semi-annual period.
The Funds 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 Funds’ portfolio holdings may be disclosed to, or known by, certain third parties in advance of their filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission 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. The recipient is also subjected to a duty not to trade on the information.
The Adviser . Personnel of the Adviser, including personnel responsible for managing the Funds’ portfolio, may have full daily access to Fund portfolio holdings since that information is necessary in order for the
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Adviser to provide their management, administrative, and investment services to the Funds. 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 portfolio managers 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 and administrator for the Funds; therefore, its personnel have full daily access to the Funds’ portfolio holdings since that information is necessary in order for them to provide the agreed-upon services for the Trust.
Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC. Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC provides consulting services to the Funds as well as related compliance services; therefore, its personnel have full daily access to the Funds’ portfolio holdings since that information is necessary in order for them to provide the agreed-upon services for the Trust.
MUFG Union Bank, National Association. MUFG Union Bank, National Association is custodian for the Funds; therefore, its personnel have full daily access to the Funds’ 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 Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm; therefore, its personnel have access to the Fund’s portfolio holdings in connection with auditing of the Funds’ annual financial statements.
Alston & Bird, LLP. Alston & Bird, LLP is counsel to the Trust; therefore, its personnel have access to the Funds’ portfolio holdings in connection with review of the Fund’s annual and semi-annual shareholder reports and SEC filings.
Blank Rome LLP. Blank Rome LLP is counsel to the Independent Trustees.
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 Funds’ 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 Funds, the Adviser, or any other party receive any direct or indirect compensation in connection with the disclosure of information about the Funds’ 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 Funds’ 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 Funds from the potential misuse of holdings information by individuals or firms in possession of that information.
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Determination of Net Asset Value
As indicated in the Prospectus under the heading “Net Asset Value,” the net asset value (“NAV”) of the Funds’ shares, by class, is determined by dividing the total value of the Funds’ portfolio investments and other assets, less any liabilities, by the total number of shares outstanding of the Fund, by class.
Generally, the Funds’ 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 National Association of Securities Dealers’ Automated Quotation System (“NASDAQ”) National Market System for which market quotations are 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 Funds’ 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 Funds 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 each 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 Funds’ calculation of NAV), the security will be valued at its fair market value as determined in good faith by the Funds’ 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 Funds’ portfolio securities can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-
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term traders, but there is no assurance that it will prevent dilution of each Fund’s NAV by short-term traders. In addition, because the Funds 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 each 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 may be affected significantly on a day that the New York Stock Exchange 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 New York Stock Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) (the "NYSE Close") on each day that the New York Stock Exchange is open. For purposes of calculating the NAV, the Funds normally use pricing data for domestic equity securities received shortly after the NYSE Close and do 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 Funds or their 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 Funds 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 Funds 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 team composed of one of more officers from each of the (i) Trust, (ii) administrator, and (iii) adviser and/or sub-adviser. The team 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 and/or sub-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 or sub-adviser, the prices or values available do not represent the fair value of the instrument. Factors which may cause the adviser or sub-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 each Fund’s calculation of its net asset value. Specifically, interests in
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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 or sub-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 or sub-adviser is unable to obtain a current bid from such independent dealers or other independent parties, the fair value team 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 each Fund's holdings; (iv) the 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 Funds 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 Funds 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 each 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 a Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments).
The fair value team 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 sub-adviser) or other funds and the method used to price the security in those funds; (vi) the extent to
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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 of Trustees Determination. The Board of Trustees 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 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 holidays upon which the Exchange will be closed are as follows: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President’s Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
Purchase of Shares
Orders for shares received by the Funds 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 NAV per share 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 or offering price per share.
Redemption of Shares
Each Fund will redeem all or any portion of a shareholder’s shares in 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 by it is not reasonably practicable or it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund to fairly determine the value of its 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.
The Funds may purchase shares of certain series which charge a redemption fee to shareholders that redeem shares of the underlying fund within a certain period of time (such as one year). The fee is payable to the underlying fund. Accordingly, if a Fund were to invest in an underlying fund and incur a redemption fee as a result of redeeming shares in such underlying fund, the Fund would bear such redemption fee. The Funds will not, however, invest in shares of an underlying fund that is sold with a contingent deferred sales load.
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.
Under section 72.1021(a) of the Texas Property Code, initial investors in a Fund who are Texas residents may designate a representative to receive notices of abandoned property in connection with Fund shares.
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Texas shareholders who wish to appoint a representative should notify the Trust’s Transfer Agent by writing to the address below to obtain a form for providing written notice to the Trust:
c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC
17605 Wright Street, Suite 2
Omaha, Nebraska 68130
Tax Status
The following discussion is general in nature and should not be regarded as an exhaustive presentation of all possible tax ramifications. The tax considerations relevant to a specific shareholder depend upon its specific circumstances, and the following general summary does not attempt to discuss all potential tax considerations that could be relevant to a prospective shareholder with respect to the Funds or their investments. This general summary is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), the Federal Income Tax Regulations promulgated thereunder, and administrative and judicial interpretations thereof as of the date hereof, all of which are subject to change (potentially on a retroactive basis).
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 Code. All shareholders should consult a qualified tax advisor regarding their investment in a Fund.
Each Fund has qualified and intends to continue to qualify and has elected to be treated as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the 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, each 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 each Fund will be computed in accordance with Section 852 of the Code. The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) issued a number of private letter rulings to other mutual funds (unrelated to the Fund), indicating that certain income from a fund’s investment in a wholly-owned foreign subsidiary constituted “qualifying income” for purposes of Subchapter M. However, the IRS suspended issuance of these letter rulings in 2011 pending a review of its position, and in 2016 declared that it would no longer issue private letter rulings on this issue. If the IRS were to change its position with respect to the conclusions reached in these private letter rulings (which change in position might be applied to the Fund retroactively), the income from the Fund’s investment in the Subsidiary might not be qualifying income, and the Fund might not qualify as a regulated investment company for one or more years.
Net investment income is made up of dividends and interest less expenses. Net capital gain for a fiscal year is computed by taking into account any capital loss carryforward of each Fund. Under the Regulated Investment Company Act of 2010, each Fund will be permitted to carry forward capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010 for an unlimited period. However, losses incurred during those future years will be required to be utilized prior to the losses incurred in pre-enactment tax years. Thus, pre-enactment capital loss carryforwards may be more likely to expire unused. Additionally, post-enactment capital losses that are carried forward will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses rather than being considered all short-term as under previous law.
Each 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 Code and therefore should not be
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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, and no later than December 31 of each year. Both types of distributions will be in shares of each Fund unless a shareholder elects to receive cash.
To be treated as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code, each 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 stock, 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 stock, 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 a 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 each 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 a 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. Following the enactment of Regulated Investment Company Act of 2010, if the Fund fails to satisfy these qualifying income and assets tests, and such failure was due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, it may be permitted to “cure” such failures under certain circumstances (and thereby not jeopardize its tax status as a regulated investment company) under certain circumstances.
If a Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code in any fiscal year (and such failure is not subject to cure as discussed above), 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 a Fund generally would not be liable for income tax on the Fund’s net investment income or net realized capital gains in their individual capacities. Distributions to shareholders, whether from a 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.
Each 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 Code. The formula requires payment to shareholders during a calendar year of distributions representing at least 98.2% of a Fund’s ordinary income for the calendar year and at least 98% 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 a Fund during the preceding calendar year. Under ordinary circumstances, each Fund expects to time its distributions so as to avoid liability for this excise tax.
Distributions of taxable net investment income and the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss are taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. In most cases each Fund will hold shares in Underlying Pools for less than 12 months, such that its sales of such shares from time to time will not qualify as long-term capital gains for those investors who hold shares of a Fund in taxable accounts.
Distributions of net capital gain (“capital gain dividends”) generally are taxable to shareholders as short-term capital gain; regardless of the length of time the shares of the Trust have been held by such shareholders.
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
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Fund shares. Such gain or loss is treated as a capital gain or loss if the shares are held as capital assets. 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 cash or shares. Shareholders electing to reinvest 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 net asset value of a share on the reinvestment date.
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, each Fund will be required to report to the Internal Revenue Service all distributions of taxable 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 taxable 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 (currently at a rate of 24%) 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 a 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.
Options, Futures, Forward Contracts and Swap Agreements
To the extent such investments are permissible for a 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 a 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 a 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 a 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 recipient’s basis in the shares, and (iii) thereafter, as gain from the sale or exchange of a capital asset. If a Fund’s book income is less than taxable income, the Fund could be required to make distributions exceeding book income to qualify as a regulated investment company that is accorded special tax treatment.
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Passive Foreign Investment Companies
Investment by a 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, a 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 it receives any distribution from the company.
Each 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 a Fund to avoid taxation. Making either of these elections therefore may require a 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
Each 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.
Foreign Taxation
Income received by a 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 a 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 its 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 a 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 a 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 a Fund’s income will flow through to shareholders of the Fund. With respect to each 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
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of the foreign taxes paid by a 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 a 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 a 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.
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 a 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. A 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.
In addition, the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act requires that taxpayers, such as the Funds, that use an accrual method of accounting for U.S. federal income tax purposes are generally required to include certain amounts in income no later than the time such amounts are reflected on such taxpayer’s applicable financial statements. Certain fees treated as OID may be included as income for financial statement purposes when received (as opposed to being accrued into income over the term of the debt instrument), which may thus require such amounts be treated as taxable income of a Fund upon their receipt.
Some debt securities (with a fixed maturity date of one year or less from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by a Fund may be treated as having acquisition discount, or OID in the case of certain types of debt securities. Generally, a 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. A 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 a Fund holds the foregoing kinds of securities, it may be required to pay out as an income distribution each year an amount that is greater than the total amount of cash interest the Fund actually received. Such distributions may be made from the cash assets of a Fund or by liquidation of portfolio securities, if necessary (including when it is not advantageous to do so). A Fund may realize gains or losses from such liquidations. In the event a 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.
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Shareholders of a 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. In January of each year a Fund issues to each shareholder a statement of the federal income tax status of all distributions.
Shareholders should consult their tax advisors about the application of federal, state and local and foreign tax law in light of their particular situation.
Financial Statements
The Funds have only recently commenced operations as of the date of this SAI and therefore do not have a financial history.
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APPENDIX “A” RATINGS DEFINITIONS
Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Global Rating Definitions
An S&P Global Ratings issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The opinion reflects S&P Global Ratings’ view of the obligor’s capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and this opinion may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.
Issue credit ratings can be either long-term or short-term. Short-term ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. Short-term ratings are also used to indicate the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to put features on long-term obligations. Medium-term notes are assigned long-term ratings.
Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings
A-1
A short-term obligation rated ‘A-1’ is rated in the highest category by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on these obligations is extremely strong.
A-2
A short-term obligation rated ‘A-2’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is satisfactory.
A-3
A short-term obligation rated ‘A-3’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken an obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
B
A short-term obligation rated ‘B’ is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.
C
A short-term obligation rated ‘C’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
D
A short-term obligation rated ‘D’ is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period.
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However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation’s rating is lowered to ‘D’ if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.
SPUR (S&P’s Underlying Rating)
A SPUR is an opinion about the stand-alone capacity of an obligor to pay debt service on a credit-enhanced debt issue, without giving effect to the enhancement that applies to it. These ratings are published only at the request of the debt issuer or obligor with the designation SPUR to distinguish them from the credit-enhanced rating that applies to the debt issue. S&P Global Ratings maintains surveillance of an issue with a published SPUR.
Dual Ratings
Dual ratings may be assigned to debt issues that have a put option or demand feature. The first component of the rating addresses the likelihood of repayment of principal and interest as due, and the second component of the rating addresses only the demand feature. The first component of the rating can relate to either a short-term or long-term transaction and accordingly use either short-term or long-term rating symbols. The second component of the rating relates to the put option and is assigned a short-term rating symbol (for example, ‘AAA/A-1+’ or ‘A-1+/A-1’). With U.S. municipal short-term demand debt, the U.S. municipal short-term note rating symbols are used for the first component of the rating (for example, ‘SP-1+/A-1+’).
Active Qualifiers
S&P Global Ratings uses the following qualifiers that limit the scope of a rating. The structure of the transaction can require the use of a qualifier such as a ‘p’ qualifier, which indicates the rating addresses the principal portion of the obligation only. A qualifier appears as a suffix and is part of the rating.
L
Ratings qualified with ‘L’ apply only to amounts invested up to federal deposit insurance limits.
p
This suffix is used for issues in which the credit factors, the terms, or both that determine the likelihood of receipt of payment of principal are different from the credit factors, terms, or both that determine the likelihood of receipt of interest on the obligation. The ‘p’ suffix indicates that the rating addresses the principal portion of the obligation only and that the interest is not rated.
prelim
Preliminary ratings, with the ‘prelim’ suffix, may be assigned to obligors or obligations, including financial programs, in the circumstances described below. Assignment of a final rating is conditional on the receipt by S&P Global Ratings of appropriate documentation. S&P Global Ratings reserves the right not to issue a final rating. Moreover, if a final rating is issued, it may differ from the preliminary rating.
· | Preliminary ratings may be assigned to obligations, most commonly structured and project finance issues, pending receipt of final documentation and legal opinions. |
· | Preliminary ratings may be assigned to obligations that will likely be issued upon the obligor’s emergence from bankruptcy or similar reorganization, based on late-stage reorganization plans, documentation, and discussions with the obligor. Preliminary ratings may also be assigned to the obligors. These ratings consider the anticipated general credit quality of the reorganized or post-bankruptcy issuer as well as attributes of the anticipated obligation(s). |
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· | Preliminary ratings may be assigned to entities that are being formed or that are in the process of being independently established when, in S&P Global Ratings’ opinion, documentation is close to final. Preliminary ratings may also be assigned to the obligations of these entities. |
· | Preliminary ratings may be assigned when a previously unrated entity is undergoing a well-formulated restructuring, recapitalization, significant financing, or other transformative event, generally at the point that investor or lender commitments are invited. The preliminary rating may be assigned to the entity and to its proposed obligation(s). These preliminary ratings consider the anticipated general credit quality of the obligor, as well as attributes of the anticipated obligation(s), assuming successful completion of the transformative event. Should the transformative event not occur, S&P Global Ratings would likely withdraw these preliminary ratings. |
· | A preliminary recovery rating may be assigned to an obligation that has a preliminary issue credit rating. |
t
This symbol indicates termination structures that are designed to honor their contracts to full maturity or, should certain events occur, to terminate and cash settle all their contracts before their final maturity date.
cir
This symbol indicates a counterparty instrument rating (CIR), which is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an issuer in a securitization structure with respect to a specific financial obligation to a counterparty (including interest rate swaps, currency swaps, and liquidity facilities). The CIR is determined on an ultimate payment basis; these opinions do not take into account timeliness of payment.
Inactive Qualifiers (Inactive Qualifiers are no longer applied or outstanding)
*
This symbol indicated that the rating was contingent upon S&P Global Ratings’ receipt of an executed copy of the escrow agreement or closing documentation confirming investments and cash flows. Discontinued use in August 1998.
c
This qualifier was used to provide additional information to investors that the bank may terminate its obligation to purchase tendered bonds if the long-term credit rating of the issuer was lowered to below an investment-grade level and/or the issuer’s bonds were deemed taxable. Discontinued use in January 2001.
G
The letter ‘G’ followed the rating symbol when a fund’s portfolio consisted primarily of direct U.S. government securities
pi
This qualifier was used to indicate ratings that were based on an analysis of an issuer’s published financial information, as well as additional information in the public domain. Such ratings did not, however, reflect in-depth meetings with an issuer’s management and therefore could have been based on less comprehensive information than ratings without a ‘pi’ suffix. Discontinued use as of December 2014 and as of August 2015 for Lloyd’s Syndicate Assessments.
pr
The letters ‘pr’ indicate that the rating was provisional. A provisional rating assumed the successful completion of a project financed by the debt being rated and indicates that payment of debt service requirements was largely or entirely dependent upon the successful, timely completion of the project. This
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rating, however, while addressing credit quality subsequent to completion of the project, made no comment on the likelihood of or the risk of default upon failure of such completion.
q
A ‘q’ subscript indicates that the rating is based solely on quantitative analysis of publicly available information. Discontinued use in April 2001.
r
The ‘r’ modifier was assigned to securities containing extraordinary risks, particularly market risks, that are not covered in the credit rating. The absence of an ‘r’ modifier should not be taken as an indication that an obligation would not exhibit extraordinary noncredit-related risks. S&P Global Ratings discontinued the use of the ‘r’ modifier for most obligations in June 2000 and for the balance of obligations (mainly structured finance transactions) in November 2002.
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Moody’s Credit Ratings Definitions
Purpose
The system of rating securities was originated by John Moody in 1909. The purpose of Moody’s ratings is to provide investors with a simple system of gradation by which future relative creditworthiness of securities may be gauged.
Rating Symbols
Gradations of creditworthiness are indicated by rating symbols, with each symbol representing a group in which the credit characteristics are broadly the same. There are nine symbols as shown below, from that used to designate least credit risk to that denoting greatest credit risk:
Aaa Aa A Baa Ba B Caa Ca C
Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa.
Absence of a Rating
Where no rating has been assigned or where a rating has been withdrawn, it may be for reasons unrelated to the creditworthiness of the issue.
Should no rating be assigned, the reason may be one of the following:
1. An application was not received or accepted.
2. The issue or issuer belongs to a group of securities or entities that are not rated as a matter of policy.
3. There is a lack of essential data pertaining to the issue or issuer.
4. The issue was privately placed, in which case the rating is not published in Moody’s publications.
Withdrawal may occur if new and material circumstances arise, the effects of which preclude satisfactory analysis; if there is no longer available reasonable up-to-date data to permit a judgment to be formed; if a bond is called for redemption; or for other reasons.
Changes in Rating
The credit quality of most issuers and their obligations is not fixed and steady over a period of time, but tends to undergo change. For this reason changes in ratings occur so as to reflect variations in the intrinsic relative position of issuers and their obligations.
A change in rating may thus occur at any time in the case of an individual issue. Such rating change should serve notice that Moody’s observes some alteration in creditworthiness, or that the previous rating did not fully reflect the quality of the bond as now seen. While because of their very nature, changes are to be expected more frequently among bonds of lower ratings than among bonds of higher ratings. Nevertheless, the user of bond ratings should keep close and constant check on all ratings — both high and low — to be able to note promptly any signs of change in status that may occur.
Limitations to Uses of Ratings*
Obligations carrying the same rating are not claimed to be of absolutely equal credit quality. In a broad sense, they are alike in position, but since there are a limited number of rating classes used in grading thousands of bonds, the symbols cannot reflect the same shadings of risk which actually exist.
As ratings are designed exclusively for the purpose of grading obligations according to their credit quality, they should not be used alone as a basis for investment operations. For example, they have no value in
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forecasting the direction of future trends of market price. Market price movements in bonds are influenced not only by the credit quality of individual issues but also by changes in money rates and general economic trends, as well as by the length of maturity, etc. During its life even the highest rated bond may have wide price movements, while its high rating status remains unchanged.
The matter of market price has no bearing whatsoever on the determination of ratings, which are not to be construed as recommendations with respect to “attractiveness”. The attractiveness of a given bond may depend on its yield, its maturity date or other factors for which the investor may search, as well as on its credit quality, the only characteristic to which the rating refers.
Since ratings involve judgements about the future, on the one hand, and since they are used by investors as a means of protection, on the other, the effort is made when assigning ratings to look at “worst” possibilities in the “visible” future, rather than solely at the past record and the status of the present. Therefore, investors using the rating should not expect to find in them a reflection of statistical factors alone, since they are an appraisal of long-term risks, including the recognition of many non-statistical factors.
Though ratings may be used by the banking authorities to classify bonds in their bank examination procedure, Moody’s ratings are not made with these bank regulations in mind. Moody’s Investors Service’s own judgement as to the desirability or non-desirability of a bond for bank investment purposes is not indicated by Moody’s ratings.
Moody’s ratings represent the opinion of Moody’s Investors Service as to the relative creditworthiness of securities. As such, they should be used in conjunction with the descriptions and statistics appearing in Moody’s publications. Reference should be made to these statements for information regarding the issuer. Moody’s ratings are not commercial credit ratings. In no case is default or receivership to be imputed unless expressly stated.
*As set forth more fully on the copyright, credit ratings are, and must be construed solely as, statements of opinion and not statements of fact or recommendations to purchase, sell or hold any securities. Each rating or other opinion must be weighed solely as one factor in any investment decision made by or on behalf of any user of the information, and each such user must accordingly make its own study and evaluation of each security and of each issuer and guarantor of, and each provider of credit support for, each security that it may consider purchasing, selling or holding.
Short-Term Ratings
P-1
Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-2
Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-3
Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.
NP
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Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
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Fitch’s National Credit Ratings
National scale ratings are an opinion of creditworthiness relative to the universe of issuers and issues within a single country. They are most commonly used in emerging market countries with sub- or low investment grade sovereign ratings on the international scale.
As creditworthiness can be expressed across the full range of the scale, a national scale can enable greater rating differentiation within a market than the international scale, particularity in highly speculative grade countries where ratings tend to cluster around the often low sovereign rating due to higher risks associated with a more volatile operating environment.
A “+” or “-” may be appended to a National Rating to denote relative status within a major rating category. Such suffixes are not added to the ‘AAA(xxx)’ National Rating category, to categories below ‘CCC(xxx)’, or to Short-Term National Ratings other than ‘F1(xxx)’.
National scale ratings are assigned on the basis that the “best credits or issuers” in the country are rated ‘AAA’ on the national scale. National Ratings are then assessed using the full range of the national scale based on a comparative analysis of issuers rated under the same national scale to establish a relative ranking of credit worthiness.
At any given point in time, there is a certain relationship between National and International Ratings but there is not a precise translation between the scales. Fitch monitors the ratings relationship of issuers rated on both the international and national scales to ensure the consistency of rating relativities across scales. In other words, if issuer “X” is rated higher than issuer “Y” on one scale, issuer “X” cannot be rated lower than issuer “Y” on the other scale.
National Ratings for local issuers exclude the effects of sovereign and transfer risk and exclude the possibility that investors may be unable to repatriate any due interest and principal repayments. Comparisons between different national scales or between an individual national scale and the international rating scale are therefore inappropriate and potentially misleading.
In certain countries, regulators have established credit rating scales to be used within their domestic markets using specific nomenclature. In these countries, the agency’s National Rating definitions may be substituted by the regulatory scales. For instance Fitch’s National Short Term Ratings of ‘F1+(xxx)’, ‘F1(xxx)’, ‘F2(xxx)’ and ‘F3(xxx)’ may be substituted by the regulatory scales, e.g. ‘A1+’, ‘A1’, ‘A2’ and ‘A3’. The below definitions thus serve as a template, but users should consult the individual scales for each country listed on Fitch’s regional websites to determine if any additional or alternative category definitions apply.
National Short-Term Credit Ratings
F1(xxx)
Indicates the strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. Under the agency’s National Rating scale, this rating is assigned to the lowest default risk relative to others in the same country. Where the liquidity profile is particularly strong, a “+” is added to the assigned rating.
F2(xxx)
Indicates a good capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. However, the margin of safety is not as great as in the case of the higher ratings.
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F3(xxx)
Indicates an adequate capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. However, such capacity is more susceptible to near-term adverse changes than for financial commitments in higher rated categories.
B(xxx)
Indicates an uncertain capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. Such capacity is highly susceptible to near-term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
C(xxx)
Indicates a highly uncertain capacity for timely payment of financial commitments relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.
RD(xxx): Restricted default.
Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Applicable to entity ratings only.
D(xxx)
Indicates actual or imminent payment default.
Notes to Long-Term and Short-Term National Ratings:
The ISO International Country Code is placed in parentheses immediately following the rating letters to indicate the identity of the National market within which the rating applies. For illustrative purposes, (xxx) has been used.
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LONG-TERM RATINGS
S&P’s Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings
Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on S&P Global Ratings’ analysis of the following considerations:
· | The likelihood of payment--the capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitments on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation; |
· | The nature and provisions of the financial obligation, and the promise we impute; and |
· | The protection afforded by, and relative position of, the financial obligation in the event of a bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors’ rights. |
Issue ratings are an assessment of default risk but may incorporate an assessment of relative seniority or ultimate recovery in the event of default. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such differentiation may apply when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.)
AAA
An obligation rated ‘AAA’ has the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is extremely strong.
AA
An obligation rated ‘AA’ differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is very strong.
A
An obligation rated ‘A’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is still strong.
BBB
An obligation rated ‘BBB’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
BB, B, CCC, CC, and C
Obligations rated ‘BB’, ‘B’, ‘CCC’, ‘CC’, and ‘C’ are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. ‘BB’ indicates the least degree of speculation and ‘C’ the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposure to adverse conditions.
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BB
An obligation rated ‘BB’ is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions that could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
B
An obligation rated ‘B’ is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated ‘BB’, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
CCC
An obligation rated ‘CCC’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.
CC
An obligation rated ‘CC’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The ‘CC’ rating is used when a default has not yet occurred but S&P Global Ratings expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.
C
An obligation rated ‘C’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared with obligations that are rated higher.
D
An obligation rated ‘D’ is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation’s rating is lowered to ‘D’ if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.
NR
This indicates that no rating has been requested, or that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that S&P Global Ratings does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.
* The ratings from ‘AA’ to ‘CCC’ may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.
See active and inactive qualifiers following S&P Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings beginning on page 46.
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Moody’s Long-Term Debt Ratings
Moody’s Long-Term Rating Definitions:
Aaa
Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.
Aa
Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.
A
Obligations rated A are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.
Baa
Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.
Ba
Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.
B
Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.
Caa
Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.
Ca
Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.
C
Obligations rated C are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.
Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category. Additionally, a “(hyb)” indicator is appended to all ratings of hybrid securities issued by banks, insurers, finance companies, and securities firms.*
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* By their terms, hybrid securities allow for the omission of scheduled dividends, interest, or principal payments, which can potentially result in impairment if such an omission occurs. Hybrid securities may also be subject to contractually allowable write-downs of principal that could result in impairment. Together with the hybrid indicator, the long-term obligation rating assigned to a hybrid security is an expression of the relative credit risk associated with that security.
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Fitch’s National Long-Term Credit Ratings
AAA(xxx)
‘AAA’ National Ratings denote the highest rating assigned by the agency in its National Rating scale for that country. This rating is assigned to issuers or obligations with the lowest expectation of default risk relative to all other issuers or obligations in the same country.
AA(xxx)
‘AA’ National Ratings denote expectations of very low default risk relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. The default risk inherent differs only slightly from that of the country’s highest rated issuers or obligations.
A(xxx)
‘A’ National Ratings denote expectations of low default risk relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. However, changes in circumstances or economic conditions may affect the capacity for timely repayment to a greater degree than is the case for financial commitments denoted by a higher rated category.
BBB(xxx)
‘BBB’ National Ratings denote a moderate default risk relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. However, changes in circumstances or economic conditions are more likely to affect the capacity for timely repayment than is the case for financial commitments denoted by a higher rated category.
BB(xxx)
‘BB’ National Ratings denote an elevated default risk relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. Within the context of the country, payment is uncertain to some degree and capacity for timely repayment remains more vulnerable to adverse economic change over time.
B(xxx)
‘B’ National Ratings denote a significantly elevated default risk relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country. Financial commitments are currently being met, but a limited margin of safety remains and capacity for continued timely payments is contingent upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.
CCC(xxx)
‘CCC’ National Ratings denote very high default risk relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country.
CC(xxx)
‘CC’ National Ratings denote default risk is among the highest relative to other issuers or obligations in the same country.
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C(xxx)
A default or default-like process has begun, or the issuer is in standstill, or for a closed funding vehicle, payment capacity is irrevocably impaired. Conditions that are indicative of a ‘C’ category rating for an issuer include:
a. | the issuer has entered into a grace or cure period following non-payment of a material financial obligation; |
b. | the issuer has entered into a temporary negotiated waiver or standstill agreement following a payment default on a material financial obligation; |
c. | the formal announcement by the issuer or their agent of a distressed debt exchange; and |
d. | a closed financing vehicle where payment capacity is irrevocably impaired such that it is not expected to pay interest and/or principal in full during the life of the transaction, but where no payment default is imminent. |
RD(xxx): Restricted default.
‘RD’ ratings indicate an issuer that, in Fitch’s opinion, has experienced an uncured payment default on a bond, loan or other material financial obligation but that has not entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure and has not otherwise ceased business. This would include:
a. | the selective payment default on a specific class or currency of debt; |
b. | the uncured expiry of any applicable grace period, cure period or default forbearance period following a payment default on a bank loan, capital markets security or other material financial obligation; |
c. | the extension of multiple waivers or forbearance periods upon a payment default on one or more material financial obligations, either in series or in parallel; or |
d. | execution of a distressed debt exchange on one or more material financial obligations. |
D(xxx)
‘D’ National Ratings denote an issuer or instrument that is currently in default.
Notes to Long-Term and Short-Term National Ratings:
The ISO International Country Code is placed in parentheses immediately following the rating letters to indicate the identity of the National market within which the rating applies. For illustrative purposes, (xxx) has been used.
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MUNICIPAL NOTE RATINGS
S&P’s Municipal Short-Term Note Ratings Definitions
An S&P Global Ratings U.S. municipal note rating reflects S&P Global Ratings’ opinion about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to the notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, S&P Global Ratings’ analysis will review the following considerations:
· | Amortization schedule--the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and |
· | Source of payment--the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note. |
Note rating symbols are as follows:
SP-1
Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.
SP-2
Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.
SP-3
Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.
See active and inactive qualifiers following S&P Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings beginning on page 46.
Moody’s US Municipal Short-Term Debt And Demand Obligation Ratings
Short-Term Obligation Ratings
The Municipal Investment Grade (MIG) scale is used to rate US municipal bond anticipation notes of up to three years maturity. Municipal notes rated on the MIG scale may be secured by either pledged revenues or proceeds of a take-out financing received prior to note maturity. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation, and the issuer’s long-term rating is only one consideration in assigning the MIG rating. MIG ratings are divided into three levels—MIG 1 through MIG 3—while speculative grade short-term obligations are designated SG.
MIG 1
This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.
MIG 2
This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.
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MIG 3
This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.
SG
This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.
Demand Obligation Ratings
In the case of variable rate demand obligations (VRDOs), a two-component rating is assigned: a long or short-term debt rating and a demand obligation rating. The first element represents Moody’s evaluation of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments. The second element represents Moody’s evaluation of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon demand (“demand feature”).
The second element uses a rating from a variation of the MIG scale called the Variable Municipal Investment Grade (VMIG) scale. VMIG ratings of demand obligations with unconditional liquidity support are mapped from the short-term debt rating (or counterparty assessment) of the support provider, or the underlying obligor in the absence of third party liquidity support, with VMIG 1 corresponding to P-1, VMIG 2 to P-2, VMIG 3 to P-3 and SG to not prime. For example, the VMIG rating for an industrial revenue bond with Company XYZ as the underlying obligor would normally have the same numerical modifier as Company XYZ’s prime rating. Transitions of VMIG ratings of demand obligations with conditional liquidity support, as shown in the diagram below, differ from transitions on the Prime scale to reflect the risk that external liquidity support will terminate if the issuer’s long-term rating drops below investment grade.
VMIG 1
This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
VMIG 2
This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
VMIG 3
This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
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SG
This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
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APPENDIX “B” Proxy Voting Policy
Proxy Voting Policy
1. General
As a fiduciary, an investment adviser with proxy voting authority has a duty to monitor corporate events and to vote proxies, as well as a duty to cast votes in the best interest of clients and not subrogate client interests to its own interests. Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act (the “Proxy Voting Rule”) places specific requirements on registered investment advisers with proxy voting authority. To meet the obligations under this rule, the Company has adopted and implemented policies and procedures (“Proxy Voting Policy”) reasonably designed to ensure the Company votes proxies in the best interest of its Clients and address how it will resolve any conflict of interest that may arise when voting proxies. Additionally, the Company will: (i) maintain certain records required to be maintained by the Proxy Voting Rule relating to all voted proxies; (ii) disclose its proxy voting policies and procedures to Clients and upon request providing Clients with a copy of it; and (iii) inform Clients as to how they can obtain information from the Company as to how their securities were voted.
The Company shall vote proxies solicited by or with respect to the issuers of securities in which assets of a Client portfolio are invested, unless: (i) the Client is subject to ERISA and the Advisory Contract between the Company and the Client expressly precludes the voting of proxies by the Company; (ii) the Client is not subject to ERISA and the Client otherwise instructs the Company; or (iii) the Company has responsibility for proxy voting and, in the Company’s judgment, the cost or disadvantages of voting the proxy would exceed the anticipated benefit to the Client. If the Client does not grant direct voting authority to the Company, Clients will not receive information about their proxies from the Company. Instead, Clients will be instructed to receive proxies from their custodian, transfer agent or other third-party service providers such as their proxy service provider.
2. Primary Consideration in Voting
When the Company votes a Client’s proxy with respect to a specific issuer, a Client’s economic interest as a shareholder of that issuer is the Company’s primary consideration in determining how proxies should be voted. The Company will not consider interests of the Company, other stakeholders of the issuer or interests the Client may have in other capacities. The Company shall vote proxies with the goal of maximizing the value of the securities in Client portfolios.
3. Engagement of Service Provider
The Company may engage one or more independent third-party proxy advisory firms (“Proxy Firm”) to (i) make recommendations to the Company of proxy voting policies for adoption by the Company; (ii) perform research and make recommendations to the Company as to particular shareholder votes being solicited; (iii) perform the administrative tasks of receiving proxies and proxy statements, marking proxies as instructed by the Company and delivering those proxies; (iv) retain proxy voting records and information; and (v) report to the Company on its activities. In no circumstances shall a Proxy Firm have the authority to vote proxies except in accordance with standing or specific instructions given to it by the Company. The Company shall retain final authority and fiduciary responsibility for the voting of proxies.
4. Proxy Voting Guidelines
The Company’s proxy voting guidelines are both principles-based and rules-based. The Company adheres to a core set of principles that are described in this Proxy Voting Policy and assesses each proxy proposal in light of these principles. The Company’s proxy voting “litmus test” will always be what it views as most
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likely to maximize long-term shareholder value. The Company believes that the authority and accountability for setting and executing corporate policies, goals and compensation generally should rest with the board of directors and senior management. In return, the Company supports strong investor rights that allow shareholders to hold directors and management accountable if they fail to act in the best interests of shareholders.
Generally, the Company votes proposals in accordance with these guidelines but, consistent with its “principles-based” approach to proxy voting, the Company may deviate from the guidelines if warranted by the specific facts and circumstances of the situation (i.e., if, under the circumstances, the Company believes that deviating from its stated policy is necessary to help maximize long-term shareholder value). In addition, these guidelines are not intended to address all issues that may appear on all proxy ballots. The Company will evaluate on a case-by-case basis any proposal not specifically addressed by these guidelines, whether submitted by management or shareholders, always keeping in mind the Company’s fiduciary duty to make voting decisions that, by maximizing long-term shareholder value, are in the Clients’ best interests.
The proxy voting guidelines provide that the Company will generally vote for or against various proxy proposals, usually based upon certain specified criteria. As an example, the guidelines provide that the Company will generally vote in favor of proposals to:
· | Repeal existing classified boards and elect directors on an annual basis; |
· | Adopt a written majority voting or withhold policy (in situations in which a company has not previously adopted such a policy); |
· | Lower supermajority shareholder vote requirements for charter and bylaw amendments; |
· | Lower supermajority shareholder vote requirements for mergers and other business combinations; |
· | Increase common share authorizations for a stock split; |
· | Implement a reverse stock split; |
· | Approve an ESOP (employee stock ownership plan) or other broad-based employee stock purchase or ownership plan, or increase authorized shares for existing plans; and |
· | Adopt certain social and environmental issues regarding discrimination, disclosures of environmental impact, animal treatment and corporate sustainability, when appropriate. |
The proxy voting guidelines also provide that the Company will generally vote against proposals to:
· | Elect director nominees that sit on more than six public company boards, or, if the nominee is a CEO, more than three public company boards; |
· | Classify the board of directors; |
· | Require that poison pill plans be submitted for shareholder ratification; |
· | Adopt dual class exchange offers or dual class recapitalizations; |
· | Require a supermajority shareholder vote to approve mergers and other significant business combinations; |
· | Require a supermajority shareholder vote to approve charter and bylaw amendments; and |
· | Adopt certain social and environmental proposals deemed unwarranted by the company’s board of directors. |
In certain circumstances, the guidelines provide that proxy proposals will be addressed on a case-by-case basis, including those regarding executive and director compensation plans, mergers and acquisitions, ratification of poison pill plans, a change in the company’s state of incorporation and an increase in authorized common stock.
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The Company may vote proxies contrary to the recommendations of the Proxy Firm if it determines that such action is in the best interest of a Client. In exercising its discretion, the Company may take into account a wide array of factors relating to the matter under consideration, the nature of the proposal and the company involved. As a result, the Company may vote in one manner in the case of one company and in a different manner in the case of another where, for example, the past history of the company, the character and integrity of its management, the role of outside directors, and the company’s record of producing performance for investors justifies a high degree of confidence in the company and the effect of the proposal on the value of the investment. Similarly, poor past performance, uncertainties about management and future directions, and other factors may lead the Company to conclude that particular proposals present unacceptable investment risks and should not be supported. In addition, the Company also evaluates proposals in context. For example, a particular proposal may be acceptable standing alone, but objectionable when part of an existing or proposed package. Special circumstances may also justify casting different votes for different Clients with respect to the same proxy vote.
5. Conflicts of Interest
Conflicts of interest involved in a proxy vote shall be addressed though the following three-step process:
i. Identification of all potential conflicts of interest
The Company will be deemed to have a potential conflict of interest when voting proxies if:
· | The Company manages assets for that issuer or an affiliate of the issuer and also recommends that its other Clients invest in such issuer’s securities; |
· | A director, trustee, officer or 10% shareholder of the issuer or an affiliate of the issuer is a director of a Client, a Client or an employee of the Company; |
· | The Company is actively soliciting that issuer or an affiliate of the issuer as a Client; |
· | Clients who sponsor, publicly support or have material interest in a proposal upon which the Company will be eligible to vote; |
· | The Company manages a pension plan, employee benefit plans, or provides brokerage, underwriting, insurance, or banking services to an issuer whose management is soliciting proxies; |
· | The Company or an affiliate has a substantial business relationship (separate from the Company’s investment strategy) with an issuer or a proponent of a proxy proposal and this business relationship may influence how the proxy vote is cast; |
· | The Company or an affiliate has a business relationship (separate from the Company’s investment strategy) or personal relationship with participants in a proxy contest, corporate directors or candidates for directorships; |
· | An officer or Employee of the Company or an affiliate may have a familial relationship to an issuer (e.g. a spouse or other relative who serves as a director of an issuer); |
· | A director or executive officer of the issuer has a personal relationship with the Company; |
· | Another relationship or interest of the Company, or an Employee of the Company, exists that may be affected by the outcome of the proxy vote and that the Company deems to be an actual or potential conflict for the purposes of this Proxy Voting Policy; or |
· | Any other conflict of which the Company becomes aware. |
Each Employee who is a member of the investment team that recommends votes or serves on the Investment Committee shall, on at least an annual basis, provide to the CCO a list of any public companies with or in which he or she has a relationship or could otherwise be deemed to have a conflict. Each such
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Employee shall also certify to the Company at least annually that he or she agrees to update such list promptly upon becoming aware of any relationship, interest or conflict other than what he or she originally disclosed.
ii. Determination of material conflicts
The SEC has not provided any specific guidance as to how an investment adviser should analyze or determine whether a conflict is “material” for purposes of proxy voting. Thus, traditional analysis of questions of materiality under the federal securities laws should be used.
When the Company encounters a potential conflict of interest, it shall review its proposed vote using the following analysis to ensure its voting decision does not generate a conflict of interest:
· | If the proposed vote is consistent with the Company’s Proxy Voting Policy, no further review is necessary. |
· | If the proposed vote is contrary to the Company’s Proxy Voting Policy and the Client’s position on the proposal, no further review is necessary. |
· | If the proposed vote is contrary to the Company’s Proxy Voting Policy or is not covered herein, is consistent with the Client’s position, and is also consistent with the views of the Proxy Firm, no further review is necessary. |
· | If the proposed vote is contrary to the Company’s Proxy Voting Policy or is not covered herein, is consistent with the Client’s position and is contrary to the views of the Proxy Firm, the vote will be presented to the CCO. The CCO will determine whether the proposed vote is reasonable. If the CCO cannot determine that the proposed vote is reasonable, the CCO may refer the votes back to the Client(s) or take other actions as the CCO deems appropriate. The CCO’s review will be documented using a Proxy Voting Conflict of Interest Form, which is attached hereto as Exhibit V. |
iii. Establishment of procedures to address material conflicts
If a material conflict of interest with respect to a particular vote is encountered, contact the CCO to determine how to vote the proxy consistent with the best interests of a Client and in a manner not affected by any conflicts of interest.
6. Recordkeeping
Pursuant to Rule 204-2, the Company shall retain the following five (5) types of records relating to proxy voting: (i) proxy voting policy and procedures; (ii) proxy statements received for Client securities; (iii) records of votes cast on behalf of Clients; (iv) written Client requests for proxy voting information and written Company responses to any Client request (whether oral or written) for proxy voting information; and (v) any documents prepared by the Company that were material to making a proxy voting decision or that memorialized the basis for the decision. All of the proxy voting records referenced herein above shall be maintained by the CCO for a period of not less than seven (7) years from the end of the Company’s fiscal year during which the last entry was made in the records, the first two (2) years in an appropriate office of the Company.
7. Policy Statement and Requests
The Company shall make a summary of this Proxy Voting Policy available to Clients on at least an annual basis. Such summary will be contained in the Company’s Form ADV Brochure. The Company shall also make the entire Proxy Voting Policy and the Company’s proxy voting records with respect to a Client’s account available to that Client or its representatives for review and discussion upon the Client’s request or as may be required by applicable law. The Company generally will not disclose publicly its past votes, share amounts voted or held or how it intends to vote on behalf of a Client account except as required by
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applicable law, but may disclose such information to a Client who itself may decide or may be required to make public such information. Upon a request from a person other than a Client for information on the Company’s proxy voting, Company personnel are prohibited from disclosing such information unless otherwise directed to do so by a Client, in which case Company personnel shall direct the requesting party to the CCO who will handle the request.
Questions related to this Proxy Voting Policy, the proxy voting process and/or information regarding how the Company voted proxies relating to a Client’s portfolio of securities may be obtained by Clients, free of charge, by contacting the CCO at (737) 808-4637 or cfava@innealtacapital.com.
Northern Lights Fund Trust II
PART C
OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 28.
EXHIBITS.
(a)(1) | Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated August 26, 2010. 3 |
(a)(2) | Certificate of Trust as filed with the State of Delaware on August 26, 2010. 3 |
(b) | By-Laws, effective as of August 26, 2010. 3 |
(c) | Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holders. See Article III, “Shares” and Article V “Shareholders’ Voting Powers and Meetings” of the Registrant’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust. See also, Article II, “Meetings of Shareholders” of the Registrant’s By-Laws. |
(d)(1) | Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Two Oaks Investment Management, LLC, with respect to Two Oaks Diversified Growth and Income Fund. 4 |
(d)(2) | Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Advisors Preferred, LLC, with respect to Hundredfold Select Alternative Fund. 6 |
(d)(3) | Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and North Star Investment Management Corp., with respect to the North Star Opportunity Fund, North Star Dividend Fund, North Star Micro Cap Fund and North Star Bond Fund. 85 |
(d)(4) | Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Water Oak Advisors, LLC on behalf of WOA All Asset I and WOA US All Cap I. 152 |
(d)(5) | Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Solutions Funds Group, Inc. on behalf of the SFG Futures Strategy Fund. 14 |
(d)(6) | Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and AFAM Capital, Inc., on behalf of the Al Frank Fund. 71 |
(d)(7) | Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Linde Hansen & Co., LLC on behalf of the Linde Hansen Contrarian Value Fund. 22 |
(d)(8) | Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Longboard Asset Management, LP on behalf of the Longboard Managed Futures Strategy Fund and Longboard Alternative Growth Fund. 177 |
(d)(9) | Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and KKM Financial, LLC on behalf of the Essential 40 Stock Fund (formerly, KKM Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund). 160 |
(d)(10) | Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Price Asset Management, LLC, with respect to PCS Commodity Strategy Fund. 134 |
(d)(11) | Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Balter Liquid Alternatives, LLC on behalf of the Balter L/S Small Cap Equity Fund, Balter European L/S Small Cap Fund and Balter Invenomic Fund. 155 |
(d)(12) | Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Orchard Capital Management, LLC on behalf of the Orchard Small Cap Value Fund. 123 |
(d)(13) | Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and FormulaFolio Investments, LLC on behalf of the FormulaFolios US Equity Portfolio and the FormulaFolios US Equity Fund. 118 |
(d)(14) | Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Epsilon Asset Management on behalf of the Epsilon Sector-Balanced Fund. 159 |
(d)(15) | Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Innealta Capital, LLC on behalf of the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund and the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund, Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund, Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund and the Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund. 1 |
(d)(16) | Sub-advisory Agreement between Advisors Preferred, LLC and Hundredfold Advisors LLC with respect to the Hundredfold Select Alternative Fund and Hundredfold Select Equity Fund. 9 |
(d)(17) | Sub-advisory Agreement between Balter Liquid Alternatives, LLC and Willowbridge Associates Inc. with respect to the Balter Discretionary Global Macro Fund. 105 |
(d)(18) | Sub-advisory Agreement between Balter Liquid Alternatives, LLC and Midwood Capital Management, LLC with respect to the Balter L/S Small Cap Equity Fund (formerly, Balter Long/Short Equity Fund). 108 |
(d)(19) | Sub-advisory Agreement between Balter Liquid Alternatives, LLC and Millrace Asset Group, Inc. with respect to the Balter L/S Small Cap Equity Fund (formerly, Balter Long/Short Equity Fund). 108 |
(d)(20) | Sub-advisory Agreement between Balter Liquid Alternatives, LLC and S.W. Mitchell Capital, L.L.P. with respect to the Balter European L/S Small Cap Fund. 147 |
(d)(21) | Sub-advisory Agreement between Balter Liquid Alternatives, LLC and 12 th Street Asset Management Company, LLC with respect to the Balter L/S Small Cap Equity Fund (formerly, Balter Long/Short Equity Fund). 127 |
(d)(22) | Sub-advisory Agreement between Balter Liquid Alternatives, LLC and Intrinsic Edge Capital Management, LLC with respect to the Balter L/S Small Cap Equity Fund (formerly, Balter Long/Short Equity Fund). 147 |
(d)(23) | Sub-advisory Agreement between Balter Liquid Alternatives, LLC and Invenomic Capital Management, LP with respect to the Balter Invenomic Fund. 156 |
(d)(24) | Agreement and Plan of Reorganization by and among Advisors Series Trust, with respect to the Al Frank Fund and Al Frank Dividend Value Fund, each a separate series of Advisors Series Trust, the Registrant, on behalf of the Al Frank Fund and Al Frank Dividend Value Fund, each a separate series of the Registrant, and Al Frank Asset Management, Inc. dated January 18, 2013. 2 |
(d)(25) | Agreement and Plan of Reorganization by and among Professionally Managed Portfolios, with respect to the Balter Long/Short Equity Fund, a separate series of Professionally Managed Portfolios, the Registrant, on behalf of the Balter Long/Short Equity Fund, a separate series of the Registrant, and Balter Liquid Alternatives, LLC dated June 24, 2015. 108 |
(d)(26) | Agreement and Plan of Reorganization by and among S. W. Mitchell Small Cap European Fund L.P., Mitchell (general Partner II) Inc., Northern Lights Fund Trust II on behalf of its series the Balter European L/S Small Cap Fund and Balter Liquid Alternatives, LLC dated December 31, 2015. 2 |
(d)(27) | Agreement and Plan of Reorganization dated April 21, 2017 with respect to the reorganization of the Al Frank Dividend Value Fund into the Al Frank Fund. 154 |
(d)(28) | Master Securities Loan Agreement between AFAM Capital, Inc., Morgan Stanley & Co., LLC and MS Securities Services, Inc. 45 |
(e)(1) | Underwriting Agreement between the Registrant and Northern Lights Distributors LLC. 104 |
(e)(2) | Underwriting Agreement between the Registrant and Ceros Financial Services, Inc. on behalf of the Hundredfold Select Alternative Fund and Hundredfold Select Equity Fund. 10 |
(f) | Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts - Not Applicable |
(g)(1) | Custody Agreement between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon. 4 |
(g)(2) | Custody Agreement between the Registrant and U.S. Bank, N.A., on behalf of Hundredfold Select Alternative Fund and Hundredfold Select Equity Fund. 5 |
(g)(3) | Custody Agreement between the Registrant and MUFG Union Bank, N.A. 15 |
(g)(4) | Custody Agreement between the Registrant and U.S. Bank, N.A., on behalf of the Al Frank Fund. 46 |
(g)(5) | Addendum dated November 10, 2015 to the Custody Agreement dated May 26, 2015 between the Registrant and U.S. Bank, N.A., to add the FormulaFolios US Equity Portfolio and the FormulaFolios US Equity Fund. 118 |
(g)(6) | Fourth Amendment, effective June 1, 2017, to the Custody Agreement dated May 26, 2015 between the Registrant and U.S. Bank, N.A., on behalf of the Balter L/S Small Cap Equity Fund, Balter European L/S Small Cap Fund, and Balter Invenomic Fund. 155 |
(g)(7) | Custody Agreement between the Registrant and U.S. Bank, N.A on behalf of the Epsilon Sector-Balanced Fund. 159 |
(h)(1) | Master Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Gemini Fund Services, LLC dated May 17, 2011. 137 |
(h)(2) | Amendment dated July 13, 2016 to the Master Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Gemini Fund Services, LLC dated May 17, 2011. 137 |
(h)(3) | Second Amendment dated June 1, 2018 to the Master Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Gemini Fund Services, LLC dated May 17, 2011. 177 |
(h)(4) | Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Gemini Fund Services, LLC, on behalf of the Two Oaks Diversified Growth and Income Fund. 4 |
(h)(5) | Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Gemini Fund Services, LLC, on behalf of Hundredfold Select Alternative Fund and Hundredfold Select Equity Fund. 5 |
(h)(6) | Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Gemini Fund Services, LLC, on behalf of North Star Opportunity Fund, North Star Dividend Fund, North Star Micro Cap Fund and North Star Bond Fund. 85 |
(h)(7) |
Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Gemini Fund Services, LLC, on behalf of WOA All Asset I and WOA US All Cap Fund I. 157 |
(h)(8) | Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Gemini Fund Services, LLC, on behalf of the SFG Futures Strategy Fund. 14 |
(h)(9) | Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Gemini Fund Services, LLC, on behalf of the Al Frank Fund. 75 |
(h)(10) | Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Gemini Fund Services, LLC, on behalf of the Linde Hansen Contrarian Value Fund. 22 |
(h)(11) | Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Gemini Fund Services, LLC, on behalf of the Longboard Managed Futures Strategy Fund. 35 |
(h)(12) | Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Gemini Fund Services, LLC, on behalf of the Essential 40 Stock Fund (formerly, KKM Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund). 76 |
(h)(13) | Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Gemini Fund Services, LLC, on behalf of the PCS Commodity Strategy Fund. 85 |
(h)(14) | Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Gemini Fund Services, LLC, on behalf of the Longboard Alternative Growth Fund (formerly, Longboard Long/Short Fund). 94 |
(h)(15) | Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Gemini Fund Services, LLC, on behalf of the Balter L/S Small Cap Equity Fund, Balter European L/S Small Cap Fund and Balter Invenomic Fund. 156 |
(h)(16) | Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Gemini Fund Services, LLC, on behalf of the Orchard Small Cap Value Fund. 123 |
(h)(17) | Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Gemini Fund Services, LLC, on behalf of the FormulaFolios US Equity Portfolio and the FormulaFolios US Equity Fund. 118 |
(h)(18) | Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Gemini Fund Services, LLC, on behalf of the Epsilon Sector-Balanced Fund. 159 |
(h)(19) | Fund Services Agreement between the Registrant and Gemini Fund Services, LLC, on behalf of the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund and the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund, Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund, Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund and the Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund. 1 |
(h)(20) | Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to Two Oaks Diversified Growth and Income Fund. 4 |
(h)(21) | Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to North Star Opportunity Fund, North Star Dividend Fund, North Star Micro Cap Fund and North Star Bond Fund. 85 |
(h)(22) | Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to WOA All Asset I. 16 |
(h)(23) | Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to the SFG Futures Strategy Fund. 38 |
(h)(24) | Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund and the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund, Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund, Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund and the Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund. 1 |
(h)(25) | Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to the Linde Hansen Contrarian Value Fund. 38 |
(h)(26) | Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to the Al Frank Fund. 45 |
(h)(27) | Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to the Essential 40 Stock Fund (formerly, KKM Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund). 160 |
(h)(28) | Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to the PCS Commodity Strategy Fund. 134 |
(h)(29) | Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to the Balter L/S Small Cap Equity Fund, Balter European L/S Small Cap Fund and the Balter Invenomic Fund. 155 |
(h)(30) | Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to the Orchard Small Cap Value Fund. 123 |
(h)(31) | Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to the FormulaFolios US Equity Portfolio and the FormulaFolios US Equity Fund. 118 |
(h)(32) | Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to WOA US All Cap I. 152 |
(h)(33) | Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant, with respect to Epsilon Sector-Balanced Fund. 2 |
(h)(34) | Consulting Agreement between the Registrant and Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC. 152 |
(h)(35) | Shareholder Services Plan on behalf of the Hundredfold Select Alternative Fund, Investor Class Shares. 42 |
(i)(1) | Opinion of Alston & Bird LLP regarding the Hundredfold Select Alternative Fund. 166 |
(i)(2) | Opinion of Alston & Bird LLP regarding the North Star Opportunity Fund, North Star Dividend Fund, North Star Micro Cap Fund and North Star Bond Fund. 170 |
(i)(3) | Opinion of Alston & Bird LLP regarding the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund and the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund. 172 |
(i)(4) | Opinion of Alston & Bird LLP regarding the SFG Futures Strategy Fund. 164 |
(i)(5) | Opinion of Alston & Bird LLP regarding the Linde Hansen Contrarian Value Fund. 168 |
(i)(6) | Opinion of Alston & Bird LLP regarding the WOA All Asset I. 175 |
(i)(7) | Opinion of Alston & Bird LLP regarding the Longboard Managed Futures Strategy Fund and Longboard Alternative Growth Fund. 177 |
(i)(8) | Opinion of Alston & Bird LLP regarding the Two Oaks Diversified Growth and Income Fund. 176 |
(i)(9) | Opinion of Alston & Bird LLP regarding the Al Frank Fund. 174 |
(i)(10) | Opinion of Alston & Bird LLP regarding the Essential 40 Stock Fund (formerly, KKM Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund). 178 |
(i)(11) | Opinion of Alston & Bird LLP regarding the PCS Commodity Strategy Fund. 165 |
(i)(12) | Opinion of Alston & Bird LLP regarding the, Balter European L/S Small Cap Fund, Balter Invenomic Fund and the Balter L/S Small Cap Equity Fund. 167 |
(i)(13) | Opinion of Alston & Bird LLP regarding the Orchard Small Cap Value Fund. 171 |
(i)(14) | Opinion of Alston & Bird LLP regarding the FormulaFolios US Equity Fund. 169 |
(i)(15) | Opinion of Alston & Bird LLP regarding the FormulaFolios US Equity Portfolio. 173 |
(i)(16) | Opinion of Alston & Bird LLP regarding the WOA US All Cap. 146 |
(i)(17) | Opinion of Alston & Bird LLP regarding the Epsilon Sector-Balanced Fund. 159 |
(i)(18) | Opinion of Alston & Bird LLP regarding the Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund, Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund and the Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund. 1 |
(i)(19) | Consent of Alston & Bird LLP. 1 |
(j)(1) | Consent of Cohen & Company, Ltd. with respect to the Two Oaks Diversified Growth and Income Fund. 176 |
(j)(2) | Consent of Cohen & Company, Ltd with respect to Hundredfold Select Alternative Fund. 166 |
(j)(3) | Consent of RSM US LLP with respect to North Star Bond Fund, North Star Opportunity Fund, North Star Micro Cap Fund and North Star Dividend Fund. 170 |
(j)(4) | Consent of Tait, Weller & Baker, LLP with respect to WOA All Asset I. 175 |
(j)(5) | Consent of Tait, Weller & Baker, LLP with respect to the SFG Futures Strategy Fund. 164 |
(j)(6) | Consent of BBD, LLP with respect to the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund and the Dynamic International Opportunity Fund. 172 |
(j)(7) | Consent of BBD, LLP with respect to the Linde Hansen Contrarian Value Fund. 168 |
(j)(8) | Consent of Ernst & Young LLP with respect to Hundredfold Select Alternative Fund and Hundredfold Select Equity Fund. 28 |
(j)(9) | Consent of RSM US LLP with respect to the Longboard Managed Futures Strategy Fund and Longboard Alternative Growth Fund. 177 |
(j)(10) | Consent of Tait, Weller & Baker LLP with respect to the Al Frank Fund and Al Frank Dividend Value Fund. 49 |
(j)(11) | Consent of BBD, LLP with respect to the Al Frank Fund. 174 |
(j)(12) | Consent of RSM US LLP with respect to the Essential 40 Stock Fund (formerly, KKM Enhanced U.S. Equity Fund). 178 |
(j)(13) | Consent of RSM US LLP with respect to the PCS Commodity Strategy Fund. 165 |
(j)(14) | Consent of Tait, Weller & Baker LLP with respect to the Balter European L/S Small Cap Fund, Balter Invenomic Fund and the Balter L/S Small Cap Equity Fund. 167 |
(j)(15) | Consent of BBD LLP with respect to the Orchard Small Cap Value Fund. 171 |
(j)(16) | Consent of Cohen & Company, Ltd. with respect to the FormulaFolios US Equity Fund. 169 |
(j)(17) | Consent of Cohen & Company, Ltd. with respect to the FormulaFolios US Equity Portfolio. 173 |
(j)(18) | Consent of Grant Thornton with respect to the schedule of investments for the S.W. Mitchell Small Cap European Fund L.P. 119 |
(j)(19) | Consent of BDO with respect to the Tiburon Credit Opportunities Master Fund, Ltd for the period ended December 31, 2014. 120 |
(j)(20) | Consent of BDO with respect to the Tiburon Credit Opportunities master Fund, Ltd for the period ended December 31, 2013. 120 |
(j)(21) | Consent of Tait, Weller & Baker, LLP with respect to WOA US All Cap. 146 |
(j)(22) | Consent of Cohen & Company, Ltd. on behalf of the Epsilon Sector-Balanced Fund. 159 |
(j)(23) | Consent of BBD, LLP with respect to the Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund, Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund and the Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund. 1 |
(j)(24) | Power of Attorney. 155 |
(k) | Omitted Financial Statements - Not Applicable. |
(l) | Initial Capital Agreements - Not Applicable. |
(m)(1) | Class A Master Distribution and Shareholder Services Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1. 154 |
(m)(2) | Class C Master Distribution and Shareholder Services Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1. 154 |
(m)(3) | Class I Master Distribution and Shareholder Services Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1. 156 |
(m)(4) | Class N Master Distribution and Shareholder Services Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1. 1 |
(m)(5) | Class R Master Distribution and Shareholder Services Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1. 154 |
(m)(6) | Investor Class Master Distribution and Shareholder Services Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1. 156 |
(m)(7) | Service Class Master Distribution and Shareholder Services Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1. 46 |
(m)(8) | Shareholder Servicing Plan and Agreement on behalf of the Balter L/S Small Cap Equity Fund (formerly the Balter Long/Short Equity Fund), Balter European L/S Small Cap Fund and Balter Invenomic Fund. 155 |
(n) | Rule 18f-3 Plan, as amended July 24, 2018. 1 |
(p)(1) | Code of Ethics of Northern Lights Distributors, LLC. 4 |
(p)(2) | Code of Ethics of Two Oaks Investment Management, LLC. 4 |
(p)(3) | Code of Ethics of Advisors Preferred LLC. 4 |
(p)(4) | Code of Ethics for Hundredfold Advisors, LLC. 5 |
(p)(5) | Code of Ethics for North Star Investment Management Corp. 7 |
(p)(6) | Code of Ethics for Water Oak Advisors LLC. 9 |
(p)(7) | Code of Ethics for Solutions Funds Group, Inc. 17 |
(p)(8) | Code of Ethics for AFAM Capital, Inc. 115 |
(p)(9) | Code of Ethics for Linde Hansen & Co., LLC. 16 |
(p)(10) | Code of Ethics for Longboard Asset Management, LP. 115 |
(p)(11) | Code of Ethics for Ceros Financial Services, Inc. 42 |
(p)(12) | Code of Ethics for KKM Financial, LLC. 74 |
(p)(13) | Code of Ethics for Price Asset Management, LLC 81 |
(p)(14) | Code of Ethics for Balter Liquid Alternatives, LLC, Midwood Capital Management, LLC and Invenomic Capital Management, LP. 155 |
(p)(15) | Code of Ethics for Millrace Asset Group Inc. 108 |
(p)(16) | Code of Ethics for Orchard Capital Management, LLC. 116 |
(p)(17) | Code of Ethics for FormulaFolio Investments, LLC. 116 |
(p)(18) | Code of Ethics for S.W. Mitchell Capital, L.L.P. 116 |
(p)(19) | Code of Ethics for 12 th Street Asset Management Company, LLC. 127 |
(p)(20) | Code of Ethics for Intrinsic Edge Capital Management. 144 |
(p)(21) | Code of Ethics for Epsilon Asset Management. 159 |
(p)(22) | Code of Ethics for Innealta Capital, LLC. 172 |
1 Is filed herewith.
2 To be filed by subsequent amendment.
3 Previously filed on June 16, 2011 in the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A, and hereby incorporated by reference.
4 Previously filed on June 28, 2011 in the Registrant's Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2, and hereby incorporated by reference.
5 Previously filed on August 3, 2011 in the Registrant's Proxy/Registration Statement on Form N-14, and hereby incorporated by reference.
6 Previously filed on August 3, 2011 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 2, and hereby incorporated by reference.
7 Previously filed on August 19, 2011 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 3, and hereby incorporated by reference.
8 Previously filed on August 26, 2011 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 4, and hereby incorporated by reference.
9 Previously filed on September 20, 2011 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 5, and hereby incorporated by reference.
10 Previously filed on October 3, 2011 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 9, and hereby incorporated by reference.
11 Previously filed on October 27, 2011 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 12, and hereby incorporated by reference.
12 Previously filed on October 27, 2011 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 13, and hereby incorporated by reference.
13 Previously filed on November 2, 2011 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 14, and hereby incorporated by reference.
14 Previously filed on November 17, 2011 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 18 and hereby incorporated by reference.
15 Previously filed on November 22, 2011 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 20 and hereby incorporated by reference.
16 Previously filed on December 14, 2011 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 24 and hereby incorporated by reference.
17 Previously filed on December 19, 2011 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 25 and hereby incorporated by reference.
18 Previously filed on December 20, 2011 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 and hereby incorporated by reference.
19 Previously filed on January 4, 2012 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 29 and hereby incorporated by reference.
20 Previously filed on January 10, 2012 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 31 and hereby incorporated by reference.
21 Previously filed on January 10, 2012 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 32 and hereby incorporated by reference.
22 Previously filed on January 27, 2012 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 34 and hereby incorporated by reference.
23 Previously filed on February 2, 2012 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 37 and hereby incorporated by reference.
24 Previously filed on February 7, 2012 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 39 and hereby incorporated by reference.
25 Previously filed on February 10, 2012 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 40 and hereby incorporated by reference.
26 Previously filed on March 8, 2012 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 and hereby incorporated by reference.
27 Previously filed on March 9, 2012 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 46 and hereby incorporated by reference.
28 Previously filed on March 13, 2012 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 47 and hereby incorporated by reference.
29 Previously filed on March 23, 2012 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 51 and hereby incorporated by reference.
30 Previously filed on March 27, 2012 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 52 and hereby incorporated by reference.
31 Previously filed on April 12, 2012 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 56 and hereby incorporated by reference.
32 Previously filed on April 17, 2012 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 57 and hereby incorporated by reference.
33 Previously filed on May 15, 2012 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 and hereby incorporated by reference.
34 Previously filed on May 25, 2012 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 65 and hereby incorporated by reference.
35 Previously filed on June 19, 2012 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 68 and hereby incorporated by reference.
36 Previously filed on June 28, 2012 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 69 and hereby incorporated by reference.
37 Previously filed on July 27, 2012 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 73 and hereby incorporated by reference.
38 Previously filed on August 17, 2012 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 75 and hereby incorporated by reference.
39 Previously filed on September 20, 2012 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 78 and hereby incorporated by reference.
40 Previously filed on October 19, 2012 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 81 and hereby incorporated by reference.
41 Previously filed on November 9, 2012 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 86 and hereby incorporated by reference.
42 Previously filed on December 28, 2012 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 88 and hereby incorporated by reference.
43 Previously filed on January 17, 2013 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 91 and hereby incorporated by reference.
44 Previously filed on January 30, 2013 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 92 and hereby incorporated by reference.
45 Previously filed on February 1, 2013 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 93 and hereby incorporated by reference.
46 Previously filed on March 22, 2013 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 95 and hereby incorporated by reference.
47 Previously filed on March 28, 2013 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 96 and hereby incorporated by reference.
48 Previously filed on April 17, 2013 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 99 and hereby incorporated by reference.
49 Previously filed on April 30, 2013 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 101 and hereby incorporated by reference.
50 Previously filed on June 7, 2013 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 103 and hereby incorporated by reference.
51 Previously filed on June 25, 2013 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 105 and hereby incorporated by reference.
52 Previously filed on July 29, 2013 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 109 and hereby incorporated by reference.
53 Previously filed on September 3, 2013 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 112 and hereby incorporated by reference.
54 Previously filed on September 19, 2013 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 115 and hereby incorporated by reference.
55 Previously filed on September 26, 2013 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 117 and hereby incorporated by reference.
56 Previously filed on September 30, 2013 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 118 and hereby incorporated by reference.
57 Previously filed on November 18, 2013 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 123 and hereby incorporated by reference.
58 Previously filed on December 17, 2013 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 125 and hereby incorporated by reference.
59 Previously filed on December 27, 2013 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 127 and hereby incorporated by reference.
60 Previously filed on December 27, 2013 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 128 and hereby incorporated by reference.
61 Previously filed on December 30, 2013 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 131 and hereby incorporated by reference.
62 Previously filed on January 13, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 134 and hereby incorporated by reference.
63 Previously filed on January 13, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 135 and hereby incorporated by reference.
64 Previously filed on March 14, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 138 and hereby incorporated by reference
65 Previously filed on March 26, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 141 and hereby incorporated by reference.
66 Previously filed on March 26, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 142 and hereby incorporated by reference.
67 Previously filed on March 27, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 143 and hereby incorporated by reference
68 Previously filed on March 27, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 144 and hereby incorporated by reference
69 Previously filed on March 27, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 145 and hereby incorporated by reference
70 Previously filed on March 28, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 146 and hereby incorporated by reference.
71 Previously filed on March 28, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 147 and hereby incorporated by reference.
72 Previously filed on April 30, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 149 and hereby incorporated by reference.
73 Previously filed on April 30, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 150 and hereby incorporated by reference.
74 Previously filed on May 30, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 155 and hereby incorporated by reference.
75 Previously filed on June 20, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 157 and hereby incorporated by reference.
76 Previously filed on June 25, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 158 and hereby incorporated by reference.
77 Previously filed on June 27, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 159 and hereby incorporated by reference.
78 Previously filed on June 27, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 160 and hereby incorporated by reference.
79 Previously filed on July 8, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 163 and hereby incorporated by reference.
80 Previously filed on July 24, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 168 and hereby incorporated by reference.
81 Previously filed on September 3, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 170 and hereby incorporated by reference.
82 Previously filed on September 24, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 175 and hereby incorporated by reference.
83 Previously filed on September 24, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 176 and hereby incorporated by reference.
84 Previously filed on September 25, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 177 and hereby incorporated by reference.
85 Previously filed on September 26, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 178 and hereby incorporated by reference.
86 Previously filed on November 21, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 189 and hereby incorporated by reference.
87 Previously filed on December 4, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 190 and hereby incorporated by reference.
88 Previously filed on December 23, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 192 and hereby incorporated by reference.
89 Previously filed on December 29, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 192 and hereby incorporated by reference.
90 Previously filed on December 30, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 197 and hereby incorporated by reference.
91 Previously filed on December 31, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 200 and hereby incorporated by reference.
92 Previously filed on December 31, 2014 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 201 and hereby incorporated by reference.
93 Previously filed on January 27, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 207 and hereby incorporated by reference.
94 Previously filed on March 16, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 209 and hereby incorporated by reference.
95 Previously filed on March 23, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 210 and hereby incorporated by reference.
96 Previously filed on March 23, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 211 and hereby incorporated by reference.
97 Previously filed on March 24, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 212 and hereby incorporated by reference.
98 Previously filed on March 25, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 213 and hereby incorporated by reference.
99 Previously filed on March 27, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 214 and hereby incorporated by reference.
100 Previously filed on March 30, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 215 and hereby incorporated by reference.
101 Previously filed on April 29, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 225 and hereby incorporated by reference.
102 Previously filed on April 29, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 226 and hereby incorporated by reference.
103 Previously filed on April 29, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 227 and hereby incorporated by reference.
104 Previously filed on May 26, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 233 and hereby incorporated by reference.
105 Previously filed on June 26, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 234 and hereby incorporated by reference.
106 Previously filed on June 29, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 235 and hereby incorporated by reference.
107 Previously filed on July 14, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 238 and hereby incorporated by reference.
108 Previously filed on July 24, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 240 and hereby incorporated by reference.
109 Previously filed on July 28, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 242 and hereby incorporated by reference.
110 Previously filed on September 23, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 251 and hereby incorporated by reference.
111 Previously filed on September 23, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 252 and hereby incorporated by reference.
112 Previously filed on September 24, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 253 and hereby incorporated by reference.
113 Previously filed on September 25, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 254 and hereby incorporated by reference.
114 Previously filed on September 25, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 255 and hereby incorporated by reference.
115 Previously filed on September 28, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 256 and hereby incorporated by reference.
116 Previously filed on October 14, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 262 and hereby incorporated by reference.
117 Previously filed on November 19, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 268 and hereby incorporated by reference.
118 Previously filed on November 19, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 269 and hereby incorporated by reference.
119 Previously filed on December 21, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 280 and hereby incorporated by reference.
120 Previously filed on December 21, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 281 and hereby incorporated by reference.
121 Previously filed on December 23, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 282 and hereby incorporated by reference.
122 Previously filed on December 23, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 283 and hereby incorporated by reference.
123 Previously filed on December 28, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 284 and hereby incorporated by reference.
124 Previously filed on December 29, 2015 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 285 and hereby incorporated by reference.
125 Previously filed on January 29, 2016 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 290 and hereby incorporated by reference.
126 Previously filed on February 26, 2016 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 293 and hereby incorporated by reference.
127 Previously filed on February 26, 2016 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 294 and hereby incorporated by reference.
128 Previously filed on March 17, 2016 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 297 and hereby incorporated by reference.
129 Previously filed on March 18, 2016 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 298 and hereby incorporated by reference.
130 Previously filed on March 22, 2016 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 299 and hereby incorporated by reference.
131 Previously filed on March 23, 2016 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 300 and hereby incorporated by reference.
132 Previously filed on March 28, 2016 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 301 and hereby incorporated by reference.
133 Previously filed on March 28, 2016 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 301 and hereby incorporated by reference.
134 Previously filed on April 22, 2016 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 308 and hereby incorporated by reference.
135 Previously filed on June 26, 2016 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 312 and hereby incorporated by reference.
136 Previously filed on July 27, 2016 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 313 and hereby incorporated by reference.
137 Previously filed on September 27, 2016 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 315 and hereby incorporated by reference.
138 Previously filed on September 27, 2016 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 316 and hereby incorporated by reference.
139 Previously filed on September 27, 2016 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 317 and hereby incorporated by reference.
140 Previously filed on September 27, 2016 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 318 and hereby incorporated by reference.
141 Previously filed on December 27, 2016 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 324 and hereby incorporated by reference.
142 Previously filed on December 27, 2016 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 325 and hereby incorporated by reference.
143 Previously filed on December 28, 2016 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 326 and hereby incorporated by reference.
144 Previously filed on February 27, 2017 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 331 and hereby incorporated by reference.
145 Previously filed on February 28, 2017 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 332 and hereby incorporated by reference.
146 Previously filed on March 1, 2017 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 333 and hereby incorporated by reference.
147 Previously filed on March 3, 2017 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 334 and hereby incorporated by reference.
148 Previously filed on March 27, 2017 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 337 and hereby incorporated by reference.
149 Previously filed on March 28, 2017 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 338 and hereby incorporated by reference.
150 Previously filed on March 28, 2017 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 339 and hereby incorporated by reference.
151 Previously filed on March 29, 2017 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 340 and hereby incorporated by reference.
152 Previously filed on March 29, 2017 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 341 and hereby incorporated by reference.
153 Previously filed on April 13, 2017 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 347 and hereby incorporated by reference.
154 Previously filed on April 28, 2017 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 348 and hereby incorporated by reference.
155 Previously filed on May 17, 2017 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 351 and hereby incorporated by reference.
156 Previously filed on June 16, 2017 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 353 and hereby incorporated by reference.
157 Previously filed on June 27, 2017 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 354 and hereby incorporated by reference.
158 Previously filed on July 28, 2017 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 356 and hereby incorporated by reference.
159 Previously filed on August 25, 2017 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 358 and hereby incorporated by reference.
160 9Previously filed on September 27, 2017 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 361 and hereby incorporated by reference
161 Previously filed on September 27, 2017 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 362 and hereby incorporated by reference.
162 Previously filed on November 22, 2017 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 367 and hereby incorporated by reference.
163 Previously filed on December 4, 2017 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 370 and hereby incorporated by reference.
164 Previously filed on December 27, 2017 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 372 and hereby incorporated by reference.
165 Previously filed on December 27, 2017 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 373 and hereby incorporated by reference.
166 Previously filed on December 28, 2017 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 374 and hereby incorporated by reference.
167 Previously filed on February 23, 2018 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 379 and hereby incorporated by reference.
168 Previously filed on March 26, 2018 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 381 and hereby incorporated by reference.
169 Previously filed on March 26, 2018 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 382 and hereby incorporated by reference.
170 Previously filed on March 27, 2018 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 383 and hereby incorporated by reference.
171 Previously filed on March 28, 2018 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 384 and hereby incorporated by reference.
172 Previously filed on March 29, 2018 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 385 and hereby incorporated by reference.
173 Previously filed on April 18, 2018 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 391 and hereby incorporated by reference.
174 Previously filed on April 27, 2018 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 394 and hereby incorporated by reference.
175 Previously filed on June 27, 2018 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 395 and hereby incorporated by reference.
176 Previously filed on July 27, 2018 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 397 and hereby incorporated by reference.
177 Previously filed on September 25, 2018 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 400 and hereby incorporated by reference.
1787 Previously filed on September 26, 2018 in the Registrant's Post-Effective Amendment No. 401 and hereby incorporated by reference.
ITEM 29.
PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON CONTROL WITH THE REGISTRANT.
None.
ITEM 30.
INDEMNIFICATION.
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.
ITEM 31.
BUSINESS AND OTHER CONNECTIONS OF THE INVESTMENT ADVISER.
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:
Two Oaks Investment Management, LLC, adviser to the Two Oaks Diversified Growth and Income Fund -- File No. 801-72390.
Advisors Preferred, LLC, adviser to the Hundredfold Select Alternative Fund – File No. 801-72430.
North Star Investment Management Corp., adviser to the North Star Opportunity Fund, North Star Dividend Fund, North Star Micro Cap Fund and North Star Bond Fund – File No. 801-62013.
Water Oak Advisors, LLC, adviser to the WOA All Asset I and WOA US All Cap I – File No. 801-66872.
AFAM Capital, Inc., adviser to the Al Frank Fund – File No. 801-30528.
Innealta Capital, LLC, adviser to the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund, Dynamic International Opportunity Fund, Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund, Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund and the Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund. – File No. 801-112421
Solutions Funds Group, Inc., adviser to the SFG Futures Strategy Fund – File No. 801-72794.
Longboard Asset Management, LP, adviser to the Longboard Managed Futures Strategy and Longboard Alternative Growth Fund – File No. 801-72623.
KKM Financial, LLC, adviser to the Essential 40 Stock Fund – File No. 801-77094.
Price Asset Management, LLC, adviser to the PCS Commodity Strategy Fund – File No. 801-77076.
Balter Liquid Alternatives, LLC, adviser to the Balter L/S Small Cap Equity Fund, Balter European L/S Small Cap Fund and the Balter Invenomic Fund – File No. 801-78740.
Orchard Capital Management, LLC, adviser to the Orchard Small Cap Value Fund – File No. 801-106488.
FormulaFolio Investments, LLC, adviser to the FormulaFolios US Equity Fund and the FormulaFolios US Equity Portfolio – File No. 801-72780.
Epsilon Asset Management, LLC, adviser to the Epsilon Sector-Balanced Fund – File No. 801-111013
ITEM 32.
PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITER.
(a)
Northern Lights Distributors, LLC (“NLD”), is the principal underwriter for all series of Northern Lights Fund Trust II except Hundredfold Select Alternative Fund. NLD also acts as principal underwriter for the following:
Advisor One Funds, Arrow DWA Tactical ETF, Arrow ETF 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 III, 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, NE 68130. NLD is an affiliate of Gemini Fund Services, LLC and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NorthStar Financial Services Group, LLC. To the best of Registrant’s knowledge, the following are the officers of NLD:
Name |
Positions and Offices with Underwriter |
Positions and Offices with the Fund |
William J. Strait | President and General Counsel | None |
Daniel Applegarth | Treasurer/FINOP | None |
Mike Nielsen | Chief Compliance Officer and AML Compliance Officer | None |
(c) Not Applicable.
ITEM 33.
LOCATION OF ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS.
The following entities prepare, maintain and preserve the records required by Section 31 (a) of the 1940 Act for the Registrant. These services are provided to the Registrant for such periods prescribed by the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the 1940 Act and such records are the property of the entity required to maintain and preserve such records and will be surrendered promptly on request.
Bank of New York Mellon (“BNYM”), One Wall Street, New York, NY 10286, provides custodian services to the Two Oaks Diversified Growth and Income Fund pursuant to a Custody Agreement between BNYM and the Trust.
U.S. Bank, National Association (“U.S. Bank”), 1555 North River Center Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53212, provides custodian services to the Hundredfold Select Alternative Fund, Al Frank Fund, Balter L/S Small Cap Equity Fund, Balter European L/S Small Cap Fund, Balter Invenomic Fund, FormulaFolios US Equity Fund, FormulaFolios US Equity Portfolio, and the Epsilon Sector-Balanced Fund pursuant to a Custody Agreement between U.S. Bank and the Trust.
MUFG Union Bank, National Association (“Union Bank”), 400 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94104, provides custodian services to the North Star Opportunity Fund, WOA All Asset I, WOA US All Cap I, SFG Futures Strategy Fund, Linde Hansen Contrarian Value Fund, Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund, Dynamic International Opportunity Fund, Longboard Managed Futures Strategy Fund, Longboard Alternative Growth Fund, North Star Dividend Fund, North Star Micro Cap Fund, North Star Bond Fund, PCS Commodity Strategy Fund, and Orchard Small Cap Value Fund, Essential 40 Stock Fund, Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund, Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund and the Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund pursuant to a Custody Agreement between Union Bank and the Trust.
Gemini Fund Services, LLC (“GFS”), located at 17605 Wright Street, Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68130, provides transfer agent and dividend disbursing services pursuant to a Transfer Agency and Service Agreements between GFS and the Trust. In such capacities, GFS provides pricing for each Fund’s portfolio securities, keeps records regarding securities and other assets in custody and in transfer, bank statements, canceled checks, financial books and records, and keeps records of each shareholder’s account and all disbursement made to shareholders. GFS also maintains all records required pursuant to Administrative Service Agreements with the Trust.
NLD, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NorthStar Financial Services Group, LLC, located at 17605 Wright Street, Omaha, NE 68130, serves as principal underwriter for all series of Northern Lights Fund Trust II, except the Hundredfold Select Alternative Fund. NLD maintains all records required to be maintained pursuant to each Fund’s Distribution Plan and Agreement adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.
Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC (“NLCS”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of NorthStar Financial Services Group, LLC, located at 17605 Wright Street, Omaha, NE 68130, provides CCO and compliance services to each Fund of the Trust.
Two Oaks Investment Management, LLC, located at 7110 North Fresno Street, Suite 450, Fresno CA, 93720 pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Two Oaks Diversified Growth and Income Fund.
Advisors Preferred, LLC located at 1445 Research Blvd, Suite 530, Rockville, MD 20850 pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Hundredfold Select Alternative Fund.
North Star Investment Management Corp. located at 20 N. Wacker Drive, Suite 1416, Chicago, IL 60606 pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the North Star Opportunity Fund, North Star Dividend Fund, North Star Micro Cap Fund and North Star Bond Fund.
Water Oak Advisors LLC located at 145 Lincoln Avenue, Suite A, Winter Park, FL 32789 pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the WOA All Asset I and WOA US All Cap I.
Solutions Funds Group, Inc. located at 300 Village Green Drive, Suite 210, Lincolnshire, IL 60069, pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the SFG Futures Strategy Fund.
AFAM Capital, Inc. located at 85 Argonaut, Suite 220, Alisa Viejo, CA 92656 pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Al Frank Fund.
Innealta Capital, LLC located at 12117 FM 2244, Building 3, Suite 170, Austin, TX 78738-6312 pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund, Dynamic International Opportunity Fund, Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund, Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund and the Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund.
Linde Hansen & Co., LLC located at 25B Vreeland Road, Suite 102, Florham Park, NJ, 07932 pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Linde Hansen Contrarian Value Fund.
Longboard Asset Management, LP located at 2355 E. Camelback Road, Suite 750, Phoenix, AZ 85016 pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Longboard Managed Futures Strategy Fund and the Longboard Alternative Growth Fund.
KKM Financial, LLC, located at 311 South Wacker Drive, Suite 650, Chicago, IL 60606 pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Essential 40 Stock Fund.
Price Asset Management, LLC, located at 141 West Jackson Boulevard, Suite 1320A, Chicago, IL 60604 pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the PCS Commodity Strategy Fund.
Balter Liquid Alternatives, LLC 125 High Street, Oliver Street Tower, Suite 802, Boston, MA 02110 pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Balter L/S Small Cap Equity Fund, Balter European L/S Small Cap Fund and the Balter Invenomic Fund.
Orchard Capital Management, LLC 400 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 560, Chicago, IL 60611 pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Orchard Small Cap Value Fund.
FormulaFolio Investments, LLC located at 89 Ionia SW Suite 600, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the FormulaFolios US Equity Fund and the FormulaFolios US Equity Portfolio.
Epsilon Asset Management, LLC located at 600 Third Avenue, 2 nd Floor, New York, NY 10016 pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, maintains all records required pursuant to such agreement with respect to the Epsilon Sector-Balanced Fund.
ITEM 34.
MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
Not applicable.
ITEM 35.
UNDERTAKINGS.
See Item 30 above, second paragraph.
One or more of the Registrant’s series may invest up to 25% of its respective total assets in a wholly-owned and controlled subsidiary (each a “Subsidiary” and collectively the “Subsidiaries”). Each Subsidiary will operate under the supervision of the Registrant. The Registrant hereby undertakes that the Subsidiaries will submit to inspection by the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
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 Post-Effective Amendment No. 404 to its Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto authorized, in the City of Hauppauge, State of New York, on October 31, 2018.
NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST II
By: __________________________
Kevin Wolf*
President and Principal Executive Officer
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature | Title | Date |
Brian Nielsen* |
_________________________ Trustee & Chairman |
October 31, 2018 |
Thomas Sarkany* |
_________________________ Trustee |
October 31, 2018 |
Anthony Lewis* |
_________________________ Trustee |
October 31, 2018 |
Keith Rhoades* |
_________________________ Trustee |
October 31, 2018 |
Randy Skalla* |
_________________________ Trustee |
October 31, 2018 |
Kevin Wolf* |
_________________________ President and Principal Executive Officer |
October 31, 2018 |
Erik Naviloff* |
_________________________ Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer |
October 31, 2018 |
*By: /s/Allyson Stewart
Allyson Stewart
*Attorney-in-Fact – pursuant to powers of attorney incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 351 (filed on May 17, 2017) in the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A.
EXHIBIT INDEX
APPENDIX IV-32
LIST OF FUNDS
SERVICES & FEES
This Appendix IV-32 is part of the Fund Services Agreement (the “Agreement”), dated May 17, 2011, between Northern Lights Fund Trust II (the “Trust”) and Gemini Fund Services, LLC (“GFS”) and supersedes and replaces any existing Appendix IV to the Agreement relating to the Fund(s) identified below. Set forth below are the Services elected by the Fund(s) identified on this Appendix IV-32 along with the associated Fees. Capitalized terms used herein that are not otherwise defined shall have meanings ascribed to them in the Agreement.
EFFECTIVE DATE
The Effective Date for the Fund(s) set forth on this Appendix IV-32 shall be the later of the date of this Agreement or upon commencement of operations.
COVERED FUNDS
The Fund(s) to be covered under this Agreement include:
Fund Name | Board Approval Date |
Dynamic International Opportunity Fund | January 23, 2018 |
Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund | January 23, 2018 |
Acclivity Mid-Cap Multi Style Fund | July 24, 2018 |
Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund | July 24, 2018 |
Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund | July 24, 2018 |
Funds with the same investment adviser are collectively referred to as a “Fund Family.”
SELECTED SERVICES and FEES
The Fund(s) shall pay to GFS the following fees: (unless otherwise specified, all basis point fees will be calculated based upon the average net assets of a Fund Family for the previous month).
Fund Accounting Fees and Fund Administration Fees
1. | Base annual fee: The greater of $50,000.00 per Fund |
-OR-
10 basis points or 0.10% on net assets up to $50 million,
8 basis points or 0.08% on net assets of $50 million to $100 million,
6 basis points or 0.06% on net assets of $100 million to $250 million,
5 basis points or 0.05% on net assets of $250 million to $500 million,
3 basis points or 0.03% on net assets of $500 million to $2 billion;
2 basis points or 0.02% on net assets greater than $2 billion.
2. | Price Quotes. The charges for securities/commodity price quotes are determined by GFS’s cost of obtaining such quotes and, therefore, are subject to change. Current charges (presented as per security/per day unless otherwise noted) are as follows: |
$ 0.10 Domestic and Canadian Equities, Mutual Funds, ADRs, ETFs | |
$ 0.40 Non-North American Equities | |
$ 0.55 Corporate/Govt/Agency Bonds, Money Markets, Mortgage Backed Securities | |
$ 0.60 Municipal Bonds | |
$ 0.75 High Yield Bonds | |
$ 1.00 Non-North American Bonds | |
$ 0.15 Options | |
$ 0.25 Futures | |
$ 0.75 Reverse Mortgage Backed Securities | |
$ 1.00 Asset Backed & CMO Securities | |
$ 3.50 CLO | |
$ 3.50 CDO | |
$ 15.00 Leverage Loans/Bank Loans [monthly] | |
$ 62.50 CDX [monthly] | |
$ 62.50 CDS [monthly] |
Other Securities/Complex, Hard-to-Value | Market |
Manual Pricing Inputs/Advisor Provided | $100 per month up to 10 manual inputs |
3. | Additional Charges. |
a. | Out-of-pocket expenses . The Fund(s) shall reimburse GFS for all out-of-pocket expenses incurred by GFS to provide the Services to the Fund(s). |
b. | Manual processing fee . The Fund(s) shall pay an additional charge of $500.00 per month for portfolios that transmit daily trades via facsimile as opposed to utilizing an electronic format. |
c. | SSAE 18 expense . Each Fund shall pay its allocated portion of the GFS annual SSAE 18 review. |
d. | FIN 48 Compliance fee . Each Fund shall pay GFS $495.00 per calendar quarter for FIN 48 Compliance. |
e. | Fund Accounting Data De-Conversion fee . Each Fund shall pay a Fund Accounting record data de-conversion fee in the amount of $2,500.00 upon a cancellation or termination of this Agreement for any reason other than liquidation of the Fund. |
f. | Fund Administration Data De-Conversion fee. Each Fund shall pay a Fund Administration record data de-conversion fee in the amount of $2,500.00 upon a cancellation or termination of this Agreement for any reason other than liquidation of the Fund. |
4. State Registration (Blue Sky) Fees:
Each Fund shall pay its allocated federal and state regulatory filing fees. In addition, each Fund shall pay GFS the following fees per state registration:
Initial registration | $ 295.00 |
Registration renewal | $ 150.00 |
Sales reports (if required) | $ 25.00 |
Transfer Agency Fees
1. | Base annual fee: $16.00 annual fee per open account |
($2.00 annual fee per closed account)
The base annual fee is subject to an $18,000.00 minimum annual fee for a Fund’s initial two share classes and $18,000.00 per Fund share class thereafter.
2. | General Activity Charges: |
Customer Service Calls | $ 2.50 per call |
Manual Transactions | $ 1.00 per transaction |
New Account Opening (manual) | $ 2.50 per account |
New Account Opening (electronic) | $ 0.40 per account |
Incoming IRA Transfer from prior custodian | $25.00 per transfer |
IRA Transfer to successor custodian | $25.00 per transfer |
Refund of Excess Contribution | $15.00 per refund |
Distribution to IRA Participant | $15.00 per distribution |
Check
this box to elect 24-Hour Automated Voice Response
24 Hour Automated Voice Response Charges: | |||
Initial set-up (one-time) charge | $1,500.00 per Fund Family | ||
Monthly charge | $50.00 per Fund | ||
3. | Web Package Fees: the initial installation charges for the web packages described below shall be reduced by 20% if two packages are selected or 30% if all three are selected. |
Check this box for Shareholder Desktop Web Package (described below)
$1,500.00 initial installation charge
$2,000.00 annual maintenance (invoiced annually in advance)
Check
this box for Shareholder Desktop Online New Accounts (described below)
$2,500.00 initial installation charge
Check
this box for Fund Data Web Package (described below)
$2,500.00 initial installation charge
$1,500.00 annual maintenance (invoiced annually in advance)
4. | Additional Charges: |
a. | Transfer Agency De-Conversion fee . Each Fund shall pay a Transfer Agency record data de-conversion fee in the amount of $15,000.00 upon a cancellation or termination of this Agreement for any reason other than liquidation of the Fund. |
b. | Rule 22c-2 compliance support fee . The Funds shall pay a $100.00 monthly administration |
fee for Rule 22c-2 compliance support per Fund Family, plus an additional monthly fee of $25.00 per Fund.
Special Reports/Programming Fees
All special reports analyses and/or programming requested by a Fund or the Trust under this Agreement shall be subject to an additional programming charge, agreed upon in advance, based upon the following rates:
GFS Senior & MIS Staff | $200.00 per hour |
GFS Junior Staff | $100.00 per hour |
Out-of-Pocket Expenses
The Trust shall reimburse GFS for all out-of-pocket expenses incurred by GFS when performing Services under this Agreement, including but not limited to the following:
o Anti-ID Theft Monitoring | o Pro rata portion of annual SSAE 18 review |
o Bank Account and other Bank Fees | o Proxy Services |
o Customer Identification/AML Program Costs | o Record Storage |
o Fund Stationery and Supplies | o Regulatory fees and assessments |
o Locating Lost Shareholders/Escheatment Costs | o State and Federal filing fees and assessments |
o NSCC Charges | o Tax Reporting |
o Postage | o Telephone and Toll Free Lines |
o Pre and Post Sale Fulfillment | o Travel Requested by the Trust |
o Printing Fund Documents |
(signatures on following page)
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Appendix IV-32 to the Fund Services Agreement effective as of July 24, 2018.
NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST II GEMINI FUND SERVICES, LLC
By: /s/ Kevin Wolf_______________ By:/s/ Kevin Hesselbirg
Kevin Wolf Kevin Hesselbirg
President Chief Executive Officer
The undersigned investment adviser (the “Adviser”) hereby acknowledges and agrees to the terms of this Agreement and further acknowledges and agrees that:
(1) GFS expends substantial time and money, on an ongoing basis, to recruit and train its employees; (2) GFS's business is highly competitive and is marketed throughout the United States, and (3) if the Adviser were to hire any GFS employees who are involved in the procurement of the Services under this Agreement then GFS may suffer lost sales and other opportunities and would incur substantial expense in hiring and training replacement(s) for those employees. Accordingly, the Adviser agrees that it, including its respective affiliates and subsidiaries, shall not solicit, attempt to induce or otherwise hire an employee of GFS for so long as this Agreement is in effect and for a period of two (2) years after termination of this Agreement, unless expressly agreed upon in writing by both parties. In the event that this provision is breached by the Adviser, the Adviser agrees to pay damages to GFS in the amount of two times the current annual salary of such employee or former employee. For purposes of this provision, “hire” means to employ as an employee or to engage as an independent contractor, whether on a full-time, part-time or temporary basis.
Innealta Capital, LLC
13215 Bee Cave Parkway
Building A, Suite 240
Austin, TX 78738-0064
By:_/s/ Vito Sciaraffia
Name: Vito Sciaraffia
Title: Chief Investment Officer
Shareholder Desktop Web Package
Proprietary Secure Web-Based Direct Interface With Transfer Agent Data
Supports Five Levels of Access
|
Fund Administrator |
|
Broker/Dealer |
|
Broker/Dealer Branch |
|
Registered Representative |
|
Shareholder |
Customizable Look And Feel (Logo And Color Scheme)
Account Inquiry
|
Portfolio Summary |
|
Account Position |
|
Transaction History |
|
General Account Information |
Online Transactions (Must have this reflected in the prospectus to offer this functionality)
|
Exchanges |
|
Purchases |
|
Redemptions |
|
Prospectus and SAI Access |
Account Maintenance
|
Change of Shareholder Information |
o | Address |
o | Phone Number |
o | Email Address |
Online Statement Access
|
Quarterly Statements and Confirms |
|
Electronic Delivery (Should have this reflected in the prospectus and application to offer this functionality) |
o | Statements |
o | Confirms |
o | Regulatory Mailings |
Shareholder Desktop Online New Accounts
|
Allows clients the ability to set up a new account online if they provide valid ACH information and agree to all disclaimers and agreements on site. |
|
E-Signature capability |
Fund Data Web Package
Performance Web Page
Holdings web page
Historical NAV web page
Fulfillment web page
GFS reporting utilizes the next generation secure web-based report delivery vehicle which allows for direct request or subscription based delivery reports available in multiple formats (PDF, Excel, XML, CSV)
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
Between
NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST II
and
INNEALTA CAPITAL, LLC
AGREEMENT, made as of March 27, 2018 between NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST II, a Delaware statutory trust (the "Trust"), and INNEALTA CAPITAL, LLC a Texas limited liability company (the "Adviser"), located at 12117 FM 2244, Building 3, Suite 170, Austin, TX 78738.
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 each 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 each 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 each 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 each 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).
The Adviser shall carry out its duties with respect to each Fund's investments in accordance with applicable law and the investment objectives, policies and restrictions set forth in each 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 Funds 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 Funds.
2. Expenses of the Funds.
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 Funds under any separate agreement or arrangement between the parties.
2.2 Expenses to be Paid by the Fund. Each 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 Funds’ 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 each 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, each 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 as noted in Appendix A of the Fund's average daily net assets for the month. The annual percentage rate applicable to each 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 each Fund, the aforesaid fee shall be prorated for the portion of such month during which this Agreement is in effect for each 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 each Fund may be invested from time to time. Such proxies will be voted in a manner that Adviser deem, in good faith, to be in the best interest of each Fund and in accordance with its proxy voting policy. The Adviser agrees to provide a copy of its 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 each 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 each 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. Within 45 days of the last calendar quarter of each year while this Agreement is in effect, the Adviser will provide to the Board of Trustees of the Trust 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.
The term of this Agreement shall begin as of the date and year upon which the Fund listed on Appendix A commences investment operations, and unless sooner terminated as hereinafter provided, this Agreement shall remain in effect for a period of two years. Thereafter, this Agreement shall continue in effect with respect to each 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 as 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 II and each 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 Funds 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 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 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 II
By: /s/ Kevin Wolf
Name: Kevin Wolf
Title: President
INNEALTA CAPITAL, LLC
By:_/s/ Vito Sciaraffia
Name: Vito Sciaraffia
Title:
NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST II
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
APPENDIX A
NAME OF FUND |
ANNUAL ADVISORY FEE AS A % OF AVERAGE NET ASSETS OF THE FUND |
Dynamic International Opportunity Fund
|
1.00%
|
Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund | 1.00% |
Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund | 0.55% |
Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund | 0.55% |
Acclivity Mid Cap multi-Style Fund | 0.45% |
The parties hereto agree to the terms of this Appendix A effective as of the 24 th day of July 2018 .
NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST II | INNEALTA CAPITAL, LLC | |||
By: _/s/ Kevin Wolf | By: _/s/ Vito Sciaraffia | |||
Kevin Wolf | Vito Sciaraffia | |||
President | CEO |
NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST II
OPERATING EXPENSES LIMITATION AGREEMENT
DYNAMIC INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FUND
DYNAMIC U.S. OPPORTUNITY FUND
ACCLIVITY SMALL CAP VALUE FUND
ACCLIVITY SMALL CAP GROWTH FUND
ACCLIVITY MID CAP MULTI-STYLE FUND
THIS OPERATING EXPENSES LIMITATION AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is
effective March 27, 2018 as amended July 24, 2018, by and between NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST II, a Delaware statutory trust (the
“Trust”), on behalf of the DYNAMIC INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FUND, DYNAMIC U.S. OPPORTUNITY FUND,
ACCLIVITY
SMALL CAP VALUE FUND, ACCLIVITY SMALL CAP GROWTH FUND and the ACCLIVITY MID CAP MULTI-STYLE FUND
(the
“Funds”) each a series of the Trust and the Advisor of such Fund, INNEALTA CAPITAL, LLC (the “Advisor”).
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS
, the Advisor renders advice and services to the Funds pursuant to the terms and provisions of an Investment Advisory
Agreement between the Trust and the Advisor dated as of March 27, 2018, as amended July 24, 2018 (the “Investment Advisory
Agreement”); and
WHEREAS
, the Funds are responsible for, and have assumed the obligation for, payment of certain expenses pursuant to the
Investment Advisory Agreement that have not been assumed by the Advisor; and
WHEREAS
, the Advisor desires to limit each 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 Funds) desires to allow the
Advisor to implement those limits;
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 each Fund’s current Operating Expenses to
an annual rate, expressed as a percentage of each Fund’s average annual net assets, to the amounts listed in
Appendix
A
(the “Annual Limit”). In the event that the current Operating Expenses of each Fund, as accrued each month,
exceed its Annual Limit, the Advisor will pay to that Fund, on a monthly basis, the excess expense within 30 days of being notified
that an excess expense payment is due.
2.
Definition
.
For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Operating Expenses” with respect to the Funds,
is defined to include all expenses necessary or appropriate for the operation of each Fund and including the Advisor’s investment
advisory or management fee detailed in the Investment Advisory Agreement, any Rule 12b-l fees and other expenses described in the
Investment Advisory Agreement, but does not include any front-end or contingent deferred loads, brokerage fees and
commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short), taxes and extraordinary expenses such as litigation.
3. Reimbursement of Fees and Expenses . The Advisor retains its right to receive reimbursement of any excess expense payments paid by it pursuant to this Agreement in future years on a rolling three year basis, if such reimbursement can be achieved within the Operating Expense Limitations listed in Appendix A .
4.
Term
. This Agreement shall become effective on the date first above written and shall remain in effect until at
least April 30, 2020 unless sooner terminated as provided in Paragraph 5 of this 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.
5.
Termination
.
This Agreement may be terminated at any time, and without payment of any penalty, by the Board of
Trustees of the Trust, 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 of Trustees of the Trust. This Agreement will automatically terminate,
with respect to the Funds listed in
Appendix A
if the Investment Advisory Agreement for the Fund is terminated, with
such termination effective upon the effective date of the Investment Advisory Agreement’s termination for the Fund.
6.
Assignment
.
This Agreement and all rights and obligations hereunder may not be assigned without the written consent
of the other party.
7.
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.
8.
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 and the Investment
Advisers Act of 1940 and any rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
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 II | INNEALTA CAPITAL, LLC. |
on behalf of the above referenced Funds |
By: /s/ Kevin Wolf | By: /s/ Vito Sciaraffia |
Name: Kevin Wolf | Name: Vito Sciaraffia |
Title: President | Title: Chief Investment Officer |
Appendix A
Fund | Operating Expense Limit |
Dynamic International Opportunity Fund Class N Class I
Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund Class N Class I
|
1.49% 1.24%
1.49% 1.24% |
Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund Class I Class N
|
0.67% 0.92% |
Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund Class I Class N
|
0.67% 0.92% |
Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund Class I Class N
|
0.55% 0.80% |
The Atlantic Building
950 F Street, NW
Washington, DC 20004-1404
202-239-3300 | Fax: 202-239-3333
David J. Baum | Direct Dial: 202-239-3346 | Email: david.baum@alston.com |
October 31, 2018
Northern Lights Fund Trust II
17605 Wright Street
Omaha NE 68130
Re: | Opinion of Counsel regarding Post-Effective Amendment No. 404 to Northern Lights Fund Trust II’s Registration Statement Filed on Form N-1A under the Securities Act of 1933 (File No. 333-174926) |
We have acted as counsel to Northern Lights Fund Trust II, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Trust”), in connection with the filing of Post-Effective Amendment No. 404 to the Trust’s Registration Statement (“Post-Effective Amendment No. 404”) with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), registering an indefinite number of units of beneficial interest (“Shares”) of Class N and Class I shares of the Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund, the Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund, and the Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund, each a series of the Trust (the “Funds”).
You have requested our opinion as to the matters set forth below in connection with the filing of the Post-Effective Amendment No. 404. In connection with rendering that opinion, we have examined the Post-Effective Amendment No. 404, the Declaration of Trust and any amendments thereto, the Certificate of Trust of the Trust, the Trust’s Bylaws, the actions of the Trustees of the Trust that authorize the approval of the foregoing documents, securities matters and the issuance of the Shares, and such other documents as we, in our professional opinion, have deemed necessary or appropriate as a basis for the opinion set forth below. In examining the documents referred to above, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all natural persons, the authenticity of documents purporting to be originals and the conformity to originals of all documents submitted to us as copies. As to questions of fact material to our opinion, we have relied (without investigation or independent confirmation) upon the representations contained in the above-described documents.
Our opinion, as set forth herein, is based on the facts in existence and the laws in effect on the date hereof and is limited to the federal laws of the United States of America and the Delaware Statutory Trust Act. We express no opinion with respect to any other laws.
Based upon and subject to the foregoing and the qualifications set forth below, we are of the opinion that:
1. | The Shares of each Fund to be issued pursuant to the Post-Effective Amendment No. 404 have been duly authorized for issuance by the Trust. |
2. | When issued and paid for upon the terms provided in the Post-Effective Amendment No. 404, subject to compliance with the 1933 Act, the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and all other laws relating to the sale of securities, the Shares of the Funds to be issued pursuant to the Post-Effective Amendment No. 404 will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. |
This opinion is rendered solely for your use in connection with the filing of the Post-Effective Amendment No. 404. We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the SEC in connection with Post-Effective Amendment No. 404.
Sincerely,
ALSTON & BIRD LLP
/s/ David J. Baum
A Partner
CONSENT OF ALSTON & BIRD, LLP, COUNSEL FOR THE REGISTRANT
We hereby consent to the use of our name and the references to our firm under the caption “Legal Counsel” included in or made a part of Post-Effective Amendment No. 404 to the Registration Statement of Northern Lights Fund Trust II on Form N-1A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Alston & Bird LLP
/s/ David J. Baum
A Partner
Washington, DC
October 31, 2018
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the references to our firm under the headings “Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” and in the Statement of Additional Information in this Registration Statement under the Securities Act of 1933 (Form N-1A) of Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund, Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund, and Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund, each a series of shares of beneficial interest in Northern Lights Fund II, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
BBD, LLP
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
October 31, 2018
N ORTHERN L IGHTS F UND T RUST II
CLASS N
M ASTER D ISTRIBUTION AND S HAREHOLDER S ERVICING P LAN
P URSUANT TO R ULE 12B-1
U NDER THE I NVESTMENT C OMPANY A CT OF 1940
Adopted January 22, 2013
WHEREAS, Northern Lights Fund Trust II, a Delaware statutory trust (the "Trust"), is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), as an open-end management investment company; and
WHEREAS, the Trust is authorized to issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest without par value (the "Shares"), which may be divided into one or more series of Shares (each such series a "Fund" and collectively, the "Funds"); and
WHEREAS, the Trust previously
adopted separate distribution plans pursuant to
Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (each an "Existing Plan" and collectively, the "Existing Plans") for certain
of the Funds in existence prior to the date hereof; and
WHEREAS, the trustees of the Trust now desire to amend and consolidate the Existing Plans into a separate master plan for each class of Shares offered by the Funds, such that there will exist one master plan for each similarly named class of Shares; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of such consolidation is to make administration of the Existing Plans more convenient and such consolidation shall be given effect without amending the amount to be spent for distribution and/or shareholder services and thus may be approved in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act by a vote of the board of trustees of the Trust (the "Board"), including those Board members who are not interested persons of the Trust and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of such plans or any agreements related thereto (“Independent Trustees”); and
WHEREAS, the trustees of the Trust as a whole, and the Independent Trustees, have determined, through the exercise of reasonable business judgment and in light of their fiduciary duties under state law and under Sections 36(a) and (b) of the 1940 Act, that there is a reasonable likelihood that amendment and consolidation of the Existing Plans into separate master plans for each class of Shares offered by the Funds, including, without limitation, this Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan for Class N Shares of the Funds (this "Plan") will benefit the Funds and their shareholders; and
WHEREAS, the Funds may engage a distributor (the "Distributor") to provide, or arrange for the provision of services pursuant to this Plan and the Funds are willing to authorize the payment of certain fees as set forth herein in consideration of the Distributor’s offering such services.
NOW THEREFORE, the Trust hereby adopts this Plan and approves the retention of the Distributor and the payment of certain fees as follows:
1. | Distribution Activities and Shareholder Services . |
a. | Distribution Activities . Each Fund is authorized to engage in, directly or indirectly through the Distributor or otherwise, and to perform, or cause to be performed, activities related to the distribution of Class N Shares of the Fund, which activities may include, but are not limited to, the following ("Distribution Activities"): (a) the making of payments, including payment of incentive compensation, to securities dealers or other financial intermediaries, financial institutions, investment advisers and others that are engaged in the sale of Class N Shares of the Fund, or that may be advising shareholders of the Fund regarding the purchase, sale or retention of Class N Shares of the Fund; (b) incurring expenses of maintaining personnel (including personnel of organizations with which the Fund has entered into agreements related to this Plan) who engage in or support distribution of Class N Shares of the Fund; (c) incurring costs of preparing, printing and distributing prospectuses and statements of additional information and reports of the Fund for recipients other than existing shareholders of the Fund; (d) incurring costs of formulating and implementing marketing and promotional activities, including, but not limited to, sales seminars, direct mail promotions and television, radio, newspaper, magazine and other mass media advertising; (e) incurring costs of preparing, printing and distributing sales literature; (f) incurring costs of obtaining such information, analyses and reports with respect to marketing and promotional activities as the Fund may, from time to time, deem advisable; and (g) incurring costs of implementing and operating this Plan. The Trust also is authorized to engage in Distribution Activities related to the distribution of Class N Shares of the Funds, either directly or indirectly through persons with whom the Trust has entered into agreements related to this Plan, including, without limitation, the Distributor. |
b. | Shareholder Services . In order to facilitate and/or enhance the Fund’s and/or the Trust’s Distribution Activities related to the Fund’s Class N Shares, each Fund may pay fees (or otherwise incur expenses) (subject to the limitations set forth in Section 2 hereof) for Shareholder Services. For purposes of this Plan “Shareholder Services” shall mean those services of securities dealers or other financial intermediaries, financial institutions, investment advisers and others rendered in connection with the holding of Class N Shares of the Fund for shareholders in omnibus accounts or as shareholders of record or in providing shareholder support or administrative services to the Fund and its shareholders or that are rendered to shareholders of the Fund’s Class N Shares and not otherwise provided by the Trust’s transfer agent, including, but not limited to, allocated overhead, office space and equipment, telephone facilities and expenses, answering routine inquiries regarding the Trust or the Fund, processing shareholder transactions, and in providing such other shareholder services as the Trust or the Fund may reasonably request. |
2. Fees .
a. | Distribution and Shareholder Service Fees . Each Fund is authorized to pay fees (or otherwise incur expenses) for Distribution Activities and Shareholder Services at an |
aggregate, annualized rate not to exceed the lesser of (i) the "Maximum Authorized Rate" and (ii) the "Currently Approved Rate" (each as set forth opposite such Fund’s name on Exhibit A attached hereto). The "Maximum Authorized Rate" shall mean the maximum rate authorized by the Board under this Plan and the "Currently Approved Rate" shall mean that portion of the Maximum Authorized Rate that is currently authorized for payment by the Fund, as may be amended from time to time. The applicable rate shall be applied to the average daily net assets attributable to Class N Shares of the Fund. In no event shall the rate paid for Distribution Activities exceed 0.75% and the rate paid for Shareholder Services exceed 0.25% per annum.
b. Fees in Relation to Expenses . The amount of fees payable by each Fund pursuant to this Section 2 may be greater or lesser than the expenses actually incurred by such Fund or by the Distributor or other financial intermediary on behalf of such Fund in connection with the performance of Distribution Activities and Shareholder Services.
3. Authority of the Distributor . Each Fund is hereby authorized and directed to retain the services of the Distributor to act as its principal underwriter, and, in such capacity, the Distributor is authorized to engage in Distribution Activities and/or Shareholder Services for and on behalf of the Funds and to enter into agreements with securities dealers, financial intermediaries, financial institutions, investment advisers, and others to engage in Distribution Activities and/or Shareholder Services for and on behalf of the Funds and to receive for itself or for the benefit of such third parties (and to the extent received for the benefit of such third parties to pay to such third parties) the fees authorized to be paid by the Funds pursuant to Section 2 hereof. The Distributor also is authorized to make payments to the investment adviser of any Fund for reimbursement of marketing related expenses and/or compensation for administrative assistance.
4. Term and Termination .
a. This Plan shall become effective with respect to each Fund listed on Exhibit A attached hereto (which may be amended from time to time) upon the first issuance by such Fund of Class N Shares.
b. Unless terminated as herein provided, this Plan shall continue in effect for one year from the effective date and shall continue in effect for successive periods of one year thereafter, but only so long as each such continuance is specifically approved by votes of a majority of both: (i) the trustees of the Board; and (ii) the Independent Trustees, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.
c. This Plan may be terminated with respect to a Fund at any time, without payment of any penalty, by the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Class N Shares of the Fund; and Exhibit A attached hereto shall be amended accordingly.
d. The Trust or any Fund subject to this Plan may terminate any agreement related to this Plan, without payment of any penalty, by the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Class N Shares of the Fund, upon sixty (60) days written notice to the other parties to such agreement. In addition, any agreement related to this Plan shall terminate automatically in the event of its assignment.
5. Amendments . | All material amendments to this Plan (including, without limitation, material amendments to Exhibit A attached hereto) must be approved in the manner provided for annual renewal of this Plan in Section 4(b) hereof. In addition, this Plan (including, without limitation, Exhibit A attached hereto) may not be amended to increase materially the amount of expenditures provided for in Sections 2 and 3 hereof unless such amendment is approved by a vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Class N Shares of the Fund to which the increase applies. |
6. Selection | and Nomination of Independent Trustees . While this Plan is in effect, the selection and nomination of the Independent Trustees shall be made solely at the discretion of the Independent Trustees. |
7. Quarterly | Reports . The Board shall review, at least quarterly, a written report of the amounts expended pursuant to this Plan and any related agreement and the purposes for which such expenditures were made. |
8. Recordkeeping . | The Trust shall preserve copies of this Plan and any related agreement and all reports made pursuant to Section 7 hereof, for a period of not less than six years from the date of this Plan, the agreements or such reports, as the case may be, the first two years in an easily accessible place. |
9. Limitation | of Liability . A copy of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Trust is on file with the Secretary of the State of Delaware and notice is hereby given that this Plan is executed on behalf of the trustees of the Trust as trustees and not individually and that the obligations of this Plan are not binding upon the trustees, the shareholders of the Funds individually or, with respect to each Fund, the assets or property of any other series of the Trust, but are binding only upon the assets and property of each Fund, respectively. |
10. | Incorporation by Reference . Exhibit A to this Plan (as the same may be amended from time to time) shall be deemed part of this Plan and is incorporated herein by this reference. |
11. | Defined Terms . As used in this Plan, the terms "majority of the outstanding voting securities," "assignment," and "interested person" shall have the meanings ascribed to those terms in the 1940 Act. |
Exhibit A
N ORTHERN L IGHTS F UND T RUST II
C LASS N
M ASTER D ISTRIBUTION AND S HAREHOLDER S ERVICING P LAN
Date Last Amended: July 24, 2018
Fund Name | Maximum Authorized Rate | Currently Approved Rate | Distributor |
Acclivity Mid-Cap Multi Style Fund | 0.25% | 0.25% | Northern Lights Distributors, LLC |
Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund | 0.25% | 0.25% | Northern Lights Distributors, LLC |
Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund | 0.25% | 0.25% | Northern Lights Distributors, LLC |
Dynamic International Opportunity Fund | 0.25% | 0.25% | Northern Lights Distributors, LLC |
Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund | 0.25% | 0.25% | Northern Lights Distributors, LLC |
Epsilon Sector-Balanced Fund | 0.25% | 0.25% | Northern Lights Distributors, LLC |
Longboard Alternative Growth Fund | 0.25% | 0.25% | Northern Lights Distributors, LLC |
Longboard Managed Futures Strategy Fund | 0.25% | 0.25% | Northern Lights Distributors, LLC |
Orchard Small Cap Value Fund | 0.25% | 0.25% | Northern Lights Distributors, LLC |
SFG Futures Strategy Fund | 0.25% | 0.25% | Northern Lights Distributors, LLC |
Acknowledged and Approved by:
Northern Lights Fund Trust II:
By: /s/ Kevin Wolf Kevin Wolf President |
Northern Lights Distributors, LLC:
By: /s/ William J. Strait William J. Strait President |
NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST II
RULE 18f-3 MULTIPLE CLASS PLAN
This Multiple Class Plan (the “Plan”) is adopted in accordance with Rule 18f-3 (the “Rule”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Act”), by Northern Lights Fund Trust II (the “Trust”) on behalf of each series of the Trust that has multiple classes of shares (each a “Fund”). A majority of the Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust (as defined in the Act), having determined that the Plan is in the best interests of the shareholders of each class of each Fund and the shareholders of the Trust as a whole, have approved the Plan.
The provisions of the Plan are:
1. | General Description of Classes. Each class of shares of a Fund shall represent interests in the same portfolio of investments of such Fund, shall have no exchange privileges or conversion features within that Fund unless an exchange or conversion feature is described in the Fund’s Prospectus, and shall be identical in all respects, except that, as provided for in such Fund’s Prospectus, each class shall differ with respect to: (i) Rule 12b-1 Plans that may be adopted with respect to the class; (ii) distribution and related services and expenses; (iii) differences relating to sales loads, purchase minimums, eligible investors and exchange privileges; and (iv) the designation of each class of shares. The classes of shares designated by each Fund are set forth in Appendix A . |
2. | Allocation of Income and Class Expenses. |
a. | Each class of shares shall have the same rights, preferences, voting powers, restrictions and limitations, except as follows: |
(i) | expenses related to the distribution of a class of shares or to the services provided to shareholders of a class of shares shall be borne solely by such class; |
(ii) | the following expenses attributable to the shares of a particular class will be borne solely by the class to which they are attributable: |
(a) | asset-based distribution, account maintenance and shareholder service fees; |
(b) | extraordinary non-recurring expenses including litigation and other legal expenses relating to a particular class; and |
(c) | such other expenses as the Trustees determine were incurred by a specific class and are appropriately paid by that class. |
(iii) | Income, realized and unrealized capital gains and losses, and expenses that are not allocated to a specific class pursuant to this Section 2, shall be allocated to each class of a Fund on the basis of the net asset value of that class in relation to the net asset value of the Fund. |
b. | Investment advisory fees, custodial fees, and other expenses relating to the management of a Fund’s assets shall not be allocated on a class-specific basis. |
3. | Voting Rights. Each class of shares will have exclusive voting rights with respect to matters that exclusively affect such class and separate voting rights on any matter submitted to shareholders in which the interests of one class differ from the interests of any other class. |
4. | Exchanges. Shares of a Fund may be exchanged without payment of any exchange fee for shares of another Fund of the same class at their respective net asset values, provided said Funds are advised by the same adviser. |
5. | Class Designation. Subject to the approval by the Trustees of the Trust, each Fund may alter the nomenclature for the designations of one or more of its classes of shares. |
6. | Additional Information. This Plan is qualified by and subject to the terms of each Fund’s then current Prospectus for the applicable class of shares of the Fund; provided, however, that none of the terms set forth in any such Prospectus shall be inconsistent with the terms of this Plan. Each Fund’s Prospectus contains additional information about each class of shares of such Fund and any multiple class structure of such Fund. |
7. | Effective Date. This Plan is effective on May 17, 2011, provided that this Plan shall not become effective with respect to a Fund or a class of shares of a Fund unless first approved by a majority of the Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust (as defined in the Act). This Plan may be terminated or amended at any time with respect to a Fund or a class of shares thereof by a majority of the Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust (as defined in the Act). |
8. | Miscellaneous. Any reference in this Plan to information in a Fund’s Prospectus shall mean information in such Fund’s Prospectus, as the same may be amended or supplemented from time to time, or in such Fund’s Statement of Additional Information, as the same may be amended or supplemented from time to time. |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Trust has executed this Multi-Class Plan as of the 17th day of May 2011.
NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST II
By: /s/ Andrew Rogers
Andrew Rogers, President
APPENDIX A
Funds and Classes as of July 24, 2018
Acclivity Mid Cap Multi-Style Fund – Class N and Class I
Acclivity Small Cap Growth Fund – Class N and Class I
Acclivity Small Cap Value Fund – Class N and Class I
Al Frank Fund - Advisor and Investor Shares
Balter L/S Small Cap Equity Fund – Institutional Class and Investor Class
Balter European L/S Small Cap Fund - Institutional Class and Investor Class
Balter Invenomic Fund - Institutional Class and Investor Class
Dynamic International Opportunity Fund - Class N and Class I
Dynamic U.S. Opportunity Fund - Class N and Class I
Epsilon Sector-Balanced Fund – Class I, Class N and Class T*
Essential 40 Stock Fund - Class I
FomulaFolios U.S. Equity Fund - Institutional Class and Investor Class
FormulaFolios U.S. Equity Portfolio – Class 1
Hundredfold Select Alternative Fund - Service Class Shares and Investor Class Shares
Linde Hansen Contrarian Value Fund - Class A, Class C and Class I
Longboard Managed Futures Strategy Fund - Class A, Class I, Class C and Class N
Longboard Alternative Growth Fund – Class A, Class C, Class I and Class N
North Star Opportunity Fund - Class A, Class I and Class R
North Star Dividend Fund – Class A, Class I and Class R
North Star Micro Cap Fund – Class A, Class I and Class R
North Star Bond Fund - Class A, Class I and Class R
Orchard Small Cap Value Fund - Class A, Class C Class I and Class N
PCS Commodity Strategy Fund - Class A, Class C, Class I, Class N and Class R
SFG Futures Strategy Fund - Class A, Class I, Class C and Class N
Two Oaks Diversified Growth and Income Fund - Class A
WOA All Asset I - Class I
WOA US All Cap I – Class I*
* Not operational.