Securities Act Registration No. 333-204808

Investment Company Act Registration No. 811-23066

 

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 29, 2019

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D. C. 20549

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 ý

 

¨ Pre-Effective Amendment No.
ý Post-Effective Amendment No. 158

and/or

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 ý

 

ý Amendment No. 161

 

(Check appropriate box or boxes.)

Northern Lights Fund Trust IV

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450, Cincinnati, OH 45246

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

 

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

The Corporation Trust Company

1209 Orange Street

Wilmington, DE 19801

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

With copy to:

JoAnn M. Strasser

Thompson Hine LLP

41 South High Street, Suite 1700

Columbus, Ohio 43215

614-469-3265 (phone)

614-469-3361 (fax)

 

Jennifer Farrell

Gemini Fund Services, LLC

80 Arkay Drive, Suite 110

Hauppauge, New York 11788

(631) 470-2734 (phone)

(631) 813-2884 (fax)

 

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

It is proposed that this filing will become effective:

() Immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)

(X) On December 2, 2019 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.

 

 

 

 

 

Sage ESG Intermediate Credit ETF

 

GUDB

 

a series of Northern Lights Fund Trust IV

 

PROSPECTUS

December 2, 2019

 

Advised by:

Sage Advisory Services LTD Co.

5900 Southwest Parkway

Building 1

Austin, TX 78735-6202

 
www.SageETFs.com Phone: 888-724-3911

 

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

 

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

 

Shares of the Fund are listed and traded on the Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”).

 

 

 

Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, paper copies of the Fund’s annual and semi-annual shareholder reports will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports. Instead, the reports will be made available on the Fund’s website www.SageETFs.com, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website link to access the report.

 

If you have already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change and you need not take any action. You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications from the Fund electronically anytime by contacting your financial intermediary (such as a broker-dealer or bank).

 
 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

FUND SUMMARY     1  
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT     6  
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS     6  
Investment Objective     6  
Principal Investment Strategies     6  
Principal Investment Risks     7  
Portfolio Holdings Disclosure     9  
Cybersecurity     9  
MANAGEMENT     9  
Investment Adviser     9  
Portfolio Managers     10  
HOW SHARES ARE PRICED     10  
HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES     12  
FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES     12  
DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLAN     13  
DIVIDENDS, OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES     13  
FUND SERVICE PROVIDERS     14  
OTHER INFORMATION     15  
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS     16  
PRIVACY NOTICE     17  

 

 
 

FUND SUMMARY

 

Investment Objective: The Sage ESG Intermediate Credit ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to replicate investment results that generally correspond, before fees and expenses, to the performance of the Sage ESG Intermediate Credit Index (the “Index”).

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund: This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. Investors purchasing or selling shares of the Fund in the secondary market may be subject to costs (including customary brokerage commissions) charged by their broker. These costs are not included in the expense example below.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year
as a percentage of the value of your investment)
 
Management Fees 0.20%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees None
Other Expenses 1.09%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 1.29%
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement (1) (0.94%)
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver
and/or Expense Reimbursement
0.35%
1. The Fund’s adviser has contractually agreed to reduce its fees and/or absorb expenses of the Fund, until at least December 31, 2020 to ensure that total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or reimbursement (exclusive of any front-end or contingent deferred loads, taxes, brokerage fees and commissions, borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short), acquired fund fees and expenses, fees and expenses associated with investments in other collective investment vehicles or derivative instruments (including for example option and swap fees and expenses), or extraordinary expenses such as litigation) will not exceed 0.35% of the Fund. This fee waivers and expense reimbursements are subject to possible recoupment from the Fund in future years (within the three years after the fees have been waived or reimbursed), if such recoupment can be achieved within the lesser of the foregoing expense limits or those in place at the time of recapture. This agreement may be terminated only by the Trust’s Board of Trustees on 60 days’ written notice to the Fund’s adviser.

 

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

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

 

1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
$36 $316 $617 $1,474

 

Portfolio Turnover: The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the fiscal period ended August 31, 2019, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 69% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

Principal Investment Strategies: The Fund generally will invest at least 80% of its total assets in the component securities of the Index. The Index consists of corporate bonds selected from the Barclays Capital U.S. Intermediate Credit Bond Index that meet environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) criteria jointly developed by the Fund’s investment adviser, Sage Advisory Services LTD Co. (“Sage” or the “Adviser”), and Sustainalytics. Sustainalytics, based in London, England, is a global leader in ESG and Corporate Governance research and ratings.

 

The index provider, which is the Adviser, created and maintains the Index by using the Sage/Sustainalytics proprietary framework to assign each issuer of bonds in the Barclays Capital U.S. Intermediate Credit Bond Index an ESG score from 1 to 100. To measure corporate sustainability, a set of ESG indicators specific to the industry of the respective issuer are scored. A score from 0 to 100 is given to each indicator. The ESG score is determined by the weighted sum of the indicator scores for a particular issuer. To be eligible for inclusion in the Index, an issuer must have a minimum overall ESG score of 50 and must rank in the top forty percent of its peer group. Additionally, each issuer must have a Controversy Score of no higher than 3 (out of 5) and must meet certain other proprietary conditions specific to each industry group. Indicators of controversy for a company are analyzed and given a Controversy Score.

1 
 

The indicators that are analyzed are:

· News regarding a company that may pose ESG risks for the company;
· Incidents of misconduct with ESG implications by a company;
· Events, which are a set of incidents that refers to one ESG issue; and
· Controversies, which are a set of Events under one ESG topic.

 

The Index is constructed using a rules-based methodology and consists of investment grade domestic and U.S. dollar denominated foreign credit bonds that meet the criteria described above, representing each industry sector in proportion to the sectors that make up the Barclays Capital U.S. Intermediate Credit Bond Index. The bonds in the Index are also consistent with the duration (which, as of June 30, 2019, was 4.08 years), maturity (which, as of June 30, 2019, was 4.81 years) and yield curve positioning in the Barclays Capital U.S. Intermediate Credit Bond Index. Duration is a measure used to determine the sensitivity of a security’s price to changes in interest rates. The longer a security’s duration, the more sensitive it will be to changes in interest rates. A yield curve is a representation on a chart of the yields on bonds with identical credit ratings but different maturities. The process results in the Index, as well as the Fund, consisting primarily of corporate bonds that display strong fundamentals and positive ESG characteristics.

 

The index provider expects that the Index will have approximately 120 issues. The components of the Index, and the degree to which these components represent certain industries, are likely to vary over time.

 

The Index subscribes to the philosophy that companies with more sustainable corporate policies will keep pace with non-ESG portfolios while promoting positive ESG characteristics. Companies with high ESG scores are better actors both environmentally and fiscally, and financial benefits should accrue to bondholders over time by holding companies with the highest standards relative to ESG factors.

 

The Adviser uses a representative sampling indexing strategy to manage the Fund. “Representative sampling” is an indexing strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively has an investment profile similar to that of an applicable underlying index. The securities selected are expected to have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics, fundamental characteristics and liquidity measures similar to those of an underlying index. The Fund may or may not hold all of the securities in the Index.

 

The Index is sponsored, created, compiled, and maintained by the Adviser. Wilshire Associates is the calculation agent for the Index.

 

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets (defined as net assets plus borrowing for investment purposes) in credit bonds. Credit bonds are debt instruments in which an investor loans money to an entity which borrows the funds for a defined period of time at a variable or fixed interest rate. Typically credit bond include corporate bonds and other non-corporate bonds such as sovereign bonds, foreign agencies, and supranational entities. The Fund may invest the remainder of its assets in cash and cash equivalents. The Fund may concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group of industries to the extent that the Index concentrates in an industry or group of industries.

 

Principal Investment Risks: As with all funds, there is the risk that you could lose money through your investment in the Fund. Many factors affect the Fund’s net asset value and price of shares and performance.

 

The following describes the risks the Fund bears with respect to its investments. As with any fund, there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its goal.

· Credit Risk. The Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a debt instrument in which the Fund invests becomes unwilling or unable to make timely principal and/or interest payments, or to otherwise meet its obligations.
· Concentration Risk. The Fund may focus its investments in securities of a particular industry to the extent the Index does. Economic, legislative or regulatory developments may occur that significantly affect the industry. This may cause the Fund's net asset value to fluctuate more than that of a fund that does not focus in a particular industry.
· Early Close/Trading Halt Risk. An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may prevent the Fund from buying or selling certain securities or financial instruments. In these circumstances, the Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and may incur substantial trading losses.
· ESG Risk. The ESG investment strategy limits the types and number of investment opportunities available and, as a result, the strategy may underperform other strategies that do not have an ESG focus. The ESG investment strategy may result in the Fund investing in securities or industry sectors that underperform the market as a whole or underperform other funds screened for ESG standards.
2 
 

ETF Structure Risk: The Fund and each underlying fund is structured as an ETF and as a result is subject to the special risks, including:

· Not Individually Redeemable. An ETF’s shares (“Shares”) are not individually redeemable to retail investors and may be redeemed by the ETF only to authorized participants (“APs”) at net asset value (“NAV”) in large blocks known as “Creation Units.”. An AP may incur brokerage costs purchasing enough Shares to constitute a Creation Unit.
· Trading Issues. An active trading market for the Shares may not be developed or maintained. Trading in Shares on the Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable, such as extraordinary market volatility. There can be no assurance that Shares will continue to meet the listing requirements of the Exchange. If the Shares are traded outside a collateralized settlement system, the number of financial institutions that can act as APs that can post collateral on an agency basis is limited, which may limit the market for the Shares.
· Market Price Variance Risk. The market prices of Shares will fluctuate in response to changes in NAV and supply and demand for Shares and will include a “bid-ask spread” charged by the exchange specialists, market makers or other participants that trade the particular security. There may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. This means that Shares may trade at a discount to NAV.

 

o In times of market stress, market makers may step away from their role market making in the Shares of ETFs and in executing trades, which can lead to differences between the market value of Shares and an ETF’s NAV.

 

o To the extent APs exit the business or are unable to process creations or redemptions and no other AP can step in to do so, there may be a significantly reduced trading market in the Shares, which can lead to differences between the market value of Shares and an ETF’s NAV.

 

o The market price for the Shares may deviate from an ETF’s NAV, particularly during times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or significantly less for Shares than an ETF’s NAV, which is reflected in the bid and ask price for Shares or in the closing price.

 

o When all or a portion of an ETFs underlying securities trade in a market that is closed when the market for the Shares is open, there may be changes from the last quote of the closed market and the quote from an ETF’s domestic trading day, which could lead to differences between the market value of the Shares and an ETF’s NAV.

 

o In stressed market conditions, the market for the Shares may become less liquid in response to the deteriorating liquidity of an ETF’s portfolio. This adverse effect on the liquidity of the Shares may, in turn, lead to differences between the market value of the Shares and an ETF’s NAV.

 

· Fixed Income Risk. When the Fund invests in fixed income securities, the value of your investment in the Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities owned by the Fund. In general, the market price of fixed income securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. Other risk factors include credit risk (the debtor may default), extension risk (an issuer may exercise its right to repay principal on a fixed rate obligation held by the Fund later than expected), and prepayment risk (the debtor may pay its obligation early, reducing the amount of interest payments). These risks could affect the value of a particular investment by the Fund, possibly causing the Fund's share price and total return to be reduced and fluctuate more than other types of investments.

· Foreign Investment Risk. The Fund’s investments in securities of foreign issuers may involve certain risks that are greater than those associated with investments in securities of U.S. issuers. These include risks of adverse changes in foreign economic, political, regulatory and other conditions; changes in currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations (including limitations on currency movements and exchanges); differing accounting, auditing, financial reporting and legal standards and practices; differing securities market structures; and higher transaction costs.
· Issuer Risk. The value of a security may increase for many reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, improved financial condition and increased demand of the issuer’s goods or services. An increase in the value of the securities of an issuer or guarantor of a debt instrument may cause the value of your investment in the Fund to decrease.
3 
 
· Index Risk. Unlike many investment companies, the Fund does not utilize an investing strategy that seeks returns in excess of the Index. Therefore, it would not necessarily sell a security unless that security is removed from the Index, even if that security generally is underperforming.
· Liquidity Risk. Trading in shares of the Fund may be halted because of market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in shares inadvisable. A particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell, and the Fund may be unable to sell illiquid securities (for example, certain swap agreements) at an advantageous time or price or achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain section.
· Management Risk. As the Fund may not fully replicate the Index, it is subject to the risk that investment management strategy may not produce the intended results.
· Market Risk. Due to market conditions, the value of the Fund’s investments may fluctuate significantly from day to day. Price fluctuations may be temporary or may last for extended periods. This volatility may cause the value of your investment in the Fund to decrease.
· Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed and the Adviser will not sell shares of an equity security due to current or projected underperformance of a security, industry or sector, unless that security is removed from the Index or the selling of shares of that security is otherwise required upon a rebalancing of the Index as addressed in the Index methodology.
· Sampling Risk. The Fund’s use of a representative sampling approach, if used, could result in its holding a smaller number of securities than are in the Index. As a result, an adverse development with an issuer of securities held by the Fund could result in a greater decline in NAV than would be the case if the Fund held all of the securities in the Index. To the extent the assets in the Fund are smaller, these risks will be greater.
· Tracking Error Risk. Tracking error is the divergence of the Fund’s performance from that of the Index. Tracking error may occur because of imperfect correlation between the Fund’s holdings of portfolio securities and those in the Index, pricing differences, the Fund’s holding of cash, differences on timing of the accrual of dividends, changes to the Index or the need to meet various regulatory requirements. This risk may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. Tracking error also may result because the Fund incurs fees and expenses, while the Index does not.
· Trading Risk. Shares may trade below their NAV. The NAV of the Shares will fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. In addition, although the Shares are currently listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for the Shares will develop or be maintained.

 

Performance: The bar chart and performance table below show the variability of the Fund’s returns, which is some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year. The bar chart shows performance of the Fund’s shares for each calendar year since the Fund's inception. The performance table compares the performance of the Fund over time to the performance of a broad-based securities market index. You should be aware that the Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information will be available at no cost by visiting www.SageETFs.com or by calling 888-724-3911.

 

Performance Bar Chart For Calendar Year Ended December 31

 

 

Best Quarter: 4th Quarter 2018 0.80%
Worst Quarter: 1st Quarter 2018 (1.52%)

The Fund’s year-to-date return as of the most recent fiscal quarter, which ended September 30, 2019 was 7.82%.

4 
 

 

Performance Table

Average Annual Total Returns

(For periods ended December 31, 2018)

  One Year

Since

Inception

(10/31/17)

Return before taxes (0.27%) (0.25%)
Return after taxes on distributions (1.31%) (1.28%)
Return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares (0.17%) (0.63%)
Index –  Sage ESG Credit Bonds Index 0.30% 0.22%
Index – Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Intermediate Credit Index 0.14% (0.42%)

 

Investment Adviser: Sage Advisory Services LTD Co.

 

Portfolio Managers: Robert Smith, President and Chief Investment Officer of the Adviser; Thomas Urano, Principal and Managing Member of the Adviser; and Ryan O’Malley, Fixed Income Portfolio Strategist of the Adviser, are the lead portfolio managers of the Fund. Nicolas Erickson, Assistant Vice President of Portfolio Management of the Adviser, and Komson Silapachai, Vice President of Research & Portfolio Strategy of the Adviser, also serve as portfolio managers of the Fund. Each portfolio manager has served the Fund as a portfolio manager since it commenced operations in October 2017.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares: The Fund will issue and redeem Shares at NAV only in blocks of 50,000 Shares (each block of Shares is called a “Creation Unit”). Creation Units are issued and redeemed for cash and/or in-kind for securities. Individual Shares may only be purchased and sold in secondary market transactions through brokers. Except when aggregated in Creation Units in transactions with APs, the Shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.

 

Shares of the Fund are listed for trading on the Exchange and trade at market prices rather than NAV. Shares of the Fund may trade at a price that is greater than, at, or less than NAV.

 

Tax Information: The Fund’s distributions generally will be taxable as ordinary income or long-term capital gains. A sale of Shares may result in a capital gain or loss.

 

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

 

5 
 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RELATED RISKS

 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE:

 

Fund Investment Objective
Sage ESG Intermediate Credit ETF Seeks to replicate investment results that generally correspond, before fees and expenses, to the performance of the Sage ESG Credit Index.

 

The Fund’s investment objective may be changed by the Board of Trustees upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders. The Fund has adopted a policy to invest at least 80% of its assets in a particular type of security. The Fund may change its 80% policy upon 60 days’ written notice to its shareholders.

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

 

The Fund generally will invest at least 80% of its total assets in the component securities of the SAGE ESG Credit Bonds Index (the “Index”). The Index consists of corporate bonds selected from the Barclays Capital U.S. Intermediate Credit Bond Index that meet environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) criteria jointly developed by Sage Advisory Services, LTD Co. (“Sage” or the “Adviser”) and Sustainalytics. Sustainalytics, based in London, England, is a global leader in ESG and Corporate Governance research and ratings.

 

The index provider, which is the Adviser, created and maintains the Index by using the Sage/Sustainalytics proprietary framework to assign each issuer of bonds in the Barclays Capital U.S. Intermediate Credit Bond Index an ESG score from 1 to 100. To measure corporate sustainability, a set of ESG indicators specific to the industry of the respective issuer are scored. A score from 0 to 100 is given to each indicator. The ESG score is determined by the weighted sum of the indicator scores for a particular issuer. The research itself is conducted at the indicator level, where a comprehensive set of generic and industry-specific indicators (roughly 60-80 indicators depending on the peer group such as environmental policies, renewable energy use, anti-discrimination policies, and whistle-blower programmes) are analyzed, scored and weighted to determine a company’s overall ESG performance. To be eligible for inclusion in the Index, an issuer must have a minimum overall ESG score of 50 and must rank in the top forty percent of its peer group. Additionally, each issuer must have a Controversy Score of no higher than 3 (out of 5) and must meet certain other proprietary conditions specific to each industry group. Indicators of controversy for a company are analyzed and given a Controversy Score.

 

The indicators that are analyzed are:

1. News screening: Controversy analysis begins with news screening to capture news that may pose ESG risks for issuers. A daily news screen of Sustainalytics’ research universe is conducted by a dedicated team of analysts who screen reputable international and local media sources, social media, specialized publications and non-government organizations. Sustainalytic’s intelligent learning algorithms search through at least 35,000 different sources and filter the news feed. Sustainalytics seeks to capture news in real time.
2. Incidents: A news report of an issuer’s alleged or actual misconduct with ESG implications is processed as an Incident within 48 hours. An Incident is assessed on two criteria – stakeholder impact and reputation risk – and each is scored on a scale of 1 to 10. Incidents are the building blocks of our controversy analysis, and their scores form the base of our controversy rating. All Incidents are dated and geographically pinned. An ESG Rating Report of an issuer with controversies will display a timeline chart of incidents.
3. Events: An Event is a set of incidents that refer to one ESG issue. An Event assessment applies additional layers of assessment criteria to the Incident scores to arrive at a fuller assessment. Examples are business risks, frequency of incidents and the issuer’s management of the ESG issue, including its response to certain incidents. An Event is rated on a scale of 1 to 5 and this rating feeds directly into the Controversy Rating.
4. Controversies: A Controversy is a set of Events under one ESG topic that are structured based on stakeholder impact. There is no additional assessment applied at the Controversy level. The Controversy Rating assumes the most severe rating of all Events under the Controversy indicator. A Controversy indicator is also rated on a scale of 1 to 5 and each rating is equivalent to a raw score with an assigned weight. The weighted score of the Controversy indicator feeds directly into the ESG Rating.

 

The Index using a rules-based methodology and consists of investment grade domestic and U.S. dollar denominated foreign credit bonds that meet the criteria described above, representing each industry sector in proportion to the sectors that make up the Barclays Capital U.S. Intermediate Credit Bond Index. The bonds in the Index are also consistent with the duration (which, as of June 30, 2019, was 4.08 years), maturity (which, as of June 30, 2019, was 4.81 years) and yield curve positioning in the Barclays Capital U.S. Intermediate Credit Bond Index. Duration is a measure used to determine the sensitivity of a

6 
 

security’s price to changes in interest rates. The longer a security’s duration, the more sensitive it will be to changes in interest rates. A yield curve is a representation on a chart of the yields on bonds with identical credit ratings but different maturities. On the yield curve, the maturities are represented on the x-axis, and the yield is represented on the y-axis. That is, if the yield curve trends upward, it indicates that interest rates for long-term debt securities are higher than short-term debt securities; this is called a normal yield curve. A negative yield curve indicates that interest rates for short-term debt securities are higher, and a flat yield curve indicates that they are roughly the same. The process results in the Index as well as the Fund consisting primarily of corporate bonds that display strong fundamentals and positive ESG characteristics.

 

The index provider expects that the Index will have approximately 120 issues. The components of the Index, and the degree to which these components represent certain industries, are likely to vary over time.

 

The Index subscribes to the philosophy that companies with more sustainable corporate policies will keep pace with non-ESG portfolios while promoting positive ESG characteristics. Companies with high ESG scores are better actors both environmentally and fiscally, and financial benefits should accrue to bondholders over time by holding companies with the highest standards relative to ESG factors.

 

The Adviser uses a representative sampling indexing strategy to manage the Fund. “Representative sampling” is an indexing strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively has an investment profile similar to that of an applicable underlying index. The securities selected are expected to have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics, fundamental characteristics and liquidity measures similar to those of an underlying index. The Fund may or may not hold all of the securities in the Index.

 

The Index is sponsored, created, compiled, and maintained by the Adviser. Wilshire Associates is the calculation agent for the Index.

 

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets (defined as net assets plus borrowing for investment purposes) in credit bonds. Credit bonds are debt instruments in which an investor loans money to an entity which borrows the funds for a defined period of time at a variable or fixed interest rate. Typically credit bond include corporate bonds and other non-corporate bonds such as sovereign bonds, foreign agencies, and supranational entities. The Fund may invest the remainder of its assets in cash and cash equivalents. The Fund may concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group of industries to the extent that the Index concentrates in an industry or group of industries.

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT RISKS

 

The following describes the risks born by the Fund with respect to their investments:

· Credit Risk. The Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a debt instrument in which the Fund invests becomes unwilling or unable to make timely principal and/or interest payments, or to otherwise meet its obligations.
· Concentration Risk. The Fund may focus its investments in securities of a particular industry to the extent the Index does. Economic, legislative or regulatory developments may occur that significantly affect the industry. This may cause the Fund's net asset value to fluctuate more than that of a fund that does not focus in a particular industry.
· Early Close/Trading Halt Risk. An exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on specific securities, or the ability to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments may be restricted, which may prevent the Fund from buying or selling certain securities or financial instruments. In these circumstances, the Fund may be unable to rebalance its portfolio, may be unable to accurately price its investments and may incur substantial trading losses.
· ESG Risk. The ESG investment strategy limits the types and number of investment opportunities available and, as a result, the strategy may underperform other strategies that do not have an ESG focus. The ESG investment strategy may result in the Fund investing in securities or industry sectors that underperform the market as a whole or underperform other funds screened for ESG standards.

ETF Structure Risk. The Fund and each underlying fund is structured as an ETF and as a result is subject to the special risks, including:

· Not Individually Redeemable. An ETF’s shares (“Shares”) are not individually redeemable to retail investors and may be redeemed by the ETF only to authorized participants (“APs”) at net asset value (“NAV”) in large blocks known as “Creation Units.” An AP may incur brokerage costs purchasing enough Shares to constitute a Creation Unit.
· Trading Issues. An active trading market for the Shares may not be developed or maintained. Trading in shares on the Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable, such as extraordinary market volatility. There can be no assurance that Shares will continue to meet the listing requirements of the Exchange. If the Shares are traded outside a collateralized
7 
 

settlement system, the number of financial institutions that can act as APs that can post collateral on an agency basis is limited, which may limit the market for the Shares.

· Market Price Variance Risk. The market prices of Shares will fluctuate in response to changes in NAV and supply and demand for Shares and will include a “bid-ask spread” charged by the exchange specialists, market makers or other participants that trade the particular security. There may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. This means that Shares may trade at a discount to NAV.
o In times of market stress, market makers may step away from their role market making in shares of ETFs and in executing trades, which can lead to differences between the market value of Shares and an ETF’s NAV.
o To the extent APs exit the business or are unable to process creations or redemptions and no other AP can step in to do so, there may be a significantly reduced trading market in the Shares, which can lead to differences between the market value of Shares and an ETF’s NAV.
o The market price for the Shares may deviate from an ETF’s NAV, particularly during times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or significantly less for Shares than an ETF’s NAV, which is reflected in the bid and ask price for Shares or in the closing price.
o When all or a portion of an ETF’s underlying securities trade in a market that is closed when the market for the Shares is open, there may be changes from the last quote of the closed market and the quote from an ETF’s domestic trading day, which could lead to differences between the market value of the Shares and an ETF’s NAV.
o In stressed market conditions, the market for the Shares may become less liquid in response to the deteriorating liquidity of an ETF’s portfolio. This adverse effect on the liquidity of the Shares may, in turn, lead to differences between the market value of the Shares and the ETF’s NAV.

 

· Fixed Income Risk. When the Fund invests in fixed income securities, the value of your investment in the Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates. Typically, a rise in interest rates causes a decline in the value of fixed income securities owned by the Fund. In general, the market price of fixed income securities with longer maturities will increase or decrease more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities. Other risk factors include credit risk (the debtor may default), extension risk (an issuer may exercise its right to repay principal on a fixed rate obligation held by the Fund later than expected), and prepayment risk (the debtor may pay its obligation early, reducing the amount of interest payments). These risks could affect the value of a particular investment by the Fund, possibly causing the Fund's share price and total return to be reduced and fluctuate more than other types of investments.
· Foreign Investment Risk. The Fund’s investments in securities of foreign issuers may involve certain risks that are greater than those associated with investments in securities of U.S. issuers. These include risks of adverse changes in foreign economic, political, regulatory and other conditions; changes in currency exchange rates or exchange control regulations (including limitations on currency movements and exchanges); differing accounting, auditing, financial reporting and legal standards and practices; differing securities market structures; and higher transaction costs.
· Issuer Risk. The value of a security may increase for many reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, improved financial condition and increased demand of the issuer’s goods or services. An increase in the value of the securities of an issuer or guarantor of a debt instrument may cause the value of your investment in the Fund to decrease.
· Index Risk. Unlike many investment companies, the Fund does not utilize an investing strategy that seeks returns in excess of the Index. Therefore, it would not necessarily sell a security unless that security is removed from the Index, even if that security generally is underperforming.
· Liquidity Risk. Trading in shares of the Fund may be halted because of market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in shares inadvisable. A particular investment may be difficult to purchase or sell, and the Fund may be unable to sell illiquid securities (for example, certain swap agreements) at an advantageous time or price or achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain section.
· Management Risk. As the Fund may not fully replicate the Index, it is subject to the risk that investment management strategy may not produce the intended results.
· Market Risk. Due to market conditions, the value of the Fund’s investments may fluctuate significantly from day to day. Price fluctuations may be temporary or may last for extended periods. This volatility may cause the value of your investment in the Fund to decrease.
· Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed and the Adviser will not sell shares of an equity security due to current or projected underperformance of a security, industry or sector, unless that security is removed from
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the Index or the selling of shares of that security is otherwise required upon a rebalancing of the Index as addressed in the Index methodology.

· Sampling Risk. The Fund’s use of a representative sampling approach, if used, could result in its holding a smaller number of securities than are in the Index. As a result, an adverse development with an issuer of securities held by the Fund could result in a greater decline in NAV than would be the case if the Fund held all of the securities in the Index. To the extent the assets in the Fund are smaller, these risks will be greater.
· Tracking Error Risk. Tracking error is the divergence of the Fund’s performance from that of the Index. Tracking error may occur because of imperfect correlation between the Fund’s holdings of portfolio securities and those in the Index, pricing differences, the Fund’s holding of cash, differences on timing of the accrual of dividends, changes to the Index or the need to meet various regulatory requirements. This risk may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. Tracking error also may result because the Fund incurs fees and expenses, while the Index does not.
· Trading Risk. Shares may trade below their NAV. The NAV of the Shares will fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. In addition, although the Shares are currently listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for the Shares will develop or be maintained.

 

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE: A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures regarding the release of portfolio holdings information is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).

 

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

 

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

 

Similar adverse consequences could result from cybersecurity breaches affecting issuers of securities in which the Fund invests; counterparties with which the Fund engages in transactions; governmental and other regulatory authorities; exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies, and other financial institutions (including financial intermediaries and service providers for the Fund’s shareholders); and other parties.


In addition, substantial costs may be incurred by these entities in order to prevent any cybersecurity breaches in the future.

  

MANAGEMENT

 

INVESTMENT ADVISER: Sage Advisory Services LTD Co., 5900 Southwest Parkway, Building 1, Suite 100, Austin, TX 78735-6202, serves as the Fund’s investment adviser. The Adviser is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The adviser manages accounts for individuals and institutions as well as the Fund. As of October 31, 2019 it had approximately $12.5 billion in assets under management.

 

Subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees, the Adviser is responsible for managing the Fund’s investments, executing transactions and providing related administrative services and facilities under an advisory agreement between the Fund and the Adviser (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”).

 

The management fee set forth in the Investment Advisory Agreement is 0.20% annually, to be paid on a monthly basis. In addition to investment advisory fees, the Fund pays other expenses including costs incurred in connection with the maintenance of securities law registration, printing and mailing prospectuses and statements of additional information to shareholders, certain financial accounting services, taxes or governmental fees, custodial, transfer and shareholder servicing agent costs, expenses of outside counsel and independent accountants, preparation of shareholder reports and expenses of trustee and shareholders meetings.

 

The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its fees and/or absorb expenses of the Fund, until at least December 31, 2020, to ensure that total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or reimbursement (exclusive of any front-end or contingent deferred loads, taxes, brokerage fees and commissions, borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend

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expense on securities sold short), acquired fund fees and expenses, fees and expenses associated with investments in other collective investment vehicles or derivative instruments (including for example option and swap fees and expenses), or extraordinary expenses such as litigation) will not exceed 0.35% of the Fund’s average daily net assets, subject to possible recoupment from the Fund in future years within the three years after the fees have been waived or reimbursed if such recoupment can be achieved within the lesser of the foregoing expense limits or the expense limits in place at the time of the recoupment. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the Investment Advisory Agreement is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders dated August 31, 2018.

 

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

 

Robert Smith, Thomas Urano, and Ryan O’Malley are the lead portfolio managers (“Portfolio Managers”) of the Fund. Nicolas Erickson and Komson Silapachai also serve as Portfolio Managers of the Fund. Each Portfolio Manager has served in that capacity since the Fund’s inception in October 2017.

 

Robert Smith has been the founder, President and Chief Investment Officer of the Adviser since 1996. He began his career in 1970 at Moody's Investors Services as a member of the Corporate Bond Rating Committee; he then went on to Loeb, Rhodes & Co. to cover the insurance industry in the Institutional Equity Research department. He later worked at Merrill Lynch & Co. for 13 years in a variety of institutional research, trading and portfolio management roles in New York and London. During this period, he was assigned to the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency as a Resident Financial Advisor in Riyadh responsible for managing the foreign reserves of the Central Bank. He received his M.B.A. in Finance from New York University Stern School of Business, is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF) and Certified Investment Management Consultant (CIMC).

 

Thomas Urano, has been Portfolio Manager with the Adviser since 2003. He is a Principal and Managing Director of the Adviser and a member of the Investment Committee. He joined the Adviser in March of 2003. He serves as a Portfolio Manager for the taxable fixed income and equity strategies. He began his career in 1996 as a Fixed Income Trader with Credit Suisse Asset Management in New York. Later, he joined Morgan Keegan as a Fixed Income Portfolio Accountant. He received his B.A. in Economics from The University of Texas at Austin and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and a member of the CFA Institute.

 

Ryan O’Malley has served as Fixed Income Portfolio Strategist at the Adviser since August, 2016. Prior to joining the Adviser, Ryan worked as a Corporate Credit Analyst at Payden & Rygel dating back to 2011. He began his investment career in 2004 as a Senior Equity Analyst at Origin Capital Management. He then worked as an Equity Analyst at Tidal Creek Capital Management, LLC. He received his M.B.A. from the Anderson School of Management from the University of California Los Angeles and his B.A. degree in Economics from Columbia University in New York City. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and member of the CFA Institute.

 

Nicolas Erickson has been an Assistant Vice President of Portfolio Management since joining the Adviser in 2008. Prior to joining the Adviser, Nick began his investment career in 2004 as an Analyst with General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC). Nick received his M.B.A. from Webster University in Missouri and a B.A. degree in Economics from Grinnell College in Iowa. Nick is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and a member of the CFA Institute.

 

Komson Silapachai has served as a Vice President of Research & Portfolio Strategy at the Adviser since July 2016. Prior to joining the Adviser, Komson began his investment career in 2008 with the Teacher Retirement System of Texas where he served in a variety of asset allocation, portfolio management, and trading roles. He received his B.B.A. in Finance from Texas A&M University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and member of the CFA Institute.

 

The SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers’ compensation, other accounts managed and ownership of Fund shares.

 

 

HOW SHARES ARE PRICED

 

The NAV and offering price of shares is determined at the close of regular trading on the Exchange (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) on each day the Exchange is open. NAV is computed by determining, the aggregate market value of all assets of the applicable Fund, less its liabilities, divided by the total number of shares outstanding ((assets-liabilities)/number of shares = NAV). The Exchange 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, the expenses and fees of the Fund, including management, administration, and distribution fees, which are accrued daily. The determination of NAV for the Fund for a particular day is applicable to all applications for the purchase of shares, as well as all requests for the redemption of shares, received by the Fund (or an authorized broker or agent, or its authorized designee) before the close of trading on the Exchange on that day.

 

Generally, the Fund’s portfolio securities, including securities issued by ETFs, are valued each day at the last quoted sales price on each security’s primary exchange. Securities traded or dealt in upon one or more securities exchanges (whether domestic or foreign) for which market quotations are readily available and not subject to restrictions against resale shall be valued at the last quoted sales price on the primary exchange or, in the absence of a sale on the primary exchange, at the

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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. 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 than the value that could be realized upon the sale of that security. The fair value prices can differ from market prices when they become available or when a price becomes available. The Board has delegated execution of these procedures to a fair value committee composed of one or more representatives from each of the (i) Trust, (ii) administrator, and (iii) Adviser. The committee may also enlist third party consultants such as an audit firm or financial officer of a security issuer on an as-needed basis to assist in determining a security-specific fair value. The Board reviews and ratifies the execution of this process and the resultant fair value prices at least quarterly to assure the process produces reliable results.

 

The Fund may use independent pricing services to assist in calculating the value of its securities. In addition, market prices for foreign securities are not determined at the same time of day as the NAV for the Fund. Because the Fund may invest in underlying ETFs that hold portfolio securities primarily listed on foreign exchanges, and these exchanges may trade on weekends or other days when the underlying ETFs do not price their shares, the value of some of the Fund’s portfolio securities may change on days when you may not be able to buy or sell Shares. In computing the NAV, the Fund values foreign securities held by the Fund at the latest closing price on the exchange in which they are traded immediately prior to closing of the Exchange. Prices of foreign securities quoted in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at current rates. If events materially affecting the value of a security in the Fund’s portfolio, particularly foreign securities, occur after the close of trading on a foreign market but before the Fund prices its Shares, the security will be valued at fair value. For example, if trading in a portfolio security is halted and does not resume before the Fund calculates its NAV, the Adviser may need to price the security using the Fund’s fair value pricing guidelines. Without a fair value price, short-term traders could take advantage of the arbitrage opportunity and dilute the NAV of long-term investors. Fair valuation of the Fund’s portfolio securities can serve to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders, but there is no assurance that fair value pricing policies will prevent dilution of the Fund’s NAV by short term traders. The determination of fair value involves subjective judgments. As a result, using fair value to price a security may result in a price materially different from the prices used by other mutual funds to determine 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 Fund’s assets that are invested in one or more open-end management investment companies registered under the 1940 Act (other than ETFs), the Fund’s NAV is calculated based upon the NAVs of those open-end management investment companies, and the prospectuses for these companies explain the circumstances under which those companies will use fair value pricing and the effects of using fair value pricing.

 

Premium/Discount Information

 

Investors other than APs will buy and sell Shares in secondary market transactions through brokers at market prices and the Shares will trade at market prices. The market price of Shares may be greater than, equal to, or less than NAV. Market forces of supply and demand, economic conditions and other factors may affect the trading prices of Shares.

 

Information regarding the intraday value of shares of the Fund, also known as the “indicative optimized portfolio value” (“IOPV”), is disseminated every 15 seconds throughout each trading day by the securities exchange on which the Fund’s shares are listed or by market data vendors or other information providers. The IOPV is based on the current market value of the Fund’s securities, including cash required to be deposited in exchange for a Creation Unit. The IOPV is generally determined by using both current market quotations and price quotations obtained from broker-dealers and other market intermediaries that may trade in the Fund’s portfolio securities. The IOPV may not reflect the exact composition of the Fund’s current portfolio of securities at a particular point in time or the best possible valuation of the Fund’s current portfolio. As a result, the IOPV should not be confused with the NAV, which is computed only once a day. Information regarding how often the Shares of the Fund traded at a price above (at a premium to) or below (at a discount to) the NAV of the Fund during the past four calendar quarters, when available, can be found at www.SageETFs.com.

 

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HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES

 

Shares of the Fund are listed for trading on the Exchange under the symbol GUDB. Share prices are reported in dollars and cents per Share. Shares can be bought and sold on the secondary market throughout the trading day like other publicly traded shares, and Shares typically trade in blocks of less than a Creation Unit. There is no minimum investment required. Shares may only be purchased and sold on the secondary market when the Exchange is open for trading. The Exchange is open for trading Monday through Friday and is closed on weekends and the following holidays, as observed: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

 

When buying or selling Shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction.

 

APs may acquire Shares directly from the Fund, and APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to the Fund, at NAV per Share only in Creation Units or blocks of 50,000 Shares. Purchases and redemptions directly with the Fund must follow the Fund’s procedures, which are described in the SAI.

 

The Fund may liquidate and terminate at any time without shareholder approval.

 

Share Trading Prices

 

The approximate value of Shares, an amount representing on a per share basis the sum of the current market price of the securities accepted by the Fund in exchange for Shares and an estimated cash component will be disseminated every 15 seconds throughout the trading day through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association. This approximate value should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the NAV per Share because the approximate value may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is computed once a day, generally at the end of the business day. The Fund is not involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the approximate value of the Shares, and the Fund does not make any warranty as to the accuracy of these values.

 

Book Entry

 

Shares are held in book entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding Shares and is recognized as the owner of all Shares for all purposes.

 

Investors owning Shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all Shares. Participants in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other securities that you hold in book entry or “street name” form.

   

FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES

 

Shares can only be purchased and redeemed directly from the Fund in Creation Units by APs, and the vast majority of trading in Shares occurs on the secondary market. Because the secondary market trades do not directly involve the Fund, it is unlikely those trades would cause the harmful effects of market timing, including dilution, disruption of portfolio management, increases in the Fund’s trading costs and the realization of capital gains. With regard to the purchase or redemption of Creation Units directly with the Fund, to the extent effected in-kind (i.e., for securities), those trades do not cause the harmful effects that may result from frequent cash trades. To the extent trades are effected in whole or in part in cash, those trades could result in dilution to the Fund and increased transaction costs, which could negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. However, direct trading by APs is critical to ensuring that the Shares trade at or close to NAV. The Fund also employs fair valuation pricing to minimize potential dilution from market timing. In addition, the Fund imposes transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Shares to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by the Fund in effecting trades. These fees increase if an investor substitutes cash in part or in whole for securities, reflecting the fact that the Fund’s trading costs increase in those circumstances. Given this structure, the Trust has determined that it is not necessary to adopt policies and procedures to detect and deter market timing of the Shares.

 

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DISTRIBUTION AND SERVICE PLAN

 

The Fund has adopted a distribution and service plan (“Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. Under the Plan, the Fund is authorized to pay distribution fees to the distributor and other firms that provide distribution and shareholder services (“Service Providers”). If a Service Provider provides these services, the Fund may pay fees at an annual rate not to exceed 0.25% of average daily net assets, pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

 

No distribution or service fees are currently paid by the Fund and will not be paid by the Funds unless authorized by the Board of Trustees. There are no current plans to impose these fees. In the event Rule 12b-1 fees were charged, over time they would increase the cost of an investment in the Fund.

 

 

DIVIDENDS, OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS, AND TAXES

 

Shares are traded throughout the day in the secondary market on a national securities exchange on an intra-day basis and are created and redeemed in-kind and/or for cash in Creation Units at each day’s next calculated NAV.
In-kind arrangements are designed to protect ongoing shareholders from the adverse effects on the Fund’s portfolio that could arise from frequent cash redemption transactions. In a conventional mutual fund, redemptions can have an adverse tax impact on taxable shareholders if the mutual fund needs to sell portfolio securities to obtain cash to meet net fund redemptions. These sales may generate taxable gains for the ongoing shareholders of the mutual fund, whereas the Shares’ in-kind redemption mechanism generally will not lead to a tax event for the Fund or its ongoing shareholders.

 

Ordinarily, dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid monthly by the Fund. The Fund distributes its net realized capital gains, if any, to shareholders annually. The Fund may also pay a special distribution at the end of a calendar year to comply with federal tax requirements.

 

Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Shares makes such option available.

 

Taxes

 

As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in Shares will be taxed. The tax information in this Prospectus is provided as general information. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares.

 

Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, such as an individual retirement account, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when:

· The Fund makes distributions,
· You sell your Shares listed on the Exchange, and
· You purchase or redeem Creation Units.

 

Taxes on Distributions

 

Distributions from the Fund’s net investment income, including net short-term capital gains, if any, are taxable to you as ordinary income, except that the Fund’s dividends attributable to its “qualified dividend income” (i.e., dividends received on stock of most domestic and certain foreign corporations with respect to which the Fund satisfies certain holding period and other restrictions), if any, generally are subject to federal income tax for non-corporate shareholders who satisfy those restrictions with respect to their Shares at the rate for net capital gain. A part of the Fund’s dividends also may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction allowed to corporations -- the eligible portion may not exceed the aggregate dividends the Fund receives from domestic corporations subject to federal income tax (excluding REITs) and excludes dividends from foreign corporations -- subject to similar restrictions. However, dividends a corporate shareholder deducts pursuant to that deduction are subject indirectly to the federal alternative minimum tax.

 

In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax when they are paid, whether you take them in cash or reinvest them in the Fund (if that option is available). Distributions reinvested in additional Shares through the means of a dividend reinvestment service, if available, will be taxable to shareholders acquiring the additional Shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash. Distributions of net long-term capital gains, if any, in excess of net short-term capital losses are taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long you have held the Shares.

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Distributions in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits are treated as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of your basis in the Shares and as capital gain thereafter. A distribution will reduce the Fund’s NAV per Share and may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gain (as described above) even though, from an investment standpoint, the distribution may constitute a return of capital.

 

By law, the Fund is required to withhold 28% of your distributions and redemption proceeds if you have not provided the Fund with a correct Social Security number or other taxpayer identification number and in certain other situations.

 

Taxes on Exchange-Listed Share Sales

 

Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Shares is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for one year or less. The ability to deduct capital losses from sales of Shares may be limited.

 

Taxes on Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units

 

An AP who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus any Cash Component it pays. An AP who exchanges Creation Units for securities will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of the securities received plus any cash equal to the difference between the NAV of the Shares being redeemed and the value of the securities. The Internal Revenue Service (“Service”), however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales” or for other reasons. Persons exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.

 

Any capital gain or loss realized upon redemption of Creation Units is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for one year or less.

 

If you purchase or redeem Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how many Shares you purchased or sold and at what price. See “Tax Status” in the SAI for a description of the newly effective requirement regarding basis determination methods applicable to Share redemptions and the Fund’s obligation to report basis information to the Service.

 

The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in the Shares under all applicable tax laws. See “Tax Status in the SAI for more information.

 

FUND SERVICE PROVIDERS

 

Gemini Fund Services, LLC is the Fund’s administrator and fund accountant. It has its principal office at 17645 Wright Street, Suite 200, Omaha, NE 68130, and is primarily in the business of providing administrative, fund accounting and transfer agent services to retail and institutional mutual funds. It is an affiliate of the Distributor.

 

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., 50 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02110, is the Fund’s transfer agent and custodian.

 

Northern Lights Distributors, LLC (the “Distributor”), 17645 Wright Street, Suite 200, Omaha, NE 68130, is the distributor for the Shares. The Distributor is a registered broker-dealer and member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).

 

Thompson Hine LLP, 41 South High Street, 17th Floor, Columbus, OH 43215, serves as legal counsel to the Trust.

 

Tait, Weller & Baker LLP, Two Liberty Place, 50 South 16th Street, Suite 2900, Philadelphia, PA 19102, serves as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm. The independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for auditing the annual financial statements of the Fund.

 

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Index Provider

 

The Underlying Index is an index sponsored, created, compiled and maintained by the Adviser.

 

In order to minimize any potential for conflicts caused by the fact the Adviser acts as both the Underlying Index Provider and Adviser to the Fund, the Fund will post on its website on each day that the Exchange and the Trust are open for business (a “Business Day”), before commencement of trading of shares on the Exchange, the identities and quantities of the portfolio securities, assets and other positions held by the Fund that will form the basis for the Fund’s calculation of NAV at the end of the Business Day.

 

The Adviser does not charge a licensing fee for the Fund to use the Underlying Index. If the Adviser were to no longer serve as the adviser to the Fund, it may determine to no longer allow the Fund to use the Underlying Indexes as part of the Fund’s strategy or to charge a fee for the Fund to do so. Such an event could result in the Fund having to change its investment strategies, liquidation, or an increase to the Fund’s expense ratio.

 

OTHER INFORMATION

 

Investments by Investment Companies

 

The SEC has granted an exemptive order to the Adviser permitting registered investment companies and unit investment trusts that enter into an agreement with the Trust (“Investing Funds”) to invest in series of the Trust beyond the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act subject to certain terms and conditions.

 

Continuous Offering

 

The method by which Creation Units are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units are issued and sold by the Fund on an ongoing basis, a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), may occur at any point. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery requirement and liability provisions of the Securities Act.

 

For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Units after placing an order with the Distributor, breaks them down into constituent Shares and sells the Shares directly to customers or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for Shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to a characterization as an underwriter.

 

Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are effecting transactions in Shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of Shares, are generally required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. As a result, broker-dealer firms should note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted with engaging in ordinary secondary market transactions) and thus dealing with the Shares that are part of an overallotment within the meaning of Section 4(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the Securities Act. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery mechanism of Rule 153 under the Securities Act is only available with respect to transactions on a national exchange.

 

Dealers effecting transactions in the Shares, whether or not participating in this distribution, are generally required to deliver a Prospectus. This is in addition to any obligation of dealers to deliver a Prospectus when acting as underwriters.

 

Householding: To reduce expenses, the Fund mails 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 Fund at 888-724-3911 on days the Fund is open for business or contact your financial institution. The Fund will begin sending you individual copies thirty days after receiving your request.

 

 

15 
 

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

The following table is intended to help you better understand the Fund’s financial performance since its inception. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. Total return represents the rate you would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund, assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. The information for the fiscal period ended August 31, 2018 and the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019 has been audited by Tait, Weller & Baker LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the annual report, which is available upon request.

 

Per Share Data and Ratios for a Share of Beneficial Interest Outstanding Throughout Each Period Presented

 

    For the     For the  
    Year Ended     Period Ended  
    August 31,2019     August 31, 2018 (a)  
             
Net asset value, beginning of period   $ 48.65     $ 50.00  
Activity from investment operations:                
Net investment income (b)     1.40       1.01  
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments     2.67       (1.46 )
Total from investment operations     4.07       (0.45 )
Less distributions from:                
Net investment income     (1.41 )     (0.90 )
Total distributions     (1.41 )     (0.90 )
Net asset value, end of period   $ 51.31     $ 48.65  
Market price, end of period   $ 51.38     $ 48.63  
Total return (c)(d)     8.54 %     (0.78 )%
Market Price Total return (c)(d)     8.73 %     (0.92 )%
Net assets, end of period (000s)   $ 17,959     $ 14,594  
Ratio of gross expenses to average net assets (e)(f)     1.29 %     1.93 %
Ratio of net expenses to average net assets (e)     0.35 %     0.35 %
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets (e)     2.84 %     2.46 %
Portfolio Turnover Rate (c)     69 %     65 %

 

  (a) The Sage ESG Intermediate Credit ETF commenced operations on October 31, 2017.

 

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

 

  (c) Not annualized for periods less than one year.

 

  (d) Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of shares at net asset value on the first day and a sale at net asset value on the last day of the period. Distributions are assumed, for the purpose of this calculation, to be reinvested at the ex-dividend date net asset value per share on their respective payment dates.

 

  (e) Annualized.

 

  (f) Represents the ratio of expenses to average net assets absent fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements by the Advisor.


16 
 

PRIVACY NOTICE

 

Northern Lights Fund Trust IV

Rev. August 2015

 

FACTS WHAT DOES NORTHERN LIGHTS FUND TRUST IV 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 depends on the product or service that you have with us. This information can include:

·         Social Security number and wire transfer instructions

·         account transactions and transaction history

·         investment experience and purchase history

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

 

How? All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business.  In the section below, we list the reasons financial companies can share their customers’ personal information; the reasons Northern Lights Fund Trust IV chooses to share; and whether you can limit this sharing.

 

Reasons we can share your personal information: Does Northern Lights Fund Trust IV share information? Can you limit this sharing?
For our everyday business purposes - such as to process your transactions, maintain your account(s), respond to court orders and legal investigations, or report to credit bureaus. YES NO
For our marketing purposes - to offer our products and services to you. NO We don’t share
For joint marketing with other financial companies. NO We don’t share
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes - information about your transactions and records. NO We don’t share
For our affiliates’ everyday business purposes - information about your credit worthiness. NO We don’t share
For nonaffiliates to market to you NO We don’t share

 

QUESTIONS?   Call 1-402-493-4603

 

17 
 

PRIVACY NOTICE

Northern Lights Fund Trust IV

 

Page 2  

 

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

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

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

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

We collect your personal information, for example, when you

·          open an account or deposit money

·          direct us to buy securities or direct us to sell your securities

·          seek advice about your investments

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

Why can’t I limit all sharing?

Federal law gives you the right to limit only:

·         sharing for affiliates’ everyday business purposes – information about your creditworthiness.

·         affiliates from using your information to market to you.

·         sharing for nonaffiliates to market to you.

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

 

Definitions
Affiliates

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

·   Northern Lights Fund Trust IV has no affiliates.

Nonaffiliates

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

·   Northern Lights Fund Trust IV does not share with nonaffiliates so they can market to you.

Joint marketing

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

·   Northern Lights Fund Trust IV does not jointly market.

 

18 
 

Sage ESG Intermediate Credit ETF

 

Adviser

Sage Advisory Services LTD Co.

5900 Southwest Parkway

Building 1, Suite 100

Austin, TX 78735-6202

Distributor

Northern Lights Distributors, LLC

17645 Wright Street, Suite 200

Omaha, NE 68130

Custodian & Transfer Agent

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.

50 Post Office Square

Boston, MA 02110

Legal
Counsel

Thompson Hine LLP

41 South High Street, Suite 1700

Columbus, OH 43215

Administrator

Gemini Fund Services, LLC

17645 Wright Street, Suite 200

Omaha, NE 68130

Independent
Registered
Public
Accountant

Tait, Weller & Baker LLP

50 South 16th Street, Suite 2900

Philadelphia, PA 19102

 

Additional information about the Fund is included in the Fund’s SAI dated December 2, 2019. The SAI is incorporated into this Prospectus by reference (i.e., legally made a part of this Prospectus). The SAI provides more details about the Fund’s policies and management. Additional information about the Fund’s investments will also be available in the Fund’s Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders. In the Fund’s Annual Report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during the last fiscal period.

 

To obtain a free copy of the SAI and the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders, or other information about the Fund, or to make shareholder inquiries about the Fund, please call 888-724-3911. Information relating to the Fund can be found on the website at www.SageETFs.com. You may also write to:

 

Sage ESG Intermediate Credit ETF

c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC

17645 Wright Street, Suite 200

Omaha, Nebraska 68130

 

You may review and obtain copies of the Fund’s information at the SEC Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Please call 1-202-551-8090 for information relating to the operation of the Public Reference Room. Reports and other information about the Fund is available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following E-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the Public Reference Section, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, D.C. 20549-0102.

 

 

Investment Company Act File # 811-23066

 

 
 

 

 

Sage ESG Intermediate Credit ETF

 

GUDB

 

a Series of Northern Lights Fund Trust IV

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

December 2, 2019

 

Listed and traded on:

Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”)

 

 

 

This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the combined Prospectus of the Sage ESG Intermediate Credit ETF (the "Fund") dated December 2, 2019. The Fund’s Prospectus is hereby incorporated by reference, which means it is legally part of this document. You can obtain copies of the Fund’s Prospectus, annual or semiannual reports without charge by contacting the Fund’s Distributor, Northern Lights Distributors, LLC, 17645 Wright Street, Suite 200, Omaha, NE 68130-2095 or by calling 888-724-3911. You may also obtain a Prospectus by visiting the website at www.SageETFs.com.

 
 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

THE FUND     1  
TYPES OF INVESTMENTS     1  
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS     5  
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS     6  
MANAGEMENT     8  
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS     12  
INVESTMENT ADVISER     12  
THE DISTRIBUTOR     14  
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS     16  
ALLOCATION OF PORTFOLIO BROKERAGE     17  
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER     18  
OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS     18  
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES     20  
ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING PROGRAM     20  
PURCHASE, REDEMPTION AND PRICING OF SHARES     20  
TAX STATUS     42  
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM     45  
LEGAL COUNSEL     46  
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS     46  
APPENDIX A – PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES     A-1  

 

 
 

THE FUND

 

The Fund is a diversified series of Northern Lights Fund Trust IV, a Delaware statutory trust organized on June 2, 2015 (the "Trust"). 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 Fund may issue an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest (“Shares”). All Shares have equal rights and privileges. Each Share is entitled to one vote on all matters as to which Shares are entitled to vote. In addition, each Share is entitled to participate equally with other Shares (i) in dividends and distributions declared by the Fund and (ii) on liquidation to its proportionate share of the assets remaining after satisfaction of outstanding liabilities. Shares are fully paid, non-assessable and fully transferable when issued and have no pre-emptive, conversion or exchange rights.

 

The Fund’s investment objective is to seek investment results that generally correspond to the performance of an applicable underlying index (the “Underlying Index”). The Fund is managed by Sage Advisory Services LTD Co. (the "Adviser"). The Board may start other series and offer shares of a new fund under the Trust at any time.

 

The Fund will issue and redeem Shares at net asset value ("NAV") only in aggregations of 50,000 Shares (each a "Creation Unit"). The Fund will issue and redeem Creation Units principally in exchange for a basket of securities included in the Underlying Index (the "Deposit Securities"), together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (the "Cash Component"), plus a transaction fee. The Fund is expected to be approved for listing, subject to notice of issuance, on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. Shares will trade on the Exchange at market prices that may be below, at, or above NAV. In the event of the liquidation of the Fund, a Share split, reverse split or the like, the Trust may revise the number of Shares in a Creation Unit.

 

The Fund reserves the right to offer creations and redemptions of Shares for cash. In addition, Shares may be issued in advance of receipt of Deposit Securities subject to various conditions, including a requirement to maintain on deposit with the Trust cash equal to up to 115% of the market value of the missing Deposit Securities. In each instance of such cash creations or redemptions, transaction fees, may be imposed and may be higher than the transaction fees associated with in-kind creations or redemptions. See PURCHASE, REDEMPTION AND PRICING OF SHARES below.

 

Exchange Listing and Trading

 

In order to provide additional information regarding the indicative value of Shares, the Exchange or a market data vendor will disseminate every 15 seconds through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association or other widely disseminated means an updated "“indicative optimized portfolio value " ("IOPV") for the Fund as calculated by an information provider or market data vendor. The Trust is not involved in or responsible for any aspect of the calculation or dissemination of the IOPV and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the IOPV.

 

 

TYPES OF INVESTMENTS

 

The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in securities that comprise the Underlying Index. The Fund operates as an index fund and will not be actively managed. The Fund may use a “sampling” methodology – in seeking to achieve its investment objective including when securities in the Underlying Index are unavailable or trading in round lots that are too large to include in the Deposit Securities or until the Fund achieves scale. Sampling involves using a quantitative analysis to select securities that, in the aggregate, have investment characteristics resembling the Underlying Index in terms of key risk factors, performance attributes and other characteristics.

 

A discussion of the Fund's investment policies and the risks associated with an investment in the Fund is contained in the Prospectus. The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus.

 

An investment in the Fund should be made with an understanding that the value of the Fund's portfolio securities may fluctuate in accordance with changes in the financial condition of the issuers of the portfolio securities, the value of securities in general and other factors that affect the market.

 

An investment in the Fund should also be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in securities, including the risk that the financial condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of the securities market may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of the portfolio securities and thus in the value of Shares). Securities are susceptible to general securities market fluctuations and to volatile increases and decreases in value as market confidence 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 or banking crises.

 

1 
 

The existence of a liquid trading market for certain securities may depend on whether dealers will make a market in such securities. There can be no assurance that a market will be made or maintained or that any such market will be or remain liquid. The price at which securities may be sold and the value of the Shares will be adversely affected if trading markets for the Fund's portfolio securities are limited or absent, or if bid/ask spreads are wide. The performance of the Fund and the Underlying Index may vary due to asset valuation differences: the Fund may fair value certain of the securities it holds and to the extent it calculates its NAV based on fair value prices, the Fund’s ability to track the Underlying Index may be adversely affected. There may also be differences between the Fund’s portfolio and the Underlying Index as a result of legal restrictions, cost or liquidity constraints. Similarly, liquidity constraints also may delay the Fund’s purchase or sale of securities included in the Underlying Index. Further, the investment activities of one or more of the Adviser’s affiliates for their proprietary accounts and for client accounts may also adversely impact the Fund’s ability to track the Underlying Index. For example, in regulated industries, and in corporate and regulatory ownership definitions, there may be limits on the aggregate amount of investment by affiliated investors that may not be exceeded, or that may not be exceeded without the grant of a license or other regulatory or corporate consent or, if exceeded, may cause the Adviser, the Fund or other client accounts to suffer disadvantages or business restrictions. As a result, the Fund may be restricted in its ability to acquire particular securities due to positions held by the Adviser’s affiliates.

 

In addition, the use of a representative sampling approach by the Fund may cause the Fund to not be as well correlated with the return of the Underlying Index as would be the case if the Fund purchased all of the securities in the Underlying Index in the proportions represented in the Underlying Index. It is also possible that the Fund may not replicate the performance of the Underlying Index due to the temporary unavailability of certain Underlying Index securities in the secondary market or due to other extraordinary circumstances. The Fund may also have to vary its portfolio holdings from the composition of the Underlying Index in order to qualify, and continue to qualify, as a "regulated investment company" under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Internal Revenue Code"). See Taxes below for additional information on the Fund’s tax treatment.

 

The Fund is not actively managed, and therefore would not necessarily sell a security, even if the security’s issuer is in financial trouble, unless the security is removed from the Underlying Index.

 

Bonds

 

A bond is an interest-bearing security issued by a U.S. or non-U.S. company, or U.S. or non-U.S. governmental unit. The issuer of a bond has a contractual obligation to pay interest at a stated rate on specific dates and to repay principal (the bond’s face value) periodically or on a specified maturity date. Bonds generally are used by corporations and governments to borrow money from investors.

 

An issuer may have the right to redeem or “call” a bond before maturity, in which case a fund may have to reinvest the proceeds at lower market rates. Similarly, a fund may have to reinvest interest income or payments received when bonds mature, sometimes at lower market rates. Most bonds bear interest income at a “coupon” rate that is fixed for the life of the bond. The value of a fixed-rate bond usually rises when market interest rates fall, and falls when market interest rates rise. Accordingly, a fixed-rate bond’s yield (income as a percent of the bond’s current value) may differ from its coupon rate as its value rises or falls. When an investor purchases a fixed-rate bond at a price that is greater than its face value, the investor is purchasing the bond at a premium. Conversely, when an investor purchases a fixed-rate bond at a price that is less than its face value, the investor is purchasing the bond at a discount. Fixed-rate bonds that are purchased at a discount pay less current income than securities with comparable yields that are purchased at face value, with the result that prices for such fixed-rate securities can be more volatile than prices for such securities that are purchased at face value. Other types of bonds bear interest at an interest rate that is adjusted periodically. Interest rates on “floating rate” or “variable rate” bonds may be higher or lower than current market rates for fixed-rate bonds of comparable quality with similar final maturities.

 

Because of their adjustable interest rates, the value of “floating rate” or “variable rate” bonds fluctuates much less in response to market interest rate movements than the value of fixed-rate bonds, but their value may decline if their interest rates do not rise as much, or as quickly, as interest rates in general. The Fund may treat some of these bonds as having a shorter maturity for purposes of calculating the weighted average maturity of its investment portfolio. Generally, prices of higher quality issues tend to fluctuate less with changes in market interest rates than prices of lower quality issues and prices of longer maturity issues tend to fluctuate more than prices of shorter maturity issues. Bonds may be senior or subordinated obligations. Senior obligations generally have the first claim on a corporation’s earnings and assets and, in the event of liquidation, are paid before subordinated obligations. Bonds may be unsecured (backed only by the issuer’s general creditworthiness) or secured (backed by specified collateral).

 

Corporate Bonds

 

The investment return of corporate bonds reflects interest earned on the security and changes in the market value of the security. The market value of a corporate bond may be affected by changes in the market rate of interest, the credit rating of the corporation, the corporation’s performance and perceptions of the corporation in the marketplace. There is a risk that the issuers of the securities may not be able to meet their obligations on interest or principal payments at the time called for by an instrument.

2 
 

 

ESG

 

An environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) investment strategy limits the types and number of investment opportunities available and, as a result, the strategy may underperform other strategies that do not have an ESG focus. An ESG investment strategy may result in the Fund investing in securities or industry sectors that underperform the market as a whole or underperform other funds screened for ESG standards.

 

Foreign Securities

 

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

 

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

 

Illiquid Securities

 

The Fund may invest up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities (calculated at the time of investment). Illiquid securities may include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets, as determined in accordance with SEC staff guidance. The liquidity of a security relates to the ability to readily dispose of the security and the price to be obtained upon disposition of the security, which may be lower than the price that would be obtained for a comparable, more liquid security. Illiquid securities may trade at a discount to comparable, more liquid securities and the Fund may not be able to dispose of illiquid securities in a timely fashion or at their expected prices.

 

Repurchase Agreements

 

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

 

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

 

3 
 

 

Securities of Other Investment Companies

 

Investments in exchange traded funds (“ETFs”) and mutual funds involve certain additional expenses and certain tax results, which would not be present in a direct investment in such funds. Due to legal limitations, the Fund will be prevented from: 1) purchasing more than 3% of an investment company's (including ETFs) outstanding shares; 2) investing more than 5% of the Fund’s assets in any single such investment company, and 3) investing more than 10% of the Fund’s assets in investment companies overall; unless: (i) the underlying investment company and/or the Fund has received an order for exemptive relief from such limitations from the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"); and (ii) the underlying investment company and the Fund take appropriate steps to comply with any conditions in such order. In the alternative, the Fund may rely on Rule 12d1-3, which allows unaffiliated mutual funds to exceed the 5% limitation and the 10% limitation, provided the aggregate sales loads any investor pays (i.e., the combined distribution expenses of both the acquiring fund and the acquired fund) does not exceed the limits on sales loads established by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) for funds of funds. In addition to ETFs, the Fund may invest in other investment companies such as open-end mutual funds or exchange-traded funds, within the limitations described above. Each investment company is subject to specific risks, depending on the nature of the Fund. ETFs and mutual funds may employ leverage, which magnifies the changes in the underlying stock or other index upon which they are based.

 

Open-End Investment Companies

 

The Fund and any "affiliated persons," as defined by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) may purchase in the aggregate only up to 3% of the total outstanding securities of any underlying fund. Accordingly, when affiliated persons hold shares of any of the underlying fund, the Fund’s ability to invest fully in shares of those funds is restricted, and the Adviser must then, in some instances, select alternative investments that would not have been its first preference. The 1940 Act also provides that an underlying fund whose shares are purchased by the Fund will be obligated to redeem shares held by the Fund only in an amount up to 1% of the underlying fund’s outstanding securities during any period of less than 30 days. Shares in excess of 1% of an underlying fund’s outstanding securities therefore, will be considered not readily marketable securities, which, together with other such securities, may not exceed 15% of the Fund’s total assets.

 

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

 

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

 

Exchange Traded Funds

 

ETFs are generally passive funds that track their related index and have the flexibility of trading like a security. They are managed by professionals and typically provide the investor with diversification, cost and tax efficiency, liquidity, marginability, are useful for hedging, have the ability to go long and short, and some provide quarterly dividends. Additionally, some ETFs are unit investment trusts. Under certain circumstances, the adviser may invest in ETFs, known as "inverse funds," which are designed to produce results opposite to market trends. Inverse ETFs are funds designed to rise in price when stock prices are falling.

 

ETFs have two markets. The primary market is where institutions swap "creation units" in block-multiples of, for example, 50,000 shares for in-kind securities and cash in the form of dividends. The secondary market is where individual investors can trade as little as a single share during trading hours on the exchange. This is different from open-ended mutual funds that are traded after hours once the NAV is calculated. ETFs share many similar risks with open-end and closed-end funds.

 

United States Government Obligations

 

These consist of various types of marketable securities issued by the United States Treasury, i.e., bills, notes and bonds. Such securities are direct obligations of the United States government and differ mainly in the length of their maturity. Treasury bills, the most frequently issued marketable government security, have a maturity of up to one year and are issued on a discount basis.

 

4 
 

 

Debt Issued by United States Government Agencies

 

These consist of debt securities issued by agencies and instrumentalities of the United States government, including the various types of instruments currently outstanding or which may be offered in the future. Agencies include, among others, the Federal Housing Administration, Government National Mortgage Association ("Ginnie Mae"), Farmer's Home Administration, Export-Import Bank of the United States, Maritime Administration, and General Services Administration. Instrumentalities include, for example, each of the Federal Home Loan Banks, the National Bank for Cooperatives, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac"), the Farm Credit Banks, the Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae"), and the United States Postal Service. These securities are either: (i) backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government (e.g., United States Treasury Bills); (ii) guaranteed by the United States Treasury (e.g., Ginnie Mae mortgage-backed securities); (iii) supported by the issuing agency's or instrumentality's right to borrow from the United States Treasury (e.g., Fannie Mae Discount Notes); or (iv) supported only by the issuing agency's or instrumentality's own credit (e.g., Tennessee Valley Association).

 

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

 

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

 

On September 7, 2008, the U.S. Treasury Department and the Federal Housing Finance Authority (the "FHFA") announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had been placed into conservatorship, a statutory process designed to stabilize a troubled institution with the objective of returning the entity to normal business operations. The U.S. Treasury Department and the FHFA at the same time established a secured lending facility and a Secured Stock Purchase Agreement with both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to ensure that each entity had the ability to fulfill its financial obligations. The FHFA announced that it does not anticipate any disruption in pattern of payments or ongoing business operations of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

 

 

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

 

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

 

1. Issue senior securities, except as otherwise permitted under the 1940 Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder;

 

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;

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

 

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

 

5. Invest more than 25% of the market value of its assets in the securities of companies engaged in any one industry or group of industries, except that the Fund will concentrate to approximately the same extent that its Underlying Index concentrates in the stocks of such particular industry or industries. This limitation 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; or

 

7. Make loans to others, except that the Fund may, in accordance with its investment objective and policies, (i) lend portfolio securities, (ii) purchase and hold debt securities or other debt instruments, including but not limited to loan participations and sub-participations, assignments, and structured securities, (iii) make loans secured by mortgages on real property, (iv) enter into repurchase agreements, (v) enter into transactions where each loan is represented by a note executed by the borrower, and (vi) make time deposits with financial institutions and invest in instruments issued by financial institutions. For purposes of this limitation, the term "loans" shall not include the purchase of a portion of an issue of publicly distributed bonds, debentures or other securities.

 

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

 

With respect to fundamental investment restriction #2 above, if the Fund’s asset coverage falls below 300%, the Fund will reduce borrowing within 3 days in order to ensure that the Fund has 300% asset coverage.

 

Although fundamental investment restriction #7 reserves for the Fund the ability to make loans, there is no present intent to loan money or portfolio securities and additional disclosure will be provided if such a strategy is implemented in the future.

 

 

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

 

The Trust has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Fund's portfolio holdings. The Fund and its service providers may not receive compensation or any other consideration (which includes any agreement to maintain assets in the Fund or in other investment companies or accounts managed by the Adviser or any affiliated person of the Adviser) in connection with the disclosure of portfolio holdings information of the Fund. The Trust’s policy is implemented and overseen by the Chief Compliance Officer of the Trust, subject to the oversight of the Board. Periodic reports regarding these procedures will be provided to the Board. The Trust, the Adviser and the Distributor (as defined below) will not disseminate non-public information concerning the Trust. The Board must approve all material amendments to this policy.

 

Each Business Day (as defined below), the Fund’s portfolio holdings information will generally be provided for dissemination through the facilities of the National Securities Clearing Corporation ("NSCC") and/or other fee-based subscription services to NSCC members and/or subscribers to those other fee-based subscription services, including Authorized Participants (as defined below), and to entities that publish and/or analyze such information in connection with the process of purchasing or redeeming Creation Units or trading shares of the Fund in the secondary market. This information typically reflects the Fund’s anticipated holdings as of the next Business Day.

 

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Access to information concerning the Fund's portfolio holdings may be permitted to personnel of third party service providers, including the Fund’s custodian, transfer agent, auditors and counsel, as may be necessary to conduct business in the ordinary course in a manner consistent with such service providers' agreements with the Trust on behalf of the Fund.

 

The Fund discloses on the Adviser’s website at www.SageETFs.com at the start of each Business Day the identities and quantities of the securities and other assets held by the Fund that will form the basis of the Fund’s calculation of its NAV on that Business Day. The portfolio holdings so disclosed will be based on information as of the close of business on the prior Business Day and/or trades that have been completed prior to the opening of business on that Business Day and that are expected to settle on that Business Day. The Fund may also concurrently disclose this portfolio holdings information directly to ratings agencies on a daily basis.

 

Quarterly Portfolio Schedule. The Trust is required to disclose, after its first and third fiscal quarters, the complete schedule of the Fund's portfolio holdings with the SEC on Form N-Q. The Trust will also disclose a complete schedule of the Fund's portfolio holdings with the SEC on Form N-CSR after its second and fourth quarters.

 

Form N-Q and Form N-CSR for the Fund will be available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. The Fund's Form N-Q and Form N-CSR, when available, may also be reviewed and copied at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C., and information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 202-551-8090. The Fund's Form N-Q and Form N-CSR will be available without charge, upon request, by calling 888-724-3911 or visiting, www.SageETFs.com or by writing to: Sage ETFs, c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC, 17645 Wright Street, Suite 200, Omaha, Nebraska 68130.

 

The Adviser. Personnel of the Adviser, including personnel responsible for managing the Fund’s portfolio, may have full daily access to Fund portfolio holdings since that information is necessary in order for the Adviser to provide its management, administrative, and investment services to the Fund. As required for purposes of analyzing the impact of existing and future market changes on the prices, availability, as 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 fund accountant, administrator and custody administrator for the Fund; therefore, its personnel have full daily access to the Fund’s portfolio holdings since that information is necessary in order for them to provide the agreed-upon services for the Trust.

 

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. is custodian and transfer agent for the Fund; therefore, its personnel have full daily access to the Fund’s portfolio holdings since that information is necessary in order for them to provide the agreed-upon services for the Trust.

 

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

 

Thompson Hine LLP. Thompson Hine LLP is counsel to the Trust; therefore, its personnel have access to the Fund’s portfolio holdings in connection with review of the Fund’s annual and semi-annual shareholder reports and SEC filings.

 

Additions to List of Approved Recipients

 

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

 

Compliance with Portfolio Holdings Disclosure Procedures

 

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

 

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

 

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MANAGEMENT

 

The business of the Trust is managed under the direction of the Board in accordance with the Agreement and Declaration of Trust and the Trust's By-laws (the "Governing Documents"), which have been filed with the SEC and are available upon request. The Board consists of three (3) individuals, each of whom are not "interested persons" (as defined under the 1940 Act) of the Trust or any investment adviser to any series of the Trust ("Independent Trustees"). Pursuant to the Governing Documents, the Trustees shall elect officers including a President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Principal Executive Officer and a Principal Accounting Officer. The Board retains the power to conduct, operate and carry on the business of the Trust and has the power to incur and pay any expenses, which, in the opinion of the Board, are necessary or incidental to carry out any of the Trust's purposes. The Trustees, officers, employees and agents of the Trust, when acting in such capacities, shall not be subject to any personal liability except for his or her own bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard of his or her duties.

 

Board Leadership Structure

 

The Trust is led by Joseph Breslin, who has served as the Chairman of the Board since July 2015. The Board of Trustees is comprised of three independent Trustees. Additionally, under certain 1940 Act governance guidelines that apply to the Trust, the Independent Trustees will meet in executive session, at least quarterly. Under the Governing Documents, the Chairman of the Board is responsible for (a) presiding at board meetings, (b) calling special meetings on an as-needed basis, (c) executing and administering 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 its Chairman, the independent chair of the Audit Committee, and, 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.

 

Board Risk Oversight

 

The Board of Trustees has a standing independent Audit Committee, Nominating and Governance Committee and Contract Review Committee, each 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. The primary purposes of the Nominating and Governance Committee are to consider and evaluate the structure, composition and operation of the Board, to evaluate and recommend individuals to serve on the Board of the Trust, and to consider and make recommendations relating to the compensation of the Trust’s independent trustees.  The Nominating and Governance Committee may consider recommendations for candidates to serve on the Board from any source it deems appropriate. The primary purpose of the Contract Review Committee is to oversee and guide the process by which the Independent Trustees annually consider whether to approve or renew the Trust’s investment advisory, sub-advisory and distribution agreements, Rule 12b-1 plans, and such other agreements or plans involving the Trust as specified in the Contract Review Committee’s charter or as the Board determines from time to time.

 

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. Breslin has over 20 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 based, in part, upon his years of service as an officer and/or Trustee to other registered investment companies. Thomas Sarkany is qualified to serve as a Trustee based on his experience in various business and consulting positions, and through his experience from service as a board member of the Trust and other investment companies. Since 2010, he has been the President of a financial services firm and from 1994 through 2010, held various roles at 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. In addition to his service as a Trustee of the Trust, Mr. Sarkany serves as a trustee of the Northern Lights Fund Trust II and has previously served as a director of certain public companies. Charles R. Ranson has more than 20 years’ experience in strategic analysis and planning, risk assessment, and capital formation in the operation of complex organizations and entrepreneurial ventures. In addition to his service to the Trust, Mr. Ranson serves as an independent trustee to another mutual fund complex Each Trustee’s ability to perform his duties effectively also has been enhanced by his educational background and professional training. 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.

 

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The following is a list of the Trustees and executive officers of the Trust and each person’s principal occupation over the last five years. Unless otherwise noted, the address of each Trustee and Officer is 17645 Wright Street, Suite 200, Omaha, Nebraska 68130.

 

Independent Trustees

Name, Address and Year of
Birth
Position/Term of Office* Principal Occupation During the Past Five Years Number of Funds in Fund Complex** Overseen by Trustee Other Directorships held by Trustee During the Past Five Years

Joseph Breslin

Year of Birth: 1953

Independent Trustee and Chairman of the Board since 2015

President and Consultant, Adviser Counsel, Inc. (formerly J.E. Breslin & Co.) (management consulting firm to investment advisers) (since 2009); Senior Counsel, White Oak Global Advisors, LLC. (since 2018).

 

1 Northern Lights Fund Trust IV (for series not affiliated with the Fund since 2015); Director, Kinetics Mutual Funds, Inc. (since 2000); Trustee, Kinetics Portfolios Trust (since 2000); Trustee, Forethought Variable Insurance Trust (since 2013); Trustee, BlueArc Multi-Strategy Fund (2014-2017); Hatteras Trust (2004-2016)

Thomas Sarkany

Year of Birth: 1946

Independent Trustee since 2015 Founder and President, TTS Consultants, LLC (financial services) (since 2010). 1 Northern Lights Fund Trust IV (for series not affiliated with the Fund since 2015); Arrow Investments Trust (since 2014), Arrow ETF Trust (since 2012), Trustee, Northern Lights Fund Trust II (since 2011); Director, Aquila Distributors (since 1981)

Charles Ranson

Year of Birth: 1947

Independent Trustee since 2015 Principal, Ranson & Associates (strategic analysis and planning, including risk assessment and capital formation for entrepreneurial ventures) (since 2003); GR Group (since 2008). 1 Northern Lights Fund Trust IV (for series not affiliated with the Fund since 2015); Advisors Preferred Trust (since November 2012)  
           

 

 

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Officers

Name, Address and Year of
Birth
Position/Term of Office* Principal Occupation During the Past Five Years Number of Funds in Fund Complex** Overseen by Trustee Other Directorships held by Trustee During the Past Five Years

Wendy Wang

80 Arkay Drive
Hauppauge, NY 11788
Born in 1970

President since 2015 Senior Vice President, Director of Tax and Compliance Administration, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (since 2012). N/A N/A

Sam Singh

80 Arkay Drive
Hauppauge, NY 11788
Born in 1976

Treasurer since 2015 Vice President, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (since 2015); Assistant Vice President, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2011-2014). N/A N/A
Jennifer Farrell
80 Arkay Drive
Hauppauge, NY  11788
Born in 1969
Secretary since 2017 Manager, Legal Administration, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (since 2018); Senior Paralegal, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (since 2015); Legal Trainer, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2013-2015); Senior Paralegal, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2006-2012).   N/A N/A

James Ash 80 Arkay Drive
Hauppauge, NY 11788

Born in 1976

Chief Compliance Officer since 2019*** Senior Compliance Officer, Northern Lights Compliance, LLC (since 2019); Senior Vice President, National Sales Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2017-2019); Senior Vice President and Director of Legal Administration, Gemini Fund Services, LLC (2012 - 2017). N/A N/A

* The term of office for each Trustee and officer listed above will continue indefinitely until the individual resigns or is removed.

** As of November 27, 2019, the Trust was comprised of 17 other active portfolios managed by unaffiliated investment advisers.  The term “Fund Complex” applies only to the Fund.  The Fund does not hold itself out as related to any other series within the Trust for investment purposes, nor does it share the same investment adviser with any other series.

*** Effective April 3, 2019, Mr. Ash was appointed as the Chief Compliance Officer of the Trust.

 

 

Board Committees

 

Audit Committee

 

The Board has an Audit Committee that consists of all the Trustees who are not "interested persons" of the Trust within the meaning of the 1940 Act. The Audit Committee's responsibilities include: (i) recommending to the Board the selection, retention or termination of the Trust's independent auditors; (ii) reviewing with the independent auditors the scope, performance and anticipated cost of their audit; (iii) discussing with the independent auditors certain matters relating to the Trust's financial statements, including any adjustment to such financial statements recommended by such independent auditors, or any other results of any audit; (iv) reviewing on a periodic basis a formal written statement from the independent auditors with respect to their independence, discussing with the independent auditors any relationships or services disclosed

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in the statement that may impact the objectivity and independence of the Trust's independent auditors and recommending that the Board take appropriate action in response thereto to satisfy itself of the auditor's independence; and (v) considering the comments of the independent auditors and management's responses thereto with respect to the quality and adequacy of the Trust's accounting and financial reporting policies and practices and internal controls. The Audit Committee operates pursuant to an Audit Committee Charter. The Audit Committee is responsible for seeking and reviewing nominee candidates for consideration as Independent Trustees as is from time to time considered necessary or appropriate. The Audit Committee generally will not consider shareholder nominees. The Audit Committee is also responsible for reviewing and setting Independent Trustee compensation from time to time when considered necessary or appropriate. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Audit Committee met four times.

 

Nominating and Governance Committee

 

The Board has a Nominating and Governance Committee that consists of all the "interested persons" of the Trust within the meaning of the 1940 Act. The Committee’s responsibilities (which may also be conducted by the Board) include: (i) recommending persons to be nominated or re-nominated as Trustees in accordance with the Independent Trustee's Statement of Policy on Criteria for Selecting Independent Trustees; (ii) reviewing the Funds’ officers, and conduct Chief Compliance Officer searches, as needed, and provide consultation regarding other CCO matters, as requested; (iii) reviewing trustee qualifications, performance, and compensation; (iv) reviewing periodically with the Board the size and composition of the Board as a whole; (v) annually evaluating the operations of the Board and its Committees and assist the Board in conducting its annual self-evaluation; (vi) making recommendations on the requirements for, and means of, Board orientation and training; (vii) periodically review the Board’s corporate Governance policies and practices and recommend, as it deems appropriate, any changes to the Board; (ix) considering any corporate governance issues that arise from time to time, and to develop appropriate recommendations for the Board; and (x) supervising counsel for the Independent Directors. Mr. Ranson serves as the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee. The Nominating and Governance Committee operates pursuant to a Nominating and Governance Committee Charter. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Nominating and Governance Committee met once.

 

Contract Review Committee

 

The Board has a Contract Review Committee that consists of all the Trustees who are not "interested persons" of the Trust within the meaning of the 1940 Act. The primary purpose of the Contract Review Committee is to oversee and guide the process by which the Independent Trustees annually consider whether to approve or renew the Trust’s investment advisory, sub-advisory and distribution agreements, Rule 12b-1 plans, and such other agreements or plans involving the Trust as specified in the Contract Review Committee’s charter or as the Board determines from time to time. The Board may also assign to the Contract Review Committee responsibility to evaluate and make recommendations on contracts in unusual situations, for example, where a contract is expected to terminate because of a change of control of an investment adviser. The Contract Review Committee's responsibilities include: (i) identifying the scope and format of information to be requested from service providers in connection with the evaluation of each contract or plan and meet and evaluate such information at least annually in advance of the automatic expiration of such contracts by operation of law or by their terms; (ii) providing guidance to independent legal counsel regarding specific information requests to be made by such counsel on behalf of the Board or the Independent Trustees; (iii) evaluating regulatory and other developments coming to its attention that might reasonably be expected to have an impact on the Independent Trustees’ consideration of how to evaluate and whether or not to renew a contract or plan; (iv) assisting in circumscribing the range of factors considered by the Board relating to the approval or renewal of advisory or sub-advisory agreements; (v) recommending to other committees and/or to the Independent Trustees specific steps to be taken by them regarding the renewal process, including, for example, proposed schedules of meetings by Independent Trustees; (vi) investigating and reporting on any other matter brought to its attention within the scope of its duties; and (vii) performing such other duties as are consistent with the Contract Review Committee’s purpose or that are assigned to it by the Board. Mr. Sarkany serves as the Chairman of the Contract Review Committee. The Contract Review Committee operates pursuant to a Contract Review Committee Charter. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Contract Review Committee did not meet.

 

Compensation

 

Each Trustee who is not affiliated with the Trust or an investment adviser to any series of the Trust (each an “Independent Trustee”) will receive a quarterly fee of $17,500 to be paid by the Trust within 10 days of the commencement of each calendar quarter for his service as a Trustee of the Board and for serving in his respective capacity as Chair of the Audit Committee, Nominating and Governance Committee and Contract Review Committee, as well as reimbursement for any reasonable expenses incurred for attending regularly scheduled Board and Committee meetings.

 

Additionally, in the event of an in-person meeting of the Board of Trustees other than its regularly scheduled meetings (a “Special Meeting”) is required, each Independent Trustee will receive a fee of $5,000 per Special Meeting, as well as reimbursement for any reasonable expenses incurred, to be paid by the Trust or relevant series of the Trust

11 
 

or its investment adviser depending on the circumstances necessitating the Special Meeting. The Independent Trustees at their sole discretion shall determine when a particular meeting constitutes a Special Meeting for purpose of the $5,000 fee.

 

None of the executive officers receive compensation from the Trust.

 

The table below details the amount of compensation the Trustees received from the Trust during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019. Each Independent Trustee is expected to attend all quarterly meetings during the period. The Trust does not have a bonus, profit sharing, pension or retirement plan.

 

Name and Position  Aggregate Compensation From Fund Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement Total Compensation From Fund and Fund Complex* Paid to Trustees
Joseph Breslin $3,102 $0 $0 $3,102
Thomas Sarkany $3,102 $0 $0 $3,102
Charles Ranson $3,102 $0 $0 $3,102
* There are currently numerous series comprising the Trust. The term “Fund Complex” refers only to the Fund, and not to any other series of the Trust.

 

Management and Trustee Ownership

 

As of December 31, 2018, the Trustees and officers, as a group, owned no shares of the Fund or any of the Fund Complex’s outstanding shares.

 

 

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS

 

A principal shareholder is any person who owns (either of record or beneficially) 5% or more of the outstanding shares of a fund. A control person is one who owns, either directly or indirectly more than 25% of the voting securities of a company or acknowledges the existence of control. A control person is one who owns beneficially or through controlled companies more than 25% of the voting securities of a company or acknowledged the existence of control.

 

The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding shares and is recognized as the owner of all shares for all purposes. Investors owning shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. As of September 5, 2019, the Trust does not have information regarding the record or beneficial ownership of shares of the Fund held in the names of DTC participants, as DTC has not provided the Trust with access to such information.

 

 

INVESTMENT ADVISER

 

Investment Adviser and Advisory Agreement

 

Sage Advisory Services LTD Co., 5900 Southwest Parkway, Building 1, Suite 100, Austin, TX 78735-6202, serves as the Fund’s investment adviser. The Adviser is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.

 

Subject to the oversight of the Board of Trustees, the Adviser is responsible for the overall management of the Fund’s investment-related business affairs. Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement (the "Advisory Agreement") with the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, the Adviser, in conformity with the stated policies of the Fund, manages the portfolio investment operations of the Fund. The Adviser has overall supervisory responsibilities for the general management and investment of the Fund’s securities portfolio, as detailed below, which are subject to review and approval by the Board of Trustees. In general, the Adviser's duties include setting the Fund’s overall investment strategies and asset allocation.

 

Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser, agrees to invest the assets of the Fund in accordance with applicable law and the investment objective, policies and restrictions set forth in the Fund’s 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, (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,

12 
 

retained or lent by the Fund, and implement those decisions, including the selection of entities with or through which such purchases, sales or loans are to be effected; provided, that the Adviser or its designee, directly, 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 other brokers. The Adviser also provides the Fund with all necessary office facilities and personnel for servicing the Fund’s investments, compensates all officers, Trustees and employees of the Trust who are officers, directors or employees of the Adviser, and all personnel of the Fund or the Adviser performing services relating to research, statistical and investment activities. The Advisory Agreement was most recently renewed by the Board of the Trust, including by a majority of the Independent Trustees, at a meeting held on July 18, 2019.

 

In addition, the Adviser, provides the management and supplemental administrative services necessary for the operation of the Fund. These services include providing assisting in supervising relations with custodians, transfer and pricing agents, accountants, underwriters and other persons dealing with the Fund; assisting in the preparing of all general shareholder communications and conducting shareholder relations; assisting in maintaining the Fund’s records and the registration of the Fund’s shares under federal securities laws and making necessary filings under state securities laws; assisting in developing management and shareholder services for the Fund; and furnishing reports, evaluations and analyses on a variety of subjects to the Trustees.

 

The Fund pays an annual management fee (computed daily and payable monthly) of 0.20% of the Fund’s average daily net assets to the Adviser pursuant to the Advisory Agreement.

 

The Adviser has contractually agreed to reduce its fees and/or absorb expenses of the Fund, until at least December 31, 2020, to ensure that total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or reimbursement (exclusive of any front-end or contingent deferred loads, taxes, brokerage fees and commissions, borrowing costs (such as interest and dividend expense on securities sold short), acquired fund fees and expenses, fees and expenses associated with investments in other collective investment vehicles or derivative instruments (including for example option and swap fees and expenses), or extraordinary expenses such as litigation) will not exceed 0.35% of the Fund’s average daily net assets; subject to possible recoupment from the Fund in future years within the three years after the fees have been waived or reimbursed if such recoupment can be achieved within the lesser of the foregoing expense limits or the expense limits in place at the time of the recoupment. Fee waiver and reimbursement arrangements can decrease the Fund’s expenses and boost its performance. A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the Advisory Agreement is available in the Fund’s annual report to shareholders dated August 31, 2018.

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Adviser earned $31,133 in advisory fees.

 

For the fiscal period ended August 31, 2018, the Adviser earned $17,900 in advisory fees.

 

Expenses not expressly assumed by the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement are paid by the Fund. Under the terms of the Advisory Agreement, the Fund is 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 (c) the fees and certain expenses of the Custodian and Transfer and Dividend Disbursing Agent, including the cost of maintaining certain required records of the Fund and of pricing the Fund’s shares, (d) the charges and expenses of legal counsel and independent accountants for the Fund, (e) brokerage commissions and any issue or transfer taxes chargeable to the Fund in connection with its securities transactions, (f) all taxes and corporate fees payable by the Fund to governmental agencies, (g) the fees of any trade association of which the Fund may be a member, (h) the cost of fidelity and liability insurance, (i) the fees and expenses involved in registering and maintaining registration of the Fund and of shares with the SEC, qualifying its shares under state securities laws, including the preparation and printing of the Fund’s registration statements and prospectuses for such purposes, (j) all expenses of shareholders and Trustees' meetings (including travel expenses of trustees and officers of the Trust who are not 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 (k) litigation and indemnification expenses and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business.

 

The Advisory Agreement will continue in effect for two (2) years initially and shall continue from year to year provided such continuance is approved at least annually by (a) a vote of the majority of the Independent Trustees, cast in person at a meeting specifically called for the purpose of voting on such approval and by (b) the majority vote of either all of the Trustees or the vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund. The Advisory Agreement may be terminated without penalty on 60 days written notice by a vote of a majority of the Trustees or by the Adviser, or by holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding shares (with respect to the Fund). The Advisory Agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its assignment.

 

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Codes of Ethics

 

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

 

In addition, the Trust has adopted a code of ethics (the “Trust Code”), which applies only to the Trust's executive officers to ensure that these officers promote professional conduct in the practice of corporate governance and management. The purpose behind these guidelines is to promote (i) honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships; (ii) full, fair, accurate, timely, and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that the Trust files with, or submits to, the SEC and in other public communications made by the Fund; (iii) compliance with applicable governmental laws, rule and regulations; (iv) the prompt internal reporting of violations of the Trust Code to an appropriate person or persons identified in the Trust Code; and (v) accountability for adherence to the Trust Code.

 

Proxy Voting Policies

 

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

 

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

 

More information. Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities held by the Fund during the most recent 12-month period ending June 30 will be available (1) without charge, upon request, by calling the Fund at 888-724-3911; and (2) on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. In addition, a copy of the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures are also available by calling 888-724-3911 and will be sent within three business days of receipt of a request.

 

 

THE DISTRIBUTOR

 

Northern Lights Distributors, LLC, located at 17645 Wright Street, Suite 200, Omaha, NE 68130 (the “Distributor”), serves as the principal underwriter and national distributor for the Shares pursuant to an ETF Distribution Agreement with the Trust (the “Distribution 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 Shares is continuous and the Distributor acts as an agent for the Trust. The Distributor will deliver a Prospectus to persons purchasing Shares in Creation Units and will maintain records of both orders placed with it and confirmations of acceptance furnished by it. The Distributor has no role in determining the investments or investment policies of the Fund.

 

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

 

The Distribution Agreement may at any time be terminated, without penalty by the Trust, by vote of a majority of the Qualified Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Trust on 60 days' written notice to the other party. The Distribution Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment.

 

The Fund does not pay the Distributor any fees under the Distribution Agreement. However, the Advisor pays an annual fee to the Distributor plus reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by Distributor in connection with activities performed for the Fund, including, without limitation, printing and distribution of prospectuses and shareholder reports, out of its own resources.

 

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Rule 12b-1 Plans

 

The Trust, with respect to the Fund, the Trust has adopted the Trust’s Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the "Plan") for Shares pursuant to which the Fund is authorized to pay the Distributor, as compensation for Distributor's account maintenance services under the Plan. The Board has approved a distribution and shareholder servicing fee at the rate of up to 0.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets. Such fees are to be paid by the Fund monthly, or at such other intervals as the Board shall determine. Such fees shall be based upon the Fund’s average daily net assets during the preceding month, and shall be calculated and accrued daily. The Fund may pay fees to the Distributor at a lesser rate, as agreed upon by the Board of Trustees and the Distributor. The Plan authorizes payments to the Distributor as compensation for providing account maintenance services to Fund shareholders, including arranging for certain securities dealers or brokers, administrators and others ("Recipients") to provide these services and paying compensation for these services. The Fund will bear their own costs of distribution with respect to its shares. The Plan was adopted in order to permit the implementation of the Fund’s method of distribution. No fees are currently paid by the Fund under the Plan, and there are no current plans to impose such fees. In the event such fees were to be charged, over time they would increase the cost of an investment in the Fund.

 

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

 

The Distributor is required to provide a written report, at least quarterly to the Board of Trustees, specifying in reasonable detail the amounts expended pursuant to the 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 Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount of the Distributor's compensation to be paid by the Fund, unless such amendment is approved by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the affected class of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act). All material amendments must be approved by a majority of the Board of Trustees and a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees by votes cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on the Plans. During the term of the Plan, the selection and nomination of non-interested Trustees will be committed to the discretion of current non-interested Trustees. The Distributor will preserve copies of the 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 a Plan will be in writing and provide that: (a) it may be terminated by the Trust or the Fund at any time upon sixty days written notice, without the payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of the respective Rule 12b-1 Trustees, or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust or the Fund; (b) it will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act); and (c) it will continue in effect for a period of more than one year from the date of its execution or adoption only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a majority of the Board and a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Trustees by votes cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such agreement.

 

 

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PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

 

Robert Smith, Thomas Urano, and Ryan O’Malley are the lead portfolio managers for the Fund. Nicolas Erickson and Komson Silapachai also serve as portfolio managers of the Fund. As of August 31, 2019, the portfolio managers are responsible for the portfolio management of the following types of accounts in addition to the Fund:

 

Robert Smith

 

Total Other Accounts

By Type

Total Number of Accounts by Account Type

Total Assets By Account Type

(in millions)

Number of Accounts by Type  Subject to a Performance Fee

Total Assets By Account Type Subject to a Performance Fee

(in millions)

Registered Investment Companies 1 $107 0 0
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles 7 $319 0 0
Other Accounts 526 $12,291 0 0

 

Thomas Urano

 

Total Other Accounts

By Type

Total Number of Accounts by Account Type

Total Assets By Account Type

(in millions)

Number of Accounts by Type  Subject to a Performance Fee Total Assets By Account Type Subject to a Performance Fee
Registered Investment Companies 1 $107 0 0
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles 7 $319 0 0
Other Accounts 526 $12,291 0 0

 

Ryan O’Malley

 

Total Other Accounts

By Type

Total Number of Accounts by Account Type

Total Assets By Account Type

(in millions)

Number of Accounts by Type  Subject to a Performance Fee Total Assets By Account Type Subject to a Performance Fee
Registered Investment Companies 0 $0 0 0
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles 0 $0 0 0
Other Accounts 14 $15 0 0

 

Nicolas Erickson

 

Total Other Accounts

By Type

Total Number of Accounts by Account Type

Total Assets By Account Type

(in millions)

Number of Accounts by Type  Subject to a Performance Fee Total Assets By Account Type Subject to a Performance Fee
Registered Investment Companies 0 $0 0 0
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles 0 $0 0 0
Other Accounts 14 $15 0 0

 

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Komson Silapachai

 

Total Other Accounts

By Type

Total Number of Accounts by Account Type

Total Assets By Account Type

(in millions)

Number of Accounts by Type  Subject to a Performance Fee Total Assets By Account Type Subject to a Performance Fee
Registered Investment Companies 0 $0 0 0
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles 0 $0 0 0
Other Accounts 14 $15 0 0

 

Conflicts of Interest

 

As a general matter, certain conflicts of interest may arise in connection with a portfolio manager's management of the Fund’s investments, on the one hand, and the investments of other accounts for which the portfolio manager is responsible, on the other. For example, it is possible that the various accounts managed could have different investment strategies that, at times, might conflict with one another to the possible detriment of the Fund. Alternatively, to the extent that the same investment opportunities might be desirable for more than one account, possible conflicts could arise in determining how to allocate them. Other potential conflicts might include conflicts created by specific portfolio manager compensation arrangements, and conflicts relating to selection of brokers or dealers to execute the Fund’s portfolio trades and/or specific uses of commissions from the Fund’s portfolio trades (for example, research, or "soft dollars", if any). The Adviser has adopted policies and procedures and has structured the portfolio managers' compensation in a manner reasonably designed to safeguard the Fund from being negatively affected as a result of any such potential conflicts.

 

Compensation

 

Mr. Smith and Mr. Urano are compensated through salary and discretionary bonus, in addition to equity participation in the Adviser. Mr. O’Malley, Mr. Erickson and Mr. Silapachai are compensated through salary and discretionary bonus.

 

Ownership of Securities

 

The following table shows the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by the portfolio managers in the Fund as of August 31, 2019.

 

Name of Portfolio Manager Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Sage ESG Intermediate Credit ETF
Robert Smith $100,001 - $500,000
Thomas Urano $10,001 - $50,000
Ryan O’Malley $1 - $10,000
Nicolas Erickson $1 - $10,000
Komson Silapachai $1 - $10,000

 

 

ALLOCATION OF PORTFOLIO BROKERAGE

 

Specific decisions to purchase or sell securities for the Fund are made by the portfolio managers who are employees of the Adviser. The Adviser are authorized by the Trustees to allocate the orders placed by them on behalf of the Fund to brokers or dealers who may, but need not, provide research or statistical material or other services to the Fund or the Adviser for the Fund’s use. Such allocation is to be in such amounts and proportions as the Adviser may determine.

 

In selecting a broker or dealer to execute each particular transaction, the Adviser will take the following into consideration:

· the best net price available;
· the reliability, integrity and financial condition of the broker or dealer;
· the size of and difficulty in executing the order; and
17 
 
· the value of the expected contribution of the broker or dealer to the investment performance of the Fund on a continuing basis.

 

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 and research 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.

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Fund paid $0 in brokerage commissions. For the fiscal period ended August 31, 2018, the Fund paid $0 in brokerage commissions.

 

 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

 

The Fund’s portfolio turnover rate is calculated by dividing the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the fiscal year by the monthly average of the value of the portfolio securities owned by the Fund during the fiscal year. The calculation excludes from both the numerator and the denominator securities with maturities at the time of acquisition of one year or less. High portfolio turnover involves correspondingly greater brokerage commissions and other transaction costs, which will be borne directly by the Fund. A 100% turnover rate would occur if all of the Fund’s portfolio securities were replaced once within a one-year period.

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 69%. For the fiscal period ended August 31, 2018, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 65%.

 

 

OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS

 

Fund Administration

 

Gemini Fund Services, LLC, (the "Administrator"), which has its principal office at 17645 Wright Street, Suite 200, Omaha, Nebraska 68130, and is primarily in the business of providing administrative, fund accounting and transfer agent services to retail and institutional mutual funds. The Administrator is an affiliate of the Distributor.

 

Pursuant to ETF Fund Services Agreement with the Fund, the Administrator provides administrative services to the Fund, subject to the supervision of the Board. The Administrator may provide persons to serve as officers of the Fund. Such officers may be directors, officers or employees of the Administrator or its affiliates.

 

The ETF Fund Services Agreement is dated July 27, 2016. The agreement remained in effect for two years from the effective date of the agreement, and will remain in effect subject to annual approval of the Board for one-year periods thereafter. The agreement is terminable by the Board or the Administrator on ninety days' 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 the Administrator or reckless disregard of its obligations thereunder, the Administrator shall not be liable for any action or failure to act in accordance with its duties thereunder.

 

Under the ETF Fund Services Agreement, the Administrator 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 Fund; (ii) facilitating the performance of administrative and professional services to the Fund by others, including the custodian; (iii) preparing, but not paying for, the periodic updating of the Fund's Registration Statement, Prospectus 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 the 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 Fund and/or its 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.

 

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The Administrator also provides the Fund with accounting services, including: (i) daily computation of NAV; (ii) maintenance of security ledgers and books and records as required by the 1940 Act; (iii) production of the Fund's listing of portfolio securities and general ledger reports; (iv) reconciliation of accounting records; (v) calculation of yield and total return for the Fund; (vi) maintenance of certain books and records described in Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act, and reconciliation of account information and balances among the Custodian and Adviser; and (vii) monitoring and evaluation of daily income and expense accruals, and sales and redemptions of shares of the Fund.

 

Effective February 1, 2019, NorthStar Financial Services Group, LLC, the parent company of Gemini Fund Services, LLC and its affiliated companies including Northern Lights Distributors, LLC and Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC (collectively, the “Gemini Companies”), sold its interest in the Gemini Companies to a third party private equity firm that contemporaneously acquired Ultimus Fund Solutions, LLC (an independent mutual fund administration firm) and its affiliates (collectively, the “Ultimus Companies”).  As a result of these separate transactions, the Gemini Companies and the Ultimus Companies are now indirectly owned through a common parent entity, The Ultimus Group, LLC.

 

For administrative services rendered to the Fund under the agreement, the Fund pays the Administrator the greater of an annual minimum fee or an asset based fee, which scales downward based upon net assets. For the fund accounting services rendered to the Fund under the Agreement, the Fund pays the Administrator the greater of an annual minimum fee or an asset based fee, which scales downward based upon net assets. The Fund also pays the Administrator for any out-of-pocket expenses.

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Fund paid $40,128 for administrative services.

 

For the fiscal period ended August 31, 2018, the Fund paid $24,707 for administrative services.

 

Transfer Agent

 

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (“BBH”), located at 50 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02110, acts as transfer, dividend disbursing, and shareholder servicing agent for the Fund pursuant to written agreement with Fund (the “Transfer Agent”). Under the agreement, the Transfer Agent is responsible for administering and performing transfer agent functions, dividend distribution, shareholder administration, and maintaining necessary records in accordance with applicable rules and regulations.

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Fund paid $13,412 for transfer agent services.

 

For the fiscal period ended August 31, 2018, the Fund paid $13,095 for transfer agent services.

 

Custodian

 

BBH, located at 50 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02110 (the "Custodian"), serves as the custodian of the Fund's assets pursuant to a Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement by and between the Custodian and the Trust on behalf of the Fund. The Custodian's responsibilities include safeguarding and controlling the Fund's cash and securities, handling the receipt and delivery of securities, and collecting interest and dividends on the Fund's investments. Pursuant to the Custodian and Transfer Agent Agreement, the Custodian also maintains original entry documents and books of record and general ledgers; posts cash receipts and disbursements; and records purchases and sales based upon communications from the Adviser. The Fund may employ foreign sub-custodians that are approved by the Board to hold foreign assets.

 

Compliance Officer

 

Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC (“NLCS”), 17645 Wright Street, Suite 200, Omaha, NE 68130, an affiliate of the Administrator and the Distributor, provides a Chief Compliance Officer to the Trust as well as related compliance services pursuant to a consulting agreement between NLCS and the Trust. NLCS’s compliance services consist primarily of reviewing and assessing the policies and procedures of the Trust and its service providers pertaining to compliance with applicable federal securities laws, including Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act. For the compliance services rendered to the Fund, the Fund pays NLCS a one-time fee plus an annual asset based fee, which scales downward based upon net assets. The Fund also pays NLCS for any out-of-pocket expenses.

 

For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Fund paid $25,125 for compliance services.

 

For the fiscal period ended August 31, 2018, the Fund paid $23,251 for compliance services.

 

Index Provider

 

The Underlying Index is an index sponsored, created, compiled, and maintained by the Adviser.

19 
 

 

In order to minimize any potential for conflicts caused by the fact that the Adviser acts as both the Underlying Index provider and investment adviser to the Fund, the Fund will post on its website on each day that the Exchange and the Trust are open for business (a "Business Day"), before commencement of trading of shares on the Exchange, the identities and quantities of the portfolio securities, assets and other positions held by the Fund that will form the basis for the Fund's calculation of NAV at the end of the Business Day.

 

The Adviser does not charge a licensing fee for the Fund to use the Underlying Index. If the Adviser were to no longer serve as the adviser to the Fund, it may determine to no longer allow the Fund to use the Underlying Indexes as part of the Fund’s strategy or to charge a fee for the Fund to do so. Such an event could result in the Fund having to change its investment strategies, liquidation, or an increase to the Fund’s expense ratio.

 

 

DESCRIPTION OF SHARES

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING PROGRAM

 

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

 

Procedures to implement the Program include, but are not limited to, determining that the Fund’s Distributor and Transfer Agent have established proper anti-money laundering procedures, reporting suspicious and/or fraudulent activity and 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.

 

 

PURCHASE, REDEMPTION AND PRICING OF SHARES

 

Calculation of Share Price

 

As indicated in the Prospectus under the heading "How Shares are Priced", NAV of the Shares is determined by dividing the total value of the Fund's portfolio investments and other assets, less any liabilities, by the total number of Shares outstanding.

 

Generally, the Fund’s domestic securities (including underlying ETFs which hold portfolio securities primarily listed on foreign (non-U.S.) exchanges) are valued each day at the last quoted sales price on each security’s primary exchange. Securities traded or dealt in upon one or more securities exchanges for which market quotations are readily available and

20 
 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Investments initially valued in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted to U.S. dollars using exchange rates obtained from pricing services. As a result, the NAV of the 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 Exchange is closed and an investor is not able to purchase, redeem or exchange Shares.

 

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

 

21 
 

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

 

Creation Units

 

The Fund sells and redeems Shares in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load, at the NAV next determined after receipt of an order in proper form on any Business Day. A “Business Day” is any day on which the Exchange is open for business. As of the date of this SAI, the Exchange observes the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

 

A Creation Unit is an aggregation of 50,000 Shares. The Board may declare a split or a consolidation in the number of Shares outstanding of the Fund or Trust, and make a corresponding change in the number of Shares in a Creation Unit.

 

Authorized Participants

 

Only Authorized Participants may purchase or redeem Creation Units. In order to be an Authorized Participant, a firm must be either a broker-dealer or other participant (“Participating Party”) in the Continuous Net Settlement System (“Clearing Process”) of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) or a participant in DTC with access to the DTC system (“DTC Participant”), and you must execute an agreement (“Participant Agreement”) with the Distributor that governs transactions in the Fund’s Creation Units.

 

Investors who are not Authorized Participants but want to transact in Creation Units may contact the Distributor for the names of Authorized Participants. An Authorized Participant may require investors to enter into a separate agreement to transact through it for Creation Units and may require orders for purchases of shares placed with it to be in a particular form. Investors transacting through a broker that is not itself an Authorized Participant and therefore must still transact through an Authorized Participant may incur additional charges. There are expected to be a limited number of Authorized Participants at any one time.

 

Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor. Market disruptions and telephone or other communication failures may impede the transmission of orders.

 

Transaction Fees

 

A fixed fee payable to the Custodian is imposed on each creation and redemption transaction regardless of the number of Creation Units involved in the transaction (“Fixed Fee”). Purchases and redemptions of Creation Units for cash or involving cash-in-lieu (as defined below) are required to pay an additional variable charge to compensate the Fund and its ongoing shareholders for brokerage and market impact expenses relating to Creation Unit transactions (“Variable Charge,” and together with the Fixed Fee, the “Transaction Fees”). With the approval of the Board, the Adviser may waive or adjust the Transaction Fees, including the Fixed Fee and/or Variable Charge (shown in the table below), from time to time. In such cases, the Authorized Participant will reimburse the Fund for, among other things, any difference between the market value at which the securities and/or financial instruments were purchased by the Fund and the cash-in-lieu amount, applicable registration fees, brokerage commissions and certain taxes. In addition, purchasers of Creation Units are responsible for the costs of transferring the Deposit Securities to the account of the Fund.

 

Investors who use the services of a broker, or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services. The Transaction Fees for the Fund are listed in the table below.

 

Fee for In-Kind and Cash Purchases Maximum Additional Variable Charge for Cash Purchases*
$500 0.40%
* As a percentage of the amount invested.

 

The Clearing Process

 

Transactions by an Authorized Participant that is a Participating Party using the NSCC system are referred to as transactions “through the Clearing Process.” Transactions by an Authorized Participant that is a DTC Participant using the DTC system are referred to as transactions “outside the Clearing Process.” The Clearing Process is an enhanced clearing process that is available only for certain securities and only to DTC participants that are also participants in the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC. In-kind (portions of) purchase orders not subject

22 
 

to the Clearing Process will go through a manual clearing process run by DTC. Portfolio Deposits that include government securities must be delivered through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system (“Federal Reserve System”). Fund Deposits that include cash may be delivered through the Clearing Process or the Federal Reserve System. In-kind deposits of securities for orders outside the Clearing Process must be delivered through the Federal Reserve System (for government securities) or through DTC (for corporate securities).

 

Foreign Securities

 

Because the portfolio securities of the Fund may trade on days that the Exchange is closed or are otherwise not Business Days for the Fund, shareholders may not be able to redeem their shares of the Fund, or to purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant foreign markets.

 

Purchasing Creation Units

 

Portfolio Deposit

 

The consideration for a Creation Unit generally consists of the Deposit Securities and a Cash Component. Together, the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component constitute the “Portfolio Deposit.” The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the Deposit Securities. Thus, the Cash Component is equal to the difference between (x) the NAV per Creation Unit of the Fund and (y) the market value of the Deposit Securities. If (x) is more than (y), the Authorized Participant will pay the Cash Component to the Fund. If (x) is less than (y), the Authorized Participant will receive the Cash Component from the Fund.

 

On each Business Day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern Time), the Adviser through the Custodian makes available through NSCC the name and amount of each Deposit Security in the current Portfolio Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Fund and the (estimated) Cash Component, effective through and including the previous Business Day, per Creation Unit. The Deposit Securities announced are applicable to purchases of Creation Units until the next announcement of Deposit Securities.

 

The Deposit Securities may change and as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events of the Underlying Index are reflected from time to time by the Adviser in the Fund’s portfolio. The Deposit Securities may also change in response to the rebalancing and/or constitution of the Underlying Index. These adjustments will reflect changes known to the Adviser on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of the Portfolio Deposit.

 

Payment of any stamp duty or the like shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant purchasing a Creation Unit. The Authorized Participant must ensure that all Deposit Securities properly denote change in beneficial ownership.

 

Custom Orders and Cash-in-Lieu

 

The Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit or require the substitution of an amount of cash (“cash-in-lieu”) to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. The Fund may permit or require cash-in-lieu when, for example, a Deposit Security may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC or the Clearing Process. Similarly, the Fund may permit or require cash in lieu of Deposit Securities when, for example, the Authorized Participant or its underlying investor is restricted under U.S. or local securities laws or policies from transacting in one or more Deposit Securities. The Fund will comply with the federal securities laws in accepting Deposit Securities including that the Deposit Securities are sold in transactions that would be exempt from registration under the Securities Act. All orders involving cash-in-lieu are considered to be “Custom Orders.”

 

Purchase Orders

 

To order a Creation Unit, an Authorized Participant must submit an irrevocable purchase order to the Distributor.

 

Timing of Submission of Purchase Orders

 

An Authorized Participant must submit an irrevocable purchase order no later than the earlier of (i) 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time or (ii) the closing time of the bond markets and/or the trading session on the Exchange, on any Business Day in order to receive that Business Day’s NAV (“Cut-off Time”). The Cut-off Time for Custom Orders is generally two hours earlier. The Business Day the order is deemed received by the Distributor is referred to as the “Transmittal Date.” An order to create Creation Units is deemed received on a Business Day if (i) such order is received by the Distributor by the Cut-off Time on such day and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. Persons placing or effectuating custom orders and/or orders involving cash should be mindful of time deadlines imposed by intermediaries, such

23 
 

as DTC and/or the Federal Reserve Bank wire system, which may impact the successful processing of such orders to ensure that cash and securities are transferred by the “Settlement Date,” which is generally the Business Day immediately following the Transmittal Date (“T+1”) for cash and the third Business Day following the Transmittal Date for securities (“T+3”).

 

Orders Using the Clearing Process

 

If available, (portions of) orders may be settled through the Clearing Process. In connection with such orders, the Distributor transmits, on behalf of the Authorized Participant, such trade instructions as are necessary to effect the creation order. Pursuant to such trade instructions, the Authorized Participant agrees to deliver the requisite Portfolio Deposit to the Fund, together with such additional information as may be required by the Distributor. Cash Components will be delivered using either the Clearing Process or the Federal Reserve System.

 

Orders Outside the Clearing Process

 

If the Clearing Process is not available for (portions of) an order, Portfolio Deposits will be made outside the Clearing Process. Orders outside the Clearing Process must state that the DTC Participant is not using the Clearing Process and that the creation of Creation Units will be effected through DTC. The Portfolio Deposit transfer must be ordered by the DTC Participant on the Transmittal Date in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of Deposit Securities (whether standard or custom) through DTC to the Fund account by 11:00 a.m., Eastern time, on T+1. The Cash Component, along with any cash-in-lieu and Transaction Fee, must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve System in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than 12:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on T+1. If the Custodian does not receive both the Deposit Securities and the cash by the appointed time, the order may be canceled. A canceled order may be resubmitted the following Business Day but must conform to that Business Day’s Portfolio Deposit. Authorized Participants that submit a canceled order will be liable to the Fund for any losses incurred by the Fund in connection therewith.

 

Orders involving foreign Deposit Securities are expected to be settled outside the Clearing Process. Thus, upon receipt of an irrevocable purchase order, the Distributor will notify the Adviser and the Custodian of such order. The Custodian, who will have caused the appropriate local sub-custodian(s) of the Fund to maintain an account into which an Authorized Participant may deliver Deposit Securities (or cash-in-lieu), with adjustments determined by the Fund, will then provide information of the order to such local sub-custodian(s). The ordering Authorized Participant will then deliver the Deposit Securities (and any cash-in-lieu) to the Fund’s account at the applicable local sub-custodian. The Authorized Participant must also make available on or before the contractual settlement date, by means satisfactory to the Fund, immediately available or same day funds in U.S. dollars estimated by the Fund to be sufficient to pay the Cash Component and Transaction Fee. When a relevant local market is closed due to local market holidays, the local market settlement process will not commence until the end of the local holiday period. Settlement must occur by 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the contractual settlement date.

 

Acceptance of Purchase Order

 

All questions as to the number of shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Fund. The Fund’s determination shall be final and binding.

 

The Fund reserves the absolute right to reject or revoke acceptance of a purchase order transmitted to it by the Distributor if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the investor(s), upon obtaining the shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding shares of the Fund; (c) the Deposit Securities delivered do not conform to the Deposit Securities for the applicable date; (d) acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (e) the acceptance of the Portfolio Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (f) the acceptance of the Portfolio Deposit would otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust, Fund or the Adviser, have an adverse effect on the Trust, Fund or the rights of beneficial owners; or (g) in the event that circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Distributor and the Adviser make it for all practical purposes impossible to process purchase orders. Examples of such circumstances include acts of God; public service or utility problems resulting in telephone, telecopy or computer failures; fires, floods or extreme weather conditions; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other informational systems affecting the Trust, the Distributor, DTC, NSCC, the Adviser, the Custodian, a sub-custodian or any other participant in the creation process; and similar extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify an Authorized Participant of its rejection of the order. The Fund, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Portfolio Deposits, and they shall not incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification.

 

24 
 

 

Issuance of a Creation Unit

 

Once the Fund has accepted an order, upon next determination of the Fund’s NAV, the Fund will confirm the issuance of a Creation Unit, against receipt of payment, at such NAV. The Distributor will transmit a confirmation of acceptance to the Authorized Participant that placed the order.

 

Except as provided below, a Creation Unit will not be issued until the Fund obtains good title to the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component, along with any cash-in-lieu and Transaction Fee. Except as provided in Appendix C, the delivery of Creation Units will generally occur no later than T+3.

 

In certain cases, Authorized Participants will create and redeem Creation Units on the same trade date. In these instances, the Trust reserves the right to settle these transactions on a net basis.

 

With respect to orders involving foreign Deposit Securities, when the applicable local sub-custodian(s) have confirmed to the Custodian that the Deposit Securities (or cash-in-lieu) have been delivered to the Fund’s account at the applicable local sub-custodian(s), the Distributor and the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery, and the Fund will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Unit. While, as stated above, Creation Units are generally delivered on T+3, the Fund may settle Creation Unit transactions on a basis other than T+3 in order to accommodate foreign market holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates (that is the last day the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security), and in certain other circumstances.

 

The Fund may issue a Creation Unit prior to receiving good title to the Deposit Securities, under the following circumstances. Pursuant to the applicable Participant Agreement, the Fund may issue a Creation Unit notwithstanding that (certain) Deposit Securities have not been delivered, in reliance on an undertaking by the relevant Authorized Participant to deliver the missing Deposit Securities as soon as possible, which undertaking is secured by such Authorized Participant’s delivery to and maintenance with the Custodian of collateral having a value equal to at least 115% of the value of the missing Deposit Securities (“Collateral”), as adjusted by time to time by the Adviser. Such Collateral will have a value greater than the NAV of the Creation Unit on the date the order is placed. Such collateral must be delivered no later than 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on T+1. The only Collateral that is acceptable to the Fund is cash in U.S. Dollars.

 

While (certain) Deposit Securities remain undelivered, the Collateral shall at all times have a value equal to at least 115% (as adjusted by the Adviser) of the daily marked-to-market value of the missing Deposit Securities. At any time, the Fund may use the Collateral to purchase the missing securities, and the Authorized Participant will be liable to the Fund for any costs incurred thereby or losses resulting therefrom, whether or not they exceed the amount of the Collateral, including any Transaction Fee, any amount by which the purchase price of the missing Deposit Securities exceeds the market value of such securities on the Transmittal Date, brokerage and other transaction costs. The Trust will return any unused Collateral once all of the missing securities have been received by the Fund. More information regarding the Fund’s current procedures for collateralization is available from the Distributor.

 

Cash Purchase Method

 

When cash purchases of Creation Units are available or specified for the Fund, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind purchases In the case of a cash purchase, the investor must pay the cash equivalent of the Portfolio Deposit. In addition, cash purchases will be subject to Transaction Fees, as described above.

 

Notice to Texas Shareholders

 

Under section 72.1021(a) of the Texas Property Code, initial investors in the Fund who are Texas residents may designate a representative to receive notices of abandoned property in connection with Shares. 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:

 

Sage ESG Intermediate Credit ETF

c/o Gemini Fund Services, LLC

17645 Wright Street, Suite 200

Omaha, Nebraska 68130

 

25 
 

 

Redeeming a Creation Unit

 

Redemption Basket

 

The consideration received in connection with the redemption of a Creation Unit generally consists of an in-kind basket of designated securities (“Redemption Securities”) and a Cash Component. Together, the Redemption Securities and the Cash Component constitute the “Redemption Basket.”

 

There can be no assurance that there will be sufficient liquidity in Shares in the secondary market to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. In addition, investors may incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a Creation Unit.

 

The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the Redemption Securities. Thus, the Cash Component is equal to the difference between (x) the NAV per Creation Unit of the Fund and (y) the market value of the Redemption Securities. If (x) is more than (y), the Authorized Participant will receive the Cash Component from the Fund. If (x) is less than (y), the Authorized Participant will pay the Cash Component to the Fund.

 

If the Redemption Securities on a Business Day are different from the Deposit Securities, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern Time), the Adviser through the Custodian makes available through NSCC the name and amount of each Redemption Security in the current Redemption Basket (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Fund and the (estimated) Cash Component, effective through and including the previous Business Day, per Creation Unit. If the Redemption Securities on a Business Day are different from the Deposit Securities, all redemption requests that day will be processed outside the Clearing Process.

 

The Redemption Securities may change as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events of the Underlying Index are reflected from time to time by the Adviser in the Fund’s portfolio. The Redemption Securities may also change in response to the rebalancing and/or reconstitution of the Underlying Index. These adjustments will reflect changes known to the Adviser on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of the Redemption Basket.

 

The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed: (i) for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (ii) for any period during which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (iii) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares or determination of the ETF’s NAV is not reasonably practicable; or (iv) in such other circumstances as permitted by the SEC, including as described below.

 

Custom Redemptions and Cash-in-Lieu

 

The Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit or require the substitution of cash-in-lieu to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Redemption Security. The Fund may permit or require cash-in-lieu when, for example, a Redemption Security may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC or the Clearing Process. Similarly, the Fund may permit or require cash-in-lieu of Redemption Securities when, for example, the Authorized Participant or its underlying investor is restricted under U.S. or local securities law or policies from transacting in one or more Redemption Securities. The Fund will comply with the federal securities laws in satisfying redemptions with Redemption Securities, including that the Redemption Securities are sold in transactions that would be exempt from registration under the Securities Act. All redemption requests involving cash-in-lieu are considered to be “Custom Redemptions.”

 

Redemption Requests

 

To redeem a Creation Unit, an Authorized Participant must submit an irrevocable redemption request to the Distributor.

 

An Authorized Participant submitting a redemption request is deemed to represent to the Fund that it or, if applicable, the investor on whose behalf it is acting, (i) owns outright or has full legal authority and legal beneficial right to tender for redemption the Creation Unit to be redeemed and can receive the entire proceeds of the redemption, and (ii) all of the Shares that are in the Creation Unit to be redeemed have not been borrowed, loaned or pledged to another party nor are they the subject of a repurchase agreement, securities lending agreement or such other arrangement that would preclude the delivery of such Shares to the Fund. The Fund reserves the absolute right, in its sole discretion, to verify these representations, but will typically require verification in connection with higher levels of redemption activity and/or short interest in the Fund. If the Authorized Participant, upon receipt of a verification request, does not provide sufficient verification of the requested representations, the redemption request will not be considered to be in proper form and may be rejected by the Fund.

 

26 
 

 

Timing of Submission of Redemption Requests

 

An Authorized Participant must submit an irrevocable redemption order no later than the Cut-off Time. The Cut-off Time for Custom Orders is generally two hours earlier. The Business Day the order is deemed received by the Distributor is referred to as the “Transmittal Date.” A redemption request is deemed received if (i) such order is received by the Distributor by the Cut-off Time on such day and (ii) all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly followed. Persons placing or effectuating Custom Redemptions and/or orders involving cash should be mindful of time deadlines imposed by intermediaries, such as DTC and/or the Federal Reserve System, which may impact the successful processing of such orders to ensure that cash and securities are transferred by the Settlement Date, as defined above.

 

Requests Using the Clearing Process

 

If available, (portions of) redemption requests may be settled through the Clearing Process. In connection with such orders, the Distributor transmits on behalf of the Authorized Participant, such trade instructions as are necessary to effect the redemption. Pursuant to such trade instructions, the Authorized Participant agrees to deliver the requisite Creation Unit(s) to the Fund, together with such additional information as may be required by the Distributor. Cash Components will be delivered using either the Clearing Process or the Federal Reserve System, as described above.

 

Requests Outside the Clearing Process

 

If the Clearing Process is not available for (portions of) an order, Redemption Baskets will be delivered outside the Clearing Process. Orders outside the Clearing Process must state that the DTC Participant is not using the Clearing Process and that the redemption will be effected through DTC. The Authorized Participant must transfer or cause to be transferred the Creation Unit(s) of shares being redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be delivered through DTC to the Custodian by 10:00 a.m., Eastern Time, on received T+1. In addition, the Cash Component must be received by the Custodian by 12:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on T+1. If the Custodian does not receive the Creation Unit(s) and Cash Component by the appointed times on T+1, the redemption will be rejected, except in the circumstances described below. A rejected redemption request may be resubmitted the following Business Day.

 

Orders involving foreign Redemption Securities are expected to be settled outside the Clearing Process. Thus, upon receipt of an irrevocable redemption request, the Distributor will notify the Adviser and the Custodian. The Custodian will then provide information of the redemption to the Fund’s local sub-custodian(s). The redeeming Authorized Participant, or the investor on whose behalf is acting, will have established appropriate arrangements with a broker-dealer, bank or other custody provider in each jurisdiction in which the Redemption Securities are customarily traded and to which such Redemption Securities (and any cash-in-lieu) can be delivered from the Fund’s accounts at the applicable local sub-custodian(s).

 

Acceptance of Redemption Requests

 

All questions as to the number of shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Trust. The Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.

 

Delivery of Redemption Basket

 

Once the Fund has accepted a redemption request, upon next determination of the Fund’s NAV, the Fund will confirm the issuance of a Redemption Basket, against receipt of the Creation Unit(s) at such NAV, any cash-in-lieu and Transaction Fee. A Creation Unit tendered for redemption and the payment of the Cash Component, any cash-in-lieu and Transaction Fee will be effected through DTC. The Authorized Participant, or the investor on whose behalf it is acting, will be recorded on the book-entry system of DTC.

 

The Redemption Basket will generally be delivered to the redeeming Authorized Participant within T+3. Except under the circumstances described below, however, a Redemption Basket generally will not be issued until the Creation Unit(s) are delivered to the Fund, along with the Cash Component, any cash-in-lieu and Transaction Fee.

 

In certain cases, Authorized Participants will create and redeem Creation Units on the same trade date. In these instances, the Trust reserves the right to settle these transactions on a net basis.

 

With respect to orders involving foreign Redemption Securities, the Fund may settle Creation Unit transactions on a basis other than T+3 in order to accommodate foreign market holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates (that is the last day the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security), and in certain other circumstances. When a relevant local market is closed due to local market holidays, the local market settlement process will not commence until the end of the local holiday period. Listed below are the dates in calendar year 2020 in which the regular holidays in non-U.S. markets may impact Fund settlement.

27 
 

 

This list is based on information available to the Fund. The list may not be accurate or complete and is subject to change:

 

Market Holiday Date Holiday Name
Argentina Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Argentina Monday, February 24, 2020 Carnival
Argentina Tuesday, February 25, 2020 Carnival
Argentina Monday, March 23, 2020 Bridge Holiday for Tourism
Argentina Tuesday, March 24, 2020 Memorial Day
Argentina Thursday, April 02, 2020 Malvinas Islands Memorial Day
Argentina Thursday, April 09, 2020 Holy Thursday
Argentina Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Argentina Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Argentina Monday, May 25, 2020 May Revolution's Day
Argentina Monday, June 15, 2020 Martin Miguel Guemes Memorial
Argentina Thursday, July 09, 2020 Independence Day
Argentina Friday, July 10, 2020 Bridge Holiday for Tourism
Argentina Monday, August 17, 2020 San Martin's Memorial Day
Argentina Monday, October 12, 2020 Respect to Cultural Diversity
Argentina Friday, November 06, 2020 Banking Labor Day
Argentina Monday, November 23, 2020 Day of National Sovereignty
Argentina Monday, December 07, 2020 Bridge Holiday for Tourism
Argentina Tuesday, December 08, 2020 Virgin Mary's Day
Argentina Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Australia Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Australia Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Australia Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Australia Thursday, December 24, 2020 Christmas Eve
Australia Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Australia Thursday, December 31, 2020 New Year’s Eve
Austria Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Austria Monday, January 06, 2020 Epiphany Day
Austria Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Austria Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Austria Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Austria Thursday, May 21, 2020 Ascension Day
Austria Monday, June 01, 2020 Whit Monday
Austria Thursday, June 11, 2020 Corpus Christi Day
Austria Monday, October 26, 2020 National Holiday
Austria Tuesday, December 08, 2020 Immaculate Conception
Austria Thursday, December 24, 2020 Christmas Eve
Austria Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Austria Thursday, December 31, 2020 New Year’s Eve
Bahrain Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Bahrain Sunday, May 03, 2020 Labour Day
Bahrain Sunday, May 24, 2020 Eid al-Fitr
Bahrain Monday, May 25, 2020 Eid al-Fitr
Bahrain Thursday, July 30, 2020 Eid al-Adha
Bahrain Friday, July 31, 2020 Eid al-Adha
28 
 

 

Bahrain Wednesday, December 16, 2020 National Day
Bahrain Thursday, December 17, 2020 National Day
Belgium Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Belgium Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Belgium Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Belgium Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Belgium Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Bermuda Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Bermuda Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Bermuda Monday, May 25, 2020 Bermuda Day
Bermuda Monday, June 15, 2020 National Heroes' Day
Bermuda Thursday, July 30, 2020 Emancipation and Somers Day
Bermuda Friday, July 31, 2020 Emancipation and Somers Day
Bermuda Monday, September 07, 2020 Labour Day
Bermuda Wednesday, November 11, 2020 Remembrance Day
Bermuda Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Bermuda Monday, December 28, 2020 Boxing Day (Observed)
Bosnia-Herzegovina Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Bosnia-Herzegovina Thursday, January 02, 2020 New Year’s Holiday
Bosnia-Herzegovina Tuesday, January 07, 2020 Orthodox Christmas
Bosnia-Herzegovina Thursday, January 09, 2020 Republic Day
Bosnia-Herzegovina Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Bosnia-Herzegovina Friday, April 17, 2020 Orthodox Good Friday
Bosnia-Herzegovina Monday, April 20, 2020 Orthodox Easter Monday
Bosnia-Herzegovina Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Bosnia-Herzegovina Monday, May 25, 2020 Eid-al-Fitr/Ramadan
Bosnia-Herzegovina Friday, July 31, 2020 Eid-al-Adha/Hajj
Bosnia-Herzegovina Saturday, November 21, 2020 Dayton Peace Agreement Day
Bosnia-Herzegovina Wednesday, November 25, 2020 Statehood Day
Bosnia-Herzegovina Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Botswana Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Botswana Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Botswana Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Botswana Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Botswana Thursday, May 21, 2020 Ascension Day
Botswana Wednesday, July 01, 2020 Sir Seretse Khama Day
Botswana Monday, July 20, 2020 Presidents' Day
Botswana Tuesday, July 21, 2020 Presidents' Day
Botswana Wednesday, September 30, 2020 Independence Day
Botswana Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Bulgaria Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Bulgaria Tuesday, March 03, 2020 Liberation Day
Bulgaria Friday, April 17, 2020 Good Friday
Bulgaria Monday, April 20, 2020 Easter Monday
Bulgaria Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Bulgaria Wednesday, May 06, 2020 Saint George's Day
Bulgaria Monday, May 25, 2020 Culture and Literacy Day
Bulgaria Monday, September 07, 2020 Unification Day
29 
 

 

Bulgaria Tuesday, September 22, 2020 Independence Day
Bulgaria Thursday, December 24, 2020 Christmas Eve
Bulgaria Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Canada Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Canada Monday, February 17, 2020 Family Day
Canada Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Canada Monday, May 18, 2020 Victoria Day
Canada Wednesday, July 01, 2020 Canada Day
Canada Monday, August 03, 2020 Civic Holiday
Canada Monday, September 07, 2020 Labour Day
Canada Monday, October 12, 2020 Thanksgiving Day
Canada Wednesday, November 11, 2020 Remembrance Day
Canada Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Canada Monday, December 28, 2020 Boxing Day (Observed)
Chile Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Chile Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Chile Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Chile Thursday, May 21, 2020 Navy Day
Chile Monday, June 29, 2020 St. Peter and St. Paul Dinner
Chile Thursday, July 16, 2020 Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Chile Friday, September 18, 2020 Independence Day
Chile Monday, October 12, 2020 Day of the Race
Chile Tuesday, December 08, 2020 Immaculate Conception
Chile Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
China Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
China Friday, January 24, 2020 Chinese New Year
China Monday, January 27, 2020 Chinese New Year
China Tuesday, January 28, 2020 Chinese New Year
China Wednesday, January 29, 2020 Chinese New Year
China Thursday, January 30, 2020 Chinese New Year
China Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
China Thursday, June 25, 2020 Dragon Boat Festival
China Friday, June 26, 2020 Dragon Boat Festival
China Thursday, October 01, 2020 National Day Holiday
China Friday, October 02, 2020 National Day Holiday
China Monday, October 05, 2020 National Day Holiday
China Tuesday, October 06, 2020 National Day Holiday
China Wednesday, October 07, 2020 National Day Holiday
Costa Rica Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Costa Rica Thursday, April 09, 2020 Holy Thursday
Costa Rica Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Costa Rica Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Costa Rica Tuesday, September 15, 2020 Independence Day
Costa Rica Monday, October 12, 2020 Culture Encounter Day
Costa Rica Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Croatia Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Croatia Monday, January 06, 2020 Epiphany Day
Croatia Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
30 
 

 

Croatia Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Croatia Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Croatia Thursday, June 11, 2020 Corpus Christi Day
Croatia Monday, June 22, 2020 Day of Antifascist Struggle
Croatia Thursday, June 25, 2020 Statehood Day
Croatia Wednesday, August 05, 2020 Victory and Homeland Day
Croatia Thursday, October 08, 2020 Independence Day
Croatia Thursday, December 24, 2020 Christmas Eve
Croatia Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Croatia Thursday, December 31, 2020 New Year’s Eve
Cyprus Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Cyprus Wednesday, March 11, 2020 Green Monday
Cyprus Wednesday, March 25, 2020 Greek Independence Day
Cyprus Wednesday, April 01, 2020 Cyprus National Day
Cyprus Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Cyprus Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Cyprus Friday, April 17, 2020 Orthodox Good Friday
Cyprus Monday, April 20, 2020 Orthodox Easter Monday
Cyprus Tuesday, April 21, 2020 Orthodox Easter Tuesday
Cyprus Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Cyprus Monday, June 08, 2020 Pentecost
Cyprus Thursday, June 25, 2020 Public Holiday
Cyprus Thursday, October 01, 2020 Independence Day
Cyprus Wednesday, October 28, 2020 Greek National Day
Cyprus Thursday, December 24, 2020 Christmas Eve
Cyprus Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Czech Republic Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Czech Republic Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Czech Republic Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Czech Republic Friday, May 01, 2020 May Day
Czech Republic Thursday, December 24, 2020 Christmas Eve
Czech Republic Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Denmark Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Denmark Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Denmark Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Denmark Friday, May 01, 2020 May Day
Denmark Monday, June 01, 2020 Whit Monday
Denmark Thursday, December 24, 2020 Christmas Eve
Denmark Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Eswatini Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Eswatini Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Eswatini Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Eswatini Monday, April 20, 2020 King's Birthday Holiday
Eswatini Friday, May 01, 2020 Women's Day
Eswatini Thursday, May 21, 2020 Ascension Day
Eswatini Wednesday, July 22, 2020 King Father's Birthday
Eswatini Monday, September 07, 2020 Somhlolo Day Holiday
Eswatini Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
31 
 

 

Eswatini Monday, December 28, 2020 Incwala Day
France Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
France Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
France Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
France Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
France Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Germany Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Germany Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Germany Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Germany Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Germany Thursday, May 21, 2020 Ascension Day
Germany Monday, June 01, 2020 Whit Monday
Germany Thursday, June 11, 2020 Corpus Christi Day
Germany Thursday, December 24, 2020 Christmas Eve
Germany Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Germany Thursday, December 31, 2020 New Year’s Eve
Ghana Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Ghana Friday, March 06, 2020 Independence Day
Ghana Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Ghana Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Ghana Friday, May 01, 2020 May Day
Ghana Sunday, May 24, 2020 Eid al-Fitr
Ghana Monday, May 25, 2020 Africa Unity Day
Ghana Wednesday, July 01, 2020 Republic Day
Ghana Friday, July 31, 2020 Eid al-Adha
Ghana Tuesday, August 04, 2020 Founders Day
Ghana Monday, September 21, 2020 Memorial Day
Ghana Friday, December 04, 2020 Farmers'  Day
Ghana Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Greece Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Greece Monday, January 06, 2020 Epiphany Day
Greece Monday, March 02, 2020 Ash Monday
Greece Wednesday, March 25, 2020 Independence Day
Greece Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Greece Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Greece Friday, April 17, 2020 Orthodox Good Friday
Greece Monday, April 20, 2020 Orthodox Easter Monday
Greece Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Greece Monday, June 01, 2020 Whit Monday
Greece Wednesday, October 28, 2020 National Holiday
Greece Thursday, December 24, 2020 Christmas Eve
Greece Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Hong Kong SAR Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Hong Kong SAR Friday, January 24, 2020 Lunar New Year
Hong Kong SAR Monday, January 27, 2020 Lunar New Year
Hong Kong SAR Tuesday, January 28, 2020 Lunar New Year
Hong Kong SAR Wednesday, January 29, 2020 Chinese New Year
Hong Kong SAR Thursday, January 30, 2020 Chinese New Year
32 
 

 

Hong Kong SAR Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Hong Kong SAR Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Hong Kong SAR Thursday, April 30, 2020 Buddha Birthday
Hong Kong SAR Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Hong Kong SAR Thursday, June 25, 2020 Tuen Ng Festival
Hong Kong SAR Wednesday, July 01, 2020 Holiday
Hong Kong SAR Thursday, October 01, 2020 National Day
Hong Kong SAR Friday, October 02, 2020 Mid-Autumn Festival
Hong Kong SAR Monday, October 05, 2020 National Day Holiday
Hong Kong SAR Tuesday, October 06, 2020 National Day Holiday
Hong Kong SAR Wednesday, October 07, 2020 National Day Holiday
Hong Kong SAR Monday, October 26, 2020 Chung Yeung Festival
Hong Kong SAR Thursday, December 24, 2020 Christmas Eve
Hong Kong SAR Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Hong Kong SAR Thursday, December 31, 2020 New Year’s Eve
Hungary Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Hungary Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Hungary Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Hungary Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Hungary Monday, June 01, 2020 Whit Monday
Hungary Thursday, August 20, 2020 Saint Stephen's Day
Hungary Friday, August 21, 2020 Bridge Holiday
Hungary Friday, October 23, 2020 Anniversary of 1956 Revolution
Hungary Thursday, December 24, 2020 Christmas Eve
Hungary Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Hungary Thursday, December 31, 2020 New Year’s Eve
Iceland Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Iceland Thursday, April 09, 2020 Maundy Thursday
Iceland Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Iceland Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Iceland Thursday, April 23, 2020 First Day of Summer
Iceland Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Iceland Thursday, May 21, 2020 Ascension Day
Iceland Monday, June 01, 2020 Whit Monday
Iceland Wednesday, June 17, 2020 Independence Day
Iceland Monday, August 03, 2020 Commerce Day
Iceland Thursday, December 24, 2020 Christmas Eve
Iceland Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Iceland Thursday, December 31, 2020 New Year’s Eve
Indonesia Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Indonesia Wednesday, March 25, 2020 Day of Silence
Indonesia Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Indonesia Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Indonesia Thursday, May 07, 2020 Vesak Day
Indonesia Thursday, May 21, 2020 Ascension Day
Indonesia Friday, May 22, 2020 Holiday
Indonesia Monday, May 25, 2020 Holiday
Indonesia Monday, June 01, 2020 Birth of Pancasila
33 
 

 

Indonesia Friday, July 31, 2020 Holiday
Indonesia Monday, August 17, 2020 Independence Day
Indonesia Thursday, August 20, 2020 Islamic New Year
Indonesia Thursday, October 29, 2020 Prophet Muhammad's Birthday
Indonesia Thursday, December 24, 2020 Christmas Eve
Indonesia Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Ireland Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Ireland Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Ireland Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Ireland Friday, May 01, 2020 May Day
Ireland Monday, June 01, 2020 Holiday
Ireland Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Italy Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Italy Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Italy Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Italy Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Italy Thursday, December 24, 2020 Christmas Eve
Italy Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Italy Thursday, December 31, 2020 New Year’s Eve
Ivory Coast Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Ivory Coast Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Ivory Coast Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Ivory Coast Wednesday, May 20, 2020 Revelation of Quran
Ivory Coast Thursday, May 21, 2020 Ascension Day
Ivory Coast Sunday, May 24, 2020 Korite
Ivory Coast Monday, June 01, 2020 Whit Monday
Ivory Coast Friday, July 31, 2020 Tabaski
Ivory Coast Friday, August 07, 2020 Independence Day
Ivory Coast Saturday, August 15, 2020 Assumption Day
Ivory Coast Thursday, October 29, 2020 Prophet’s Birthday
Ivory Coast Sunday, November 01, 2020 All Saints' Day
Ivory Coast Sunday, November 15, 2020 National Peace Day
Ivory Coast Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Japan Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Japan Thursday, January 02, 2020 Bank Holiday
Japan Friday, January 03, 2020 Bank Holiday
Japan Monday, January 13, 2020 Coming-of-Age Day
Japan Tuesday, February 11, 2020 National Foundation Day
Japan Monday, February 24, 2020 Emperor's Birthday Observed
Japan Friday, March 20, 2020 Vernal Equinox Day
Japan Wednesday, April 29, 2020 Showa Day
Japan Monday, May 04, 2020 Greenery Day
Japan Tuesday, May 05, 2020 Children's Day
Japan Wednesday, May 06, 2020 Memorial Day Observed
Japan Thursday, July 23, 2020 Marine Day
Japan Friday, July 24, 2020 Health and Sports Day
Japan Monday, August 10, 2020 Mountain Day
Japan Monday, September 21, 2020 Respect for the Aged Day
34 
 

 

Japan Tuesday, September 22, 2020 Autumnal Equinox Day
Japan Tuesday, November 03, 2020 Culture Day
Japan Monday, November 23, 2020 Labor Thanksgiving Day
Japan Thursday, December 31, 2020 Bank Holiday
Jordan Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Jordan Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Jordan Sunday, May 24, 2020 Eid al-Fitr
Jordan Monday, May 25, 2020 Independence Day
Jordan Tuesday, May 26, 2020 Eid al-Fitr
Jordan Wednesday, May 27, 2020 Eid al-Fitr
Jordan Friday, July 31, 2020 Eid al-Adha
Jordan Sunday, August 02, 2020 Eid al-Adha
Jordan Monday, August 03, 2020 Eid al-Adha
Jordan Tuesday, August 04, 2020 Eid al-Adha
Jordan Thursday, August 20, 2020 Muharram/New Year
Jordan Thursday, October 29, 2020 Prophet’s Birthday
Jordan Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Kenya Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Kenya Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Kenya Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Kenya Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Kenya Monday, May 25, 2020 Eid al-Fitr
Kenya Monday, June 01, 2020 Madaraka Day
Kenya Friday, July 31, 2020 Eid al-Adha
Kenya Saturday, October 10, 2020 Moi Day
Kenya Tuesday, October 20, 2020 Mashujaa Day
Kenya Saturday, December 12, 2020 Jamhuri Day
Kenya Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Kuwait Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Kuwait Tuesday, February 25, 2020 National Day
Kuwait Wednesday, February 26, 2020 Liberation Day
Kuwait Sunday, March 22, 2020 Isra and Miraj holiday
Kuwait Sunday, May 24, 2020 Eid al-Fitr
Kuwait Monday, May 25, 2020 Eid al-Fitr
Kuwait Tuesday, May 26, 2020 Eid al-Fitr
Kuwait Thursday, July 30, 2020 Waqfat Arafat
Kuwait Sunday, August 02, 2020 Eid al-Adha
Kuwait Monday, August 03, 2020 Eid al-Adha
Kuwait Thursday, August 20, 2020 Islamic New Year holiday
Kuwait Sunday, November 01, 2020 Prophet’s Birthday
Luxembourg Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Luxembourg Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Luxembourg Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Luxembourg Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Luxembourg Thursday, December 24, 2020 Christmas Eve
Luxembourg Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Luxembourg Thursday, December 31, 2020 New Year’s Eve
Malaysia Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
35 
 

 

Malaysia Friday, May 01, 2020 Women's Day
Malaysia Thursday, May 07, 2020 Wesak Day
Malaysia Monday, May 25, 2020 Eid-ul-Fitri
Malaysia Friday, July 31, 2020 Eid-ul-Adha
Malaysia Thursday, August 20, 2020 Holiday
Malaysia Monday, August 31, 2020 National Day
Malaysia Wednesday, September 16, 2020 Malaysia Day
Malaysia Thursday, October 29, 2020 Prophet’s Birthday
Malaysia Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Mauritius Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Mauritius Thursday, January 02, 2020 New Year’s Holiday
Mauritius Friday, February 21, 2020 Maha Shivaratree
Mauritius Thursday, March 12, 2020 Independence Day
Mauritius Wednesday, March 25, 2020 Ugaadi
Mauritius Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Mauritius Monday, November 02, 2020 Indentured Labourers
Mauritius Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Mexico Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Mexico Monday, February 03, 2020 Constitution Day
Mexico Monday, March 16, 2020 Benito Juarez Day
Mexico Thursday, April 09, 2020 Holy Thursday
Mexico Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Mexico Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Mexico Wednesday, September 16, 2020 Independence Day
Mexico Monday, November 02, 2020 All Souls Day
Mexico Monday, November 16, 2020 Revolution Day
Mexico Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Namibia Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Namibia Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Namibia Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Namibia Friday, May 01, 2020 Women's Day
Namibia Monday, May 04, 2020 Cassinga Day
Namibia Thursday, May 21, 2020 Ascension Day
Namibia Monday, May 25, 2020 Africa Day
Namibia Wednesday, August 26, 2020 Heroes Day
Namibia Thursday, December 10, 2020 Women's Day
Namibia Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Netherlands Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Netherlands Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Netherlands Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Netherlands Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Netherlands Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
New Zealand Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
New Zealand Thursday, January 02, 2020 New Year’s Holiday
New Zealand Monday, January 20, 2020 Wellington Anniversary Day
New Zealand Monday, January 27, 2020 Auckland Anniversary Day
New Zealand Thursday, February 06, 2020 Waitangi Day
New Zealand Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
36 
 

 

New Zealand Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
New Zealand Monday, April 27, 2020 ANZAC Day Observed
New Zealand Monday, June 01, 2020 Queen's Birthday
New Zealand Monday, October 26, 2020 Labour Day
New Zealand Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
New Zealand Monday, December 28, 2020 Boxing Day (Observed)
Nigeria Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Nigeria Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Nigeria Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Nigeria Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Nigeria Monday, May 25, 2020 Id el Fitri Holiday
Nigeria Friday, June 12, 2020 Democracy Day
Nigeria Friday, July 31, 2020 Id el Kabir
Nigeria Thursday, October 01, 2020 National Day
Nigeria Thursday, October 29, 2020 Id el Maulud
Nigeria Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Oman Sunday, May 24, 2020 Eid al-Fitr
Oman Monday, May 25, 2020 Eid al-Fitr
Oman Tuesday, May 26, 2020 Eid al-Fitr
Oman Thursday, July 23, 2020 Renaissance Day
Oman Thursday, July 30, 2020 Eid al-Adha
Oman Friday, July 31, 2020 Eid al-Adha
Oman Wednesday, August 19, 2020 Islamic New Year
Pakistan Wednesday, February 05, 2020 Kashmir Day
Pakistan Monday, March 23, 2020 Pakistan Day
Pakistan Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Pakistan Monday, May 25, 2020 Eid al-Fitr
Pakistan Tuesday, May 26, 2020 Eid al-Fitr
Pakistan Wednesday, May 27, 2020 Eid al-Fitr
Pakistan Friday, July 31, 2020 Eid al-Adha
Pakistan Sunday, August 02, 2020 Eid al-Adha
Pakistan Friday, August 14, 2020 Independence Day
Pakistan Friday, August 28, 2020 First Day of Ashura
Pakistan Thursday, October 29, 2020 Eid Milad un-Nabi
Pakistan Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Philippines Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Philippines Thursday, April 09, 2020 Maundy Thursday
Philippines Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Philippines Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Philippines Friday, June 12, 2020 Independence Day
Philippines Friday, August 21, 2020 Ninoy Aquino Day
Philippines Monday, August 31, 2020 National Heroes' Day
Philippines Monday, November 02, 2020 All Saints' Day
Philippines Thursday, December 24, 2020 Christmas Eve
Philippines Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Philippines Wednesday, December 30, 2020 Rizal Day
Philippines Thursday, December 31, 2020 Last Day of the Year
Portugal Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
37 
 

 

Portugal Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Portugal Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Portugal Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Portugal Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Qatar Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Qatar Tuesday, February 11, 2020 Sports Day       
Qatar Sunday, May 24, 2020 Eid al-Fitr
Qatar Monday, May 25, 2020 Eid al-Fitr
Qatar Tuesday, May 26, 2020 Eid al-Fitr
Qatar Thursday, July 30, 2020 Eid al-Adha
Qatar Friday, July 31, 2020 Eid al-Adha
Qatar Saturday, August 01, 2020 Eid al-Adha
Qatar Friday, December 18, 2020 National Day
Rwanda Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Rwanda Thursday, January 02, 2020 New Year’s Holiday
Rwanda Monday, February 03, 2020 National Heroes' Day
Rwanda Tuesday, April 07, 2020 Memorial Day
Rwanda Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Rwanda Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Rwanda Monday, May 25, 2020 Eid al-Fitr
Rwanda Wednesday, July 01, 2020 Independence Day
Rwanda Monday, July 06, 2020 Liberation Day
Rwanda Friday, August 07, 2020 Umuganura Day
Rwanda Monday, August 17, 2020 Holiday
Rwanda Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Rwanda Monday, December 28, 2020 Boxing Day (Observed)
Serbia Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Serbia Thursday, January 02, 2020 New Year’s Holiday
Serbia Tuesday, January 07, 2020 Orthodox Christmas Day
Serbia Monday, February 17, 2020 Serbia National Day
Serbia Friday, April 17, 2020 Orthodox Good Friday
Serbia Monday, April 20, 2020 Orthodox Easter Monday
Serbia Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Serbia Wednesday, November 11, 2020 Armistice Day
Serbia Thursday, December 31, 2020 New Year’s Eve
Singapore Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Singapore Monday, January 27, 2020 Chinese New Year
Singapore Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Singapore Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Singapore Thursday, May 07, 2020 Vesak Day
Singapore Monday, May 25, 2020 Hari Raya Puasa
Singapore Friday, July 31, 2020 Hari Raya Haji
Singapore Monday, August 10, 2020 National Day
Singapore Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Slovenia Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Slovenia Thursday, January 02, 2020 New Year’s Holiday
Slovenia Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Slovenia Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
38 
 

 

Slovenia Monday, April 27, 2020 Holiday
Slovenia Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Slovenia Thursday, June 25, 2020 Statehood Day
Slovenia Thursday, December 24, 2020 Christmas Eve
Slovenia Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Slovenia Thursday, December 31, 2020 New Year’s Eve
South Africa Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
South Africa Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
South Africa Monday, April 13, 2020 Family Day
South Africa Monday, April 27, 2020 Freedom Day
South Africa Friday, May 01, 2020 Women's Day
South Africa Tuesday, June 16, 2020 Youth Day
South Africa Monday, August 10, 2020 Women's Day
South Africa Thursday, September 24, 2020 Heritage Day
South Africa Wednesday, December 16, 2020 Reconciliation Day
South Africa Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Spain Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Spain Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Spain Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Spain Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Spain Thursday, December 24, 2020 Christmas Eve
Spain Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Spain Thursday, December 31, 2020 New Year’s Eve
Switzerland Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Switzerland Thursday, January 02, 2020 Bank Holiday
Switzerland Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Switzerland Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Switzerland Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Switzerland Thursday, May 21, 2020 Ascension Day
Switzerland Monday, June 01, 2020 Whit Monday
Switzerland Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Tanzania Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Tanzania Tuesday, April 07, 2020 Karume Day
Tanzania Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Tanzania Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Tanzania Friday, May 01, 2020 Women's Day
Tanzania Tuesday, July 07, 2020 Saba Saba
Tanzania Friday, July 31, 2020 Eid al-Adha
Tanzania Wednesday, October 14, 2020 Mwalimu Nyerere Day
Tanzania Thursday, October 29, 2020 Maulid
Tanzania Wednesday, December 09, 2020 Independence Day
Tanzania Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Thailand Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Thailand Monday, February 10, 2020 Makha Bucha Day (Observed)
Thailand Monday, April 06, 2020 Memorial Day
Thailand Monday, April 13, 2020 Songkran Festival
Thailand Tuesday, April 14, 2020 Songkran Festival
Thailand Wednesday, April 15, 2020 Songkran Festival
39 
 

 

Thailand Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Thailand Monday, May 04, 2020 Coronation Day
Thailand Wednesday, May 06, 2020 Vesak Day
Thailand Wednesday, June 03, 2020 Queen Suthida's Birthday
Thailand Monday, July 06, 2020 Asarnha Bucha Day (Observed)
Thailand Tuesday, July 28, 2020 H.M. the King's Birthday
Thailand Wednesday, August 12, 2020 Mother’s Day
Thailand Tuesday, October 13, 2020 Great Memorial Day
Thailand Friday, October 23, 2020 Chulalongkorn Day
Thailand Monday, December 07, 2020 National Day
Thailand Thursday, December 10, 2020 Constitution Day
Thailand Thursday, December 31, 2020 New Year’s Eve
Tunisia Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Tunisia Tuesday, January 14, 2020 Revolution National Day
Tunisia Friday, March 20, 2020 Independence Day
Tunisia Thursday, April 09, 2020 Martyrs' Day
Tunisia Friday, May 01, 2020 Working National Day
Tunisia Monday, May 25, 2020 Aid El Fitr
Tunisia Tuesday, May 26, 2020 Aid El Fitr
Tunisia Friday, July 31, 2020 Aid El Idha
Tunisia Thursday, August 13, 2020 Women National Day
Tunisia Monday, August 31, 2020 Islamic New Year
Tunisia Thursday, October 15, 2020 Evacuation Day
Tunisia Thursday, October 29, 2020 Prophet’s Birthday
Turkey Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Turkey Thursday, April 23, 2020 National Sovereignty
Turkey Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Turkey Tuesday, May 19, 2020 Youth and Sports Day
Turkey Monday, May 25, 2020 Ramadan Holiday
Turkey Wednesday, July 15, 2020 National Unity Day
Turkey Thursday, July 30, 2020 Sacrifice Feast
Turkey Friday, July 31, 2020 Sacrifice Feast
Turkey Monday, August 03, 2020 Sacrifice Feast
Turkey Sunday, August 30, 2020 Victory Day
Turkey Wednesday, October 28, 2020 Republic Day
Turkey Thursday, October 29, 2020 Republic Day
Uganda Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Uganda Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Uganda Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Uganda Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Uganda Wednesday, June 03, 2020 Martyrs' Day
Uganda Tuesday, June 09, 2020 National Heroes' Day
Uganda Friday, July 31, 2020 Eid al-Adha
Uganda Friday, October 09, 2020 Independence Day
Uganda Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
United Arab Emirates Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
United Arab Emirates Sunday, May 24, 2020 Eid al-Fitr
United Arab Emirates Monday, May 25, 2020 Eid al-Fitr
40 
 

 

United Arab Emirates Tuesday, May 26, 2020 Eid al-Fitr
United Arab Emirates Friday, July 31, 2020 Eid al-Adha
United Arab Emirates Sunday, August 02, 2020 Eid al-Adha
United Arab Emirates Wednesday, December 02, 2020 National Day
United States Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
United States Monday, January 20, 2020 Martin Luther King Jr. Day
United States Monday, February 17, 2020 Washington's Birthday
United States Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
United States Monday, May 25, 2020 Memorial Day
United States Friday, July 03, 2020 Independence Day Eve
United States Monday, July 06, 2020 Independence Day
United States Monday, September 07, 2020 Labor Day
United States Monday, October 12, 2020 Columbus Day
United States Wednesday, November 11, 2020 Veterans' Day
United States Thursday, November 26, 2020 Thanksgiving Day
United States Friday, November 27, 2020 Day After Thanksgiving
United States Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Uruguay Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Uruguay Monday, January 06, 2020 Children's Day
Uruguay Monday, February 24, 2020 Carnival Monday
Uruguay Tuesday, February 25, 2020 Carnival Tuesday
Uruguay Thursday, April 09, 2020 Holy Thursday
Uruguay Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Uruguay Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Uruguay Monday, May 18, 2020 Las Piedras Battle Day
Uruguay Friday, June 19, 2020 Artigas Day
Uruguay Tuesday, August 25, 2020 Independence Day
Uruguay Monday, October 12, 2020 Columbus Day
Uruguay Monday, November 02, 2020 All Souls Day
Uruguay Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Zambia Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Zambia Monday, March 09, 2020 International Women's Day
Zambia Thursday, March 12, 2020 Youth Day
Zambia Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Zambia Monday, April 13, 2020 Easter Monday
Zambia Friday, May 01, 2020 Labour Day
Zambia Monday, May 25, 2020 Africa Freedom Day
Zambia Monday, July 06, 2020 Heroes' Day
Zambia Tuesday, July 07, 2020 Unity Day
Zambia Monday, August 03, 2020 Farmers' Day
Zambia Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day
Zimbabwe Wednesday, January 01, 2020 New Year’s Day
Zimbabwe Friday, February 21, 2020 Robert MugabeNationalYouth Day
Zimbabwe Thursday, April 09, 2020 Holy Thursday
Zimbabwe Friday, April 10, 2020 Good Friday
Zimbabwe Monday, April 13, 2020 Good Friday
Zimbabwe Friday, May 01, 2020 Women's Day
Zimbabwe Monday, May 25, 2020 Africa Day
41 
 

 

Zimbabwe Monday, August 10, 2020 Heroes' Day
Zimbabwe Tuesday, August 11, 2020 Defense Forces Day
Zimbabwe Tuesday, December 22, 2020 Unity Day
Zimbabwe Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day

  

Cash Redemption Method

 

When cash redemptions of Creation Units are available or specified for the Fund, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind redemptions. In the case of a cash redemption, the investor will receive the cash equivalent of the Redemption Basket minus any Transaction Fees, as described above.

 

 

TAX STATUS

 

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

 

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

 

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 the Fund. Capital losses incurred after January 31, 2011 may now be carried forward indefinitely and retain the character of the original loss. Under pre-enacted laws, capital losses could be carried forward to offset any capital gains for eight years, and carried forward as short-term capital, irrespective of the character of the original loss. Capital loss carry forwards are available to offset future realized capital gains. To the extent that these carry forwards are used to offset future capital gains it is probable that the amount offset will not be distributed to shareholders.

 

As of August 31, 2019, the components of accumulated earnings/(deficit) on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Undistributed     Undistributed     Post October Loss     Capital Loss     Other     Unrealized     Total  
Ordinary     Long-Term     and     Carry     Book/Tax     Appreciation/     Accumulated  
Income     Gains     Late Year Loss     Forwards     Differences     (Depreciation)     Earnings/(Deficits)  
$ 16,885     $     $     $ (28,351 )   $     $ 627,764     $ 616,298  
                                                     

 

 

The Fund intends to distribute all of its net investment income, any excess of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses, and any excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses in accordance with the timing requirements imposed by the Tax Code and therefore should not be required to pay any federal income or excise taxes. Distributions of net investment income and net capital gain, if any, will be made annually no later than December 31 of each year. Both types of distributions will be in shares of the Fund unless a shareholder elects to receive cash.

 

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

 

42 
 

If the Fund fails to qualify as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M in any fiscal year, it will be treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes. As such the Fund would be required to pay income taxes on its net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, at the rates generally applicable to corporations. Shareholders of the Fund generally would not be liable for income tax on the Fund's net investment income or net realized capital gains in their individual capacities. Distributions to shareholders, whether from the Fund's net investment income or net realized capital gains, would be treated as taxable dividends to the extent of current or accumulated earnings and profits of the Fund.

 

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

 

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

 

Distributions of taxable net investment income and the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss are taxable to shareholders as ordinary income.

 

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

 

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

 

Redemption of Fund shares by a shareholder will result in the recognition of taxable gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized and the shareholder's tax basis in his or her Fund shares. Such gain or loss is treated as a capital gain or loss if the shares are held as capital assets. 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 receive distributions in the form of additional shares will have a cost basis for federal income tax purposes in each share so received equal to the NAV of a share on the reinvestment date.

 

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 Tax Code, the 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 Tax 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 in the case of non-exempt shareholders who fail to furnish the investment company with their taxpayer identification numbers and with required certifications regarding their status under the federal income tax law, or if the Fund is notified by the IRS or a broker that withholding is required due to an incorrect TIN or a previous failure to report taxable interest or dividends. If the withholding provisions are applicable, any such distributions and proceeds, whether taken in cash or reinvested in additional shares, will be reduced by the amounts required to be withheld.

 

43 
 

 

Options, Futures, Forward Contracts and Swap Agreements

 

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

 

To the extent such investments are permissible, certain of the Fund's hedging activities (including its transactions, if any, in foreign currencies or foreign currency-denominated instruments) are likely to produce a difference between its book income and its taxable income. If the Fund's book income exceeds its taxable income, the distribution (if any) of such excess book income will be treated as (i) a dividend to the extent of the Fund's remaining earnings and profits (including earnings and profits arising from tax-exempt income), (ii) thereafter, as a return of capital to the extent of the recipient's basis in the shares, and (iii) thereafter, as gain from the sale or exchange of a capital asset. If the Fund's book income is less than taxable income, the Fund could be required to make distributions exceeding book income to qualify as a regulated investment company that is accorded special tax treatment.

 

Passive Foreign Investment Companies

 

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

 

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

 

Foreign Currency Transactions

 

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

 

Foreign Taxation

 

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

 

Generally, a credit for foreign taxes is subject to the limitation that it may not exceed the shareholder's U.S. tax attributable to his or her total foreign source taxable income. For this purpose, if the pass-through election is made, the source of the Fund's income will flow through to shareholders of the Fund. With respect to the Fund, gains from the sale of securities will be treated as derived from U.S. sources and certain currency fluctuation gains, including fluctuation gains from foreign currency-denominated debt securities, receivables and payables will be treated as ordinary income derived from U.S. sources. The limitation on the foreign tax credit is applied separately to foreign source passive income, and to certain other types of

44 
 

income. A shareholder may be unable to claim a credit for the full amount of his or her proportionate share of the foreign taxes paid by the Fund. The foreign tax credit can be used to offset only 90% of the revised alternative minimum tax imposed on corporations and individuals and foreign taxes generally are not deductible in computing alternative minimum taxable income.

 

Original Issue Discount and Pay-In-Kind Securities

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

The Fund that holds the foregoing kinds of securities 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 the Fund or by liquidation of portfolio securities, if necessary (including when it is not advantageous to do so). The Fund may realize gains or losses from such liquidations. In the event the Fund realizes net capital gains from such transactions, its shareholders may receive a larger capital gain distribution, if any, than they would in the absence of such transactions.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

Tait, Weller & Baker LLP, Two Liberty Place, 50 South 16th Street, Suite 2900, Philadelphia, PA 19102, serves as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm for the current fiscal year. The firm provides services including (i) auditing of annual financial statements, and (ii) assisting and consulting in connection with SEC filings.

 

 

45 
 

 

LEGAL COUNSEL

 

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

 

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The audited financial statements and report of the independent registered public accounting firm required to be included in this SAI are hereby incorporated by reference to the Annual Report for the Fund for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019. You can obtain a copy of the financial statements contained in the Fund's Annual or Semi-Annual Report without charge by calling the Fund at 888-724-3911.

 

46 
 

Sage Advisory Services, Ltd. Co. (“Sage”)

Proxy Voting Policy

 

23.1 Overview

 

This proxy voting policy is designed to provide reasonable assurance that proxies are voted in the clients’ best economic interest, when the responsibility for voting client proxies rests with Sage. Sage will vote proxies for clients pursuant to the authority granted in the investment management agreement between Sage and its client, or as granted by written direction from the client.

 

Mr. John Slais, the Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”), is responsible for oversight of this policy. Questions regarding this policy should be directed to the CCO.

 

23.2 Conflicts of Interest

 

A. Overview

 

Sage may encounter a material conflict in voting client proxies. Sage has a duty to recognize a material conflict and to resolve the conflict before voting the proxy. For purposes of this policy, material conflicts of interest are defined as those conflicts that a reasonable investor would view as important in making a decision regarding how to vote a proxy.

 

Examples of material conflicts include (but are not limited to):

 

1. Sage provides investment management services to a publicly traded company and also holds that same security within client portfolios which is subject to a proxy; and
2. A Sage employee has a business or personal relationship (such as a close friend or spouse) with a member of executive management, a participant in the proxy contest, or a corporate director of the company.

 

B. Identifying Conflicts of Interest

 

1. Sage shall maintain a listing of all material business conflicts of interests – those business relationships between the firm and other parties that are deemed to be material and may result in a conflict with respect to a future proxy contest.
2. All employees are required to disclose all personal and familial relationships that may present a material conflict of interest with respect to a future proxy contest. Employees who are unsure whether a relationship should be disclosed as a material conflict should consult the CCO for guidance.

 

C. Resolving Material Conflicts of Interest

 

Unless a client requests otherwise, Sage will take one of the following actions to ensure the proxy voting decision is based on the client’s best interests and is not a result of the conflict.

 

1. Engage an independent party to determine how to vote the proxy;
2. Prepare a report that (i) describes the conflict of interest; (ii) discusses procedures used to address such conflict of interest; (iii) discloses any contacts from outside parties (other than routine communications from proxy solicitors) regarding the proposal; and (iv) confirms the recommendation was made solely on the investment merits and without regard to any other consideration;
3. Refer the proxy to a client or to a representative of the client for voting purposes;
4. Disclose the conflict to the affected clients and seek their consent to vote the proxy prior to casting the vote; or
5. Vote in accordance with a pre-determined voting policy, as disclosed to clients.

 

23.3 Disclosures to Clients

 

A client may request Sage to deliver this Proxy Voting Policy as well as a record of how Sage has voted that client’s proxies. Sage will use the firm’s Part 2A of Form ADV disclosure to:

A. Notify clients of how they may obtain a copy of this policy;
A-1 
 
B. Notify clients of how they may obtain a record of how their securities were voted; and
C. Summarize the firm’s proxy voting policies.

 

23.4 Voting Guidelines

 

Sage strives to vote all proxies in the best economic interests of its clients. The decision of how to vote follows the same criteria Sage uses in managing client accounts – to vote for proposals in such a manner that, in Sage’s opinion, will increase shareholder value.

 

A. General Overview

 

In evaluating a particular proxy proposal, Sage takes into consideration, among other items:

1. Management’s assertions regarding the proxy proposal;
2. Sage’s determination of how the proxy proposal will impact its clients; and
3. Sage’s determination of whether the proxy proposal will create dilution for shareholders.
B. Proxy Proposals Regarding Business Operations Matters

 

Sage will generally support management’s recommendations on proxy issues related to business operations matters. Sage believes a company’s management should generally have the latitude to make decisions related to the company’s business operations. However, when Sage believes the company’s management is acting in an inconsistent manner with its clients’ best interests Sage will vote against management’s recommendations.

 

C. Proxy Proposals Regarding Compensations Matters

 

1. Sage will generally vote against non-salary compensation plans (such as stock compensation plans, employee stock purchase plans and long-term incentive plans) unless, in Sage’s opinion, such plans are structured to not create serious dilution to shareholders; and
2. Sage will analyze all other compensation plans on a case-by-case basis.

 

D. Proxy Proposals Regarding Control Matters

 

1. Sage will review proxy proposals regarding control matters (e.g., mergers and anti-takeover tactics) related to a company on a case-by-case basis;
2. Sage generally opposes measures limiting the rights of shareholders; and
3. Sage generally opposes measures preventing shareholders from accepting an offer of a sale of a company.

 

23.5 Record Retention Requirements

 

Sage shall keep the following proxy voting records:

A. These proxy voting policies and procedures;
B. Proxy statements received regarding client securities. Electronic statements, such as those maintained on EDGAR or by a proxy voting service, are acceptable;
C. Records of proxy votes cast on behalf of each client;
D. Records of client requests for proxy voting information, including a record of the information provided by Sage; and
E. Documents prepared by Sage that were material to making the decision of how to vote.

 

Sage will keep these records in accordance with its Record Retention Policy.

 

 

Approved: January 14, 2014

 

A-2 
 

PART C

OTHER INFORMATION

 

 

Item 28. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(a) Articles of Incorporation.

 

(i) Registrant's Trust Instrument was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on July 30, 2019 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 148 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(ii) Certificate of Trust was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on June 8, 2015 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(b) By-Laws. Registrant's By-Laws was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s

Registration Statement on August 14, 2015 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 and is incorporated by reference.

 

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

 

(d) Investment Advisory Contracts.

 

(i) Management Agreement between Anchor Capital Management Group, Inc. and the Registrant with respect to Anchor Tactical Credit Strategies Fund was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on August 14, 2015 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(ii) Management Agreement between Main Management Fund Advisors, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to the Main BuyWrite Fund was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on December 21, 2015 in Post-Effective Amendment No. 3 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(iii) Management Agreement between Measured Risk Portfolios, Inc. and the Registrant, with respect to the Measured Risk Strategy Fund was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on December 21, 2015 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 4 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(iv) Management Agreement between Moerus Capital Management LLC and the Registrant, with respect to the Moerus Worldwide Value Fund was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on May 20, 2016 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 10 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(v) Form of Management Agreement between LGM Capital Management, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to the Low Beta Tactical 500 Fund was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on August 26, 2016 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 15 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(vi) Management Agreement between Anchor Capital Management Group, Inc. and the Registrant, with respect to the Anchor Tactical Equity Strategies Fund, Anchor Tactical Municipal Strategies Fund, Anchor Tactical Real Estate Fund, Anchor Tactical Equity
 
 

Strategies VP, Anchor Tactical Municipal Strategies VP, Anchor Tactical Real Estate VP, and Anchor Tactical Credit Strategies VP was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on August 31, 2016 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 16 and is incorporated by reference.

 

a. Amended Appendix A to Management Agreement between Anchor Capital Management Group, Inc. and the Registrant with respect to the Anchor Tactical Global Strategies Fund was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on January 2, 2019 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 124 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(vii) Management Agreement between FormuliaFolio Investments, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to the FormulaFolios Hedged Growth ETF and FormulaFolios Income ETF was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on May 5, 2017 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(viii) Management Agreement between FormuliaFolio Investments, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to the FormulaFolios Smart Growth ETF and FormulaFolios Tactical Growth ETF was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on October 23, 2017 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 78 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(ix) Management Agreement between CWM Advisors, LLC dba Inspire and the Registrant was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on February 10, 2017 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 44 and is incorporated by reference.

 

a. Amended Appendix A to Management Agreement between CWM Advisors, LLC dba Inspire and the Registrant with respect to the Inspire International ESG ETF was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on September 23, 2019 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 151 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(x) Management Agreement between Main Management ETF Advisors, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to the Main Sector Rotation ETF was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on July 7, 2017 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 66 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(xi) Management Agreement between Sage Advisory Services, LTD. Co. and the Registrant, with respect to the Sage ESG Intermediate Credit ETF was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on October 20, 2017 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 76 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(e) Underwriting Contracts.

 

(i) Underwriting Agreement with Northern Lights Distributors, LLC, was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on August 14, 2015 with Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 and is incorporated by reference.

 

a. Underwriting Agreement with Northern Lights Distributors, LLC was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on March 25, 2019 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 131 and is incorporated by reference.
 
 

 

(ii) Underwriting Agreement with Foreside Fund Services, LLC was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on May 20, 2016 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 10 and is incorporated by reference.

 

a. Underwriting Agreement with Foreside Fund Services, LLC was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on March 26, 2018 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 95 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(iii) ETF Underwriting Agreement with Northern Lights Distributors, LLC, was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on January 20, 2017 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 38 and is incorporated by reference.

 

a. ETF Distribution Agreement for Inspire Global Hope ETF, Inspire Small/Mid Cap Impact ETF, Inspire Corporate Bond Impact ETF, Inspire 100 ETF, QUANTX Risk Managed Growth ETF, QUANTX Risk Managed Multi-Asset Total Return ETF and QUANTX Dynamic Beta US Equity ETF with Northern Lights Distributors, LLC was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on March 26, 2019 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 135 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(f) Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts. None.

 

(g) Custodial Agreement.

 

(i) Custody Agreement with MUFG Union Bank, N.A. was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on August 14, 2015 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(ii) Custody Agreement with The Huntington National Bank was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on December 21, 2015 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 4 and is incorporated by reference.
(iii) Form of Custody Agreement with The Bank of New York Mellon was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on May 20, 2016 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 10 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(iv) Custodian and Transfer Agreement with Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on January 20, 2017 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 38 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(v) Custody Agreement with Fifth Third Bank was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on October 11, 2017 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 73 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(h) Other Material Contracts.

 

(i) Fund Services Agreement was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on August 14, 2015 with Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(ii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Main Management Fund Advisors, LLC and the Registrant with respect to the Main BuyWrite Fund was previously filed as an exhibit to
 
 

the Registrant’s Registration Statement on March 28, 2017 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 52 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(iii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Measured Risk Portfolios, Inc. and the Registrant with respect to the Measured Risk Strategy Fund was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on December 21, 2015 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 4 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(iv) Expense Limitation Agreement between Anchor Capital Management Group, Inc. and the Registrant with respect to Anchor Tactical Credit Strategies Fund previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on January 11, 2016 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 5 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(v) Expense Limitation Agreement between Moerus Capital Management LLC and the Registrant, with respect to the Moerus Worldwide Value Fund was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on May 20, 2016 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 10 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(vi) Expense Limitation Agreement between LGM Capital Management, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to the Low Beta Tactical 500 Fund was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on September 27, 2018 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 112 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(vii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Anchor Capital Management Group, Inc. and the Registrant, with respect to the Anchor Tactical Equity Strategies Fund, Anchor Tactical Municipal Strategies Fund, and Anchor Tactical Real Estate Fund was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on August 31, 2016 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 16 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(viii) ETF Fund Services Agreement with Gemini Fund Services, LLC was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on October 6, 2016 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(ix) Amended Expense Limitation between Anchor Capital Management Group, Inc. and the Registrant, with respect to the Anchor Tactical Credit Strategies Fund was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on October 26, 2016 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 22 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(x) Amended and Restated Expense Limitation Agreement between FormulaFolio Investments, LLC and the Registrant, with respect to FormulaFolios Flexible Income ETF, FormulaFolios Hedged Growth ETF, FormulaFolios Sector Rotation ETF, FormulaFolios Smart Growth ETF, FormulaFolios Tactical Growth ETF and FormulaFolios Tactical Income ETF was filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on September 25, 2018 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 109 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(xi) Amended and Restated Expense Limitation Agreement between CWM Advisors, LLC dba Inspire and the Registrant was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on March 27, 2018 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 98 and is incorporated by reference.

 

 
 
(xii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Main Management ETF Advisors, LLC and the Registrant with respect to the Main Sector Rotation ETF was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on July 7, 2017 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 66 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(xiii) Expense Limitation Agreement between Sage Advisory Services LTD Co. and the Registrant, with respect to the Sage ESG Intermediate Credit ETF was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on October 20, 2017 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 76 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(xiv) Amended Expense Limitation between Anchor Capital Management Group, Inc. and the Registrant, with respect to the Anchor Tactical Credit Strategies Fund, Anchor Tactical Equity Strategies Fund, Anchor Tactical Municipal Strategies Fund, and Anchor Tactical Real Estate Fund was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on December 22, 2017 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 90 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(xv) Amended Expense Limitation between Anchor Capital Management Group, Inc. and the Registrant, with respect to the Anchor Tactical Global Strategies Fund was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on January 2, 2019 with Post-Effective Amendment No.124 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(xvi) Amended and Restated Expense Limitation Agreement between CWM Advisors, LLC dba Inspire and the Registrant was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on March 26, 2019 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 135 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(i) Legal Opinion.

 

(i) Legal Opinion of Thompson Hine LLP was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on September 23, 2019 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 151 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(ii) Legal Consent of Thompson Hine LLP is filed herewith.

 

(j) Other Opinions.

 

(i) Consent of Independent Public Accounting Firm is filed herewith.

 

(k) Omitted Financial Statements. None.

 

(l) Initial Capital Agreements. None.

 

(m) Rule 12b-1 Plans.

 

(i) Plan of Distribution Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Class A shares was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on August 14, 2015 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(ii) Plan of Distribution Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Class C shares was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on December 21, 2015 in Post-Effective Amendment No. 4 and is incorporated by reference.
 
 

 

(a) Amended Exhibit A to Plan of Distribution Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Class C shares to was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on October 11, 2017 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 73 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(iii) Plan of Distribution Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Institutional Class shares was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on August 14, 2015 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(a) Amended Exhibit A to Plan of Distribution Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Institutional Class Shares was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on January 2, 2019 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 124 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(iv) Plan of Distribution Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Class N Shares was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on May 20, 2016 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 10 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(vi) Plan of Distribution Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Investor Class Shares was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on May 20, 2016 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 10 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(a) Amended Exhibit A to Plan of Distribution Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Investor Class Shares was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on January 2, 2019 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 124 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(vii) Plan of Distribution Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for Non-Designated Shares was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on August 31, 2016 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 16 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(viii) ETF Distribution Plan Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on July 7, 2017 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 66 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(n)

(i) Rule 18f-3 Plan was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on December 21, 2015 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 3 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(a) Amended Appendix A to Rule 18f-3 Plan was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on March 28, 2017 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 52 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(b) Amended Appendix A to Rule 18f-3 Plan to include Anchor Tactical Global Strategies Fund was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on January 2, 2019 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 124 and is incorporated by reference.

 

 
 

(o) Reserved.

 

(p) Code of Ethics.

 

(i) Code of Ethics for the Trust was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on August 14, 2015 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(ii) Code of Ethics for Anchor Capital Management Group, Inc. was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on August 14, 2015 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(iii) Code of Ethics for Ultimus Group, LLC if filed herewith.

 

(iv) Code of Ethics for Main Management Fund Advisors, LLC and Main Management ETF Advisors, LLC was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on July 7, 2017 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 66 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(v) Code of Ethics for Measured Risk Portfolios, Inc. was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on December 21, 2015 in Post-Effective Amendment No. 4 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(vi) Code of Ethics for Moerus Capital Management LLC was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on May 20, 2016 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 10 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(vii) Code of Ethics for LGM Capital Management, LLC was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on April 24, 2017 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 57 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(viii) Code of Ethics for Blue Sky Asset Management, LLC was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on January 20, 2017 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 38 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(ix) Code of Ethics for FormuliaFolio Investments, LLC was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on May 5, 2017 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(x) Code of Ethics for CWM Advisers, LLC dba Inspire was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on February 10, 2017 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 44 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(xi) Code of Ethics for IQ Capital Strategy, LLC was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on October 11, 2017 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 73 and is incorporated by reference.

 

(xii) Code of Ethics for Sage Advisory Services LTD Co. was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on October 20, 2017 with post-Effective Amendment No. 76 and is incorporated by reference.

 

 
 

(q) Powers of Attorney. Power of Attorney for the Trust, and a certificate with respect thereto, and each trustee and executive officer, was previously filed as an exhibit to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on August 14, 2015 with Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 and is incorporated by reference.

 

Item 29. Control Persons. None.

 

Item 30. Indemnification.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement between the Trust and Northern Lights Distributors, LLC (“NLD”), the Trust agrees to indemnify, defend and hold NLD, its several officers and managers, and

 
 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Generally, each management agreement or investment advisory agreement provides that neither the adviser nor any director, manager, officer or employee of the adviser performing services for the Trust at the direction or request of the adviser in connection with the adviser's discharge of its obligations 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.  Additionally, generally, each sub-advisory agreement provides that the subadviser shall indemnify the adviser, the Trust and each Fund, and their respective affiliates and controlling persons for any liability and expenses, including without limitation reasonable attorneys' fees and expenses, which the adviser, the Trust and/or the Fund and their respective affiliates and controlling persons may sustain as a result of the subadviser's willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, reckless disregard of its duties hereunder or violation of applicable law, including, without limitation, the federal and state securities laws.  Generally, each sub-advisory agreement provides that adviser shall indemnify the subadviser, its affiliates and its controlling persons, for any liability and expenses, including without limitation reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, which may be sustained as a result of the adviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, reckless disregard of its duties hereunder or violation of applicable law, including, without limitation, the federal and state securities laws.

 

Pursuant to the Distribution Agreement (“Agreement”), the Foreside Fund Services, LLC. has agreed to indemnify, defend, and hold the Registrant, its affiliates, and each of their respective trustees, officers, employees, representatives, and any person who controls or previously controlled the Registrant within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act, (collectively, the “Registrant Indemnitees”) free and harmless from and against any and all losses, claims, demands, liabilities, damages and expenses (including the costs of investigating or defending any alleged losses, claims, demands, liabilities, damages or expenses and any reasonable counsel fees incurred in connection therewith) (collectively, “Losses”) that any Registrant Indemnitee may incur under the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, the 1940 Act, any other statute (including Blue Sky laws) or any rule or regulation thereunder, or under common law or otherwise arising out of or based upon (i) the Distributor’s breach of any of its obligations, representations, warranties or covenants contained in the Agreement; (ii) the Distributor’s failure to comply with any applicable securities laws or regulations; or (iii) any claim that the Registration Statement, Prospectus, sales literature and advertising materials or other information filed or made public by the Registrant (as from time to time amended) include or included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements not misleading, insofar as such statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Registrant by the Underwriter in writing. In no event shall anything contained in the Agreement be so construed as to protect the Registrant against any liability to the Distributor to which the Registrant would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence in the performance of its duties under the Agreement or by reason of its reckless disregard of its obligations under the Agreement.

 

Item 31. Activities of Investment Advisor.

 

Certain information pertaining to the business and other connections of each Advisor of each series of the Trust is 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 26 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:

 

Anchor Capital Management Group, Inc., adviser to the Anchor Tactical Credit Strategies Fund, Anchor Tactical Equity Strategies Fund, Anchor Tactical Municipal Strategies Fund, and Anchor Tactical Global Strategies Fund -- File No. 801-19624.

 
 

 

Main Management Fund Advisors, LLC, adviser to the Main BuyWrite Fund – File No. 801-106755.

 

Main Management ETF Advisors, LLC, adviser to the Main Sector Rotation ETF – File No. 801-110799.

 

Measured Risk Portfolios, Inc., adviser to the Measured Risk Strategy Fund – File No. 801-80124.

 

Moerus Capital Management LLC, adviser to the Moerus Worldwide Value Fund – File No. 801-107225.

 

LGM Capital Management, LLC adviser to the Low Beta Tactical 500 Fund – File No.801-108408.

 

FormuliaFolio Investments, LLC adviser to FormulaFolios Hedged Growth ETF, FormulaFolios Tactical Income ETF, FormulaFolios Smart Growth ETF and FormulaFolios Tactical Growth ETF- File No. 801-72780.

 

CWM Advisers, LLC dba Inspire adviser to Inspire Global Hope Large Cap ETF, Inspire Small/Mid Cap Impact ETF, Inspire Corporate Bond Impact ETF, Inspire 100 ETF and Inspire International ESG ETF File No. 801-108947.

 

Sage Advisory Services LTD Co, adviser to Sage ESG Intermediate Credit ETF - File No. 801-52937.

 

Item 32. Principal Underwriter.

 

(a) Northern Lights Distributors, LLC (“NLD”), the principal underwriter of the Registrant, also acts as principal underwriter for the following: AdvisorOne Funds, Arrow ETF Trust, Arrow Investments Trust, Boyar Value Fund Inc, Centerstone Investors Trust, Copeland Trust, Equinox Funds Trust, Miller Investment Trust, Mutual Fund Series Trust, Mutual Fund and Variable Insurance Trust, Neiman Funds, 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.

 

Foreside Fund Services, LLC, serves as principal underwriter for the following investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended:

 

1. ABS Long/Short Strategies Fund
2. Absolute Shares Trust
3. Active Weighting Funds ETF Trust
4. AdvisorShares Trust
5. AmericaFirst Quantitative Funds
6. American Century ETF Trust
7. ARK ETF Trust
8. Avenue Mutual Funds Trust
9. BP Capital TwinLine Energy Fund, Series of Professionally Managed Portfolios
10. BP Capital TwinLine MLP Fund, Series of Professionally Managed Portfolios
11. Braddock Multi-Strategy Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
12. Bridgeway Funds, Inc.
13. Brinker Capital Destinations Trust
14. Calvert Ultra-Short Duration Income NextShares, Series of Calvert Management Series
15. Center Coast MLP & Infrastructure Fund
16. Center Coast MLP Focus Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
17. Context Capital Funds
 
 
18. CornerCap Group of Funds
19. Davis Fundamental ETF Trust
20. Direxion Shares ETF Trust
21. Eaton Vance NextShares Trust
22. Eaton Vance NextShares Trust II
23. EIP Investment Trust
24. Elkhorn ETF Trust
25. EntrepreneurShares Series Trust
26. Evanston Alternative Opportunities Fund
27. Exchange Listed Funds Trust (f/k/a Exchange Traded Concepts Trust II)
28. FEG Absolute Access Fund I LLC
29. Fiera Capital Series Trust
30. FlexShares Trust
31. Forum Funds
32. Forum Funds II
33. FQF Trust
34. Friess Small Cap Growth Fund, Series of Managed Portfolio Series
35. GraniteShares ETF Trust
36. Guinness Atkinson Funds
37. Horizons ETF Trust I (f/k/a Recon Capital Series Trust)
38. Infinity Core Alternative Fund
39. Innovator IBD® 50 ETF, Series of Innovator ETFs Trust
40. Innovator IBD® ETF Leaders ETF, Series of Innovator ETFs Trust
41. Ironwood Institutional Multi-Strategy Fund LLC
42. Ironwood Multi-Strategy Fund LLC
43. John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust
44. Manor Investment Funds
45. Miller/Howard Funds Trust
46. Miller/Howard High Income Equity Fund
47. Moerus Worldwide Value Fund, Series of Northern Lights Fund Trust IV
48. MProved Systematic Long-Short Fund, Series Portfolios Trust
49. MProved Systematic Merger Arbitrage Fund, Series Portfolios Trust
50. MProved Systematic Multi-Strategy Fund, Series Portfolios Trust
51. NYSE® Pickens Oil Response™ ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
52. OSI ETF Trust
53. Palmer Square Opportunistic Income Fund
54. Partners Group Private Income Opportunities, LLC
55. PENN Capital Funds Trust
56. Performance Trust Mutual Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
57. Pine Grove Alternative Institutional Fund
58. Plan Investment Fund, Inc.
59. PMC Funds, Series of Trust for Professional Managers
60. Point Bridge GOP Stock Tracker ETF, Series of ETF Series Solutions
61. Quaker Investment Trust
62. Ranger Funds Investment Trust
63. Renaissance Capital Greenwich Funds
64. RMB Investors Trust (f/k/a Burnham Investors Trust)
65. Robinson Opportunistic Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
66. Robinson Tax Advantaged Income Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust
67. Salient MF Trust
68. SharesPost 100 Fund
69. Sound Shore Fund, Inc.
70. Steben Alternative Investment Funds
71. Steben Select Multi-Strategy Fund
72. Strategy Shares
73. The 504 Fund (f/k/a The Pennant 504 Fund)
 
 
74. The Chartwell Funds
75. The Community Development Fund
76. The Relative Value Fund
77. Third Avenue Trust
78. Third Avenue Variable Series Trust
79. TIFF Investment Program
80. Transamerica ETF Trust
81. U.S. Global Investors Funds
82. VictoryShares Developed Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
83. VictoryShares Dividend Accelerator ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
84. VictoryShares Emerging Market High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
85. VictoryShares Emerging Market Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
86. VictoryShares International High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
87. VictoryShares International Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
88. VictoryShares US 500 Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
89. VictoryShares US 500 Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
90. VictoryShares US Discovery Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
91. VictoryShares US EQ Income Enhanced Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
92. VictoryShares US Large Cap High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
93. VictoryShares US Multi-Factor Minimum Volatility ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
94. VictoryShares US Small Cap High Div Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
95. VictoryShares US Small Cap Volatility Wtd ETF, Series of Victory Portfolios II
96. Vivaldi Opportunities Fund
97. West Loop Realty Fund, Series of Investment Managers Series Trust (f/k/a Chilton Realty Income & Growth Fund)
98. Wintergreen Fund, Inc.
99. WisdomTree Trust
100. WST Investment Trust

 

(b) Northern Lights Distributors, LLC 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 Northern Lights Distributors, LLC is 17645 Wright Street, Suite 200, Omaha, Nebraska 68130.

 

To the best of Registrant’s knowledge, the following are the managers and officers of Northern Lights Distributors, LLC:

 

Name

Positions and Offices

with Underwriter

Positions and Offices

with the Trust

William J. Strait President, Secretary, General Counsel, and Manager None
Mike Nielsen Chief Compliance Officer and AML Compliance Officer None
Stephen Preston Financial Operations Principal None
David Young Manager None

 

Foreside Fund Services, LLC is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as a broker-dealer and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. The Distributor’s main business address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101.

 

 
 

The following are the Officers of the distributor:  

  

Name Address Position with Underwriter

Position with the Trust

 

Richard J. Berthy Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME  04101 President, Treasurer and Manager None
Mark A. Fairbanks Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME  04101 Vice President None
Jennifer K. DiValerio 899 Cassatt Road, 400 Berwyn Park, Suite 110, Berwyn, PA 19312 Vice President None
Susan K. Moscaritolo 899 Cassatt Road, 400 Berwyn Park, Suite 110, Berwyn, PA 19312 Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer None
Jennifer E. Hoopes Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME  04101 Secretary None

 

Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records.

 

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

 

MUFG Union Bank, National Association, 350 California Street, Suite 1700, San Francisco, California 94104 (“Union”), provides custodian services to the Anchor Tactical Credit Strategies Fund, Anchor Tactical Equity Strategies Fund, Anchor Tactical Municipal Strategies Fund, Anchor Tactical Global Strategies Fund and the Main BuyWrite Fund.

 

The Huntington National Bank located at 7 Easton Oval EA4E62, Columbus, OH 43219, provides custodian services to the Measured Risk Strategy Fund.

 

The Bank of New York Mellon (“BONY”), located at 240 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10286, provides custodian services to the Moerus Worldwide Value Fund.

 

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (“BBH”), located at 50 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02110 provides custodian services to the FormulaFolios Hedged Growth ETF, FormulaFolios Tactical Income ETF, FormulaFolios Smart Growth ETF, FormulaFolios Tactical Growth ETF, Inspire Global Hope ETF, Inspire Small/Mid Cap Impact ETF, Inspire Corporate Bond Impact ETF, Inspire 100 ETF and Inspire International ESG ETF.

 

NLD, located at 17645 Wright Street, Ste. 200, Omaha, Nebraska 68130, serves as principal underwriter for all series of Northern Lights Fund Trust, except the Moerus Worldwide Value Fund 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.

 

Foreside Fund Services, LLC, located at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, ME 04101, serves as principle underwriter for the Moerus Worldwide Value Fund and maintains all records required to be maintained pursuant to the Fund’s Master Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan and Agreements adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

 
 

Item 34. Management Services. Not applicable.

 

Item 35. Undertakings. Not Applicable.

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Fund certifies that it has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Hauppauge, State of New York, on the 29th day of November, 2019.

 

Northern Lights Fund Trust IV

 

 

By: _/s/ Wendy Wang_______________

Wendy Wang, President

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following person in the capacities indicated on November 29, 2019.

 

 

Name Title
Joseph Breslin* Trustee
Thomas Sarkany* Trustee
Charles Ranson* Trustee
Wendy Wang* President and Principal Executive Officer
Sam Singh* Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer

 

*By: _/s/ Wendy Wang

Wendy Wang

Attorney-in-Fact

 

 

 
 

 

  EXHIBIT INDEX     Exhibit: Exhibit No.  
  1.              Legal Consent of Thompson Hine LLP (i)(ii)  
  2.              Consent of Independent Public Accounting Firm (j)(i)  
  3.              Code of Ethics for the Trust (p)(iii)  
     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 29, 2019

Northern Lights Fund Trust IV

225 Pictoria Drive, Suite 450

Cincinnati, OH 45246

 

 

Dear Board Members:

A legal opinion (the “Legal Opinion”) that we prepared was filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 151 to the Northern Lights Fund Trust IV Registration Statement. We hereby give you our consent to incorporate by reference the Legal Opinion into Post-Effective Amendment No. 158 under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Amendment”) and consent to all references to us in the Amendment.

 

Very truly yours,

/s/ Thompson Hine LLP

THOMPSON HINE LLP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

 

 

 

We consent to the references to our firm in the Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of Northern Lights Fund Trust IV and to the use of our report dated October 23, 2019 on the financial statements and financial highlights of Sage ESG Intermediate Credit ETF, a series of Northern Lights Fund Trust IV. Such financial statements and financial highlights appear in the 2019 Annual Report to Shareholders, which is incorporated by reference into the Statement of Additional Information.

 

 

 

 

 

/s/TAIT, WELLER & BAKER LLP

 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

November 27, 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A SIGN LIT UP AT NIGHT

DESCRIPTION GENERATED WITH HIGH CONFIDENCE

 

 

 

Code of Ethics

 

Subsidiaries of

The Ultimus Group, LLC

Blu Giant, LLC

Gemini Alternative Funds, LLC

Gemini Fund Services, LLC

Gemini Hedge Fund Services, LLC

Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC

Northern Lights Distributors, LLC

 

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Ultimus

Code of Ethics

October 1, 2019 to Current

 

 

 

Table of Contents

 

I. Introduction
II. Definitions
III. General Principles
IV. Standards of Business Conduct
V. Prohibition Against Insider Trading
VI. Personal Securities Transactions
VII. Interested Transactions
VIII. Gifts and Entertainment
IX. Protecting the Confidentiality of Client Information
X. Service as a Director
XI. Certification
XII. Records
XIII. Reporting Violations and Sanctions
XIV. Ethics Training

 

Schedule A – Designated Custodians

Schedule B – Frequently Asked Questions about Code of Ethics

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I. Introduction

 

This Code of Ethics (this “Code”) has been adopted by certain subsidiaries of The Ultimus Group, LLC, including, Blu Giant, LLC, Gemini Alternative Funds, LLC (“GAF”), Gemini Fund Services, LLC, Gemini Hedge Fund Services, LLC, Northern Lights Compliance Services, LLC and Northern Lights Distributors, LLC (“NLD”), collectively, “Ultimus Companies” and each an “Ultimus Company”.

 

This Code establishes rules of conduct for “Supervised Persons” of Ultimus. As explained further in the “Definitions” included with this Code (see Article II, Definitions), “Supervised Persons” include our employees and officers, as well as certain independent contractors and certain registered representatives. The general ethical principles and personal securities reporting provisions of this Code apply to all employees and other “Access Persons” of Ultimus, although many provisions of this Code are written to specifically address the duties and obligations of employees of NLD, because of its status as a registered broker-dealer and member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). This Code is based upon the principle that the Ultimus Companies and its Supervised Persons owe a fiduciary duty to their clients to conduct their affairs, including their personal securities transactions, in such a manner as to avoid (i) serving their own personal interests ahead of clients, (ii) taking inappropriate advantage of their position with their respective company, and (iii) any actual or potential conflicts of interest or any abuse of their position of trust and responsibility.

 

This Code is designed to ensure that the high ethical standards long maintained by the Ultimus Companies continue to be applied. The purpose of this Code is to preclude activities that may lead to or give the appearance of conflicts of interest, insider trading and other forms of prohibited or unethical business conduct.

 

In meeting any fiduciary responsibilities to its clients, the Ultimus Companies expect every employee to demonstrate the highest standards of ethical conduct. The Ultimus Companies’ reputation for fair and honest dealing with its clients has taken considerable time to build. This standing could be seriously damaged as the result of even a single Securities transaction being considered questionable in light of the fiduciary duty owed to our clients. Strict compliance with the provisions of the Code shall be considered a basic condition of employment and employees should understand that any breach of the provisions of this Code may constitute grounds for disciplinary action, including termination of their employment.

 

This Code addresses specific elements of the Ultimus Companies’ fiduciary obligations. However, it cannot, and is not intended to, address all circumstances in which fiduciary obligations will arise. Accordingly, the Ultimus Companies expect all Supervised Persons to adhere strictly to the specific requirements of this Code and other firm policies and procedures, but to also think beyond them and to conduct themselves with honesty and integrity in accordance with the Ultimus Companies’ fiduciary obligations.

 

Each Ultimus Company, through its compliance officers, legal counsel, and/or other designated personnel, is responsible for the day-to-day administration of this Code with respect to those Access Persons under the direct supervision and control of such Ultimus Company. Note that some Ultimus Companies may impose greater restrictions than those described in this Code, and those restrictions have been noted where possible within this Code. All questions regarding specific restrictions should be directed to the Chief Compliance Officer of the relevant Ultimus Company (as applicable, each such individual is referred to herein as the “Chief Compliance Officer”) or to such Ultimus Company’s designated legal counsel.

 

 

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To the extent a Supervised Person is registered as a representative of NLD or as an associated person or principal of GAF, such persons are encouraged to seek the guidance from such Ultimus Company’s respective Chief Compliance Officer for all questions regarding the application of specific restrictions to their activities. It is each Supervised Person’s responsibility to understand this Code as well as its requirements and application as they relate to both personal and work-related activities.

 

The Chief Compliance Officer will periodically report to senior management of the Ultimus Companies to document compliance with this Code.

 

The Ultimus Companies have engaged Schwab Compliance Technologies, Inc. (“Schwab CT”), which provides an automated system for administration of the Code. The Schwab CT system provides a means of making all reports and certifications required under the Code in an electronic format. The Schwab CT system will send automatic reminders via email to all persons covered by the Code in order to ensure deadlines are not missed. Should you have any questions about the Code or the Schwab CT system, please contact the Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee.

 

For answers to commonly asked questions about your obligations under this Code, please refer to Schedule B for a list of “Frequently Asked Questions” and the applicable responses.

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II. Definitions

 

For the purposes of this Code, the following definitions shall apply:

 

· “Access Person” means any Supervised Person who: has access to nonpublic information regarding any clients’ purchase or sale of Securities, or nonpublic information regarding the portfolio holdings of any Fund Ultimus or a Control affiliate acts as the principal underwriter, distributor, fund accountant, or fund administrator; or is involved in making Securities recommendations to clients; provided, that individuals who are Supervised Persons solely as a result of their service as a non-employee director, manager, or officer or their engagement as an independent contractor shall not be considered “Access Persons” for purposes of this Code.

 

· “Account” means accounts of any Access Person and includes accounts of the Access Person’s Family Members and any account in which he or she has a direct beneficial interest, such as trusts and custodial accounts subject to control by the Access Person or other accounts in which the Access Person exercises influence or control or has investment discretion; provided, that an employee’s employer 401(k) account shall be excluded from the “Accounts” covered under this Code.

 

· “Beneficial Ownership” shall be interpreted in the same manner as it would be under Rule 16a- 1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, in determining whether a person is the beneficial owner of a Security for purposes of Section 16 of such Act and the rules and regulations thereunder. Generally, “Beneficial Ownership” means ownership of Securities or Securities accounts by or for the benefit of a person, or such person’s “Family Member,” including any account in which the person or family member of that person holds a direct or indirect beneficial interest, retains discretionary investment authority or exercises a power of attorney.

 

· “Control” means the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of any of the Ultimus Companies. See Section 2(a)(9) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).

 

· “Designated Custodian” refers to the custodial firms listed on Schedule A where Access Persons must maintain their covered Accounts.

 

· “Family Member” means any person’s spouse, child or other relative, whether related by blood, marriage, or otherwise, who either resides with, is financially dependent upon, or whose investments are controlled or partially controlled by that person. The term also includes any unrelated individual whose investments are controlled or partially controlled by that person, such as a “significant other.”

 

· “Fund” means an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act, including open-end and closed-end investment companies and exchange traded funds.

 

· “Initial Public Offering” means an offering of Securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the issuer of which, immediately before the registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

· “Investment Personnel” means (1) any employee of Ultimus (or of any company in a Control relationship to Ultimus) who, in connection with his or her regular functions or duties, makes or participates in making recommendations regarding the purchase or sale of Securities, and (2) any natural person who Controls Ultimus and who obtains information concerning recommendations made regarding the purchase or sale of Securities.
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· “Limited Offering” means an offering that is exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, pursuant to Section 4(2) or Section 4(6) or pursuant to Rule 504, 505 or 506 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

· “Reportable Security” means any Security, except that it does not include: (i) transactions and holdings in direct obligations of the Government of the United States; (ii) bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and other high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements; (iii) shares issued by money market funds; (iv) transactions and holdings in shares of other types of open-end registered mutual funds, other than exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”); (v) transactions in units of a unit investment trust if the unit investment trust is invested exclusively in mutual funds; and (vi) transactions and holdings in a spouse’s retirement plan controlled by the spouse’s employer, provided the employee does not participate in the investment decisions or provide any advice with respect to the allocation of such Account.

 

· “Security” means any note, stock, treasury stock, security future, bond, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, collateral-trust certificate, pre-organization certificate or subscription, transferable share, investment contract, voting-trust certificate, certificate of deposit for a security, fractional undivided interest in oil, gas, or other mineral rights, any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege on any security (including a certificate of deposit) or on any group or index of securities (including any interest therein or based on the value thereof), or any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to foreign currency, or, in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a “security”, or any certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guaranty of, or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase any of the foregoing. See Section 202(a)(18) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”).

 

· “Supervised Person” means managers, officers and partners of Ultimus (or other persons occupying a similar status or performing similar functions); employees of Ultimus; independent contractors accessing non-public information regarding the Ultimus’ clients during such contractor’s engagement with Ultimus; and any other person who provides advice on behalf of Ultimus and is subject to Ultimus’ supervision and control.

 

· “Third Party Managed Account” refers to an Account where a third party has investment management discretion regarding Securities transactions pursuant to a written, executed investment management agreement or advisory agreement addressing the Account or otherwise. Whether an Account is considered a Third Party Managed Account rests in the discretion of the Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee, in consultation with the legal department, based on its assessment of the risks presented by such arrangement. No Access Person shall consider an Account to be a Third Party Managed Account until he or she has received approval from the Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee. The Chief Compliance Officer reserves the right to revoke approval of a Third Party Managed Account at any time, for any reason.
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III. General Principles

 

This Code is designed to promote the following general principles:

 

· The Ultimus Companies and their Supervised Persons have a duty at all times to place the interests of clients first.

 

· The Ultimus Companies and their Supervised Persons have a duty of loyalty to clients.

 

· Access persons must conduct their personal securities transactions in a manner that avoids an actual or potential conflict of interest or any abuse of trust and responsibility.

 

· Access persons may not use knowledge about current or pending client or portfolio transactions for the purpose of personal profit.

 

· Information concerning clients (including former clients) must be kept confidential, including the client’s identity, holdings, and other non-public information.

 

· Independence in the investment decision-making process is paramount.

 

· Supervised Persons may not give or receive gifts or participate in entertainment beyond the parameters set forth in this Code to avoid even the appearance of favoritism or impropriety.

 

The Chief Compliance Officer may grant exceptions to certain provisions contained in this Code only in those situations when it is clear beyond dispute that the interests of the clients will not be adversely affected or compromised. All questions arising in connection with personal securities trading should be resolved in favor of the client even at the expense of the interests of employees.

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IV. Standards of Business Conduct

 

The Ultimus Companies place the highest priority on maintaining its reputation for integrity and professionalism. That reputation is a vital business asset. The confidence and trust placed in the Ultimus Companies and its employees by our clients is something we value and endeavor to protect. The following Standards of Business Conduct set forth policies and procedures intended to achieve these goals.

 

A. Compliance with Laws and Regulations

 

In addition to adhering strictly to the specific requirements of this Code and all other Ultimus Companies policies and procedures, the Ultimus Companies expect all Supervised Persons to respect and comply with applicable federal and state securities laws and regulations. This includes prohibiting any activity that directly or indirectly:

 

· Defrauds a client in any manner;
· Misleads a client, including any statement that omits material facts;
· Operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit on a client;
· Functions as a manipulative practice with respect to a client; or
· Functions as a manipulative practice with respect to securities.

 

The Ultimus Companies and their employees are prohibited from engaging in fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative conduct. This involves more than acting with honesty and good faith alone. It means, where applicable, that the Ultimus Companies have an affirmative duty of utmost good faith to act solely in the best interest of its clients.

 

Section 204A of the Advisers Act requires the establishment and enforcement of policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent the misuse of material, nonpublic information by investment advisers. While the Ultimus Companies are not themselves registered investment advisers, such policies and procedures are contained in this Code. This Code also contains policies and procedures with respect to personal securities transactions of all Access Persons as defined herein. These procedures cover transactions in a Reportable Security in which an Access Person has Beneficial Ownership in or Accounts over which the Access Person exercises control as well as transactions by the Access Person’s Family Members.

 

B. Conflicts of Interest

 

Conflicts of interest may come about any time there exists an incentive to favor one party over another. Given the nature of the Ultimus Companies’ businesses and business relationships between Ultimus Companies, conflicts can arise in various contexts. Where possible, our objective is to avoid any conflict between the Ultimus Companies, Supervised Persons, and the client. For example, a conflict may arise when there is an opportunity to give preferential treatment to one client or portfolio relative to other clients or portfolios. A conflict can also come into play when there is an opportunity to take advantage of information, particularly regarding current or pending client or portfolio trades, for personal profit. Other conflicts may not always be clear-cut.

 

As an integral part of the Ultimus Companies’ fiduciary obligation, Supervised Persons are obligated to avoid conflicts of interest wherever possible and to fully disclose all facts concerning any conflict that may arise. Questions regarding a potential conflict should be fully vetted with the Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee and appropriate legal counsel before any further action is taken.

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C. Confidentiality

 

The Ultimus Companies and their Supervised Persons share a duty to ensure the confidentiality of client information, including account numbers, client holdings, transactions, and securities recommendations. Supervised Persons may not misuse or disclose such information, whether within or outside of the Ultimus Companies, except to authorized persons who require the information for legitimate business purposes or to fulfill their responsibilities. To ensure this duty is fulfilled, the Ultimus Companies have adopted this Code as well as its Employee Policies and Procedures and information securities policies, and each Ultimus Company has adopted its own Privacy Policy. All Supervised Persons are required to adhere to each of these policies, as relevant. As explained further in Section IX, all Supervised Persons are prohibited from disclosing confidential information concerning the Ultimus Companies, including any trade secrets or other proprietary information, including materials marked for internal use only.

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V. Prohibition Against Insider Trading

 

A. Introduction

 

Trading Securities while in possession of material, nonpublic information, or improperly communicating that information to others may expose Supervised Persons and the Ultimus Companies to stringent penalties. Criminal sanctions may include significant fines and/or imprisonment. The SEC can recover the profits gained or losses avoided through the illegal trading, impose a penalty of up to three times the illicit windfall, and/or issue an order permanently barring you from the securities industry. Finally, Supervised Persons and the Ultimus Companies may be sued by investors seeking to recover damages for insider trading violations.

 

The rules contained in this Code apply to Securities trading and information handling by Supervised Persons and their Family Members.

 

The law of insider trading is continuously developing. An individual legitimately may be uncertain about the application of the rules contained in this Code in a particular circumstance. Often, a single question can avoid disciplinary action or complex legal problems. You must notify the Chief Compliance Officer immediately if you have any reason to believe that a violation of this Code has occurred or is about to occur.

 

B. General Policy

 

No Supervised Person may trade, either personally or on behalf of others (such as investment funds and private accounts managed by the Ultimus Companies) (“Client Accounts”), while in the possession of material, nonpublic information, nor may any personnel of the Ultimus Companies communicate material, nonpublic information to others in violation of the law.

 

1. What is Material Information?

 

Information is material where there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider it important in making his or her investment decisions. Generally, this includes any information the disclosure of which will have a substantial effect on the price of a company’s Securities. No simple test exists to determine when information is material; assessments of materiality involve a highly fact-specific inquiry. For this reason, you should direct any questions about whether information is material to the Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee.

 

Material information often relates to a company’s results and operations, including, for example, dividend changes, earnings results, changes in previously released earnings estimates, significant merger or acquisition proposals or agreements, major litigation, liquidation problems, and extraordinary management developments.

 

Material information also may relate to the market for a company’s Securities. Information about a significant order to purchase or sell Securities may, in some contexts, be material. Prepublication information regarding reports in the financial press also may be material. For example, the United States Supreme Court upheld the criminal convictions of insider trading defendants who capitalized on prepublication information about The Wall Street Journal’s “Heard on the Street” column.

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You should also be aware of the SEC’s position that the term “material nonpublic information” relates not only to issuers but also to the Ultimus Companies’ Securities recommendations and client Securities holdings and transactions.

 

2. What is Nonpublic Information?

 

Information is “public” when it has been disseminated broadly to investors in the marketplace. For example, information is public after it has become available to the general public through a public filing with the SEC or some other government agency, the Dow Jones “tape” or The Wall Street Journal or some other publication of general circulation and after sufficient time has passed so that the information has been disseminated widely.

 

3. Identifying Inside Information

 

Before executing any trade for yourself or others, including Client Accounts, you must determine whether you have access to material, nonpublic information. If you think that you might have access to material, nonpublic information, you should take the following steps:

 

· Report the information and proposed trade immediately to the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

· Do not purchase or sell the Securities on behalf of yourself or others, including Client Accounts.

 

· Do not communicate the information inside or outside the Ultimus Companies, other than to the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

· After the Chief Compliance Officer has reviewed the issue and consulted with legal counsel as necessary, the Ultimus Companies will determine whether the information is material and nonpublic and, if so, what action the Ultimus Companies will take.

 

You should consult with the Chief Compliance Officer before taking any action. This degree of caution will protect you, our clients, and the Ultimus Companies.

 

4. Contacts with Public Companies

 

Contacts with public companies may represent an important part of our research efforts. The Ultimus Companies may make investment decisions on the basis of conclusions formed through such contacts and analysis of publicly available information. Difficult legal issues arise, however, when, in the course of these contacts, a Supervised Person of the Ultimus Companies or other person subject to this Code becomes aware of material, nonpublic information. This could happen, for example, if a company’s Chief Financial Officer prematurely discloses quarterly results to an analyst, or an investor relations representative makes selective disclosure of adverse news to a handful of investors. In such situations, the Ultimus Companies must make a judgment as to its further conduct. To protect yourself, your clients and the Ultimus Companies, you should contact the Chief Compliance Officer immediately if you believe that you may have received material, nonpublic information.

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5. Tender Offers

 

Tender offers represent a particular concern in the law of insider trading for two reasons: First, tender offer activity often produces extraordinary gyrations in the price of the target company’s Securities. Trading

during this time period is more likely to attract regulatory attention (and produces a disproportionate percentage of insider trading cases). Second, the SEC has adopted a rule which expressly forbids trading and “tipping” while in the possession of material, nonpublic information regarding a tender offer received from the tender offeror, the target company or anyone acting on behalf of either. Supervised Persons of the Ultimus Companies and others subject to this Code should exercise extreme caution any time they become aware of nonpublic information relating to a tender offer.

 

6. Restricted/Watch Lists

 

Although the Ultimus Companies do not typically receive confidential information from portfolio companies, they may, if they receive such information take appropriate procedures to establish restricted or watch lists in certain Securities.

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VI. Personal Securities Transactions

 

A. General Policy

 

The following principles governing personal investment activities by Access Persons have been adopted:

 

· The interests of client accounts will at all times be placed first;

 

· All personal Securities transactions will be conducted in such manner as to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest or any abuse of an individual’s position of trust and responsibility; and

 

· Access Persons must not take inappropriate advantage of their positions.

 

B. Covered Accounts

 

The specific procedures relating to maintaining Accounts that can transact business in Reportable Securities are set forth below and apply not only to Access Persons themselves, but also to their Family Members. It is the responsibility of the Access Person to adhere to the “Reporting Requirements” set forth in Section VI.D below.

 

1. Designated Custodians

 

Except as set forth below, Access Persons must maintain personal brokerage and trading accounts with a “Designated Custodian” included on the list set forth in Schedule A. Accounts trading in shares of open- end investment companies (i.e., mutual funds) (excluding ETFs) may also be custodied directly with the respective fund company. If you are a new Access Person, you must transfer your Account to a Designated Custodian within thirty (30) days from becoming an Access Person unless otherwise approved by the Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee. You are responsible for costs associated with transferring your personal Account. All new brokerage and trading Accounts must be established with a Designated Custodian.

 

The Chief Compliance Officer, at his/her discretion, may approve the maintenance of a personal brokerage or trading account through a custodian that is not a “Designated Custodian”; provided, that any Access Person who receives such approval shall be assessed a maintenance fee or such other fee, as assessed by ByAllAccounts (the “Maintenance Fee”) per registration maintained at any such non-Designated Custodian and such Access Person shall be responsible for authenticating such Account in the Schwab CT system to ensure that transaction information on any such Accounts are electronically downloaded into the Schwab CT system for review and monitoring purposes. The Maintenance Fee is a fee charged by ByAllAccounts to Ultimus for maintaining such accounts (the fee is currently $100 per year, subject to change at any time in the discretion of ByAllAccounts). To the extent an electronic feed cannot be established for any such Account, the Access Person will need to follow an alternative reporting process specified by the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

 

 

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C. Trading Rules

 

1. Pre-Clearance Required for Participation in IPOs

 

No Access Person shall acquire any Beneficial Ownership in any Securities in an Initial Public Offering for his or her Account, as defined herein without the prior written approval of the Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee after being provided with full details of the proposed transaction (including written certification that the investment opportunity did not arise by virtue of the Supervised Person’s activities on behalf of a client) and, if approved, will be subject to continuous monitoring for possible future conflicts.

 

2. Pre-Clearance Required for Private or Limited Offerings

 

No Access Person shall acquire Beneficial Ownership of any Securities in a Limited Offering or private placement without the prior written approval of the Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee who has been provided with full details of the proposed transaction (including written certification that the investment opportunity did not arise by virtue of the Access Person’s activities on behalf of a client) and, if approved, will be subject to continuous monitoring for possible future conflicts.

 

D. Reporting Requirements

 

Every Access Person shall provide initial and annual holdings reports and quarterly transaction reports relating to their Account(s) to the Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee that must contain the information described below. Access Persons are responsible for reporting on any new Account(s) within thirty (30) days of the assignment of an account number to such Account from the brokerage firm/custodian and the availability of an account statement. No transactions may occur in any new Account prior to its approval by the Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee.

 

1. Initial Holdings Report

 

Every Access Person shall, no later than ten (10) days after the person becomes an Access Person, file an initial holdings report through Schwab CT containing the following information:

 

· The title and exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, type of Security, number of shares and principal amount (if applicable) of each Security in which the Access Person had any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership when the person becomes an Access Person;

 

· The name of any broker, dealer or bank, account name, account number and location with whom the Access Person maintained an Account in which any Securities were held; and

 

· The date that the report is submitted by the Access Person.

 

The information submitted must be current as of a date no more than forty-five (45) days before the person became an Access Person.

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2. Annual Holdings Report

 

Every Access Person shall, no later than January 30th each year, file an annual holdings report containing the same information required in the initial holdings report as described above. The information submitted must be current as of a date no more than forty-five (45) days before the annual report is submitted.

 

3. Quarterly Transaction Reports

 

Every Access Person must, no later than thirty (30) days after the end of each calendar quarter, file a quarterly transaction report containing the following information:

 

· With respect to any transaction during the quarter in a Reportable Security in which the Access Person had any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership:

 

o The date of the transaction, the title and exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, the interest rate and maturity date (if applicable), the number of shares and the principal amount (if applicable) of each Reportable Security;
o The nature of the transaction (i.e., purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition);
o The price of the Reportable Security at which the transaction was effected;
o The name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through whom the transaction was effected; and
o The date the report is submitted by the Access Person.

 

The quarterly transaction report must also contain the name of the broker, dealer or bank with whom the Access Person established any account during the period in which Securities are held and the date the Account was established.

 

4.  Exempt Transactions

 

An Access Person may not need to submit an initial holdings report, an annual holdings report, or a quarterly transaction report with respect to transactions effected for Securities held in any account over which the Access Person has no direct or indirect influence or control; provided, however, that in determining that an Access Person has no direct or indirect influence or control over a trust or Third Party Managed Account.

 

 

5. Monitoring and Review of Personal Securities Transactions

 

The Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee will monitor and review all reports required under this Code for compliance with Ultimus’ policies regarding personal Securities transactions and applicable SEC rules and regulations. The Chief Compliance Officer may also initiate inquiries of Access Persons regarding personal Securities trading. Access Persons are required to cooperate with such inquiries and any monitoring or review procedures employed by Ultimus. Any transactions for any accounts of the Chief Compliance Officer will be reviewed and approved by other compliance or legal personnel responsible for oversight of this Code. The Chief Compliance Officer shall routinely, via the Schwab CT system, identify all Access Persons who are required to file reports pursuant to this Code and will inform such Access Persons of their reporting obligations. The Chief Compliance Officer may exempt temporary or part-time employees or independent contractors from certain reporting requirements of this Code if they are determined not to be an Access Person.

 

 

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· Employee Transactions in employer 401(k) Account—While an employee participating in the 401(k) plan ordinarily is not required to report transactions occurring in such employee’s respective 401(k) account, the Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee reserves the right to monitor such accounts for any abusive trading practices that would violate this Code, including an employee’s investment allocation changes within his/her 401(k) account as they relate to investments in Funds which Ultimus or a Control affiliate acts as the principal underwriter, distributor, fund accountant or fund administrator for. For the avoidance of doubt, it is a violation of this Code for an employee to change an allocation within his/her 401(k) account on the basis of non-public information such employee may have regarding Funds which Ultimus or a Control affiliate acts as the principal underwriter, distributor, fund account, or fund administrator for.

 

 

VII. Interested Transactions

 

No Supervised Person shall recommend any Securities transactions for a client without having disclosed his or her interest, if any, in such Securities or the issuer thereof, including without limitation:

 

· any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership of any Securities of such issuer;

 

· any contemplated transaction by such person in such Securities;

 

· any position with such issuer or its affiliates; and

 

· any present or proposed business relationship between such issuer or its affiliates and such person or any party in which such person has a significant interest.

 

 

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VIII. Gifts and Entertainment

 

Giving, receiving or soliciting gifts or entertainment in a business setting may create an appearance of impropriety or may raise a potential conflict of interest. Ultimus has adopted the policies set forth below to guide Supervised Persons in this area.

 

A. General Policy

 

The Ultimus Companies’ policy with respect to gifts and entertainment is as follows:

 

· Supervised Persons should not accept or provide any gifts, entertainment or favors that might influence the decisions the Supervised Persons or the recipients must make in business transactions involving the Ultimus Companies, or that others might reasonably believe would influence those decisions. Entertainment that satisfies these requirements and conforms to generally accepted business practices is permissible.

 

· Modest gifts and favors (e.g., those valued at under $100), which would not be regarded by others as improper, may be accepted or given on an occasional basis.

 

· Where there is a law or rule that applies to the conduct of a particular business or the acceptance of gifts or entertainment of even nominal value, the law or rule must be followed.

 

B. Reporting Requirements

 

· Any Supervised Person who accepts, directly or indirectly, anything of value (other than attendance fees or travel related reimbursements in connection with the participation at an industry related conference or seminar) from any person or entity that does business with or on behalf of the Ultimus Companies, including gifts and gratuities, must obtain consent from the Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee before accepting such gift. Such consent must be requested and tracked through the Schwab CT reporting system. In the event the circumstances do not permit you to obtain consent prior to accepting such gift, you must notify the Chief Compliance Officer as promptly as possible.

 

· This reporting requirement applies to all entertainment, regardless of whether you are accompanied by the person or representative of the entity that does business with the Ultimus Companies; however, this reporting requirement does not apply to bona fide dining if, during such dining, you are accompanied by the person or representative of the entity that does business with the Ultimus Companies.

 

· This gift reporting requirement is for the purpose of helping the Ultimus Companies monitor the activities of its employees. However, the reporting of a gift does not relieve any Supervised Person from the obligations and policies set forth in this Section or anywhere else in this Code. If you have any questions or concerns about the appropriateness of any gift, please consult the Chief Compliance Officer.
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IX. Protecting the Confidentiality of Client Information

 

A. Confidential Client Information

 

In the course of providing its services, the Ultimus Companies may gain access to non-public information about its clients. Such information may include a person's status as a client, personal financial and account information, the allocation of assets in a client portfolio, the composition of investments in any client portfolio, information relating to services performed for or transactions entered into on behalf of clients, advice provided by the Ultimus Companies to clients, and data or analyses derived from such non-public personal information (collectively referred to as “Confidential Client Information”). All Confidential Client Information, whether relating to the Ultimus Companies’ current or former clients, is subject to this Code's policies and procedures. Any doubts about the confidentiality of information must be resolved in favor of confidentiality.

 

B. Non-Disclosure of Confidential Client Information

 

All information regarding the Ultimus Companies’ clients is confidential. Information may only be disclosed when the disclosure is consistent with the Ultimus Companies’ policies and the client's direction. The Ultimus Companies does not share Confidential Client Information with any third parties, except in the following circumstances:

 

· As necessary to provide service that the client requested or authorized, or to maintain and service the client's account. The Ultimus Companies will require that any financial intermediary, agent or other service provider utilized by the Ultimus Companies (such as broker-dealers or sub-advisers) comply with substantially similar standards for non-disclosure and protection of Confidential Client Information and use the information provided by the Ultimus Companies only for the performance of the specific service requested by the Ultimus Companies;

 

· As required by regulatory authorities or law enforcement officials who have jurisdiction over the Ultimus Companies, or as otherwise required by any applicable law. In the event the Ultimus Companies is compelled to disclose Confidential Client Information, the Ultimus Companies shall provide prompt notice to the clients affected, so that the clients may seek a protective order or other appropriate remedy. If no protective order or other appropriate remedy is obtained, the Ultimus Companies shall disclose only such information, and only in such detail, as is legally required; or

 

· To the extent reasonably necessary to prevent fraud, unauthorized transactions or liability.

 

C. Employee Responsibilities

 

All employees are prohibited, either during or after the termination of their employment from disclosing Confidential Client Information to any person or entity outside of the Ultimus Companies, including Family Members, except under the circumstances described above. A Supervised Person is permitted to disclose Confidential Client Information only to such other Supervised Persons who need to have access to such information to deliver services to the client.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Supervised Persons are also prohibited from making unauthorized copies of any documents or files containing Confidential Client Information and, upon termination of their employment with the Ultimus Companies, must return any and all such documents to the Ultimus Companies.

 

Any Supervised Person who violates the non-disclosure policy described above will be subject to disciplinary action, including possible termination, whether or not he or she benefited from the disclosed information.

 

D. Security of Confidential Personal Information

 

The Ultimus Companies enforce the following policies and procedures to protect the security of Confidential Client Information:

 

· The Ultimus Companies restrict access to Confidential Client Information to those Supervised Persons who need to know such information to provide the Ultimus Companies’ services to clients.

 

· Any Supervised Person who is authorized to have access to Confidential Client Information in connection with the performance of such person's duties and responsibilities is required to keep such information in a secure compartment, file or receptacle on a daily basis as of the close of each business day.

 

· All electronic or computer files containing any Confidential Client Information shall be password secured and firewall protected from access by unauthorized persons.

 

· Any conversations involving Confidential Client Information, if appropriate at all, must be conducted by Supervised Persons in private, and care must be taken to avoid any unauthorized persons overhearing or intercepting such conversations.

 

E. Privacy Policy

 

The Ultimus Companies have adopted a privacy policy to comply with SEC Regulation S-P, which requires the adoption of policies and procedures to protect the “nonpublic personal information” of natural person clients. “Nonpublic personal information,” under Regulation S-P includes personally identifiable financial information and any list, description, or grouping that is derived from personally identifiable financial information. Personally identifiable financial information is defined to include information supplied by individual clients, information resulting from transactions and information obtained in providing products or services. The policies and procedures adopted by the Ultimus Companies serve to safeguard the information of natural person clients.

 

F. Enforcement and Review of Confidentiality and Privacy Policies

 

The Chief Compliance Officer, in conjunction with the Ultimus Companies’ legal department, is responsible for reviewing, maintaining and enforcing the Ultimus Companies’ confidentiality and privacy policies and is also responsible for conducting appropriate employee training to ensure adherence to these policies. Any exceptions to this policy require the written approval of the legal department.

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X. Service as a Director

 

Except with respect to Supervised Persons solely as a result of their service as a non-employee director, manager, or officer, or their engagement as an independent contractor, no Supervised Person shall serve on the board of directors of any publicly traded company without prior authorization by the Chief Compliance Officer or a designated supervisory person based upon a determination that such board service would be consistent with the interest of the Ultimus Companies’ clients. Where board service is approved the Ultimus Companies shall implement a “Chinese Wall” or other appropriate procedure to isolate such person from making decisions relating to the company’s securities.

 

XI. Certification

 

A. Initial Certification

 

All Supervised Persons will be provided with a copy of this Code and must initially certify in writing to the Chief Compliance Officer that they have: (i) received a copy of this Code; (ii) read and understand all provisions of this Code; (iii) agreed to abide by this Code; and (iv), reported all account holdings as required by this Code.

 

B. Amendments

 

All Supervised Persons shall receive any amendments to this Code and agree to abide by this Code as amended.

 

C.      Annual Certification

 

All Supervised Persons must annually certify in writing to the Chief Compliance Officer that they have: (i) read and understood all provisions of this Code, as amended; (ii) complied with all requirements of this Code; and (iii) submitted all holdings and transaction reports as required by this Code.

 

D. Further Information

 

Supervised Persons should contact the Chief Compliance Officer regarding any inquiries pertaining to this Code or the policies established herein.

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XII. Records

 

The Chief Compliance Officer, in conjunction with the Ultimus Companies’ legal department, shall maintain and cause to be maintained in a readily accessible place the following records:

 

· A copy of any code of ethics adopted by the Ultimus Companies that is or has been in effect during the past five years;

 

· A record of any violation of any code of ethics adopted by the Ultimus Companies and any action that was taken as a result of such violation for a period of five years from the end of the fiscal year in which the violation occurred;

 

· A record of all written acknowledgements of receipt of the Code and amendments thereto for each person who is currently, or within the past five years was, a Supervised Person which shall be retained for five years after the individual ceases to be a Supervised Person;

 

· A copy of each report made pursuant to Investment Company Act Rule 17j-1, including any brokerage confirmations, account statements or data feeds made in lieu of these reports;

 

· A list of all persons who are, or within the preceding five years have been, Access Persons; and

 

· A record of any decision and reasons supporting such decision to approve a Supervised Persons' acquisition of Securities in Initial Public Offerings and Limited Offerings within the past five years after the end of the fiscal year in which such approval is granted.
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XIII. Reporting Violations and Sanctions

 

All Supervised Persons shall promptly report to the Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee all apparent violations of this Code. Any retaliation for the reporting of a violation under this Code will constitute a violation of this Code.

 

The Chief Compliance Officer shall promptly report to senior management all apparent material violations of this Code. When the Chief Compliance Officer finds that a violation otherwise reportable to senior management could not be reasonably found to have resulted in a fraud, deceit, or a manipulative practice in violation of the securities laws or rules, he/she may, in his/her discretion, submit a written memorandum of such finding and the reasons therefore to a reporting file created for this purpose in lieu of reporting the matter to senior management.

 

Senior management shall consider reports made to it hereunder and shall determine whether or not this Code has been violated and what sanctions, if any, should be imposed. Possible sanctions may include reprimands, monetary fine or assessment, or suspension or termination of the employee’s employment. In accordance with the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 and other applicable law, nothing in this Code restricts disclosure of trade secrets to the government in relation to the investigation of a known or reasonably suspected violation of applicable law.

 

If a Supervised Person does not wish to report an apparent violation or unethical behavior to the Chief Compliance Officer, such Supervised Person can utilize the Ultimus Whistleblower/AlertLine (“AlertLine”).

 

Unethical behavior can include violations of federal, state or local laws; any material violation of this Code; billing for services not performed or for goods not delivered; and other fraudulent financial reporting. Illegal or dishonest activities may be related to: diversity, equal opportunity and respect in the workplace; employee relations (inappropriate behavior/unfair employment practices); health and safety; misuse or misappropriation of assets or information; violations of SEC and FINRA rules and policies; and/or policy and process integrity.

 

The AlertLine is not a substitute for meaningful communication between the Supervised Person and their manager. The Chief Compliance Officer or the Supervised Person’s manager is often the best and safest option for discussing concerns of an ethical nature. If, however, a Supervised Person believes that to be inappropriate in their case, they can report ethical misconduct or simply get more information by logging on to https://ultimusfundsolutions.ethicspoint.com or by calling the AlertLine at 1-844-711-0263.

 

The AlertLine is confidential, easy to use, and is operated by a third-party provider, which specializes in this type of service. Supervised Persons will have two options for reporting concerns: 1.) Online by logging on to the website at https://ultimusfundsolutions.ethicspoint.com and filling in important information fields regarding the nature of the report, or 2.) Call the AlertLine number at 1-844-711-0263 to speak with a live operator, who will ask relevant questions. Calls are toll-free and both methods are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Regardless of which method an employee chooses, the AlertLine system will prepare a report and forward it to the appropriate person for review and, if necessary, investigation.

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XIV. Ethics Training

 

The Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee will provide training to all Supervised Persons on at least an annual basis regarding the topics included in this Code. It shall be the responsibility of the Chief Compliance Officer to ensure that evidence of any communication and training conducted, including specified dates and attendees. Such training can be provided in-person or electronically, at the Chief Compliance Officer’s discretion.

 

With respect to employees and associated persons of GAF, the ethics training shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

 

· An explanation of the applicable laws and regulations and rules of self-regulatory organizations or contract markets and registered derivatives transaction execution facilities;

 

· GAF’s obligation to the public to observe just and equitable principles of trade;

 

· How to act honestly and fairly and with due skill, care, and diligence in the best interest of customers and the integrity of the markets;

 

· How to establish effective supervisory systems and internal controls;

 

· Obtaining and assessing the financial situation and investment experience of customers;

 

· Disclosure of material information to customers; and

 

· Avoidance, proper disclosure, and handling of conflicts of interest.
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Schedule A Designated Custodians*

 

TD Ameritrade, Inc.

Charles Schwab & Co, Inc.

Fidelity

E*Trade

UBS Financial Services Inc

Wells Fargo

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC

Interactive Brokers LLC

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated

Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated

Vanguard

Chase Investment Services

Raymond James Financial

T. Rowe Price

Edward Jones

 

 

*Please note that this list may be amended at the Chief Compliance Officer’s discretion.

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Schedule B Frequently Asked Questions

About Code of Ethics

 

Persons Subject to Code:

 

1. Why are some Code requirements applicable to “Supervised Persons” while others refer to “Access Persons”? As an Ultimus employee, what applies to me?

 

Under applicable regulatory requirements, certain provisions of the Code are required to be applicable to “Supervised Persons” while others are focused on “Access Persons”. You are a “Supervised Person” if you are an employee or officer of Ultimus, an independent contractor working with Ultimus who obtains confidential information regarding the Ultimus’ clients as part of your engagement, or you provide advice on behalf of Ultimus and you’re subject to Ultimus’ supervision and control. “Access Persons” are a subset of this group who are given access to nonpublic information regarding any client’s purchase or sale of Securities, nonpublic information regarding the portfolio holdings of any Fund Ultimus or a Control affiliate acts as the principal underwriter, distributor, fund accountant or fund administrator for, or you’re involved in making Securities recommendations to clients. In reality, because of the close affiliation of subsidiaries within The Ultimus Group, LLC, almost every “Supervised Person” will also be considered an “Access Person”. Non-employee directors/managers and registered representatives of NLD who do not make Securities recommendations to NLD clients are the primary examples of individuals who would be considered “Supervised Persons” but not “Access Persons”.

 

Bottom Line: If you are an Ultimus employee, all provisions of the Code apply to you with very limited exception.

 

Accounts Covered by Code:

 

1. What accounts do I need to disclose on Schwab CT?

 

Any Account of an employee or their Family Members and any Account in which the employee has Beneficial Ownership, such as trust and custodial accounts or other accounts in which you exercise investment discretion should be disclosed. Please note that for this purpose, “Family Member” includes not only relatives by blood, marriage, or otherwise, but also an unrelated individual who either resides with, is financially dependent upon, or whose investments are controlled by you, such as a “significant other”. Any questions regarding the coverage of non-Family Members will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

 

There are limited exceptions to this definition that include your employer 401(k) account and any account that you do not exercise control over, as further explained in Section VI.D.5 of the Code. For example, if you are the beneficiary of a trust but have no knowledge of the specific management actions taken by the trustee and no right to intervene in the trustee’s management, such “blind trust” account would be excluded from the disclosure requirement.

 

Ultimus does not need information about your non-brokerage accounts, which would include accounts held directly at a mutual fund, college savings plan accounts, checking and savings accounts maintained at a bank, credit union or trust company, unless these accounts maintain Reportable Security holdings.

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2. What if I am a beneficiary on an account?

 

If you are named as a beneficiary on an account or trust but have no knowledge or control of the specific actions taken by the trustee and no right to intervene in the trustee’s management, you would not have to disclose the trust account. If you have more contact with the account or trust, you may need to disclose the account on Schwab CT. These situations will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

 

3. How do I disclose a personal brokerage or trading Account in Schwab CT?

 

On your first day of employment, you will receive an email from Schwab CT prompting you to login and complete the required attestations as a new employee. One of your attestations will require you to disclose any accounts you or any Family Member have.

 

4. Are there restrictions on the custodians that can hold my trading Account?

 

Yes, please refer to Section VI.B.1 which contains Ultimus’ policy on Designated Custodians. You can find the list of current Designated Custodians on Schedule A; however, please note that the Chief Compliance Officer has discretion to amend this list as necessary in his or her sole discretion.

 

5. Why do my personal brokerage and trading Accounts have to be held at a Designated Custodian?

 

By using a Designated Custodian, Ultimus can obtain automated daily feeds of trade activities in Accounts, which assists us in administering the Code effectively and efficiently.

 

6. If my Family Member or I have Accounts at firms not listed on Schedule A, will they have to be moved?

 

Yes, the Account must be transferred within 30 days from initial commencement of employment unless otherwise authorized by the Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee.

 

7. If my current brokerage firm charges me a fee to move my Account, will Ultimus pay that fee?

 

No, you will have to pay any fees associated with transferring your Account.

 

Pre-Approval:

 

1. Can I buy shares of an Initial Public Offering (IPO)?

 

You may not acquire shares of an IPO unless you receive prior written approval from the Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee through the Schwab CT system. You are required to provide full details of the proposed transaction and certify that this opportunity did not arise through activities on behalf of a client. Please note, this restriction applies to spouses, children, and other Family Members and their Accounts. This also applies to private or Limited Offerings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Reporting Requirements:

 

1.       What are my quarterly reporting obligations?

 

On an ongoing basis, you will be prompted to certify your understanding and compliance with the reporting requirements of the Code on a quarterly basis. Reporting through Schwab CT to confirm your covered Accounts and investments/transactions is also completed on a quarterly basis.

 

 

Gifts and Entertainment:

 

1. May I accept gifts?

 

You should not accept or provide any gifts that may influence, or be motivated by, certain employee decisions. Modest gifts and favors, which would not be regarded by others as improper, may be accepted or given on an occasional basis; provided that all gifts should be logged into Schwab CT, regardless of value.

 

2. Are there any exceptions to the reporting of gifts?

 

There are limited exceptions to the Code’s requirement to provide information on any gifts received/given in Schwab CT for approval and you should generally report all gifts in Schwab CT, regardless of the circumstances. Please note, however, that personal gifts such as a wedding gift or a congratulatory gift for the birth of a child would generally not be considered a reportable gift unless the gift is in relation to your business with the third party.

 

3. What is my reporting obligation with respect to entertainment?

 

All entertainment that is received in connection with a business relationship must be reported, regardless of value and regardless of whether you are accompanied by the person or representative of the entity that does business with Ultimus. For example, if a business contact provides you tickets to a concert, you must disclose the concert tickets in Schwab CT. This requirement applies regardless of whether the business contact attends the entertainment with you. Note that there is an exception for meals with business contacts. Industry conferences also are typically excluded from being considered entertainment even if entertainment (e.g., golf) is included as part of the conference agenda as long as the entertainment is generally offered to all conference participants.

 

4. Schwab CT asks me to include a value of the gift/entertainment I’m reporting. What if I don’t know the value?

 

In general, gifts and entertainment should be valued at the higher of the cost or market value, exclusive of tax and delivery charges. When valuing tickets, you should use the higher of cost or face value and include not only the value of your ticket but also any other tickets given for your use. For example, if you are given two tickets to the College World Series from a business contact and you take your spouse, you should include the value of both tickets in your Schwab CT report.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Schwab CT Administration:

 

1. What is my Schwab CT password?

 

If you have forgotten your Schwab CT password, please click on the “forgot password” link on the Schwab CT login page and a new password will be emailed to you. Your compliance department will not have your password.

 

2. How do I know if I’ve completed all of my compliance affirmations in Schwab CT?

 

The Home page of Schwab CT will show you any outstanding items. Should an item be listed, you must click on that item and complete any required actions.

 

Code Violations:

 

1. What are the repercussions of a violation of the Code of Ethics?

 

Each violation of the Code is considered in relation to the facts and circumstances to determine the materiality of a particular violation. The Chief Compliance Officer will report to senior management all apparent material violations of the Code. Senior management shall consider any Code violations and determine what sanctions, if any, should be imposed. Possible sanctions include reprimands, monetary fines or assessments, or suspension or termination of an employee’s employment with Ultimus.