As
Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 28,
2019
Securities
Act Registration No. 333-222463
Investment
Company Act Reg. No. 811-23323
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM N-1A
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
☒
Pre-Effective
Amendment No. 4
Post-Effective
Amendment No. __
and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
☒
Amendment
No. 4
(Check
appropriate box or boxes.)
PROCURE ETF TRUST II
(Exact
Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
Robert
Tull
16
Firebush Road
Levittown,
PA 19056
Tel.
215-454-2540
(Address
of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
Copies
to:
Kathleen H. Moriarty,
Esq.
Chapman and Cutler LLP
1270 Avenue of the
Americas
New York, NY
10020
Approximate
Date of Proposed Public Offering: As soon as practicable after the
effective date of this registration statement.
Title
of Securities being Registered: Shares of Beneficial Interest, no
par value.
The
Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date
or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the
Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states
that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective
in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, or
until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such
date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to
said Section 8(a), may determine.
THE INFORMATION IN THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT COMPLETE
AND MAY BE CHANGED. WE MAY NOT SELL THESE SECURITIES UNTIL THE
REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL
THESE SECURITIES AND IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE
SECURITIES IN ANY STATE WHERE THE
OFFER OR
SALE IS NOT PERMITTED
.
Preliminary Prospectus
Dated January 28,
2019
Subject to
Completion
PROSPECTUS | [__________],
2019
Procure
ETF Trust II
Procure Space ETF (UFO)
NEITHER
THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES
COMMISSION HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THESE SECURITIES OR
PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY
REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
Not
FDIC Insured | May Lose
Value | No Bank
Guarantee
Procure
ETF Trust II (the “Trust”) is a registered investment
company that consists of separate investment portfolios called
“Funds”. This Prospectus relates to the following
Fund:
Name
|
|
CUSIP
|
Symbol
|
Procure
Space ETF
|
|
74280R
205
|
UFO
|
The
Fund is an exchange-traded fund. This means that shares of the Fund
are listed on a national securities exchange and trade at market
prices. The market price for the Fund’s shares may be
different from its net asset value per share (the
“NAV”). The Fund has its own CUSIP number and exchange
trading symbol.
Table
of Contents
Procure
Space ETF
|
1
|
Overview
|
8
|
Premium/Discount
Information
|
8
|
Description
of the Principal Investment Strategies of the Fund
|
8
|
Additional
Investment Strategies
|
9
|
Description
of the Principal Risks of the Fund
|
9
|
Additional
Risks
|
20
|
Continuous
Offering
|
21
|
Creation
and Redemption of Creation Units
|
21
|
Buying
and Selling Shares in the Secondary Market
|
22
|
Management
|
23
|
Other
Service Providers
|
24
|
Frequent
Trading
|
25
|
Distribution
and Service Plan
|
26
|
Determination
of Net Asset Value (NAV)
|
26
|
Indicative
Intra-Day Value
|
27
|
Dividends,
Distributions and Taxes
|
28
|
Code
of Ethics
|
33
|
Fund
Website and Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings
|
33
|
Other
Information
|
34
|
Financial
Highlights
|
34
|
Privacy
Policy
|
34
|
Frequently
Used Terms
|
35
|
Summary information
Procure Space ETF
Investment Objective
Procure
Space ETF (the “Fund”) seeks investment results that
correspond generally to the performance, before the Fund’s
fees and expenses, of an equity index called the “S-Network
Space Index” (the “Underlying Index”) developed
by S-Network Global Indexes (the “Index
Provider”).
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 (“Shares”). Investors
purchasing Shares of the Fund in the secondary market may be
subject to costs (including customary brokerage commissions)
charged by their broker.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your
investment):
No
shareholder fees are levied by the Fund for purchases and sales
made on the Secondary Market.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as
a percentage of the value of your investment):
Management
Fees
|
0.75
%
|
Distribution and/or
Service (12b-1) Fees
|
0.00
%
|
Other
Expenses
(a)
|
0.00
%
|
Total
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
|
0.75
%
|
(a)
|
|
The Fund has not
yet commenced operations and Other Expenses are based on estimated
amounts for the current fiscal year.
|
Example.
This
example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in
the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. This example
does not take into account brokerage commissions that you pay when
purchasing or selling Shares of the Fund.
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 at current levels. The return of 5% and estimated expenses
are for illustration purposes only, and should not be considered
indicators of expected Fund expenses or performance, which may be
greater or less than the estimates. Although your actual costs may
be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would
be:
One
Year
|
Three
Years
|
$77
|
$240
|
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 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. The Fund will rebalance quarterly and hence annual
turnover is expected to be less than 20% due to index rules
regarding corporate actions and bankruptcy. As of the date of this
Prospectus, the Fund had not yet commenced operations.
Principal
Investment
Objective
The Fund invests, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its
net assets in companies of the Underlying Index that receive at
least 50% of their revenues or profits from space-related
businesses, as described below. The Fund also may count investments
in the securities of other funds that invest in space-related
businesses, if available, towards this policy. This policy is
“non-fundamental,” which means that it may be changed
without the majority of the Fund’s outstanding shares as
defined in the 1940 Act. The Fund will provide at least 60
days’ prior written notice of any changes in such
non-fundamental policy.
Principal Investment Strategy
The Fund, using a “passive” or “indexing”
investment approach, seeks investment results that correspond
generally to the performance, before the Fund’s fees and
expenses, of the Underlying Index which tracks a portfolio of
companies engaged in space-related businesses, including those
companies utilizing satellite technology. The Fund will provide
shareholders with at least 60 days’ written notice prior to
any material change in this Fund’s investment
strategy.
The Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of the Trust may
change the Fund’s investment strategy, index provider or
other policies without shareholder approval. Also, in certain
circumstances, it may not be possible or practicable to purchase
all of the component securities that make up the Underlying Index.
In those circumstances, the Fund may purchase a sample of the
component securities in the Underlying Index in proportions
expected by the Advisor to deliver the performance of the
Underlying Index. There may also be instances when the Advisor may
choose to overweight another component security in the Underlying
Index or purchase (or sell) securities not in the Underlying Index,
which the Advisor believes are an appropriate substitute for one or
more Underlying Index components in seeking to accurately track the
Underlying Index, such as: (i) regulatory requirements possibly
affecting the Fund’s ability to hold a security in the
Underlying Index, or (ii) liquidity concerns possibly affecting the
Fund’s ability to purchase or sell a security in the
Underlying Index. In addition, from time to time, securities are
added to or removed from the Underlying Index. The Fund may sell
securities that are represented in the Underlying Index or purchase
securities that are not yet represented in the Underlying Index in
anticipation of their removal from or addition to the Underlying
Index pursuant to scheduled reconstitutions and rebalancing of the
Underlying Index. The Fund will concentrate its investments (i.e.,
invest 25% or more of its assets) in securities issued by companies
whose principal business activities are in the same industry or
group of industries to the extent the Underlying Index is so
concentrated. As of December 31, 2018, the Fund was concentrated in
the securities of that utilize satellite technology, which
represent a significant portion of the Fund.
The Underlying Index
The Fund has licensed as its Underlying Index the S-Network Space
Index, an equity securities index created and developed by
S-Network Global Indexes, Inc. (the “Index Provider”),
a developer and publisher of custom and proprietary indexes. The
Index Provider is independent of, and not affiliated with, either
the Fund or the Advisor. The Underlying Index is designed to serve
as an equity benchmark for a globally traded portfolio of companies
that are engaged in space-related business, such as those utilizing
satellite technology. The component companies of the Underlying
Index are small-capitalization, medium-capitalization, and
large-capitalization equity securities listed on recognized global
stock exchanges. The Underlying Index is considered to be
“concentrated” in U.S. companies, which account for
approximately 60% of the index components. In addition, the
Underlying Index is considered concentrated in the securities of
companies that utilize satellite technology, which currently
account for approximately 69% of the index weight. The Underlying
Index is a modified capitalization-weighted, free float- and space
revenue percentage-adjusted equity index that is created and
maintained according to a rules-based methodology and a
predetermined selection process.
Although there is no legal definition of “space,” a
commonly accepted definition is that the edge of space begins at
the Kármán line, which is 100 kilometers (62 miles) above
the Earth’s surface. This is approximately the point where
there is not enough air to provide lift to a winged vehicle. This
definition is supported by the Fédération
Aéronautique Internationale (an international aeronautics and
astronautics standards-setting body), as well as many other
organizations.
The Index Provider considers a company to be in a
“space-related business” if its product(s) or
service(s) either have as their essential purpose — or are
entirely dependent upon — “space-based
functions”. Space-based functions include any kind of
function carried out by hardware, software, or humans physically
located in space. The revenue produced by space-related business is
referred to as “space-related revenues.”
Examples of current space-related businesses (or “Space
Industry Segments”) include satellite-based
telecommunications; transmission of television and radio content
via satellite; rocket and satellite manufacturing, deployment,
operation, and maintenance; manufacturing of ground equipment that
is used with satellite systems; space technology and hardware; and
space-based imagery and intelligence services.
In the case of companies that make products that go into space
(such as launch vehicles), or companies that operate or maintain
systems used in space (such as satellites), the space-related
nature of the business is clear. In the case of companies whose
products and services are used wholly on Earth, space must play an
essential role in the business. For example, a company that
manufactures GPS navigation systems as its primary business is
wholly dependent upon those products’ GPS satellite
connectivity and therefore is engaged in a space-related business.
By contrast, an automaker that incorporates a GPS navigation system
into its automobiles is not considered to be engaged in a
space-related business because the GPS system is not essential to
the operation of the automobile and accounts for a negligible part
of the selling price.
In addition to companies exclusively focused on space, the
Underlying Index includes certain companies whose products and
services span both space-related and other types of businesses. An
example of such a company would be a defense contractor that
manufactures systems and hardware involvingspace but does not
derive a sufficient percentage of its revenues from space to
qualify as a non-diversified space company. Another example would
be a company that transmits television or radio content both via
satellite and via terrestrial wired or wireless services; its
space-related revenue is considered to be only that which is
derived from customers who subscribe to content delivery via
satellite.
The Index Provider believes that in the future, additional
companies engaged in other space-related businesses will emerge.
These businesses would include space colonization/infrastructure;
space resource exploration/extraction; space-based military/defense
systems; space tourism, including transportation and hospitality;
and space technologies that enable the space economy.
The Underlying Index Security Selection and Weighting
Process
Each candidate for inclusion as a component of the Underlying Index
must first meet all of the following eligibility criteria: (a)
listing on a national stock exchange in any geographic region, (b)
being engaged in one or more of the Space Industry Segments, and
(c) having a three-month average daily trading volume of at least
USD 1,000,000 on each Underlying Index semi-annual reconstitution
snapshot date, which is the last trading day of the month prior to
a reconstitution date. If a company’s stock has been trading
for less than three calendar months, but more than 22 trading days,
the company’s average daily trading volume for its entire
trading history shall be used to calculate turnover
eligibility.
The Index Provider’s assessment of whether a company is
engaged in one or more of the Space Industry Segments (per the
criteria listed above) is based on mention of space-related
business in the company’s annual filings. In addition, a
company’s space-related revenue must constitute either (a) a
minimum of 20% of the company's total annual revenue, or (b) more
than $500 million in annual revenue. In all cases, space-related
revenues are determined through review by the Index Provider of the
company's regulatory filings and investor-focused materials,
including quarterly earnings announcements and analyst
presentations, as well as other reliable data sources. Space
revenues are then divided by the company's total revenues to
determine its percentage of space-related revenues. Accordingly,
the Underlying Index methodology considers the factual reporting of
revenue statistics rather than more subjective factors to determine
eligibility.
The screening process discussed above identifies candidate stocks
according to their Global Industry Classification Standard
(“GICS”) sub-industry, and then reviews them to ensure
that such companies meet at least one of the following additional
criteria for inclusion as a component of the Underlying
Index:
●
the
company was a “prime manufacturer” (i.e., the
contractor responsible for managing subcontractors and delivering
the product to the customer) for a satellite in the past five
years;
●
the
company was a “prime manufacturer” or operator of a
launch vehicle in the past five years;
●
the
company currently operates or utilizes satellites;
●
the
company manufactures space vehicle components (for satellites,
launch vehicles, or other spacecraft); or
●
the
company manufactures ground equipment dependent upon satellite
systems.
The companies thus chosen for inclusion in the Underlying Index are
separated into two tranches:
The
first tranche (“Non-diversified Tranche") comprises
“non-diversified” companies that derive at least 50%
(but typically 100%) of their total annual revenues from
space-related business. Companies included in the Non-diversified
Tranche are accorded an aggregate weight of 80% of the total index
weight (100%).
The
second tranche ("Diversified Tranche") comprises companies in which
space-related business plays a significant role in the generation
of revenues but produces less than 50% of total annual revenues.
Companies included in the Diversified Tranche are accorded an
aggregate weight of 20% of the total index weight
(100%).
Each stock’s weight within its respective tranche is
determined by its "Modified Market Capitalization," which is a
company's full market capitalization that has been mathematically
modified by one or more factors for the purpose of weighting in an
index. Modified Market Capitalization for companies eligible for
inclusion in the Underlying Index is determined by multiplying a)
the company's full market capitalization by b) the company's "Float
Factor" by c) the percentage of total revenues the company derives
from space. A company's Modified Market Capitalization is a
percentage of a company's total market capitalization ranging from
0% to 100%.
The Float Factor is the percentage of the company's shares
outstanding that are unencumbered from trading freely on the open
market. It is determined by deducting shares that are a) restricted
from sale to the public, b) held by a governmental entity, c) held
by company insiders in size that requires reporting to the SEC or a
similar international regulatory body (>5%) and/or d) held by
investors in size subject to reporting to the SEC or a similar
international regulatory body (>5%) from the company's total
shares outstanding. The resulting percentage is the company's Float
Factor.
Next, the Non-diversified Tranche of the Underlying Index is given
80% of the weight of the Underlying Index and the Diversified
Tranche is given 20% of the weight. The within-tranche weights for
the Non-diversified Tranche are capped at 6%, with the excess
weight redistributed proportionally to the remaining constituents
within the same tranche. The within-tranche company weights for the
Diversified Tranche are capped at 12%, with the excess weight
redistributed proportionally to the remaining constituents within
the same tranche. The final index weight of each component stock
will then be the product of its within-tranche weight and the
overall weight assigned to that stock’s tranche (the tranche
weight). Accordingly, the maximum weight of any constituent in the
Non-diversified Tranche will be 4.8% (6% X 80%) and the maximum
weight of any constituent in the Diversified Tranche will be 2.4%
(12% X 20%).
Capping is applied separately to each of the tranches. The
following steps are taken to weight the constituents in the
Underlying Index:
Step
1. Multiply each selected company’s full market
capitalization by its Float Factor.
Step
2. Multiply each selected company's float market capitalization
derived in Step 1 by its space-related revenue
percentage.
Step
3. The combination of Steps 1 & 2 above results in the
company's Modified Market Capitalization, which is used to weight
the companies included in the Non-diversified and Diversified
tranches. Each tranche is weighted separately.
Step
4. Capping procedures are then applied to each tranche separately.
The capping procedure is implemented by identifying those companies
whose uncapped weights are in excess of the desired cap weight. The
weights of these companies are then set at the cap weight, and the
weight over the cap weight is then redistributed across the
remaining stocks in the exact proportion of the original weights of
those stocks. Capping is applied separately to each of the
tranches.
Step
5. The weights derived in Step 4 are modified by the respective
tranche weights (80% for the non-diversified tranche and 20% for
the diversified tranche) to determine each stock's final index
weight.
Although there is no stated maximum or minimum number of Underlying
Index components required for inclusion in the Underlying Index,
the Index Provider intends to conform to RIC diversification
requirements as defined in Sub-Chapter M of the IRS code and,
therefore, will maintain at least 22 component securities in the
Underlying Index, nor will any stock have a weight greater than 25%
of the total Underlying Index, and the combined weight of all
stocks with weights greater than 5% will be less than
50%.
The Underlying Index is reconstituted semi-annually by the Index
Committee of the Index Provider in accordance with a rules-based
process. Companies that are components of the Underlying Index will
be screened periodically, and any company that no longer meets the
eligibility criteria described above will be removed from the
Underlying Index. Also, a candidate list of all identifiable
companies engaged in the Space Industry Segments will be screened
and companies will be added to the Underlying Index if they satisfy
the screening criteria. Finally, the Underlying Index is rebalanced
each quarter to reflect changes of more than 5% in the number of
float-adjusted shares.
As of September 30, 2018, the Underlying Index contained 28
constituents with market capitalizations ranging from $247.41
million to $243.86 billion. The inception date of the Underlying
Index (when live calculation of the index values began) was May 7,
2018.
In
the future ProcureAM, LLC intends to seek exemptive relief to
permit the Fund to replace any manager without shareholder
approval, and the Board reserves the right to replace any manager
with another manager without the approval of shareholders if the
Board believes it is in the best interest of
shareholders.
Principal
Risks
Investors
should consider the principal risks associated with investing in
the Fund, which are summarized below. The value of an investment in
the Fund will fluctuate and you could lose money by investing in
the Fund. The Fund may not achieve its investment
objective.
Aerospace
and
Defense Companies Risk
-
Aerospace and
defense companies can be significantly affected by government
aerospace and defense regulation and spending policies because
companies involved in this industry rely to a significant extent on
U.S. (and other) government demand for their products and services.
Thus, the financial condition of, and investor interest in,
aerospace and defense companies are heavily influenced by
governmental defense spending policies which are typically under
pressure from efforts to control the U.S. (and other) government
budgets.
Equity Securities Risk
—The prices
of equity securities generally fluctuate in value more than
fixed-income investments, may rise or fall rapidly or unpredictably
and may reflect real or perceived changes in the issuing
company’s financial condition and changes in the overall
market or economy. A decline in the value of equity securities held
by the Fund will adversely affect the value of your investment in
the Fund. Common stocks generally represent the riskiest investment
in a company and dividend payments (if declared) to preferred
stockholders generally rank junior to payments due to a
company’s debtholders. The Fund may lose a substantial part,
or even all, of its investment in a company’s
stock.
Foreign Securities Risk
—The
Underlying Index contains equities listed in foreign markets. These
securities markets are subject to various regulations, market
trading times and contractual settlement dates. Market liquidity
may also differ from the U.S. equity markets as many foreign market
shares trade OTC and prices are not published to the official
exchanges until after the trades are completed. In addition, where
all or a portion of the Fund’s underlying securities trade in
a market that is closed when the market in which the Fund’s
shares are listed and trading in that market is open, there may be
changes between the last quote from its closed foreign market and
the value of such security during the Fund’s domestic trading
day. Consequently, this could lead to differences between the
market price of the Fund’s shares and the value of the shares
of its underlying portfolio holdings.
Index Construction Risk
—A stock
included in the Underlying Index may not exhibit the factor trait
or provide specific factor exposure for which it was selected and
consequently the Fund’s holdings may not exhibit returns
consistent with that factor trait.
Issuer-Specific Changes Risk
—The
value of an individual security or type of security can be more
volatile than the total market and can perform differently from the
value of the total market. The value of securities of smaller
issuers can be more volatile than that of larger
issuers.
Large-Capitalization Securities
Risk
—The Fund is subject to the risk that
large-capitalization securities may underperform other segments of
the equity market or the total equity market. Larger, more
established companies may be unable to respond quickly to new
competitive challenges such as changes in technology and may not be
able to attain the high growth rate of smaller companies,
especially during extended periods of economic
expansion.
Liquidity
Risk
—
The
Fund’s shares are subject to liquidity risk, which means
that, in stressed market conditions, the market for the
Fund’s shares
may
become
less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets
for the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings. Please also
note that this adverse effect on liquidity for the Fund’s
shares in turn could lead to differences between the market price
of the Fund’s shares and the underlying value of those
shares. Further, the Underlying Index’s screening process
requires that each component security have a three month average
trading volume minimum of $1,000,000 on the date of the Underlying
Index’s semi-annual reconstitution date, therefore the number
of stocks available to the Underlying Index may be negatively
affected during stressed market conditions.
Market Price Risk
—Shares are listed for trading on the NYSE
Arca (the “Exchange” or “NYSE Arca”) and
are bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The
market prices of Shares may fluctuate continuously during trading
hours, in some cases materially, in response to changes in the net
asset value (“NAV”) and supply and demand for Shares,
among other factors. Although it is expected that the market price
of Shares typically will remain closely correlated to the NAV, the
market price will generally differ from the NAV because of timing
reasons, supply and demand imbalances and other factors. As a
result, the trading prices of Shares may deviate significantly from
NAV during certain periods, especially those of market volatility.
The Investment Advisor cannot predict whether Shares will trade
above (premium), below (discount) or at their NAV prices. Thus, an
investor may pay more than NAV when buying Shares in the secondary
market and receive less than NAV when selling Shares in the
secondary market.
New Fund Risk
—The Fund is a new fund. As a new Fund,
there can be no assurance that it will grow to or maintain an
economically viable size, in which case it may experience greater
tracking error to its Underlying Index than it otherwise would at
higher asset levels or it could ultimately
liquidate.
Non-Correlation Risk
—The Fund’s return may not match the
return of the Underlying Index. For example, the Fund incurs
operating expenses not applicable to the Underlying Index, and
incurs costs in buying and selling securities, especially when
rebalancing the Fund’s securities holdings to reflect changes
in the composition of the Underlying Index. In addition, the
performance of the Fund and the Underlying Index may vary due to
asset valuation differences and differences between the
Fund’s portfolio and the Underlying Index resulting from
legal restrictions, cash flows or operational
inefficiencies.
Passive Management
Risk
—Unlike many
investment companies, the Fund is not “actively”
managed. Therefore, it would not necessarily sell a security
because the security’s issuer was in financial trouble or
defaulted on its obligations under the security, or whose credit
rating was downgraded, unless that security is removed from the
Underlying Index. In addition, the Fund will not otherwise take
defensive positions in declining markets unless such positions are
reflected in the Underlying Index.
Satellite Companies Concentration
Risk
—The Fund is
considered to be concentrated in securities of c
ompanies
that operate or utilize satellites which are subject to
manufacturing delays, launch delays or failures, and operational
and environmental risks (such as signal interference or space
debris) that could limit their ability to utilize the satellites
needed to deliver services to customers. Some companies that
operate or utilize satellites do not carry commercial launch or
in-orbit insurance for the full value of their satellites and could
face significant impairment charges if the satellites experience
full or partial failures. Rapid and significant technological
changes in the satellite communications industry or in competing
terrestrial industries may impair a company’s competitive
position and require significant additional capital expenditures.
There are also regulatory risks associated with the allocation of
orbital positions and spectrum under the International
Telecommunication Union (“ITU”) and the regulatory
bodies in each of the countries in which companies provide service.
In addition, the ground facilities used for controlling satellites
or relaying data between Earth and the satellites may be subject to
operational and environmental risks (such as natural disasters) or
licensing and regulatory risks. If a company does not obtain or
maintain regulatory authorizations for its satellites and
associated ground facilities, it may not be able to operate its
existing satellites or expand its operations.
Small and Mid-Capitalization Securities
Risk
—The Fund may
be subject to the risk that small- and mid-capitalization
securities may underperform other segments of the equity market or
the equity market as a whole. Securities of small- and
mid-capitalization companies may experience much more price
volatility, greater spreads between their bid and ask prices and
significantly lower trading volumes than securities issued by
large, more established companies. Accordingly, it may be difficult
for the Fund to sell small- and mid-capitalization securities at a
desired time or price. Small- and mid-capitalization companies tend
to have inexperienced management as well as limited product and
market diversification and financial resources. Small- and
mid-capitalization companies have more speculative prospects for
future growth, sustained earnings and market share than large
companies, and may be more vulnerable to adverse economic, market
or industry developments than large capitalization
companies
Space Industry Risk
—The exploration of space by private
industry and the utilization of space assets is a business focused
on the future and is witnessing new entrants into the market. This
is a global event with a growing number of corporate participants
looking to meet the future needs of a growing global population.
Therefore, investments in the Fund will be riskier than traditional
investments in established industry sectors and the growth of these
companies may be slower and subject to setbacks as new technology
advancements are made to expand into space.
Performance Information
As of the date of this Prospectus, the Fund has not yet commenced
operations and therefore does not report its performance
information.
Investment Advisor
ProcureAM, LLC (the “Advisor”) is the investment
advisor to the Fund.
Sub-Advisor
Penserra Capital Management LLC serves as the sub-advisor to the
Fund.
Portfolio Managers
The
professionals primarily responsible for the day-to-day management
of the Fund are as follows:
Sub Advisor:
Dustin
Lewellyn, Ernesto Tong and Anand Desai of the Sub-Advisor have been
appointed as the Fund's portfolio managers.
For
important information about the purchase and sale of Fund Shares,
tax information, and financial intermediary compensation, please
turn to Summary Information in the Prospectus.
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
Individual
Shares of the Fund may only be purchased and sold in secondary
market transactions through brokers and may not be purchased or
redeemed directly with the Fund. Shares of the Fund are listed for
trading on the NYSE Arca and, because Shares trade at market prices
rather than NAV, Shares of the Fund may trade at a price greater
than (premium) or less than (discount) NAV.
The Fund will issue and redeem Shares at NAV, only
with Authorized Participants, and only in a large specified number
of Shares called a “Creation Unit” or multiples thereof
with certain large institutional investors. A Creation Unit
consists of 25,000 Shares. Creation Unit transactions are
principally conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of
specific securities specified by the Fund and distributed to the
Authorized Participants via the NSCC Portfolio Composition File
(“PCF”).
Except when aggregated in
Creation Units, the Shares are not redeemable securities of the
Fund.
Tax Information
The
Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary
income or capital gains.
Investors
should consult their tax advisors about specific
situations.
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 Advisor or other related
companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund Shares and
related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest
by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your
salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your
salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website
for more information.
Overview
The Trust is an investment company consisting of a number of
separate investment portfolios (the “Fund”) that are
exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”). ETFs are index funds
whose shares are listed on a stock exchange and traded like equity
securities at market prices. ETFs, such as the Fund, allow you to
buy or sell shares that represent the collective performance of a
selected group of securities. ETFs are designed to add the
flexibility, ease and liquidity of stock-trading to the benefits of
traditional index fund investing. The investment objective of the
Fund is to correspond generally, before fees and expenses, the
price and yield performance (before the Fund's fees and expenses)
of a particular index (the “Underlying Index”)
developed by its Index Provider.
This Prospectus provides the information you need to make an
informed decision about investing in the Fund. It contains
important facts about the Trust as a whole and the Fund in
particular.
ProcureAM, LLC (the “Advisor”) is the investment
advisor to the Fund. Shares of the Fund are listed for trading on
the NYSE Arca (the “Exchange” or “NYSE
Arca”). The market price for a share of the Fund may be
different from the Fund’s most recent NAV.
Premium/Discount Information
As of the date of this Prospectus, the Procure Space ETF has not
yet commenced operations and therefore has not accumulated
information to report regarding the extent and frequency with which
market prices of Shares have tracked the Fund’s
NAV.
Information regarding the extent and frequency with which market
prices of Shares has tracked the Fund’s NAV for the most
recently completed calendar year and the quarters since that year
will be available without charge on the Fund’s website
at
www.procuream.com
.
Description of the Principal Investment Strategies of the
Fund
The
Fund employs a “passive management” — or indexing
— investment approach designed to track the performance of
its Underlying Index. The Advisor seeks a correlation over time of
0.95 or better between the Fund’s performance, before fees
and expenses, and the performance of its Underlying Index. A figure
of 1.00 would represent perfect correlation.
Generally,
the Fund invests in all of the securities that comprise its
Underlying Index in proportion to their weightings in the
Underlying Index; however, under various circumstances, it may not
be possible or practicable to purchase all of the securities in the
Underlying Index in those weightings. In those circumstances, the
Fund may purchase a sample of the securities in the Underlying
Index or utilize various combinations of other available investment
techniques in seeking to correspond generally the performance of
the Underlying Index as a whole.
There
also may be instances in which the Advisor or Sub-Advisor, as
applicable, may choose to (i) overweight a security in the
Underlying Index, (ii) purchase securities not contained in the
Underlying Index that the Advisor or Sub-Advisor believes are
appropriate to substitute for certain securities in the Underlying
Index or (iii) utilize various combinations of other available
investment techniques in seeking to track the Underlying Index. The
Fund may sell securities that are represented in the applicable
Underlying Index in anticipation of their removal from the
Underlying Index or purchase securities not represented in such
Underlying Index in anticipation of their addition to such
Underlying Index.
Under
normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net
assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes,
in the securities and other instruments that make up its Underlying
Index (the “Underlying Index Components”). In
determining the Fund’s net assets for the purposes of this
80% threshold, accounting practices do not include collateral held
under the Fund’s securities lending program, as such
collateral does not represent a true asset of the
Fund.
The
Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in investments not
included in its Underlying Index, but which the Advisor or
Sub-Advisor believes will help the Fund track its Underlying Index.
For example, there may be instances in which the Advisor or
Sub-Advisor may choose to purchase (or sell) securities not in the
Underlying Index which the Advisor or Sub-Advisor believes are
appropriate to substitute for one or more Underlying Index
Components in seeking to correspond generally, before fees and
expenses, the performance of the Underlying Index.
To
the extent that the Fund’s Underlying Index concentrates
(i.e., holds 25% or more of its total assets) in the securities of
a particular industry or group of industries, the Fund will
concentrate its investment to approximately the same extent as its
Underlying Index.
As
Fund cash flows permit, the Advisor or Sub-Advisor may use cash
flows to adjust the weights of the Fund’s Underlying
investments in an effort to minimize any differences in weights
between the Fund and its respective Underlying Index.
In
accordance with Rule 35d-1 under the Investment Company Act of
1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), the Procure Space
ETF has adopted a policy that it will, under normal circumstances,
invest at least 80% of the value of its assets (net assets plus the
amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in securities of
U.S. issuers.
These
requirements are applied at the time the Fund invests its assets.
If, subsequent to an investment by the Fund, this requirement is no
longer met, the Fund’s future investments will be made in a
manner that will bring the Fund into compliance with this
requirement. Each policy is “non-fundamental,” which
means that it may be changed without the vote of a majority of the
Fund’s outstanding shares as defined in the 1940 Act. The
Fund has adopted a policy to provide the Fund’s shareholders
with at least 60 days’ prior notice of any changes in the
Fund’s non-fundamental investment policy with respect to
investments of the type suggested by its name. The Fund may count
investments in underlying funds toward various guideline tests
(such as the 80% test required under Rule 35d-1 under the 1940
Act).
To
the extent the Advisor or Sub-Advisor to the Fund makes investments
on behalf of the Fund that are regulated by the Commodities Futures
Trading Commission, it intends to do so in accordance with Rule 4.5
under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”). The Advisor
has filed a notice of eligibility for exclusion from the definition
of the term “commodity pool operator” in accordance
with Rule 4.5 and is therefore not subject to registration as a
commodity pool operator under the CEA.
Additional Investment
Strategies
In addition to its principal investment
strategies, the Fund may also invest in money market instruments,
including short-term debt instruments and repurchase agreements or
other funds which invest exclusively in money market instruments
(subject to applicable limitations under the 1940 Act, or
exemptions therefrom), rather than its Underlying Index Components,
when it would be more efficient or less expensive for the Fund to
do so, for liquidity purposes, or to earn interest. In addition to
investing directly in the Underlying Index Components, the Fund may
invest in such Underlying Index Components indirectly through ETPs.
Swaps may be used by the Fund to seek performance that tracks its
Underlying Index and to manage cash flows. The Advisor anticipates
that it may take approximately two business days for additions and
deletions to a Fund’s Underlying Index to be reflected in the
portfolio composition of the Fund
.
Each
of the policies described herein, including the investment
objective of the Fund, constitutes a non-fundamental policy that
may be changed by the Board of Trustees of the Trust without
shareholder approval. Certain fundamental policies of the Fund are
set forth in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information
(the “SAI”) under “Investment
Restrictions.”
Description of the Principal Risks of the
Fund
The
Issuer and the Underlying Index are new; therefore, investors need
to be aware that the investment returns, and the underlying index
methodology may not deliver the expected returns or achieve the
intended results.
An
investment or type of security specifically identified in the
Prospectus generally reflects a principal investment of the Fund.
The Fund also may invest in or use certain other types of
investments and investing techniques that are more fully described
in the SAI. An investment or type of security only identified in
the SAI typically is treated as a non-principal investment.
Additional information on the principal risks and certain
non-principal risks of the Fund is described below. Not all the
risks are principal risks for the Fund. The fact that a particular
risk is not indicated as a principal risk for the Fund does not
mean that the Fund is prohibited from investing its assets in
securities that give rise to that risk. It simply means that the
risk is not a principal risk for that Fund. Although the Fund will
not generally trade for short-term profits, circumstances (e.g., a
rebalancing of the Fund’s Index) may warrant a sale without
regard to the length of time a security was held. A high turnover
rate may increase transaction costs, which decreases the value of
investments and may result in additional taxable gains for Shares
held through a taxable account.
In
addition, investors should note that the Fund reserves the right to
cease operations and liquidate at any time without shareholder
approval, or to merge or reorganize itself without shareholder
approval, unless required by applicable law. The Board has also
determined that the Fund's underlying index is not fundamental to
the Fund and hence may be changed by a majority vote of the Board
Trustee with notice to investors. It may also change its respective
Underlying Index, after giving notice to investors through its
website and the media. If the Advisor believes the Underlying Index
no longer represents a viable investment strategy it may benchmark
the Fund to any other index. The Advisor may change service
providers to the Fund as needed. The Advisor may lower fees to
investor without shareholder vote.
Investors
in the Fund should carefully consider the risks of investing in the
Fund as set forth in the Fund’s Summary Information section
under “Principal Risks.” Unless otherwise noted, each
risk discussed below is applicable to the Fund.
Aerospace and Defense Companies Risk
Aerospace
and defense companies can be significantly affected by government
aerospace and defense regulation and spending policies because
companies involved in this industry rely to a significant extent on
U.S. (and other) government demand for their products and services.
Thus, the financial condition of, and investor interest in,
aerospace and defense companies are heavily influenced by
governmental defense spending policies which are typically under
pressure from efforts to control the U.S. (and other) government
budgets.
Equity Securities Risk
The
Fund may invest in equity securities, which include common stocks
(and may include other equity securities), and the prices of equity
securities generally fluctuate in value more than other
investments. The price of equity securities may rise or fall
rapidly or unpredictably and may reflect real or perceived changes
in the issuing company’s financial condition and changes in
the overall market or economy. Price movements in equity securities
may result from factors or events affecting individual issuers,
industries, or the entire market, such as changes in economic or
political conditions. In addition, equity markets tend to move in
cycles that may cause downward price movements over prolonged
periods of time. Common stocks generally represent the riskiest
investment in a company and dividend payments (if declared) to
preferred stockholders generally rank junior to payments due to a
company’s debtholders. If the prices of the equity securities
held by the Fund fall, the value of your investment in the Fund
will be adversely affected. The Fund may lose a substantial part,
or even all, of its investment in a company’s
stock.
Foreign Securities Risk
The
Underlying Index contains equities listed in foreign markets. These
securities markets are subject to various regulations, market
trading times and contractual settlement dates. Market liquidity
may also differ from the U.S. equity markets as many foreign market
shares trade OTC and prices are not published to the official
exchanges until after the trades are completed. In addition, where
all or a portion of the Fund’s underlying securities trade in
a market that is closed when the market in which the Fund’s
shares are listed and trading in that market is open, there may be
changes between the last quote from its closed foreign market and
the value of such security during the Fund’s domestic trading
day. Consequently, this could lead to differences between the
market price of the Fund’s shares and the value of the shares
of its underlying portfolio holdings.
Index Construction Risk
A stock
included in the Underlying Index may not exhibit the factor trait
or provide specific factor exposure for which it was selected and
consequently the Fund’s holdings may not exhibit returns
consistent with that factor trait.
Issuer-Specific Changes Risk
The
value of an individual security or type of security can be more
volatile than the total market and can perform differently from the
value of the total market. The value of securities of smaller
issuers can be more volatile than that of larger
issuers.
Large-Capitalization Securities Risk
The
Fund is subject to the risk that large-capitalization securities
may underperform other segments of the equity market or the total
equity market. Larger, more established companies may be unable to
respond quickly to new competitive challenges such as changes in
technology and may not be able to attain the high growth rate of
smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic
expansion.
Liquidity Risk
The
Fund’s shares are subject to liquidity risk, which means
that, in stressed market conditions, the market for the
Fund’s shares may become less liquid in response to
deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the Fund’s
underlying portfolio holdings. Please also note that this adverse
effect on liquidity for the Fund’s shares in turn could lead
to differences between the market price of the Fund’s shares
and the underlying value of those shares. Further, the Underlying
Index’s screening process requires that each component
security have a three month average trading volume minimum of
$1,000,000 on the date of the Underlying Index’s semi-annual
reconstitution date, therefore the number of stocks available to
the Underlying Index may be negatively affected during stressed
market conditions.
Market Price Risk
Shares
are listed for trading on the NYSE Arca (the “Exchange”
or “NYSE Arca”) and are bought and sold in the
secondary market at market prices. The market prices of Shares may
fluctuate continuously during trading hours, in some cases
materially, in response to changes in the net asset value
(“NAV”) and supply and demand for Shares, among other
factors. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares
typically will remain closely correlated to the NAV, the market
price will generally differ from the NAV because of timing reasons,
supply and demand imbalances and other factors. As a result, the
trading prices of Shares may deviate significantly from NAV during
certain periods, especially those of market volatility. The
Investment Advisor cannot predict whether Shares will trade above
(premium), below (discount) or at their NAV prices. Thus, an
investor may pay more than NAV when buying Shares in the secondary
market and receive less than NAV when selling Shares in the
secondary market.
New Fund Risk
The
Fund is a new fund. As a new Fund, there can be no assurance that
it will grow to or maintain an economically viable size, in which
case it may experience greater tracking error to its Underlying
Index than it otherwise would at higher asset levels or it could
ultimately liquidate.
Non-Correlation Risk
The
Fund’s return may not match the return of its Underlying
Index for many reasons. For example, the Fund incurs operating
expenses not applicable to the Underlying Index, and incurs costs
in buying and selling securities, especially when rebalancing the
Fund’s securities holdings to reflect changes in the
composition of the Underlying Index. In addition, the performance
of the Fund and its Underlying Index may vary due to asset
valuation differences and differences between the Fund’s
portfolio and the Underlying Index resulting from legal
restrictions, cash flows or operational inefficiencies. An
Underlying Index is not required to apply fair valuation to its
constituents, but the Fund may apply fair valuation to its
portfolio securities in certain situations, which may lead to
increased differences between a Fund’s performance and that
of its Index.
Due to
legal and regulatory rules and limitations, the Fund may not be
able to invest in all the securities included in its Underlying
Index. For tax efficiency purposes, the Fund may sell certain
securities to realize losses, causing its performance to deviate
from the Underlying Index.
The
Fund may not be fully invested at times, either because of cash
flows into the Fund or reserves of cash held by the Fund to meet
redemptions and expenses. If the Fund utilizes a sampling approach,
or otherwise holds investments other than those which comprise the
Underlying Index, its return may not correlate well with the return
of its Underlying Index, as would be the case if it purchased all
the securities in the Underlying Index with the same weightings as
its Index.
Passive Management Risk
Unlike
many investment companies, the Fund is not “actively”
managed. Therefore, it would not necessarily sell a security
because the security’s issuer was in financial trouble or
defaulted on its obligations under the security, or whose credit
rating was downgraded, unless that security is removed from the
Underlying Index. In addition, the Fund will not otherwise take
defensive positions in declining markets unless such positions are
reflected in the Underlying Index.
Satellite Companies Concentration Risk
The
Fund is considered to be concentrated in securities of companies
that operate or utilize satellites which are subject to
manufacturing delays, launch delays or failures, and operational
and environmental risks (such as signal interference or space
debris) that could limit their ability to utilize the satellites
needed to deliver services to customers. Some companies that
operate or utilize satellites do not carry commercial launch or
in-orbit insurance for the full value of their satellites and could
face significant impairment charges if the satellites experience
full or partial failures. Rapid and significant technological
changes in the satellite communications industry or in competing
terrestrial industries may impair a company’s competitive
position and require significant additional capital expenditures.
There are also regulatory risks associated with the allocation of
orbital positions and spectrum under the International
Telecommunication Union (“ITU”) and the regulatory
bodies in each of the countries in which companies provide service.
In addition, the ground facilities used for controlling satellites
or relaying data between Earth and the satellites may be subject to
operational and environmental risks (such as natural disasters) or
licensing and regulatory risks. If a company does not obtain or
maintain regulatory authorizations for its satellites and
associated ground facilities, it may not be able to operate its
existing satellites or expand its operations.
Small and Mid-Capitalization Securities Risk
The
Fund may be subject to the risk that small- and mid-capitalization
securities may underperform other segments of the equity market or
the equity market as a whole. Securities of small- and
mid-capitalization companies may experience much more price
volatility, greater spreads between their bid and ask prices and
significantly lower trading volumes than securities issued by
large, more established companies. Accordingly, it may be difficult
for the Fund to sell small- and mid-capitalization securities at a
desired time or price. Small and mid-capitalization companies tend
to have inexperienced management as well as limited product and
market diversification and financial resources. Small- and
mid-capitalization companies have more speculative prospects for
future growth, sustained earnings and market share than large
companies, and may be more vulnerable to adverse economic, market
or industry developments than large capitalization
companies.
Space Industry Risk
The
exploration of space by private industry and the utilization of
space assets is a business focused on the future and is witnessing
new entrants into the market. This is a global event with a growing
number of corporate participants looking to meet the future needs
of a growing global population. Therefore, investments in the Fund
will be riskier than traditional investments in established
industry sectors and the growth of these companies may be slower
and subject to setbacks as new technology advancements are made to
expand into space.
In addition to the Principal Risks described above, the Fund may
also be exposed to the following Risks.
Asian
Economic Risk
Many Asian
economies have experienced rapid growth and industrialization in
recent
years
, but there is no
assurance that this growth rate will be maintained. Other Asian
economies, however, have experienced high inflation, high
unemployment, currency devaluations and restrictions, and
over-extension of credit. Economic events in any one Asian country
may have a significant economic effect on the entire Asian region,
as well as on major trading partners outside Asia. Any adverse
event in the Asian markets may have a significant adverse effect on
some or all of the economies of the countries in which the Fund
invests. Many Asian countries are subject to political risk,
including political instability, corruption and regional conflict
with neighboring countries. North Korea and South Korea each have
substantial military capabilities, and historical tensions between
the two countries present the risk of war; in the recent past,
these tensions have escalated. Any outbreak of hostilities between
the two countries could have a severe adverse effect on the entire
Asian region. In addition, many Asian countries are subject to
social and labor risks associated with demands for improved
political, economic and social conditions. These risks, among
others, may adversely affect the value of the Fund’s
investments.
Asset Class Risk
The
securities in an Underlying Index or in the Fund’s portfolio
may underperform the returns of other securities or indexes that
track other countries, groups of countries, regions, industries,
groups of industries, markets, asset classes or sectors. Different
types of securities, currencies and indexes may experience cycles
of outperformance and underperformance in comparison to the general
financial markets depending upon a number of factors including,
among other things, inflation, interest rates, productivity, global
demand for local products or resources and regulation and
governmental controls.
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk
Only
an Authorized Participant may engage in creation or redemption
transactions directly with the Fund. The Fund has a limited number
of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants on an
agency basis (i.e., on behalf of other market participants). To the
extent that those Authorized Participants exit the business or are
unable to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with
respect to the Fund and no other Authorized Participant is able to
step forward to engage in creation or redemption transactions with
the Fund, Fund shares may be more likely to trade at a premium or
discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or
delisting.
Concentration
Risk.
The Fund may be
susceptible to an increased risk of loss, including losses due to
adverse events that affect the Fund’s investments more than
the market as a whole, to the extent that the Fund’s
investments are concentrated in the securities of a particular
issuer or issuers, country, group of countries, region, market,
industry, group of industries, sector or asset class. The Fund may
be more adversely affected by the underperformance of those
securities, may experience increased price volatility and may be
more susceptible to adverse economic, market, political or
regulatory occurrences affecting those securities than a fund that
does not concentrate its investments.
Currency
Risk.
Because the Fund’s NAV is determined on the basis of the U.S.
dollar, investors may lose money if the foreign currencies in which
the Fund’s holdings are denominated depreciate against the
U.S. dollar, even if the local currency value of the Fund’s
holdings increases. Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value
against a foreign currency, a security denominated in that currency
loses value because the currency is worth fewer U.S. dollars.
Conversely, when the U.S. dollar decreases in value against a
foreign currency, a security denominated in that currency gains
value because the currency is worth more U.S. dollars. This risk
means that a strong U.S. dollar will reduce returns for U.S.
investors, while a weak U.S. dollar will increase those returns.
The Fund will not hedge against fluctuations in foreign currencies.
The value of the US dollar measured against a foreign currency is
influenced by a variety of factors. These factors include: interest
rates, national debt levels and trade deficits, changes in balances
of payments and trade, domestic and foreign interest and inflation
rates, global or regional political, economic or financial events,
monetary policies of governments, actual or potential government
intervention, global energy prices, political instability and
government monetary policies and the buying or selling of currency
by a country’s government.
Cyber
Security Risk.
With the increased
use of technologies such as the internet to conduct business, the
Fund, Authorized Participants, service providers and the relevant
listing exchange are susceptible to operational,
information security and related “cyber” risks
both directly and through their service providers. Similar types of
cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in
which the Fund invests, which could result in material adverse
consequences for such issuers and may cause the Fund’s
investment in such portfolio companies to lose value. Unlike many
other types of risks faced by the Fund, these risks typically are
not covered by insurance. In general, cyber incidents can result
from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber incidents
include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to
digital systems (e.g., through “hacking” or malicious
software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or
sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational
disruption. Cyber attacks may also be carried out in a manner that
does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing
denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make
network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber security
failures by or breaches of the systems of the Fund’s adviser,
sub-advisor, distributor and other service providers (including,
but not limited to, index providers, fund accountants, custodians,
transfer agents and administrators), market makers, Authorized
Participants or the issuers of securities in which the Fund
invests, have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business
operations, potentially resulting in: financial losses,
interference with the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV,
disclosure of confidential trading information, impediments to
trading, submission of erroneous trades or erroneous creation or
redemption orders, the inability of the Fund or its 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. In addition, cyber attacks may render records of the Fund
assets and transactions, shareholder ownership of Fund shares, and
other data integral to the functioning of the Fund inaccessible or
inaccurate or incomplete. Substantial costs may be incurred by the
Fund in order to resolve or prevent cyber incidents in the future.
While the Fund has established business continuity plans in the
event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber
attacks, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems,
including the possibility that certain risks have not been
identified and that prevention and remediation efforts will not be
successful. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control the cyber security
plans and systems put in place by service providers to the Fund,
issuers in which the Fund invests, the Index Provider, market
makers or Authorized Participants. The Fund and its shareholders
could be negatively impacted as a result.
Dividend Paying Security Risk
Securities
that pay high dividends as a group can fall out of favor with the
market, causing such companies to underperform companies that do
not pay high dividends. Also, changes in the dividend policies of
the companies in the Underlying Index and the capital resources
available for such companies’ dividend payments may affect
the Fund.
European Economic Risk
.
The European Union
(the “EU”) requires compliance by member countries with
restrictions on inflation rates, deficits, interest rates and debt
levels, as well as fiscal and monetary controls, each of which may
significantly affectevery country in Europe, including those
countries that are not members of the EU. Changes in imports or
exports, changes in governmental or EU regulations on
trade
, changes in the exchange rate of the
euro (the common currency of certain EU countries), the default or
threat of default by an EU member country on its sovereign debt
and/or an economic recession in an EU member country may have a
significant adverse effect on the economiesof EU member countries
and their trading partners. The European financial markets have
historically experienced volatility and adverse trends due to
concerns about economic downturns or rising government debt levels
in several European countries, including, but not limited to,
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal,
Spain and Ukraine. These events have adversely affected the
exchange rate of the euro and may continue to significantly affect
European countries. Responses to financial problems by European
governments, central banks and others, including austerity measures
and reforms, may not produce the desired results, may result in
social unrest, may limit future growth and economic recovery or may
have other unintended consequences. Further defaults or
restructurings by governments and other entities of their debt
could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial
markets and asset valuations around the world. In addition, one or
more countries may abandon the euro and/or withdraw from the EU. In
a referendum held on June 23, 2016, the U.K. resolved to leave the
EU. The referendum may introduce significant uncertainties and
instability in the financial markets as the U.K. negotiates its
exit from the EU. Secessionist movements, such as the Catalan
movement in Spain, as well as governmental or other responses to
such movements, may also create instability and uncertainty in the
region. The occurrence of terrorist incidents throughout Europe
also could impact financial markets. The impact of these events is
not clear but could be significant and far-reaching and adversely
affect the value of the Fund.
Geographic
Risk
Some of the
companies in which the Fund may invest are located in parts of the
world that have historically been prone to natural disasters such
as earthquakes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, droughts, floods,
hurricanes or tsunamis, and are economically sensitive to
environmental events. Any such event may adversely impact the
economies of these geographic areas or business operations of
companies in these geographic areas, causing an adverse impact on
the value of the Fund.
Governmental Slowdown or Shutdown Risk
Governmental
slowdowns or shutdowns can pose various risks for investors because
activities at many governmental agencies will slow down or stop
except for “essential services”. If regulators are
unable to work for the duration of the slowdown or shutdown,
government approvals are likely to remain on hold and other
functions will be similarly affected, possibly resulting in slower
economic growth. Also, such governmental inactivity may have an
effect on investor sentiment, thereby increasing volatility or
otherwise causing a market reaction. The longer a slowdown or
shutdown continues, the more disruptive it will be to industry in
general, particularly to those segments that are highly regulated,
as well as to the the general economy, for example if businesses
and consumers curtail or stop spending.
Index Risk
The
Fund's Underlying Index may not be successful in replicating the
performance of its target strategies. The Underlying Index is
relatively new and has limited historical performance data that is
not predictive of future results.
Industry Concentration Risk
To
the extent that its Underlying Index is concentrated in a
particular industry, the Fund also will be concentrated in that
industry. Concentrated Fund investments will subject the Fund to a
greater risk of loss as a result of adverse economic, business or
other developments than if its investments were diversified across
different industry sectors.
Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk
The
success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied
closely to the performance of domestic and international economies,
interest rates, exchange rates, competition, consumer confidence,
changes in demographics and consumer preferences. Companies in the
consumer discretionary sector depend heavily on disposable
household income and consumer spending, and may be strongly
affected by social trends and marketing campaigns. These companies
may be subject to severe competition, which may have an adverse
impact on their profitability and in turn on the Fund.
Industrials Sector Risk
The
prices of securities of companies in the industrials sector are
affected by supply and demand both for their specific product or
service and for industrials sector products in general, which may
be cyclical. The products of manufacturing companies may face
product obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and
frequent new product introduction. Government regulation, world
events and economic conditions may affect the performance of
companies in the industrials sector. Companies in the industrials
sector may be at risk for environmental damage and product
liability claims and may be adversely affected by changes or trends
in commodity prices, imposition of import controls, labor relations
and insurance costs. Aerospace and defense companies, a component
of the industrials sector, can be significantly affected by
government spending policies because companies involved in this
industry rely, to a significant extent, on government demand for
their products and services. Thus, the financial condition of, and
investor interest in, aerospace and defense companies are heavily
influenced by governmental defense spending policies, which are
typically under pressure from efforts to control government
budgets.
New
industrial sectors may open as the growth in space exploration and
harvesting offers traditional industrial companies new and unique
opportunities for growth. The opportunities may not be addressed by
current large industrial complexes. This may cause a significant
secular shift which could lead to the decline or expansion of
industrial sector risks.
Information Technology Sector Risk.
Information
technology companies face intense competition, both domestically
and internationally, which may have an adverse effect on their
profit margins. Like other technology companies, information
technology companies may have limited product lines, markets,
financial resources or personnel. The products of information
technology companies may face obsolescence due to rapid
technological developments, frequent new product introduction,
unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the
services of qualified personnel. Companies in the information
technology sector are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual
property rights. The loss or impairment of any of these rights may
adversely affect the profitability of these companies or the
Fund’s performance.
Materials Sector Risk
Companies
in the materials sector may be adversely affected by commodity
price volatility, exchange rates, import controls, increased
competition, depletion of resources, technical advances, labor
relations, over-production, litigation and government regulations,
among other factors. Companies in the materials sector are also at
risk of liability for environmental damage and product liability
claims. Production of materials may exceed demand as a result of
market imbalances or economic downturns, leading to poor investment
returns.
Telecommunications Sector
Risk
The
telecommunications sector is subject to extensive government
regulation. The costs of complying with governmental regulations,
delays or failure to receive required regulatory approvals or the
enactment of new adverse regulatory requirements may adversely
affect the business of the telecommunications companies. The
telecommunications sector can also be significantly affected by
intense competition, including competition with alternative
technologies such as wireless communications, product
compatibility, consumer preferences, rapid obsolescence and
research and development of new products. Other risks include those
related to regulatory changes, such as the uncertainties resulting
from such companies’ diversification into new domestic and
international businesses, as well as agreements by any such
companies linking future rate increases to inflation or other
factors not directly related to the actual operating profits of the
otherwise.
Utilities Sector Risk
The
rates that traditional regulated utility companies may charge their
customers generally are subject to review and limitation by
governmental regulatory commissions. Although rate changes of a
utility usually fluctuate in approximate correlation with financing
costs due to political and regulatory factors, rate changes
ordinarily occur only following a delay after the changes in
financing costs. This factor will tend to favorably affect a
regulated utility company’s earnings and dividends in times
of decreasing costs, but conversely, will tend to adversely affect
earnings and dividends when costs are rising. The value of
regulated utility debt securities (and, to a lesser extent, equity
securities) tends to have an inverse relationship to the movement
of interest rates. Certain utility companies have experienced full
or partial deregulation in recent years. These utility companies
are frequently more like industrial companies in that they are
subject to greater competition and have been permitted by
regulators to diversify outside of their original geographic
regions and their traditional lines of business. These
opportunities may permit certain utility companies to earn more
than their traditional regulated rates of return. Some companies,
however, may be forced to defend their core business and may be
less profitable.
Among
the risks that may affect utility companies are the following:
risks of increases in fuel and other operating costs; the high cost
of borrowing to finance capital construction during inflationary
periods; restrictions on operations and increased costs and delays
associated with compliance with environmental and nuclear safety
regulations; and the difficulties involved in obtaining natural gas
for resale or fuel for generating electricity at reasonable prices.
Other risks include those related to the construction and operation
of nuclear power plants, the effects of energy conservation and the
effects of regulatory changes.
Liquidity
Risk Management Rule Risk
In October 2016,
the SEC adopted a liquidity risk management rule requiring open-end
funds, including ETFs such as the Fund, to establish a liquidity
risk management program and enhance disclosures regarding fund
liquidity. There are exclusions from certain portions of the
liquidity risk management program requirements for
“in-kind” ETFs. The Fund will be required to comply
with the rule by December 31, 2018. The effect the rule will have
on the Fund, if any, including the Fund’s ability to rely on
the exclusions, is not yet known, but the rule may impact the
Fund’s performance and/or ability to achieve its investment
objective.
Management Risk
The
strategy used by the Fund to match the performance of the
Underlying Index may fail to produce the intended results. The
skill of the Advisor or Sub-Advisor will play a significant role in
the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objectives. The
Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objectives depends
on the ability of the Advisor to correctly identify economic
trends, especially with regard to accurately forecasting projected
dividend and growth rates and inflationary and deflationary
periods. In addition, the Fund’s ability to achieve its
investment objective depends on the Advisor’s or
Sub-Advisor’s ability to select stocks, particularly in
volatile stock markets. The Advisor or Sub-Advisor could be
incorrect in its analysis of industries, companies’ projected
dividends and growth rates and the relative attractiveness of value
stocks and other matters. Additionally, if the Advisor uses a
“sampling” approach to managing an Underlying Index,
the performance of the Fund may not correlate with the Underlying
Index as well as if the Fund “replicated” the
Underlying Index by buying all of its constituent
stocks.
Market Risk
The
value of, or income generated by, the securities held by the Fund
are subject to the possibility of rapid and unpredictable
fluctuation. The value of certain securities (e.g., equity
securities) tends to fluctuate more dramatically over the shorter
term than do the value of other asset classes. These movements may
result from factors affecting individual companies, or from broader
influences, including real or perceived changes in prevailing
interest rates, changes in inflation or expectations about
inflation, investor confidence or economic, political, social or
financial market conditions that may be temporary or last for
extended periods. Different sectors, industries and security types
may react differently to such developments and, when the market
performs well, there is no assurance that the securities held by
the Fund will increase in value along with the broader markets. For
example, the value of a Fund’s investments in securities or
other instruments may be particularly susceptible to changes in
commodity prices. As a result, a change in commodity prices may
adversely affect the Fund’s investments. Volatility of
financial markets can expose the Fund to greater market risk,
possibly resulting in reduced liquidity. Moreover, changing
economic, political, social or financial market conditions in one
country or geographic region could adversely affect the market
value of the securities held by the Fund in a different country or
geographic region because of the increasingly interconnected global
economies and financial markets. The Advisor potentially will be
prevented from executing investment decisions at an advantageous
time or price because of any domestic or global market disruptions,
particularly disruptions causing heightened market volatility and
reduced market liquidity. Changes or disruptions in market
conditions also may lead to increased regulation of the Fund and
the instruments in which the Fund may invest, which may, in turn,
affect the Fund’s ability to pursue its investment objective
and the Fund’s performance. In general, the securities or
other instruments represented in the Fund’s Underlying Index
or in which the Fund seeks to invest may be unavailable entirely or
in the specific quantities sought by the Fund. As a result, the
Fund may need to obtain the desired exposure through a less
advantageous investment or forgo the investment at the time. This
may adversely affect the Fund and increase the Fund’s
Underlying Index tracking error.
Market Trading Risk
Absence of Active Market.
Although
shares of the Fund are listed for trading on one or more stock
exchanges, there can be no assurance that an active trading market
for such shares will develop or be maintained by market makers or
Authorized Participants.
Risk of Secondary Listings.
The
Fund’s shares may be listed or traded on U.S. and non-U.S.
stock exchanges other than the U.S. stock exchange where the
Fund’s primary listing is maintained and may otherwise be
made available to non-U.S. investors through funds or structured
investment vehicles similar to depositary receipts. There can be no
assurance that the Fund’s shares will continue to trade on
any such stock exchange or in any market or that the Fund’s
shares will continue to meet the requirements for listing or
trading on any exchange or in any market. The Fund’s shares
may be less actively traded in certain markets than in others, and
investors are subject to the execution and settlement risks and
market standards of the market where they or their broker direct
their trades for execution. Certain information available to
investors who trade Fund shares on a U.S. stock exchange during
regular U.S. market hours may not be available to investors who
trade in other markets, which may result in secondary market prices
in such markets being less efficient.
Secondary Market Trading Risk
. Shares
of the Fund may trade in the secondary market at times when the
Fund does not accept orders to purchase or redeem shares. At such
times, shares may trade in the secondary market with more
significant premiums or discounts than might be experienced at
times when the Fund accepts purchase and redemption
orders.
Secondary market
trading in Fund shares may be halted by a stock exchange because of
market conditions or for other reasons. In addition, trading in
Fund shares on a stock exchange or in any market may be subject to
trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to
“circuit breaker” rules on the stock exchange or
market.
Shares of the Fund,
similar to shares of other issuers listed on a stock exchange, may
be sold short and are therefore subject to the risk of increased
volatility and price decreases associated with being sold
short.
Shares of the Fund May Trade at Prices Other
Than NAV
. Shares of the Fund trade on stock exchanges at
prices at, above or below the Fund’s most recent NAV. The NAV
of the Fund is calculated at the end of each business day and
fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Fund’s
holdings. The trading price of the Fund’s shares fluctuates
continuously throughout trading hours based on both market supply
of and demand for Fund shares and the underlying value of the
Fund’s portfolio holdings or NAV. As a result, the trading
prices of the Fund’s shares may deviate significantly from
NAV during periods of market volatility.
ANY OF THESE FACTORS, AMONG OTHERS, MAY LEAD TO
THE FUND’S SHARES TRADING AT A PREMIUM OR DISCOUNT TO
NAV
. However, because shares can be created and redeemed in
Creation Units at NAV, the Advisor believes that large discounts or
premiums to the NAV of the Fund are not likely to be sustained over
the long term (unlike shares of many closed-end funds, which
frequently trade at appreciable discounts from, and sometimes at
premiums to, their NAVs). While the creation/redemption feature is
designed to make it more likely that the Fund’s shares
normally will trade on stock exchanges at prices close to the
Fund’s next calculated NAV, exchange prices are not expected
to correlate exactly with the Fund’s NAV due to timing
reasons, supply and demand imbalances and other factors. In
addition, disruptions to creations and redemptions, including
disruptions at market makers, Authorized Participants, or other
market participants, and during periods of significant market
volatility, may result in trading prices for shares of the Fund
that differ significantly from its NAV. Authorized Participants may
be less willing to create or redeem Fund shares if there is a lack
of an active market for such shares or its underlying investments,
which may contribute to the Fund’s shares trading at a
premium or discount to NAV.
Costs of Buying or Selling Fund Shares.
Buying or selling Fund shares on an exchange involves two types of
costs that apply to all securities transactions. When buying or
selling shares of the Fund through a broker, you will likely incur
a brokerage commission and other charges. In addition, you may
incur the cost of the “spread”; that is, the difference
between what investors are willing to pay for Fund shares (the
“bid” price) and the price at which they are willing to
sell Fund shares (the “ask” price). The spread, which
varies over time for shares of the Fund based on trading volume and
market liquidity, is generally narrower if the Fund has more
trading volume and market liquidity and wider if the Fund has less
trading volume and market liquidity. In addition, increased market
volatility may cause wider spreads. There may also be regulatory
and other charges that are incurred as a result of trading
activity. Because of the costs inherent in buying or selling Fund
shares, frequent trading may detract significantly from investment
results and an investment in Fund shares may not be advisable for
investors who anticipate regularly making small investments through
a brokerage account.
Mid-Capitalization Securities Risk
The
Fund may be subject to the risk that mid-capitalization securities
may underperform other segments of the equity market or the equity
market. Securities of mid-capitalization companies may experience
much more price volatility, greater spreads between their bid and
ask prices and significantly lower trading volumes than securities
issued by large, more established companies. Accordingly, it may be
difficult for the Fund to sell mid-capitalization securities at a
desired time or price. Mid-capitalization companies tend to have
inexperienced management as well as limited product and market
diversification and financial resources. Mid-capitalization
companies have more speculative prospects for future growth,
sustained earnings and market share than large companies, and may
be more vulnerable to adverse economic, market or industry
developments than large capitalization companies.
National
Closed Market Trading Risk
To the extent that
the underlying securities held by the Fund trade on foreign
exchanges that may be closed when the securities exchange on which
the Fund’s shares trade is open, there are likely to be
deviations between the current price of an underlying security and
the last quoted price for the underlying security (i.e., the
Fund’s quote from the closed foreign market). These
deviations could result in premiums or discounts to the
Fund’s NAV that may be greater than those experienced by
other ETFs.
Non-Diversification
Risk
The Fund is
classified as “non-diversified.” This means that the
Fund may invest a large percentage of its assets in securities
issued by or representing a small number of issuers. As a result,
the Fund may be more susceptible to the risks associated with these
particular issuers or to a single economic, political or regulatory
occurrence affecting these issuers.
Non-Diversification Risk
The
Fund is considered non-diversified because it may invest a large
portion of its assets in a small number of issuers. As a result,
the Fund is more susceptible to risks associated with those issuers
and the Fund may experience greater losses and volatility than a
more diversified portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover Risk
The
Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of its portfolio
securities to reflect the periodic rebalancing of the Underlying
Index. A portfolio turnover rate of 200%, for example, is
equivalent to the Fund buying and selling all its securities two
times during the year. A high portfolio turnover rate (such as 100%
or more) could result in high brokerage costs and may result in
higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable
account.
Regulatory and Legal Risk
U.S.
and non-U.S. governmental agencies and other regulators may
implement additional regulations and legislators may pass new laws
that affect the investments held by the Fund, the strategies used
by the Fund or the level of regulation applying to the Fund. These
may impact the investment strategies, performance, costs and
operations of the Fund.
Risk
of Investing in the United States.
The Fund may have
significant exposure to U.S. issuers. A decrease in imports or
exports, changes in trade regulations and/or an economic recession
in the U.S. may have a material adverse effect on the U.S. economy
and the securities listed on U.S. exchanges. Proposed and adopted
policy and legislative changes in the U.S. are changing many
aspects of financial and other regulation and may have a
significant effect on the U.S. markets generally, as well as on the
value of certain securities. In addition, a continued rise in the
U.S. public debt level or U.S. austerity measures may adversely
affect U.S. economic growth and the securities to which the Fund
has exposure. The U.S. has developed increasingly strained
relations with a number of foreign countries, including traditional
allies, such as certain European countries, and historical
adversaries, such as North Korea, Iran, China and Russia. If these
relations were to worsen, it could adversely affect U.S. issuers as
well as non-U.S. issuers that rely on the U.S. for trade. The U.S.
has also experienced increased internal unrest and discord. If this
trend were to continue, it may have an adverse impact on the U.S.
economy and the issuers in which the Fund invests.
Risks Relating to Calculation of NAV
The
Fund relies on various sources to calculate its NAV. Therefore, the
Fund is subject to certain operational risks associated with
reliance on third party service providers and data sources. NAV
calculation may be impacted by operational risks arising from
factors such as failures in systems and technology. Such failures
may result in delays in the calculation of the Fund’s NAV
and/or the inability to calculate NAV over extended time periods.
The Fund may be unable to recover any losses associated with such
failures.
Securities Lending Risk
Securities lending involves a risk that the borrower may fail to
return the securities or deliver the proper amount of collateral,
which may result in a loss to the Fund. In the event of bankruptcy
of the borrower, the Fund could experience losses or delays in
recovering the loaned securities.
Tariff Disputes or Trade Wars Risk
Significant
tariff disputes between trading partners can cause affected
countries to retaliate, resulting in “trade wars” which
can cause negative effects on the economies of such countries, as
well as the global economy. For example, a trade war could cause
increased costs for goods imported to the trading partners, thus
limiting customer demand for these products and reducing the volume
and scope of trading. In addition, disruption in trading markets
may result to depressed capital and business investment, curtailed
spending, as well as volatile or otherwise negatively impacted
financial markets. These
effects can be amplified as business
confidence drops and investment decisions are delayed.
Also, imposition of new or higher tariffs can
result in the adoption of tariffs by other countries, thus widening
the negative effects on the global economy.
Tracking Error Risk
The Fund’s performance may not match its Underlying Index
during any period of time. Although the Fund attempts to track the
performance of its Underlying Index, the Fund may not be able to
duplicate its exact composition or return for any number of
reasons, including but not limited to risk that the strategies used
by the Advisor to match the performance of the Underlying Index may
fail to produce the intended results, liquidity risk and new fund
risk, as well as the incurring of Fund expenses, which the
Underlying Index does not incur. For example, the Fund may not be
able to invest in certain securities included in its Underlying
Index due to restrictions or limitations imposed, by or a lack of
liquidity in, certain countries in which such securities trade, or
may be delayed in purchasing or selling securities included in the
Underlying Index. To the extent the Fund intends to engage in a
significant portion in cash transactions for the creation and
redemption of Shares, such practice may affect the Fund’s
ability to match the return of its Underlying Index.
Trading Issues Risk
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. There can be no assurance that an
active trading market will develop or be maintained. In addition,
trading in Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts
caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the Exchange
“circuit breaker” rules. If a trading halt or
unanticipated early closing of the Exchange occurs, a shareholder
may be unable to purchase or sell Shares when desired. There can be
no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to
maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met or will
remain unchanged or that Shares will trade with any volume, or at
all, in any secondary market. As with other exchange traded
securities, Shares may be sold short and may experience increased
volatility and price decreases associated with such trading
activity.
Trading Price Risk
It
is expected that the shares of the Fund (in each case,
“Shares”) will be listed for trading on the Exchange
and will be bought and sold in the Secondary Market at market
prices. Although it is generally expected that the market price of
the Shares of the Fund will approximate the respective Fund’s
NAV, there may be times when the market price and the NAV vary
significantly. Thus, you may pay more than NAV when you buy Shares
in the Secondary Market, and you may receive less than NAV when you
sell those Shares in the Secondary Market. Similar to shares of
other issuers listed on a stock exchange, Shares may be sold short
and are therefore subject to the risk of increased volatility and
price decreases associated with being sold short.
The
market price of Shares during the trading day, like the price of
any exchange-traded security, includes a “bid/ask”
spread charged by the exchange specialist, market makers or other
participants that trade the Shares. In times of severe market
disruption, the bid/ask spread can increase significantly. At those
times, Shares are most likely to be traded at a discount to NAV,
and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of Shares
is falling fastest, which may be the time that you most want to
sell your Shares. The Advisor believes that, under normal market
conditions, large market price discounts or premiums to NAV will
not be sustained because of arbitrage opportunities, particularly
through creations and redemptions by Authorized Participants
dealing directly with the Fund. While the creation/redemption
feature is designed to make it more likely that the Fund’s
Shares normally will trade on the Exchange at prices close to its
next calculated NAV, exchange prices are not expected to correlate
exactly with the Fund’s NAV due to timing reasons, supply and
demand imbalances and other factors. In addition, disruptions to
creations and redemptions, including disruptions at market makers,
Authorized Participants, or other market participants, and during
periods of significant market volatility, may result in trading
prices for shares of the Fund that differ significantly from its
NAV. Authorized Participants may be less willing to create or
redeem Fund shares if there is a lack of an active market for such
shares or its underlying investments, which may contribute to the
Fund’s shares trading at a premium or discount to
NAV.
Valuation
Risk.
The price the Fund
could receive upon sale of a security or other asset may differ
from the Fund’s valuation of the security or other asset and
from the value used by the Underlying Index, particularly for
securities or other assets that trade in low volume or volatile
markets or that are valued using a fair value methodology as a
result of trade suspensions or for other reasons. Because non-U.S.
exchanges may be open on days when the Fund does not price its
shares, the value of the securities or other assets in the
Fund’s portfolio may change on days or during time periods
when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the
Fund’s shares. In addition, for purposes of calculating the
Fund’s NAV, the value of assets denominated in non-U.S.
currencies is converted into U.S. dollars using prevailing market
rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more data
service providers. This conversion may result in a difference
between the prices used to calculate the Fund’s NAV and the
prices used by the Underlying Index, which, in turn, could result
in a difference between the Fund’s performance and the
performance of the Underlying Index. Authorized Participants who
purchase or redeem Fund shares on days when the Fund is holding
fair-valued securities may receive fewer or more shares, or lower
or higher redemption proceeds, than they would have received had
the Fund not fair-valued securities or used a different valuation
methodology. The Fund’s ability to value investments may be
impacted by technological issues or errors by pricing services or
other third-party service providers.
Additional Risks
Absence of Prior Active Market
Although
Shares are approved for listing and have been trading on the
Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market
will continue to develop and be maintained for the Shares. There
can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain an
economically viable size, in which case the Fund may experience
greater tracking error to its Underlying Index than it otherwise
would at higher asset levels, or the Fund may ultimately
liquidate.
Fluctuation of Net Asset Value
The
NAV of the Fund’s Shares will generally fluctuate with
changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The
market prices of the Shares will generally fluctuate in accordance
with changes in NAV as well as the relative supply of and demand
for the Shares on the Exchange. The Advisor cannot predict whether
the Shares will trade below, at or above their NAV. Price
differences may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and
demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for the
Shares will be closely related to, but not identical to, the same
forces influencing the prices of the securities of the Fund’s
Underlying Index trading individually or in the aggregate at any
point in time. If an investor purchases Shares at a time when the
market price is at a premium to the NAV of the Shares or sells at a
time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV of the
Shares, then the investor may sustain losses. However, given that
the Shares can be purchased and redeemed in Creation Units (unlike
shares of closed-end funds, which frequently trade at appreciable
discounts from, and sometimes at premiums to, their NAV), the
Advisor believes that large discounts or premiums to the NAV of the
Shares should not be sustained.
Shares are not Individually Redeemable
Shares
may be redeemed by the Fund only in large blocks known as
“Creation Units” which are expected to be worth in
excess of one million dollars each. The Trust may not redeem Shares
in fractional Creation Units. Only certain large institutions that
enter into agreements with the Distributor are authorized to
transact in Creation Units with the Fund. These entities are
referred to as “Authorized Participants.” All other
persons or entities transacting in Shares must do so in the
Secondary Market.
Tax Risks
To
qualify for the favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment
accorded to regulated investment companies, the Fund must, among
other things, derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross
income from certain prescribed sources. If for any taxable year,
the Fund does not qualify as a regulated investment company, all of
its taxable income (including its net capital gain) for that year
would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any
deduction for distributions to shareholders, and such distributions
would be taxable to shareholders as dividend income to the extent
of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and
profits.
Furthermore,
the tax treatment of derivatives is unclear for purposes of
determining the Fund’s tax status. In addition, the
Fund’s transactions in derivatives may result in the Fund
realizing more short-term capital gains and ordinary income that
are subject to higher ordinary income tax rates than if it did not
engage in such transactions.
Please
refer to the SAI for a more complete discussion of the risks of
investing in Shares.
Continuous Offering
The
method by which Creation Units are purchased 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,
at any point a “distribution,” as such term is used in
the Securities Act, may occur. 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 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 individual Shares, and sells
such 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 categorization 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 with respect to 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 ordinary
Secondary Market transactions) and thus dealing with Shares that
are part of an over-allotment within the meaning of Section 4(3)(a)
of the Securities Act would be unable to take advantage of the
prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the
Securities Act. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation
with respect to Shares of the Fund are reminded that under Rule 153
of the Securities Act, a prospectus delivery obligation under
Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities Act owed to an exchange member in
connection with a sale on the Exchange is satisfied by the fact
that such Fund’s prospectus is available at the Exchange upon
request. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is
only available with respect to transactions on an
exchange.
Creation and Redemption of Creation Units
The
Fund issues and redeems Shares only in bundles of a specified
number of Shares. These bundles are known as “Creation
Units.” For the Fund, a Creation Unit is comprised of 25,000
Shares. The number of Shares in a Creation Unit will not change,
except in the event of a share split, reverse split or similar
revaluation. The Fund may not issue fractional Creation Units. To
purchase or redeem a Creation Unit, you must be an Authorized
Participant, or you must do so through a broker, dealer, bank or
other entity that is an Authorized Participant. An Authorized
Participant is either (1) a “Participating Party,”
i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process
of the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the
“Clearing Process”), or (2) a participant of DTC (a
“DTC Participant”), and, in each case, must have
executed an agreement with the Distributor with respect to
creations and redemptions of Creation Units (a “Participation
Agreement”). It is expected that only large institutional
investors will purchase and redeem Shares directly from the Fund in
the form of Creation Units. In turn, it is expected that
institutional investors who purchase Creation Units will break up
their Creation Units and offer and sell individual Shares in the
Secondary Market.
Retail
investors may acquire Shares in the Secondary Market (not from the
Fund) through a broker or dealer. Shares are listed on the Exchange
and are publicly traded. For information about acquiring Shares in
the secondary market, please contact your broker or dealer. If you
want to sell Shares in the secondary market, you must do so through
your broker or dealer.
When
you buy or sell Shares in the secondary market, your broker or
dealer may charge you a commission, market premium or discount or
other transaction charge, and you may pay some or all of the spread
between the bid and the offered price for each purchase or sale
transaction. Unless imposed by your broker or dealer, there is no
minimum dollar amount you must invest and no minimum number of
Shares you must buy in the secondary market. In addition, because
transactions in the secondary market occur at market prices, you
may pay more than NAV when you buy Shares and receive less than NAV
when you sell those Shares.
The
creation and redemption processes discussed above are summarized,
and such summary only applies to shareholders who purchase or
redeem Creation Units (they do not relate to shareholders who
purchase or sell Shares in the secondary market). Authorized
Participants should refer to their Participant Agreements for the
precise instructions that must be followed in order to create or
redeem Creation Units.
Buying and Selling Shares in the Secondary Market
Most
investors will buy and sell Shares of the Fund in secondary market
transactions through brokers. Shares of the Fund will be listed for
trading on the Secondary Market on the Exchange. Shares can be
bought and sold throughout the trading day like other
publicly-traded shares. There is no minimum investment. Although
Shares are generally purchased and sold in “round lots”
of 100 Shares, brokerage firms typically permit investors to
purchase or sell Shares in smaller “odd lots” at no
per-Share price differential. 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.
Share
prices are reported in dollars and cents per Share. For information
about buying and selling Shares in the secondary market, please
contact your broker or dealer.
Book Entry
Shares
of the Fund are held in book-entry form and no stock certificates
are issued. DTC, through its nominee Cede & Co., is the record
owner of all outstanding Shares.
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 securities that
you hold in book-entry or “street name” form for any
publicly-traded company. Specifically, in the case of a shareholder
meeting of the Fund, DTC assigns applicable Cede & Co. voting
rights to its participants that have Shares credited to their
accounts on the record date, issues an omnibus proxy and forwards
the omnibus proxy to the Fund. The omnibus proxy transfers the
voting authority from Cede & Co. to the DTC participant. This
gives the DTC participant through whom you own Shares (namely, your
broker, dealer, bank, trust company or other nominee) authority to
vote the shares, and, in turn, the DTC participant is obligated to
follow the voting instructions you provide.
Management
Board
of Trustees
The
Board of Trustees of the Trust is responsible for the general
supervision and overseeing the management and business affairs of
the Fund. The Board of Trustees appoints officers who are
responsible for the day-to-day operations and oversee operations of
the Fund by its officers. The Board of Trustees also reviews
management of the Fund’s assets by the investment advisor and
sub-advisor. Information about the Board of trustees and executive
officers of the Fund is contained in the SAI.
Investment Advisor
The Advisor is registered as an investment advisor with the SEC.
The Advisor’s principal office is located at 16 Firebush
Road, Levittown, PA 19056.
The Advisor has overall responsibility for the general management
and administration of the Trust. The Advisor provides an investment
program for the Fund. The Advisor has arranged for custody, fund
administration, transfer agency and all other non-distribution
related services necessary for the Fund to operate.
As compensation for its services and its assumption of certain
expenses, the Fund pays the Advisor a management fee equal to a
percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets that is
calculated daily and paid monthly, as follows:
Fund Name
|
Management Fee
|
Procure
Space ETF
|
0.75%
|
The Advisor serves as advisor to the Fund pursuant to an Investment
Advisory Agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”). As of
the date of this Prospectus, the Advisor is newly formed for the
purpose of advising the Fund and has no other accounts under
management. The Sub-Advisor serves as sub-advisor to the Fund
pursuant to a Sub-Advisory Agreement. The Advisory Agreement and
Sub-Advisory Agreement will be approved by the Independent Trustees
of the Trust at its annual meeting. The basis for the
Trustees’ approval of the Advisory Agreement will be
available in the Trust’s Annual or Semi-Annual Report to
shareholders for the period year ended October 31, 2019 (when
available).
Under the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor agrees to pay all
expenses of the Trust, except brokerage and other transaction
expenses including taxes; extraordinary legal fees or expenses,
such as those for litigation or arbitration; compensation and
expenses of the Independent Trustees, counsel to the Independent
Trustees, and the Trust’s chief compliance officer;
extraordinary expenses; distribution fees and expenses paid by the
Trust under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1
under the 1940 Act; and the advisory fee payable to the Advisor
hereunder.
The Advisor and its affiliates deal, trade and invest for their own
accounts in the types of securities in which the Fund also may
invest. The Advisor does not use inside information in making
investment decisions on behalf of the Fund.
Portfolio
Management
Sub-Advisor
Pursuant
to an investment sub-advisory agreement (“Sub-Advisory
Agreement”), Penserra Capital Management LLC, a New York
limited liability company with a Principal Office located at 4
Orinda Way, 100-A, Orinda, California 94563 (“Penserra”
or the “Sub-Advisor”), is responsible for the
day-to-day management of the Fund. The Sub-Adviser provides
investment advisory services to other exchange-traded funds. The
Sub-Advisor is responsible for, among other things, trading
portfolio securities on behalf of the Fund, including selecting
broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions as
instructed by the Advisor or in connection with any rebalancing or
reconstitution of the Index, subject to the supervision of the
Advisor and the Board. Under the Sub-Advisory Agreement, the
Advisor pays the Sub-Advisor a fee for its services. As of April
25, 2018, the Sub-Advisor managed approximately $1.6 billion in
assets.
The
Sub-Advisor has been registered as an investment adviser since
2014.
The
Sub-Advisor is responsible for managing the investment portfolio of
the Fund and will direct the purchase and sale of the Fund’s
investment securities. The Sub-Advisor utilizes a team of
investment professionals acting together to manage the assets of
the Fund. The team meets regularly to review portfolio holdings and
to discuss purchase and sale activity. The team adjusts holdings in
the portfolio as they deem appropriate in the pursuit of the
Fund’s investment objective.
PORTFOLIO
MANAGERS
.
The
Fund’s day-to-day activities will be managed by a team of
portfolio managers from of Penserra Capital Management, LLC, the
Sub-Advisor.
Dustin
Lewellyn, Ernesto Tong, and Anand Desai are the Fund’s
portfolio managers and are jointly responsible for the day-to-day
management of the Fund. The portfolio managers are responsible for
various functions related to portfolio management, including, but
not limited to, investing cash inflows, implementing investment
strategy, researching and reviewing investment strategy, and
overseeing members of their portfolio management team with more
limited responsibilities.
Mr.
Lewellyn has been Chief Investment Officer with Penserra since
2012. He was President and Founder of Golden Gate Investment
Consulting LLC from 2011 through 2015. Prior to that, Mr. Lewellyn
was a managing director at Charles Schwab Investment Management,
Inc. (“CSIM”), which he joined in 2009, and head of
portfolio management for Schwab ETFs. Prior to joining CSIM, he
worked for two years as director of ETF product management and
development at a major financial institution focused on asset and
wealth management. Prior to that, he was a portfolio manager for
institutional clients at a financial services firm for three years.
In addition, he held roles in portfolio operations and portfolio
management at a large asset management firm for more than 6
years.
Mr.
Tong has been a Managing Director with Penserra since 2015. Prior
to that, Mr. Tong spent seven years as vice president at Blackrock,
where he was a portfolio manager for a number of the iShares ETFs,
and prior to that, he spent two years in the firm’s index
research group.
Mr.
Desai has been a Vice President with Penserra since 2015. Prior to
that, Mr. Desai was a portfolio fund accountant at State Street for
five years.
For
more information about the portfolio managers’ compensation,
other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the portfolio
managers’ ownership of securities in the Fund, see the
SAI.
Other Service Providers
Index Provider to the Procure Space ETF
S-Network
Global Indexes, Inc. (“S-Network Global Indexes”)
located at
267 Fifth Avenue,
Suite 508, New York, NY 10016
,
developed and sponsors the Underlying Index for the Procure Space
ETF. The Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted
by
S-Network
Global
Indexes
.
S-NETWORK
GLOBAL INDEXES
DOES
NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE S-NETWORK
GLOBAL INDEX(ES) OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN AND S-NETWORK GLOBAL
INDEXES SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR
INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN. S-NETWORK GLOBAL INDEXES MAKES NO WARRANTY,
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY LICENSEE,
OWNERS OF THE PRODUCT(S), OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE
USE OF THE S-NETWORK GLOBAL INDEX(ES) OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN.
S-NETWORK GLOBAL INDEXES MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES,
AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE
S-NETWORK GLOBAL INDEX(ES) OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT
LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL S-NETWORK GLOBAL
INDEXES HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INDIRECT, OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS), EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF
THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
Fund Administrator, Custodian, and Transfer Agent for the Procure
Space ETF:
U.S.
Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
(“U.S. Bancorp”), located at
615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202
, serves as the Fund’s Administrator,
Custodian, and Transfer Agent.
U.S. Bancorp
is an operating subsidiary of
U.S.
Bank.
Distributor
Quasar
Distributors LLC
(“
Quasar
” or “
Distributor
”), a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S.
Bancorp, serves as the Distributor of Creation Units for the Fund
on an agency basis. The Distributor does not maintain a Secondary
Market in Shares. ProcureAM, LLC has entered into a Services
Agreement with
Quasar
to
distribute the Fund.
Compliance Services
Vigilant Compliance, LLC will manage the compliance programs of the
Trust and the Fund. Michael Hogan of Vigilant Compliance, LLC will
act as Chief Compliance Officer (the “CCO”) of the
Trust and the Fund and perform the functions of the chief
compliance officer as described in Rule 38a-1 under the Investment
Company Act of 1940. The CCO shall have primary responsibility for
administering the Trust’s compliance policies and procedures
adopted pursuant to Rule 38a-1 (the “Compliance
Program”) and reviewing the Compliance Program, in the manner
specified in Rule 38a-1, at least annually, or as may be required
by Rule 38a-1, as may be amended from time to time. The CCO reports
directly to the Board of Trustees regarding the Compliance
Program.
Calculation Agent
S-Network
Global Indexes is the calculation agent and real-time calculation
is provided by Thomson Reuters. Closing index values and weights
are provided to data vendors between 6PM and 7PM Eastern Standard
Time, Monday through Friday, except on official New York Stock
Exchange holidays. The Underlying Index values are distributed at
15-second intervals throughout the days on which the Underlying
Index is calculated.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Cohen & Company Ltd., located at
1350
Euclid Ave., Suite 800, Cleveland, Ohio 44115, serves as the
independent registered public accounting firm for the
Trust.
Legal Counsel
Chapman and Cutler LLP, 1270 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New
York 10020, serves as counsel to the Trust and the
Fund.
Frequent Trading
The Trust’s Board of Trustees has not adopted policies and
procedures with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of
Fund Shares by Fund shareholders (“market timing”). In
determining not to adopt market timing policies and procedures, the
Board noted that the Fund is expected to be attractive to active
institutional and retail investors interested in buying and selling
Fund Shares on a short-term basis. In addition, the Board
considered that, unlike traditional mutual funds, the Fund’s
Shares can only be purchased and redeemed directly from the Fund in
Creation Units by Authorized Participants, and that the vast
majority of trading in the Fund’s Shares occurs on the
secondary market. Because secondary market trades do not involve
the Fund directly, it is unlikely those trades would cause many of
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 respect to
trades directly with the Fund, to the extent effected in-kind
(namely, for securities), those trades do not cause any of the
harmful effects that may result from frequent cash trades. To the
extent trades are effected in whole or in part in cash, the Board
noted that those trades could result in dilution to the Fund and
increased transaction costs (the Fund may impose higher transaction
fees to offset these increased costs), which could negatively
impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment
objective. However, the Board noted that direct trading on a
short-term basis by Authorized Participants is critical to ensuring
that the Fund’s Shares trade at or close to NAV. Given this
structure, the Board determined that it is not necessary to adopt
market timing policies and procedures. The Fund reserves the right
to reject any purchase order at any time and reserves the right to
impose restrictions on disruptive or excessive trading in Creation
Units.
The
Board of Trustees has instructed the officers of the Trust to
review reports of purchases and redemptions of Creation Units on a
regular basis to determine if there is any unusual trading in the
Fund. The officers of the Trust will report to the Board any such
unusual trading in Creation Units that is disruptive to the Fund.
In such event, the Board may reconsider its decision not to adopt
market timing policies and procedures.
Distribution and Service Plan
The Board of Trustees of the Trust has adopted a Distribution and
Service Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. In
accordance with its Rule 12b-1 plan, the Fund is authorized to pay
an amount up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets each year to
finance activities primarily intended to result in the sale of
Creation Units of the Fund or the provision of investor services.
No Rule 12b-1 fees are currently paid by the Fund and there are no
plans to impose these fees. However, in the event Rule 12b-1 fees
are charged in the future, they will be paid out of the
Fund’s assets, and over time these fees will increase the
cost of your investment and they may cost you more than certain
other types of sales charges.
The Advisor and its affiliates may, out of their own resources, pay
amounts (“Payments”) to third parties for distribution
or marketing services on behalf of the Fund. The making of these
payments could create a conflict of interest for a financial
intermediary receiving such payments. The Advisor may make Payments
for such third parties to organize or participate in activities
that are designed to make registered representatives, other
professionals and individual investors more knowledgeable about
ETFs, including ETFs advised by the Advisor, or for other
activities, such as participation in marketing activities and
presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the
development of technology platforms and reporting systems
(“Education Costs”). The Advisor also may make Payments
to third parties to help defray costs typically covered by a
trading commission, such as certain printing, publishing and
mailing costs or materials relating to the marketing of services
related to exchange-traded products (such as commission-free
trading platforms) or exchange-traded products in general
(“Administrative Costs”).
As of
the date of this Prospectus, the Advisor has not entered into
arrangements whereby it would make Payments.
Determination of Net Asset Value (NAV)
The
NAV of the Shares for the Fund is equal to the Fund’s total
assets minus the Fund’s total liabilities divided by the
total number of Shares outstanding. Interest and investment income
on the Trust’s assets accrue daily and are included in the
Fund’s total assets. Expenses and fees (including investment
advisory, management, administration and distribution fees, if any)
accrue daily and are included in the Fund’s total
liabilities. The NAV that is published is rounded to the nearest
cent; however, for purposes of determining the price of Creation
Units, the NAV is calculated to five decimal places. The NAV is
calculated by the Administrator and Custodian and determined each
Business Day as of the close of regular trading on the New York
Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) (ordinarily 4:00 p.m. New York
time).
In
calculating NAV, the Fund’s investments are valued using
market quotations when available. Equity securities are generally
valued at the closing price of the security on the security’s
primary exchange. The primary exchanges for the Fund’s
foreign equity securities may close for trading at various times
prior to close of regular trading on the NYSE, and the value of
such securities used in computing the Fund’s NAV are
generally determined as of such times. The Fund’s foreign
securities may trade on weekends or other days when Fund Shares do
not trade. Consequently, the value of portfolio securities of the
Fund may change on days when Shares of the Fund cannot be purchased
or sold. With respect to any portion of the Fund’s assets
invested in one or more underlying mutual funds, the Fund’s
NAV is calculated based upon the NAVs of those underlying mutual
funds.
When
market quotations are not readily available or are deemed
unreliable or not representative of an investment’s fair
value, investments are valued using fair value pricing as
determined in good faith by the Advisor under procedures
established by and under the general supervision and responsibility
of the Trust’s Board of Trustees. Investments that may be
valued using fair value pricing include, but are not limited to:
(1) securities that are not actively traded, including
“restricted” securities and securities received in
private placements for which there is no public market; (2)
securities of an issuer that becomes bankrupt or enters into a
restructuring; and (3) securities whose trading has been halted or
suspended.
The
frequency with which the Fund’s investments are valued using
fair value pricing is primarily a function of the types of
securities and other assets in which the Fund invests pursuant to
its investment objective, strategies and limitations. If the Fund
invests in other open-end management investment companies
registered under the 1940 Act, they may rely on the net asset
values of those companies to value the shares they hold of them.
Those companies may also use fair value pricing under some
circumstances.
Valuing
the Fund’s investments using fair value pricing results in
using prices for those investments that may differ from current
market valuations. Accordingly, fair value pricing could result in
a difference between the prices used to calculate NAV and the
prices used to determine the Fund’s Indicative Intra-Day
Value (“IIV”), which could result in the market prices
for Shares deviating from NAV.
Indicative Intra-Day Value
The approximate value of the Fund’s investments on a
per-Share basis, the Indicative Intra-Day Value, or IIV, is
disseminated by the Exchange every 15 seconds during hours of
trading of the Fund. The IIV should not be viewed as a
“real-time” update of NAV because the IIV may not be
calculated in the same manner as NAV, which is computed once per
day.
An independent third-party calculator calculates the IIV for the
Fund during hours of trading of the Fund by dividing the
“Estimated Fund Value” as of the time of the
calculation by the total number of outstanding Shares of that Fund.
“Estimated Fund Value” is the sum of the estimated
amount of cash held in the Fund’s portfolio, the estimated
amount of accrued interest owed to the Fund and the estimated value
of the securities held in the Fund’s portfolio, minus the
estimated amount of the Fund’s liabilities. The IIV will be
calculated based on the same portfolio holdings disclosed on the
Trust’s website.
The Fund may provide the independent third-party calculator with
information to assist in the calculation of the IIV, but the Fund
is not involved in the actual calculation of the IIV and is not
responsible for the calculation or dissemination of the IIV. The
Fund makes no warranty as to the accuracy of the IIV.
Dividends, Distributions and Taxes
Net Investment Income and Capital Gains
As
the Fund shareholder, you are entitled to your share of the
Fund’s distributions of net investment income and net
realized capital gains on its investments. The Fund pays out
substantially all of its net earnings to their shareholders as
“distributions.”
The
Fund typically earns income dividends from stocks and interest from
debt securities. These amounts, net of expenses, typically are
passed along to Fund shareholders as dividends from net investment
income. The Fund realizes capital gains or losses whenever they
sell securities. Net capital gains typically are passed along to
shareholders as “capital gain distributions.” Net
investment income and net capital gains typically are distributed
to shareholders at least annually. Dividends may be declared and
paid more frequently to improve index tracking or to comply with
the distribution requirements of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of
1986, as amended (the “Code”). In addition, the Fund
may decide to distribute at least annually amounts representing the
full dividend yield net of expenses on the underlying investment
securities, as if the Fund owned the underlying investment
securities for the entire dividend period, in which case some
portion of each distribution may result in a return of capital. You
will be notified regarding the portion of a distribution that
represents a return of capital.
Distributions
in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional Shares of the
Fund only if the broker through which you purchased Shares makes
such option available. Distributions which are reinvested
nevertheless will be subject to U.S. federal income tax to the same
extent as if such distributions had not been
reinvested.
U.S. Federal Income Taxation
The
following is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax
considerations applicable to an investment in Shares of a Fund. The
summary is based on the Code, U.S. Treasury Department regulations
promulgated thereunder, and judicial and administrative
interpretations thereof, all as in effect on the date of this
Prospectus and all of which are subject to change, possibly with
retroactive effect. In addition, this summary assumes that a Fund
shareholder holds Shares as capital assets within the meaning of
the Code and does not hold Shares in connection with a trade or
business. This summary does not address all potential U.S. federal
income tax considerations possibly applicable to an investment in
Shares of the Fund, and does not address the consequences to Fund
shareholders subject to special tax rules, including, but not
limited to, partnerships and the partners therein, tax-exempt
shareholders, those who hold Fund Shares through an IRA, 401(k)
plan or other tax-advantaged account, and, except to the extent
discussed below, “non-U.S. shareholders” (as defined
below). This discussion does not discuss any aspect of U.S. state,
local, estate, and gift, or non-U.S. tax law. Furthermore, this
discussion is not intended or written to be legal or tax advice to
any shareholder in a Fund or other person and is not intended or
written to be used or relied on, and cannot be used or relied on,
by any such person for the purpose of avoiding any U.S. federal tax
penalties that may be imposed on such person. Prospective Fund
shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors with
respect to the specific U.S. federal, state and local, and
non-U.S., tax consequences of investing in Shares, based on their
particular circumstances.
The
Fund has not requested and will not request an advance ruling from
the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) as to the
U.S. federal income tax matters described below. The IRS could
adopt positions contrary to those discussed below and such
positions could be sustained. Prospective investors should consult
their own tax advisors with regard to the U.S. federal tax
consequences of the purchase, ownership or disposition of Shares,
as well as the tax consequences arising under the laws of any
state, non-U.S. country or other taxing jurisdiction. The following
information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with,
the section in the SAI entitled “U.S. Federal Income
Taxation.”
Tax Treatment of a Fund
The
Fund intends to qualify and elect to be treated as a separate
“regulated investment company” (a “RIC”)
under the Code. To qualify and remain eligible for the special tax
treatment accorded to RICs, the Fund must meet certain annual
income and quarterly asset diversification requirements and must
distribute annually at least 90% of the sum of (i) its
“investment company taxable income” (which includes
dividends, interest and net short-term capital gains) and (ii)
certain net tax-exempt income, if any.
As
a RIC, a Fund generally will not be required to pay corporate-level
U.S. federal income taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains
that it distributes to its shareholders. If a Fund fails to qualify
as a RIC for any year (subject to certain curative measures allowed
by the Code), the Fund will be subject to regular corporate-level
U.S. federal income tax in that year on all of its taxable income,
regardless of whether a Fund makes any distributions to its
shareholders. In addition, in such case, distributions will be
taxable to a Fund’s shareholders generally as ordinary
dividends to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated
earnings and profits. The remainder of this discussion assumes that
the Fund will qualify for the special tax treatment accorded to
RICs.
A
Fund will be subject to a 4% excise tax on certain undistributed
income if the Fund does not distribute to its shareholders in each
calendar year at least 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar
year, 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the twelve months
ended April 30 of such year, plus 100% of any undistributed amounts
from prior years. For these purposes, the Fund will be treated as
having distributed any amount on which it has been subject to U.S.
corporate income tax for the taxable year ending within the
calendar year. The Fund intends to make distributions necessary to
avoid this 4% excise tax, although there can be no assurance that
it will be able to do so.
The
Fund may be required to recognize taxable income in advance of
receiving the related cash payment. For example, if a Fund invests
in original issue discount obligations (such as zero coupon debt
instruments or debt instruments with payment-in-kind interest), the
Fund will be required to include in income each year a portion of
the original issue discount that accrues over the term of the
obligation, even if the related cash payment is not received by the
Fund until a later year. Under the “wash sale” rules, a
Fund may not be able to deduct currently a loss on a disposition of
a portfolio security. As a result, a Fund may be required to make
an annual income distribution greater than the total cash actually
received during the year. Such distribution may be made from the
existing cash assets of the Fund or cash generated from selling
portfolio securities. The Fund may realize gains or losses from
such sales, in which event its shareholders may receive a larger
capital gain distribution than they would in the absence of such
transactions.
Tax Treatment of Fund Shareholders
Taxation of U.S. Shareholders
The
following is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax
consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of Fund
Shares applicable to “U.S. shareholders.” For purposes
of this discussion, a “U.S. shareholder” is a
beneficial owner of Fund Shares who, for U.S. federal income tax
purposes, is (i) an individual who is a citizen or resident of the
United States; (ii) a corporation (or an entity treated as a
corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or
organized in the United States or under the laws of the United
States, or of any state thereof, or the District of Columbia; (iii)
an estate, the income of which is includable in gross income for
U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of its source; or (iv)
a trust, if (1) a U.S. court is able to exercise primary
supervision over the administration of such trust and one or more
U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial
decisions of the trust, or (2) the trust has a valid election in
place to be treated as a U.S. person.
Fund Distributions.
In general, Fund distributions are
subject to U.S. federal income tax when paid, regardless of whether
they consist of cash or property, and regardless of whether they
are re-invested in Shares. However, any Fund distribution declared
in October, November or December of any calendar year and payable
to shareholders of record on a specified date during such month
will be deemed to have been received by each Fund shareholder on
December 31 of such calendar year, provided such dividend is
actually paid during January of the following calendar
year.
Distributions of a Fund’s net investment income and net
short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses
(collectively referred to as “ordinary income
dividends”) are taxable as ordinary income to the extent of
the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits
(subject to an exception for distributions of “qualified
dividend income,” as discussed below). To the extent
designated as capital gain dividends by a Fund, distributions of a
Fund’s net long-term capital gains in excess of net
short-term capital losses (“net capital gain”) are
taxable at long-term capital gain tax rates to the extent of the
Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits,
regardless of a Fund shareholder’s holding period in the
Fund’s Shares. Distributions of “qualified
dividendincome” (defined below) are, to the extent of a
Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, taxed to
certain non-corporate Fund shareholders at the ratesgenerally
applicable to long-term capital gain, provided that the Fund
shareholder meets certain holding period and other requirements
with respect to the distributing Fund’s Shares and the
distributing Fund meets certain holding period and other
requirements with respect to its dividend-paying stocks. For this
purpose, “qualified dividend income” generally means
income from dividends received by a Fund from U.S. corporations and
qualified non-U.S. corporations. Substitute payments received on
Fund Shares that are lent out will be ineligible for being reported
as qualified dividend income. If a Fund pays a dividend that would
be “qualified” dividend income for individuals,
corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends received
deduction.
The
Fund intends to distribute its net capital gain at least annually.
However, by providing written notice to its shareholders no later
than 60 days after its year-end, a Fund may elect to retain some or
all of its net capital gain and designate the retained amount as a
“deemed distribution.” In that event, the Fund pays
U.S. federal income tax on the retained net capital gain, and each
Fund shareholder recognizes a proportionate share of the
Fund’s undistributed net capital gain. In addition, each Fund
shareholder can claim a tax credit or refund for the
shareholder’s proportionate share of the Fund’s U.S.
federal income taxes paid on the undistributed net capital gain and
increase the shareholder’s tax basis in the Shares by an
amount equal to the shareholder’s proportionate share of the
Fund’s undistributed net capital gain, reduced by the amount
of the shareholder’s tax credit or refund.
Distributions
in excess of a Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and
profits will, as to each shareholder, be treated as a tax-free
return of capital to the extent of the shareholder’s tax
basis in its Shares of the Fund, and generally as capital gain
thereafter.
In
addition, high-income individuals (and certain trusts and estates)
generally will be subject to a 3.8% Medicare tax on “net
investment income” in addition to otherwise applicable U.S.
federal income tax. “Net investment income” generally
will include dividends (including capital gain dividends) received
from the Fund and net gains from the redemption or other
disposition of Shares. Please consult your tax advisor regarding
this tax.
If a Fund is a “qualified fund of funds” (i.e., a RIC
atleast 50% of thevalue of the total assets of which, at the close
of each quarter of the taxable year, is represented by interests in
other RICs) or more than 50% of a Fund’s total assets at the
end of a taxable year consist of non-U.S. stock or securities, the
Fund mayelect to “pass through” to its shareholders
certain non-U.S. income taxes paid by the Fund. This meansthat each
shareholder will be required to (i) include in gross income, even
though not actually received, the shareholder’s pro rata
share of the Fund’s non-U.S. income taxes, and (ii) either
take a corresponding deduction (in calculating U.S. federal taxable
income) or credit (in calculating U.S. federal income tax), subject
to certain limitations.
Investors
considering buying Shares just prior to a distribution should be
aware that, although the price of the Shares purchased at such time
may reflect the forthcoming distribution, such distribution
nevertheless may be taxable (as opposed to a non-taxable return of
capital).
Sales or Exchanges.
Any capital gain or loss realized upon
a sale or exchange of Shares generally is treated as a long-term
gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year.
Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale or exchange of Shares
held for one year or less generally is treated as a short-term gain
or loss, except that any capital loss on the sale or exchange of
Shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital
loss to the extent that capital gain dividends were paid (or deemed
to be paid) with respect to the Shares.
Creation Unit Issues and
Redemptions.
On an issue of
Shares of a Fund as part of a Creation Unit where the creation is
conducted in-kind, an Authorized Participant generally recognizes
capital gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the fair
market value (at issue) of the issued Shares (plus any cash
received by the Authorized Participant as part of the issue) and
(ii) the Authorized Participant’s aggregate basis in the
exchanged securities (plus any cash paid by the Authorized
Participant as part of the issue). On a redemption of Shares as
part of a Creation Unit where the redemption is conducted in-kind,
an Authorized Participant generally recognizes capital gain or loss
equal to the difference between (i) the fair market value (at
redemption) of the securities received (plus any cash received by
the Authorized Participant as part of the redemption) and (ii) the
Authorized Participant’s basis in the redeemed Shares (plus
any cash paid by the Authorized Participant as part of the
redemption). However, the IRS may assert, under the “wash
sale” rules or on the basis that there has been no
significant change in the Authorized Participant’s economic
position, that any loss on creation or redemption of Creation Units
cannot be deducted currently.
In
general, any capital gain or loss recognized upon the issue or
redemption of Shares (as components of a Creation Unit) is treated
either as long-term capital gain or loss, if the deposited
securities (in the case of an issue) or the Shares (in the case of
a redemption) have been held for more than one year, or otherwise
as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any capital loss on a
redemption of Shares held for six months or less is treated as
long-term capital loss to the extent that capital gain dividends
were paid (or deemed to be paid) with respect to such
Shares.
Taxation of Non-U.S. Shareholders
The
following is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax
consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of Fund
Shares applicable to “non-U.S. shareholders.” For
purposes of this discussion, a “non-U.S. shareholder”
is a beneficial owner of Fund Shares that is not a U.S. shareholder
(as defined above) and is not an entity or arrangement treated as a
partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The following
discussion is based on current law and is for general information
only. It addresses only selected, and not all, aspects of U.S.
federal income taxation applicable to non-U.S.
shareholders.
With
respect to non-U.S. shareholders of the Fund, a Fund’s
ordinary income dividends generally will be subject to U.S. federal
withholding tax at a rate of 30% (or at a lower rate established
under an applicable tax treaty), subject to certain exceptions for
“interest-related dividends” and “short-term
capital gain dividends” discussed below. The Fund will not
pay any additional amounts to shareholders in respect of any
amounts withheld. U.S. federal withholding tax generally will not
apply to any gain realized by a non-U.S. shareholder in respect of
a Fund’s net capital gain. Special rules (not discussed
herein) apply with respect to dividends of a Fund that are
attributable to gain from the sale or exchange of “U.S. real
property interests.”
In
general, all “interest-related dividends” and
“short-term capital gain dividends” (each defined
below) will not be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax,
provided that the non-U.S. shareholder furnished the Fund with a
completed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, as applicable, (or
acceptable substitute documentation) establishing the non-U.S.
shareholder’s non-U.S. status and the Fund does not have
actual knowledge or reason to know that the non-U.S. shareholder
would be subject to such withholding tax if the non-U.S.
shareholder were to receive the related amounts directly rather
than as dividends from the Fund. “Interest-related
dividends” generally means dividends designated by a Fund as
attributable to such Fund’s U.S.-source interest income,
other than certain contingent interest and interest from
obligations of a corporation or partnership in which such Fund is
at least a 10% shareholder, reduced by expenses that are allocable
to such income. “Short-term capital gain dividends”
generally means dividends designated by a Fund as attributable to
the excess of such Fund’s net short-term capital gain over
its net long-term capital loss. Depending on its circumstances, the
Fund may treat such dividends, in whole or in part, as ineligible
for these exemptions from withholding.
In
general, subject to certain exceptions, non-U.S. shareholders will
not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax in respect
of a sale or other disposition of Shares of a Fund.
To
claim a credit or refund for any Fund-level taxes on any
undistributed net capital gain (as discussed above) or any taxes
collected through back-up withholding (discussed below), a non-U.S.
shareholder must obtain a U.S. taxpayer identification number and
file a U.S. federal income tax return even if the non-U.S.
shareholder would not otherwise be required to do so.
Back-Up
Withholding
.
A
Fund (or a financial intermediary such as a broker
through which a shareholder holds Shares in a Fund) may be required
to report certain information on a Fund shareholder to the IRS and
withhold U.S. federal income tax (“backup withholding”)
at a current rate of 24% from taxable distributions and redemption
or sale proceeds payable to the Fund shareholder if (i) the Fund
shareholder fails to provide the Fund with a correct taxpayer
identification number or make required certifications, or if the
IRS notifies the Fund that the Fund shareholder is otherwise
subject to backup withholding, and (ii) the Fund shareholder is not
otherwise exempt from backup withholding. Non-U.S. shareholders can
qualify for exemption from backup withholding by submitting a
properly completed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E. Backup withholding
is not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited
against a Fund shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax
liability.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance
Act
.
The U.S. Foreign
Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) generally imposes
a 30% withholding tax on “withholdable payments”
(defined below) made to (i)a “foreign financial
institution” (“FFI”), unless the FFI enters into
an agreement with the IRS to provide information regarding certain
of its direct and indirect U.S. account holders and satisfy certain
due diligence and other specified requirements, and (ii) a
“non-financial foreign entity” (“NFFE”)
unless such NFFE provides certain information about its direct and
indirect “substantial U.S. owners” to the withholding
agent or certifies that it has no such U.S. owners. The beneficial
owner of a “withholdable payment” may be eligible for a
refund or credit of the withheld tax. The U.S. government also has
entered into intergovernmental agreements with other jurisdictions
to provide an alternative, and generally easier, approach for FFIs
to comply with FATCA. If the shareholder is a tax resident in a
jurisdiction that has entered into an intergovernmental agreement
with the U.S. government, the shareholder will be required to
provide information about the shareholder’s classification
and compliance with the intergovernmental
agreement.
“Withholdable
payments” generally include, among other items, (i)
U.S.-source interest and dividends, and (ii) gross proceeds from
the sale or disposition, occurring on or after January 1, 2019, of
property of a type that can produce U.S.-source interest or
dividends.
A
Fund or shareholder's broker may be required to impose a 30%
withholding tax on withholdable payments to a shareholder if the
shareholder fails to provide the Fund with the information,
certifications or documentation required under FATCA, including
information, certification or documentation necessary for the Fund
to determine if the shareholder is a non-U.S. shareholder or a U.S.
shareholder and, if it is a non-U.S. shareholder, if the non-U.S.
shareholder has “substantial U.S. owners” and/or is in
compliance with (or meets an exception from) FATCA requirements. A
Fund will not pay any additional amounts to shareholders in respect
of any amounts withheld. The Fund may disclose any shareholder
information, certifications or documentation to the IRS or other
parties as necessary to comply with FATCA.
The
requirements of, and exceptions from, FATCA are complex. All
prospective shareholders are urged to consult their own tax
advisors regarding the potential application of FATCA with respect
to their own situation.
For
a more detailed tax discussion regarding an investment in the Fund,
please see the section of the SAI entitled “U.S. Federal
Income Taxation.
Code of Ethics
The
Trust, the Advisor, Sub-Advisor and the Distributor each have
adopted a code of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act that is
designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Trust, the Advisor,
and the Distributor from engaging in deceptive, manipulative or
fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be
acquired by the Fund (which may also be held by persons subject to
a code). There can be no assurance that the codes will be effective
in preventing such activities. The codes permit personnel subject
to them to invest in securities, including securities that may be
held or purchased by the Fund. The codes are on file with the SEC
and are available to the public.
Fund Website and Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings
The Advisor maintains a website for the Fund at
www.procuream.com
.
The website for the Fund contains the following information, on a
per-Share basis, for the Fund: (1) the prior Business Day’s
NAV; (2) the reported mid-point of the bid-ask spread at the time
of NAV calculation (the “Bid-Ask Price”); (3) a
calculation of the premium or discount of the Bid-Ask Price against
such NAV; and (4) data in chart format displaying the frequency
distribution of discounts and premiums of the Bid-Ask Price against
the NAV, within appropriate ranges, for each of the four previous
calendar quarters (or for the life of the Fund if, shorter). In
addition, on each Business Day, before the commencement of trading
in Shares on the Exchange, the Fund will disclose on its website
(
www.procuream.com
)
the identities and quantities of the portfolio securities and other
assets held by the Fund that will form the basis for the
calculation of NAV at the end of the Business
Day.
A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with
respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities
is available on the Fund’s website.
Other Information
The
Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by the S-Network
Global Indexes Inc. The Index Provider makes no representation or
warranty, express or implied, to the owners of Shares or any member
of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities
generally or in the Fund particularly or the ability of the Fund to
achieve their objectives. The Index Provider has no obligation or
liability in connection with the administration, marketing or
trading of the Fund.
For
purposes of the 1940 Act, the Fund is registered investment
companies, and the acquisition of Shares by other registered
investment companies and companies relying on exemption from
registration as investment companies under Section 3(c)(1) or
3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act is subject to the restrictions of Section
12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, except as permitted by an exemptive order
that permits registered investment companies to invest in the Fund
beyond those limitations.
Financial Highlights
Financial
Highlights are not presented for the Procure Space ETF since the
Fund has not yet commenced operations.
Privacy Policy
Procure
ETF Trust II is committed to respecting the privacy of personal
information you entrust to us in the course of doing business with
us.
The
Trust may collect non-public personal information from various
sources. The Trust uses such information provided by you or your
representative to process transactions, to respond to inquiries
from you, to deliver reports, products, and services, and to
fulfill legal and regulatory requirements.
We
do not disclose any non-public personal information about our
customers to anyone unless permitted by law or approved by the
customer. We may share this information within the Trust’s
family of companies in the course of providing services and
products to best meet your investing needs. We may share
information with certain third parties who are not affiliated with
the Trust to perform marketing services, to process or service a
transaction at your request or as permitted by law. For example,
sharing information with companies that maintain or service
customer accounts for the Trust is essential. We may also share
information with companies that perform administrative or marketing
services for the Trust, including research firms. When we enter
into such a relationship, we restrict the companies’ use of
our customers’ information and prohibit them from sharing it
or using it for any purposes other than those for which they were
hired.
We
maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect
your personal information. Within the Trust, we restrict access to
personal information to those employees who require access to that
information in order to provide products or services to our
customers, such as handling inquiries. Our employment policies
restrict the use of customer information and require that it be
held in strict confidence.
We
will adhere to the policies and practices described in this notice
for both current and former customers of the Trust.
Frequently Used Terms
Trust
|
|
|
|
Procure ETF Trust
II, a registered open-end investment company
|
Fund
|
|
|
|
The investment
portfolios of the Trust
|
Shares
|
|
|
|
Shares of the Fund
offered to investors
|
Advisor
|
|
|
|
ProcureAM,
LLC
|
Custodian
|
|
|
|
U.S. Bancorp Fund
Services LLC, the custodian of the Fund’s assets
|
Distributor
|
|
|
|
Quasar
Distributors, LLC, the distributor of the Fund
|
AP or Authorized
Participant
|
|
|
|
Certain large
institutional investors such as brokers, dealers, banks or other
entities that have entered into authorized participant agreements
with the Distributor
|
Primary
Market
|
|
|
|
NYSE Arca, the
primary market on which Shares are listed for
trading
.
|
IIV
|
|
|
|
The Indicative
Intra-Day Value, an appropriate per-Share value based on the
Fund’s portfolio
|
1940
Act
|
|
|
|
Investment Company
Act of 1940, as amended
|
NAV
|
|
|
|
Net asset
value
|
SAI
|
|
|
|
Statement of
Additional Information
|
SEC
|
|
|
|
Securities and
Exchange Commission
|
Secondary
Market
|
|
|
|
A national
securities exchange, national securities association or
over-the-counter trading system where Shares may trade from time to
time
|
Securities
Act
|
|
|
|
Securities Act of
1933, as amended
|
Sub-Advisor
|
|
|
|
Penserra Capital
Management LLC
|
Procure ETF Trust II
Mailing Address
c/o ProcureAM, LLC
16 Firebush Road
Levittown, PA 19056
www.procuream.com
PROSPECTUS | [____________,2019]
PROCURE ETF TRUST II
FOR MORE INFORMATION
If
you would like more information about the Trust, the Fund and the
Shares, the following documents are available free upon request,
when they become available:
Annual/Semi-annual Report
Additional
information about the Fund’s investments is available in the
Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders (once
available). 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 year.
Statement of Additional Information
Additional
information about the Fund and its policies is also available in
the Fund’s SAI. The SAI is incorporated by reference into
this Prospectus (and is legally considered part of this
Prospectus).
The Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports
(when available) and the SAI are available free upon request by
calling 1-877-776-1187. You can also access and download the annual
and semi-annual reports and the SAI at the Fund’s
website:
www.procuream.com
.
To
obtain other information and for shareholder
inquiries:
By
telephone:
|
|
|
1-877-776-1187
|
By
mail:
|
|
|
Procure
ETF Trust II c/o
ProcureAM,
LLC
16
Firebush Road, Levittown PA 19056
|
On the
Internet:
|
|
|
SEC
Edgar database: http://www.sec.gov
|
You
may review and obtain copies of Fund documents (including the SAI)
by visiting the SEC’s public reference room in Washington,
D.C. You may also obtain copies of Fund documents, after paying a
duplicating fee, by writing to the SEC’s Public Reference
Section, Washington, D.C. 20549-0102 or by electronic request to:
publicinfo@sec.gov. Information on the operation of the public
reference room may be obtained by calling the SEC at (202)
551-8090.
No
person is authorized to give any information or to make any
representations about the Fund and its Shares not contained in this
Prospectus and you should not rely on any other information. Read
and keep the Prospectus for future reference.
Dealers
effecting transactions in the Fund’s Shares, whether or not
participating in this distribution, may be generally required to
deliver a Prospectus. This is in addition to any obligation dealers
have to deliver a Prospectus when acting as
underwriters.
The
Trust’s investment company registration number is
811-23323.
THE
INFORMATION IN THIS PRELIMINARY STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. WE MAY NOT SELL THESE
SECURITIES UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THIS PRELIMINARY
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE
SECURITIES AND IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE SECURITIES
IN ANY STATE WHERE THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.
Preliminary Statement of Additional Information
Dated January 28, 2019
Subject to Completion
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
PROCURE ETF TRUST II
c/o ProcureAM, LLC
16 Firebush Road
Levittown, PA 19056
PHONE:
215-454-2540
[____________]
, 2019
This Statement of Additional Information (this “SAI”)
is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with and is
incorporated by reference into the prospectus dated
[____________]
, 2019
(the “Prospectus”) for
Procure ETF Trust II (the “Trust”), relating to the
fund (“Fund”) set forth in the table below, as it may
be revised from time to time.
Fund Name
Procure Space ETF (UFO)
A copy of the Trust’s Prospectus relating to the Fund and the
Fund’s annual or semi-annual reports (once available), may be
obtained without charge by writing to the Trust, c/o ProcureAM,
LLC, 16 Firebush Road, Levittown, PA 19056, by calling
1-877-776-1187,
or by visiting the
Trust’s website at
www.procuream.com
.
Capitalized terms used but not defined herein have the same meaning
as in the Prospectus, unless otherwise noted.
Table
of Contents
GENERAL
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE FUND
|
S-1
|
EXCHANGE
LISTING AND TRADING
|
S-1
|
INVESTMENT
OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES
|
S-2
|
INVESTMENT
STRATEGIES AND RISKS
|
S-3
|
MANAGEMENT
|
S-6
|
PROXY
VOTING POLICIES
|
S-10
|
CONTROL
PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF SECURITIES
|
S-10
|
MANAGEMENT
SERVICES
|
S-10
|
OTHER
SERVICE PROVIDERS
|
S-12
|
CERTAIN
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
|
S-13
|
PORTFOLIO
TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE
|
S-14
|
DISCLOSURE
OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
|
S-15
|
INDICATIVE
INTRA-DAY VALUE
|
S-16
|
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION CONCERNING SHARES
|
S-16
|
PURCHASE
AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS
|
S-18
|
CONTINUOUS
OFFERING
|
S-24
|
DIVIDENDS
AND DISTRIBUTIONS
|
S-25
|
U.S.
FEDERAL INCOME TAXATION
|
S-25
|
OTHER
INFORMATION
|
S-30
|
FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
|
S-30
|
APPENDIX
A
|
A-1
|
APPENDIX
B
|
B-1
|
No
person has been authorized to give any information or to make any
representations other than those contained in this SAI and the
Prospectus and, if given or made, such information or
representations may not be relied upon as having been authorized by
the Trust.
The
SAI does not constitute an offer to sell securities.
The information
contained herein regarding the index underlying the Fund (the
“Underlying Index”)
S-Network Global Indexes, Inc.
(the
“Index Provider”) was provided by the Index Provider,
while the information contained herein regarding the securities
markets and The Depository Trust Company was obtained from publicly
available sources.
The Underlying
Index is the S-Network Space Index".
The product(s) is
not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S-Network Global
Indexes, Inc. or its respective affiliates, (with its affiliates,
are referred to as the “Corporation”). The
Corporation has not passed on the legality or suitability of, or
the accuracy or adequacy of descriptions and disclosures relating
to, the Fund. The Corporation makes no representation or
warranty, express or implied to the owners of the Fund or any
member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in
securities generally or in the Product(s) particularly, or the
ability of the Index Provider to track general stock market
performance. The Corporation’s only relationship to
ProcureAM, LLC (“Licensee”) is in the licensing of the
Underlying Index and certain trade names of the Corporation and the
use of the S-Network Space Index
which is determined, composed and
calculated by S-Network
Global Indexes,
Inc.
without regard to Licensee or the product(s).
S-Network
Global Indexes,
Inc.
has no obligation to take the needs of the Licensee or
the owners of the product(s) into consideration in determining,
composing or calculating the Underlying Index. The Corporation is
not responsible for and has not participated in the determination
of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of the product(s) to be
issued or in the determination or calculation of the equation by
which the product(s) is to be converted into cash. The
Corporation has no liability in connection with the administration,
marketing or trading of the product(s).
The Corporation does not guarantee the accuracy
and/or uninterrupted calculation of
S-Network Space Index, or any data included
therein. The Corporation makes no warranty, express or
implied, as to results to be obtained by Licensee, owners of the
product(s), or any other person or entity from the use of
the
S-Network Space
Index or any data included
therein. The Corporation makes no express or implied
warranties, and expressly disclaim all warranties of
merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with
respect to the Index or any data included therein. Without
limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Corporation
have any liability for any lost profits or special, incidental,
punitive, indirect, or consequential damages, even if notified of
the possibility of such damages.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST AND THE
FUND
The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on December
19, 2017 and is authorized to have multiple segregated series
or portfolios. The Trust is an open-end management investment
company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the
“1940 Act”). The Trust currently consists of a number
of separate investment portfolios, of which one is in operation.
This SAI addresses the following investment portfolios of the
Trust, which is deemed to be diversified for the purposes of the
1940 Act:
Procure
Space ETF (UFO)
(“Fund”). Other portfolios may be added to the Trust in
the future. The shares of the Fund are referred to herein as
“Fund Shares” or “Shares.” The offering of
Shares is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the “Securities Act”).
ProcureAM, LLC (the “Advisor”) is the investment
advisor for the Fund. The Advisor will be registered as an
investment adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
“SEC”) at the time of the offering. Penserra Capital
Management LLC serves as the investment sub-advisor for the
Fund.
The Fund offers and issues Shares at net asset value (the
“NAV”) only in aggregations of a specified number of
Shares (each, a “Creation Unit” or a “Creation
Unit Aggregation”), generally in exchange for a basket of
equity securities included in the Underlying Index (the
“Deposit Securities”), together with the deposit of a
specified cash payment (the “Cash Component”). The
Shares of the Fund trade or are expected to trade on the NYSE Arca
(the “Exchange” or “NYSE Arca”). Fund
Shares will trade on the Exchange at market prices that may be
below, at, or above NAV. Shares are redeemable only in Creation
Unit Aggregations and, generally, in exchange for Deposit
Securities and a Cash Component. Creation Units are aggregations of
25,000 Shares of the Fund. In the event of the liquidation of the
Fund, the Trust may lower the number of Shares in a Creation
Unit.
If the Fund presently creates and redeems Fund Shares in kind, the
Trust reserves the right to offer a “cash” option for
creations and redemptions of Fund Shares. Fund 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 at least equal to 115% of the market value of the
missing Deposit Securities. See the “Creation and Redemption
of Creation Units” section. In each instance of such cash
creations or redemptions, transaction fees may be imposed that will
be higher than the transaction fees associated with in kind
creations or redemptions. In all cases, such fees will be limited
in accordance with the requirements of the SEC applicable to
management investment companies offering redeemable
securities.
EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING
There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange
necessary for the Fund to maintain the listing of its Shares will
continue to be met. The Exchange will consider the suspension of
trading and delisting of the Shares of the Fund from listing if (i)
following the initial 12-month period beginning at the commencement
of trading of the Fund, there are fewer than 50 beneficial owners
of the Shares of the Fund for 30 or more consecutive trading days;
(ii) the value of the Underlying Index is no longer calculated or
available; or (iii) such other event shall occur or condition exist
that, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further trading on the
Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the Shares of the
Fund from listing and trading upon termination of such
Fund.
The Fund’s continued listing on the Exchange or another stock
exchange or market system is a condition of the exemptive relief
the Fund obtained from the SEC to operate as exchange-traded funds
(“ETFs”). The Fund’s failure to be so listed
would result in the termination of the Fund.
As in the case of other stocks traded on the Exchange,
brokers’ commissions on transactions will be based on
negotiated commission rates at customary levels.
The Trust reserves the right to adjust the price levels of the
Shares in the future to maintain convenient trading ranges for
investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock
splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the
net assets of the Fund.
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES
Investment Objectives
The Fund has a distinct investment objective and
policies. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s objective
will be achieved. The investment objective of the Fund is to
provide investment results that correspond generally to the price
and yield (before the Fund’s fees and expenses) of a
particular index (“Underlying Index”) created by
S-Network Global Indexes, Inc.
(“Index Provider”).
All
investment objectives and investment policies not specifically
designated as fundamental may be changed without shareholder
approval. Additional information about the Fund, its policies, and
the investment instruments it holds, is provided
below.
The
Fund’s share prices will fluctuate with market, economic and,
to the extent applicable, foreign exchange conditions. The Fund
should not be relied upon as a complete investment
program.
Investment Restrictions
The
investment restrictions set forth below have been adopted by the
Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) as
fundamental policies that cannot be changed with respect to the
Fund without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority (as
defined in the 1940 Act) of the outstanding voting securities of
the Fund. The investment objective of the Fund and all other
investment policies or practices of the Fund are considered by the
Trust not to be fundamental and accordingly may be changed without
shareholder approval. For purposes of the 1940 Act, a
“majority of the outstanding voting securities” means
the lesser of the vote of (i) 67% or more of the Shares of the Fund
present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the
outstanding Shares of the Fund are present or represented by proxy,
or (ii) more than 50% of the Shares of the Fund.
All
of the percentage limitations below and in the investment
restrictions recited in the Prospectus apply to the Fund on an
individual basis, and apply only at the time a transaction is
entered into, except that any borrowing by the Fund that exceeds
applicable limitations must be reduced to meet such limitations
within the period required by the 1940 Act. Therefore, a change in
the percentage that results from a relative change in values or
from a change in the Fund’s assets will not be considered a
violation of the Fund’s policies or restrictions.
“Valueˮ for the purposes of all investment restrictions
shall mean the value used in determining the Fund’s net asset
value (“NAVˮ). With respect to the Fund’s
fundamental investment restriction B, asset coverage of at least
300% (as defined in the 1940 Act), inclusive of any amounts
borrowed, must be maintained at all times.
As
a matter of fundamental policy, the Fund:
A.
May not invest 25% of its total assets in the securities of one or
more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the
same industry or group of industries (excluding the United States
(“U.S.”) government or any of its agencies or
instrumentalities). Nonetheless, to the extent the Fund’s
Underlying Index is concentrated in a particular industry or group
of industries, the Fund’s investments will exceed this 25%
limitation to the extent that it is necessary to gain exposure to
Underlying Index Components (as defined below) to track its
Underlying Index.
B.
May borrow money, to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, as
such may be interpreted or modified by regulatory authorities
having jurisdiction, from time to time.
C.
May make loans to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, as such
may be interpreted or modified by regulatory authorities having
jurisdiction, from time to time.
D.
May act as an underwriter of securities within the meaning of the
Securities Act of 1933 (the “1933 Act”), to the extent
permit ted under the 1933 Act, as such may be interpreted or
modified by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction, from time
to time.
E.
May purchase or sell real estate or any interest therein to the
extent permitted under the 1940 Act, as such may be interpreted or
modified by regulatory authorities having jurisdiction, from time
to time.
F.
May not purchase physical commodities or contracts relating to
physical commodities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act and
other applicable laws, rules and regulations, as such may be
interpreted or modified by regulatory authorities having
jurisdiction, from time to time.
G.
May issue senior securities, to the extent permitted under the 1940
Act, as such may be interpreted or modified by regulatory
authorities having jurisdiction, from time to time.
The
Fund may, notwithstanding any other fundamental investment
restriction or policy, invest some or all of its assets in a single
ETF, open-end investment company or series thereof with
substantially the same fundamental investment objective,
restrictions and policies as the Fund.
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS
A
discussion of the risks associated with an investment in the Fund
is contained in the Fund’s Prospectus under the headings
“Principal Risk Factors,” “Description of the
Principal Risks of the Fund” and “Additional
Risks.” The discussion below supplements, and should be read
in conjunction with, such sections of the Fund’s
Prospectus.
General
Investments
in the Fund should be made with an understanding that the value of
the portfolio of securities held by the Fund may fluctuate in
accordance with changes in the financial condition of the issuers
of the portfolio securities, the value of common stocks generally
and other factors.
The
Fund is not actively managed by traditional methods and therefore
the adverse financial condition of any one issuer will not result
in the elimination of its securities from the portfolio securities
held by the Fund unless the securities of such issuer are removed
from its respective Underlying Index.
An
investment in the Fund should also be made with an understanding
that the Fund will not be able to replicate exactly the performance
of its Underlying Index because the total return generated by its
portfolio securities will be reduced by transaction costs incurred
in adjusting the actual balance of such securities and other Fund
expenses, whereas such transaction costs and expenses are not
included in the calculation of its Underlying Index. It is also
possible that for short periods of time, the Fund may not fully
replicate the performance of its Underlying Index due to the
temporary unavailability of certain Underlying Index securities in
the Secondary Market or due to other extraordinary
circumstances.
Such
events are unlikely to continue for an extended period of time
because the Fund is required to correct such imbalances by means of
adjusting the composition of its portfolio securities. It is also
possible that the composition of the Fund may not exactly replicate
the composition of its Underlying Index if the Fund has to adjust
its portfolio securities in order to continue to qualify as a
“regulated investment company” under the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the
“Code”).
Under
normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets,
plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, will be
invested in its Underlying Index Components and in depositary
receipts based on the securities in its Underlying Index. In
addition, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in
investments not included in its Underlying Index, but which the
Advisor believes will help the Fund track its Underlying Index. For
example, there may be instances in which the Advisor may choose to
purchase (or sell) securities not in the Underlying Index that the
Advisor believes are appropriate to substitute for one or more
Underlying Index Components in seeking to correspond generally,
before fees and expenses, the performance of the Underlying
Index.
Furthermore,
the Fund may invest in one or more financial instruments, including
but not limited to futures contracts, swap agreements and forward
contracts, reverse repurchase agreements, and options on
securities, indices and futures contracts (collectively,
“Financial Instruments”). As an example of the use of
such Financial Instruments, the Fund may use total return swaps on
one or more Underlying Index Components in order to achieve
exposures that are similar to those of the Underlying
Index.
Tracking Error Risk
The
Fund’s performance may not match its Underlying Index during
any period of time. Although the Fund attempts to track the
performance of its Underlying Index, the Fund may not be able to
duplicate its exact composition or return for any number of
reasons, including but not limited to the risk that the strategies
used by the Advisor to match the performance of the Underlying
Index may fail to produce the intended results, liquidity risk and
new fund risk, as well as the incurring of Fund expenses, which the
Underlying Index does not incur.
To
the extent that the value of assets denominated in foreign
currencies is converted into U.S. dollars using exchange rates
selected by the Advisor that differ from the exchange rates
selected by the index provider for use in calculating the
Underlying Index, the Fund’s ability to track the Underlying
Index may be adversely impacted. In addition, the Fund may not be
able to invest in certain securities included in the Underlying
Index due to restrictions or limitations imposed by, or a lack of
liquidity in, certain countries and stock exchanges in which such
securities trade or may be delayed in purchasing or selling
securities included in the Underlying Index. In addition, if the
Fund utilizes depositary receipts and/or derivative instruments,
its return may not correlate as well with the Underlying Index as
would be the case if the Fund purchased all the securities in the
Underlying Index directly. Additionally, the Fund may fair value
the foreign securities it holds. To the extent the Fund calculates
its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the Underlying
Index is based on the securities’ closing price on local
foreign markets (i.e., the value of the Underlying Index is not
based on fair value prices), the Fund’s ability to track the
Underlying Index may be adversely affected.
Index Risk
An
underlying index may not be successful in replicating the
performance of its target strategies. Each underlying index is
partially based on an assessment of historical data sets. To the
extent that data turns out not to be predictive of future events,
the return of the Underlying Index may deviate from its
objective.
Common Stock
The
Fund may invest in common stock. Common stock is issued by
companies principally to raise cash for business purposes and
represents a residual interest in the issuing company. The Fund
participates in the success or failure of any company in which it
holds stock. The prices of equity securities change in response to
many factors, including the historical and prospective earnings of
the issuer, the value of its assets, general economic conditions,
interest rates, investor perceptions and market
liquidity.
Small Cap Stock Risk
Stock
prices of small-capitalization companies may be more volatile than
those of larger companies and therefore the Fund’s share
price may be more volatile than those of funds that invest a larger
percentage of their assets in stocks issued by large-capitalization
or mid-capitalization companies. Stock prices of
small-capitalization companies are generally more vulnerable than
those of large-capitalization or mid-capitalization companies to
adverse business and economic developments. The stocks of
small-capitalization companies may be thinly traded, making it
difficult for the Fund to buy and sell them. In addition,
small-capitalization companies are typically less financially
stable than larger, more established companies and may depend on a
small number of essential personnel, making them more vulnerable to
loss of personnel. Small-capitalization companies also normally
have less diverse product lines than those of large-capitalization
companies and are more susceptible to adverse developments
concerning their products.
Consumer
Goods Risk
The consumer goods
industry includes companies involved in the design, production or
distribution of goods for consumers, including food, household,
home, personal and office products, clothing and textiles. The
success of the consumer goods industry is tied closely to the
performance of the domestic and international economy, interest
rates, exchange rates, competition, consumer confidence and
consumer disposable income. The consumer goods industry may be
affected by trends, marketing campaigns and other factors affecting
consumer demand. Governmental regulation affecting the use of
various food additives may affect the profitability of certain
companies in the consumer goods industry. Moreover, international
events may affect food and beverage companies that derive a
substantial portion of their net income from foreign countries. In
addition, tobacco companies may be adversely affected by new laws,
regulations and litigation. Many consumer goods may be marketed
globally, and consumer goods companies may be affected by the
demand and market conditions in other countries and regions.
Companies in the consumer goods industry may be subject to severe
competition, which may also have an adverse impact on their
profitability. Changes in demographics and consumer preferences may
affect the success of consumer products.
Consumer
Services Risk
The success of
consumer product manufacturers and retailers (including food and
drug retailers, general retailers, media, and travel and leisure)
is tied closely to the performance of the domestic and
international economy, interest rates, exchange rates, competition
and consumer confidence. The consumer services industry depends
heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending.
Companies in the consumer services industry may be subject to
severe competition, which may also have an adverse impact on their
profitability. Changes in demographics and consumer preferences may
affect the success of consumer service providers.
Industrials
Sector Risk
The value of
securities issued by companies in the industrials sector may be
adversely affected by supply of and demand for both their specific
products or services and for industrials sector products in
general. The products of manufacturing companies may face
obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent
new product introduction. Government regulations, world events and
economic conditions affect the performance of companies in the
industrials sector. The industrials sector may also be adversely
affected by changes or trends in commodity prices, which may be
influenced by unpredictable factors. Aerospace and defense
companies, a component of the industrials sector, can be
significantly affected by government spending policies because
companies involved in this industry rely, to a significant extent,
on government demand for their products and services. Thus, the
financial condition of, and investor interest in, aerospace and
defense companies are heavily influenced by governmental defense
spending policies, which are typically under pressure from efforts
to control government budgets. Transportation stocks, a component
of the industrials sector, are cyclical and can be significantly
affected by economic changes, fuel prices, labor relations and
insurance costs. Transportation companies in certain countries may
also be subject to significant government regulation and oversight,
which may adversely affect their businesses. For example, commodity
price declines and unit volume reductions resulting from an
over-supply of materials used in the industrials sector can
adversely affect the sector. Furthermore, companies in the
industrials sector may be subject to liability for environmental
damage, product liability claims, depletion of resources, and
mandated expenditures for safety and pollution
control.
Money Market Instruments
The
Fund may invest a portion of its assets in high-quality money
market instruments on an ongoing basis rather than in Underlying
Index Components, when it would be more efficient or less expensive
for the Fund to do so, or as collateral for Financial Instruments,
for liquidity purposes, or to earn interest. The instruments in
which the Fund may invest include: (1) short-term obligations
issued by the U.S. government; (2) negotiable certificates of
deposit (“CDs”), fixed time deposits and bankers’
acceptances of U.S. and foreign banks and similar institutions; (3)
commercial paper rated at the date of purchase
“Prime-1” by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or
“A-1+” or “A-1” by Standard &
Poor’s Ratings Group, Inc., a division of The McGraw-Hill
Companies, Inc., or, if unrated, of comparable quality as
determined by the Advisor; (4) repurchase agreements; and (5) money
market mutual funds. CDs are short-term negotiable obligations of
commercial banks. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits
maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at
stated interest rates. Banker’s acceptances are time drafts
drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with
international transactions.
Cyber
Security
With
the increasing use of the Internet and technology in connection
with the Fund’s operations, the Fund has become potentially
more susceptible to greater operational and information security
risks through breaches in cyber security. Cyber security breaches
include, without limitation, infection by computer viruses and
unauthorized access to the Fund’s systems through
“hacking” or other means for the purpose of
misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data,
or causing operations to be disrupted. Cyber security breaches may
also occur in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized
access, such as denial-of-service attacks or situations where
authorized individuals intentionally or unintentionally release
confidential information stored on the Fund’s systems. A
cyber security breach may cause disruptions and impact the
Fund’s business operations, which could potentially result in
financial losses, inability to determine the Fund’s NAV,
impediments to trading, the inability of shareholders to transact
business, violation of applicable law, regulatory penalties and/or
fines, compliance and other costs.
The
Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.
Further, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent
future cyber incidents. In addition, because the Fund works closely
with third-party service providers (e.g., custodians and
unaffiliated sub-advisers), indirect cyber security breaches at
such third-party service providers may subject Fund shareholders to
the same risks associated with direct cyber security breaches.
Further, indirect cyber security breaches at an issuer of
securities in which the Fund invests may similarly negatively
impact Fund shareholders because of a decrease in the value of
these securities. While the Fund has established risk management
systems designed to reduce the risks associated with cyber security
breaches, there can be no assurances that such measures will be
successful particularly since the Fund does not control the cyber
security systems of issuers or third-party service providers. The
Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a
result.
Liquidation of the Fund
The
Board may determine to close and liquidate the Fund at any time,
which may have adverse consequences for shareholders. In the event
of the liquidation of the Fund, shareholders will receive a
liquidating distribution in cash or in-kind equal to their
proportionate interest in the Fund. A liquidating distribution may
be a taxable event to shareholders, resulting in a gain or loss for
tax purposes, depending upon a shareholder's basis in his or her
shares of the Fund. A shareholder of a liquidating Fund will not be
entitled to any refund or reimbursement of expenses borne, directly
or indirectly, by the shareholder (such as sales loads, account
fees, or fund expenses), and a shareholder may receive an amount in
liquidation less than the shareholder’s original
investment.
Tax Risks
As
with any investment, you should consider how your investment in
Shares of the Fund will be taxed. The tax information in the
Prospectus and this SAI is provided as general information. You
should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences
of an investment in Shares of the Fund.
MANAGEMENT
Board
Responsibilities.
The
business of the Trust is managed under the direction of the Board.
The Board has considered and approved contracts, as described
herein, under which certain companies provide essential management
and administrative services to the Trust. The day-to-day business
of the Trust, including the day-to-day management of risk, is
performed by the service providers of the Trust, such as the
Advisor, Sub-Advisor, Distributor and Administrator. The Board is
responsible for overseeing the Trust’s service providers and,
thus, has oversight responsibility with respect to the risk
management performed by those service providers. Risk management
seeks to identify and eliminate or mitigate the potential effects
of risks such as events or circumstances that could have material
adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services,
investment performance or reputation of the Trust or the Fund. The
Board’s role in risk management oversight begins before the
inception of an investment portfolio, at which time the Advisor
presents the Board with information concerning the investment
objectives, strategies and risks of the investment portfolio.
Additionally, the Advisor provides the Board with an overview of,
among other things, the firm’s investment philosophy,
brokerage practices and compliance infrastructure. Thereafter, the
Board oversees the risk management of the investment
portfolio’s operations, in part, by requesting periodic
reports from and otherwise communicating with various personnel of
the service providers, including the Trust’s Chief Compliance
Officer and the independent registered public accounting firm of
the Trust. The Board and, with respect to identified risks that
relate to its scope of expertise, the Audit Committee of the Board,
oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks
to which the Fund may be exposed.
Under
the overall supervision of the Board and the Audit Committee
(discussed in more detail below), the service providers to the
Trust employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to
identify risks relevant to the operations of the Trust and the Fund
to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate
the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each
service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of
the Trust’s business and, consequently, for managing the
risks associated with that activity.
The
Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent and quality
of the services provided to the Fund by the Advisor and receives
information about those services at its regular meetings. In
addition, on at least an annual basis, in connection with its
consideration of whether to renew the Advisory Agreement with the
Advisor and the Sub-Advisory Agreement with the Sub-Advisor, the
Board receives detailed information from the Advisor. Among other
things, the Board regularly considers the Advisor’s and
Sub-Advisor's adherence to the Fund’s investment restrictions
and compliance with various policies and procedures of the Trust
and with applicable securities regulations. The Board also reviews
information about the Fund’s performance and
investments.
The
Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer meets regularly with the
Board to review and discuss compliance and other issues. At least
annually, the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer provides the
Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the
Trust’s policies and procedures and those of its service
providers, including the Advisor and the Sub-Advisor. The report
addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust
and each service provider since the date of the last report,
material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of
the last report, any recommendations for material changes to the
policies and procedures, and material compliance matters since the
date of the last report.
The
Board receives reports from the Trust’s service providers
regarding operational risks, portfolio valuation and other matters.
Annually, the independent registered public accounting firm reviews
with the Audit Committee its audit of the financial statements of
the Fund, focusing on major areas of risk encountered by the Trust
and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in
the Trust’s internal controls.
The
Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the Fund can be
identified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to
eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to
bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve
the Fund’s goals, and that the processes, procedures and
controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their
effectiveness. Moreover, despite the periodic reports the Board
receives and the Board’s discussions with the service
providers to the Trust, it may not be made aware of all of the
relevant information of a particular risk. Most of the
Trust’s investment management and business affairs are
carried out by or through the Advisor or the Sub-Advisor and other
service providers, each of which has an independent interest in
risk management but whose policies and the methods by which one or
more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the
Trust’s and each other’s in the setting of priorities,
the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls.
As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board’s
risk management oversight is subject to substantial
limitations.
Members of the Board and Officers of the
Trust.
Set forth below are
the names, years of birth, position with the Trust, term of office,
portfolios supervised and the principal occupations and other
directorships for a minimum of the last five years of each of the
persons currently serving as members of the Board and as Executive
Officers of the Trust. Also included below is the term of office
for each of the Executive Officers of the Trust. The members of the
Board serve as Trustees for the life of the Trust or until
retirement, removal, or their office is terminated pursuant to the
Trust’s Declaration of Trust.
The Chairman of the Board,
Robert Tull
, is an interested person of the Trust as that
term is defined under Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act (the
“Interested Trustee”) because of his affiliation with
the Advisor. Three of the Trustees,
John Jacobs
,
Erik Liik
and James Brenner, and their immediate family
members have no affiliation or business connection with the Advisor
or the Fund’s principal underwriter or any of their
affiliated persons and do not own any stock or other securities
issued by the Advisor or the Fund’s principal underwriter.
These Trustees are not Interested Persons of the Trust and are
referred to herein as “Independent
Trustees.”
There is an Audit Committee and a Nominating and Governance
Committee of the Board, each of which is chaired by an Independent
Trustee and comprised solely of Independent Trustees. The Committee
chair for each is responsible for running the Committee meeting,
formulating agendas for those meetings, and coordinating with
management to serve as a liaison between the Independent Trustees
and management on matters within the scope of the responsibilities
of such Committee as set forth in its Board-approved
charter.
There is a Valuation Committee, which is comprised of the
Independent Trustees and representatives of the Advisor to take
action in connection with the valuation of portfolio securities
held by the Fund in accordance with the Board-approved Valuation
Procedures. The Board has determined that this leadership structure
is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances
of the Fund. The Board made this determination in consideration of,
among other things, the fact that the Independent Trustees
constitute a majority of the Board, the assets under management of
the Fund, the number of portfolios overseen by the Board and the
total number of trustees on the Board.
Independent Trustees
Name and Year of
Birth(1)
|
|
Position(s) Held
with Trust
|
|
Term of Office
and Length of Time Served(2)
|
|
Principal
Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years
|
|
Number of
Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by
Trustee(3)
|
|
Other
Directorships Held by Trustee During Past 5
Years
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
John
L. Jacobs
(1959)
|
|
Trustee
|
|
Term: Unlimited
Served as
Trustee: since
October 2018
|
|
Alerian
(Chairman, June 2018 to Present);Georgetown University (Academic
Staff, 2015 to Present);
Nasdaq
(Executive Vice President and Senior Advisor,
2013-2016)
|
|
1
|
|
Horizons
Trust ETFs (Independent Trustee); AWA ETFs (Independent
Trustee)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Erik
A. Liik
(1958)
|
|
Trustee
|
|
Term: Unlimited
Served as
Trustee: since
October 2018
|
|
ETF
Development & Distribution Consultant (2012 to
Present)
|
|
1
|
|
N/A
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
James
H. Brenner
(1984)
|
|
Trustee
|
|
Term: Unlimited
Served as
Trustee: since
October 2018
|
|
Patria
Investments
(Business
Development/Investor Relations, 2016 to Present);
PineBridge
Investments (Asset Manager, 2010-2016)
|
|
1
|
|
N/A
|
Interested Trustee
Name and Year of
Birth(1)
|
|
Position(s) Held
with Trust
|
|
Term of Office
and Length of Time Served(2)
|
|
Principal
Occupation(s)
During Past 5
Years
|
|
Number of
Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by
Trustee(3)
|
|
Other
Directorships Held by Trustee During Past 5
Years
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Robert
Tull
(4)
(1952)
|
|
Chairman
and Trustee
|
|
Term: Unlimited
Served
since
October 2018
|
|
Procure
Holdings LLC (President, 2016 to Present);
Robert
Tull & Co. (President, 2005 to Present)
|
|
1
|
|
Virtus
ETFs
|
Other Officers
Name and Year of
Birth(1)
|
|
Position(s) Held
with Trust
|
|
Term of Office
and Length of Time Served(2)
|
|
Principal
Occupation(s)
During Past 5
Years
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Michael
Hogan
(1982)
|
|
Chief
Compliance Officer
|
|
Term: Unlimited
Served since November 2018
|
|
Vigilant
Compliance, LLC (Director, 2018 to Present); Santander Investment
Securities (Vice President, 2018);BMO Capital Markets (Compliance
Officer, 2016 to 2018); FINRA (Regulatory Examiner, 2014 to 2016);
JP Morgan Chase (Private Client Banker, 2012 to 2014)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Andrew
Chanin
(1985)
|
|
Secretary
|
|
Term: Unlimited
Served
since October 2018
|
|
Procure
Holdings LLC (Chief Executive Officer, 2016 to Present);PureShares,
LLC (CEO/COO 2011 to 2016)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adrienne
Chanin
(1951)
|
|
Treasurer,
Chief Financial Officer and Principal Accounting
Officer
|
|
Term: Unlimited
Served since October 2018
|
|
ProcureAM
LLC (CFO, 2016 to Present); PureShares, LLC (Accountant, 2016 to
Present); Chester Medical Associates (Comptroller, 1990 to
Present)
|
(1)
|
The
address of each Trustee or officer is c/o ProcureAM, LLC, 16
Firebush Road, Levittown PA 19056
.
|
(2)
|
Trustees
and Officers serve until their successors are duly elected and
qualified.
|
(3)
|
The
Fund is part of a “fund complex” as defined in the 1940
Act. The fund complex includes all open-end funds (including all of
their portfolios) advised by the Advisor and any funds that have an
investment advisor that is an affiliated person of the Advisor. As
of the date of this SAI, the fund complex consists of the
Trust’s Fund advised by the Advisor.
|
(4)
|
Robert
Tull is an “interested person” of the Trust (as that
term is defined in the 1940 Act) because of his affiliation with
the Advisor.
|
|
|
Description of Standing Board Committees
Audit Committee
. The principal responsibilities of the Audit
Committee are the appointment, compensation and oversight of the
Trust’s independent auditors, including the resolution of
disagreements regarding financial reporting between Trust
management and such independent auditors. The Audit
Committee’s responsibilities include, without limitation, to
(i) oversee the accounting and financial reporting processes of the
Trust and its internal control over financial reporting and, as the
Committee deems appropriate, to inquire into the internal control
over financial reporting of certain third-party service providers;
(ii) oversee the quality and integrity of the Fund’s
financial statements and the independent audits thereof; (iii)
oversee, or, as appropriate, assist Board oversight of, the
Trust’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements
that relate to the Trust’s accounting and financial
reporting, internal control over financial reporting and
independent audits; (iv) approve prior to appointment the
engagement of the Trust’s independent auditors and, in
connection therewith, to review and evaluate the qualifications,
independence and performance of the Trust’s independent
auditors; and (v) act as a liaison between the Trust’s
independent auditors and the full Board. The Board has adopted a
written charter for the Audit Committee. John Jacobs will serve as
the Chairman of the Audit Committee and all of the Independent
Trustees serve on the Trust’s Audit Committee.
Nominating and Governance Committee
. The Nominating and Governance Committee has been
established to: (i) assist the Board in matters involving mutual
fund governance and industry practices; (ii) select and nominate
candidates for appointment or election to serve as Trustees who are
not “interested persons” of the Trust or its Advisor or
distributor (as defined by the 1940 Act); and (iii) advise the
Board on ways to improve its effectiveness. Erik Liik will serve as
the Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee and all of
the Independent Trustees serve on the Nominating and Governance
Committee. As stated above, each Trustee holds office for an
indefinite term until the occurrence of certain events. In filling
Board vacancies, the Nominating Committee will consider nominees
recommended by shareholders. Nominee recommendations should be
submitted to the Trust at its mailing address stated in the
Fund’s Prospectus and should be directed to the attention of
the Procure ETF Trust II Nominating Committee.
Valuation Committee
. The
Valuation Committee is authorized to act for the Board in
connection with the valuation of portfolio securities held by the
Fund in accordance with the Trust’s Valuation
Procedures.
James Brenner will serve as the Chairman of the
Valuation Committee and all of the Independent Trustees
serve on the Valuation Committee,
which meets on an ad hoc basis.
Individual Trustee Qualifications
The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on
the Board because of their ability to review and understand
information about the Trust and the Fund provided to them by
management, to identify and request other information they may deem
relevant to the performance of their duties, to question management
and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on
the management and administration of the Fund, and to exercise
their business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests
of the Fund’s shareholders. The Trust has concluded that each
of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on their own
experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as described
below.
The Trust has concluded that
Robert Tull
should serve as trustee of the Fund because of the
experience he has gained as
President of
the Advisor, his extensive knowledge of and
experience in the financial services and ETF industry, and the
experience he has gained serving as
President
of the Fund since
2017
.
The Trust has concluded that
John Jacobs
should serve as trustee of the Fund because he is
an experienced executive and board member in the financial services
industry and has intimate knowledge of the operations of the ETF
industry and his general expertise with respect to financial
matters and accounting principles.
The Trust has concluded that
Erik Liik
should serve as trustee of the Fund because of the
experience he has gained as a Financial Services/Asset Management
Executive, and, in particular, his prior service in the financial
services industry specializing in all aspects of distribution,
issuance and operations of ETFs.
The Trust has concluded that
James Brenner
should serve as trustee of the Fund because of his
experience in the financial services industry, including his
experience as a Certified Financial Advisor.
Board Compensation
No
officer, director or employee of the Adviser, its parent or
subsidiaries receives any compensation from the Trust for serving
as an officer or Trustee of the Trust. The Trust pays, in the
aggregate, each Independent Trustee an annual fee of $12,000. The
Chairmen of the Audit Committee, the Valuation Committee and the
Nominating and Governance Committee each receive an additional
annual fee of $1,000. In addition, the Independent Trustees are
reimbursed for all reasonable travel expenses relating to their
attendance at the Board Meetings. The following table sets forth
certain information with respect to the compensation of each
Trustee for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2018:
Name and
Position
|
|
Aggregate
Compensation
From the
Trust
|
|
Pension or
Retirement Benefits Accrued As Part of Trust
Expenses
|
|
Estimated Annual
Benefits Upon Retirement
|
|
Total
Compensation From Trust and Fund Complex Paid to
Trustees(1)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
John
Jacobs, Trustee
|
|
$
0
|
|
N/A
|
|
N/A
|
|
$
0
|
Erik
Liik, Trustee & Chairman
|
|
$
0
|
|
N/A
|
|
N/A
|
|
$
0
|
James
Brenner, Trustee
|
|
$
0
|
|
N/A
|
|
N/A
|
|
$
0
|
Robert Tull
, Trustee
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
|
None
|
(1)
|
“Fund
Complex” consists of all mutual funds and ETFs advised by the
Advisor and its affiliate advisors.
|
Code of Ethics
The Trust, its Advisor and principal underwriter have each adopted
a code of ethics under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act that permit
personnel subject to their particular codes of ethics to invest in
securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by
the Fund.
PROXY VOTING POLICIES
The Board believes that the voting of proxies on securities held by
the Fund is an important element of the overall investment process.
As such, the Board has delegated responsibility for decisions
regarding proxy voting for securities held by the Fund to the
Advisor. The Advisor will vote such proxies in accordance with its
proxy policies and procedures, a summary of which is included
in
Appendix A
to this Statement of Additional
Information. The Board will periodically review the Fund’s
proxy voting record.
The Trust is required to disclose annually the Fund’s
complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX covering the period July
1 through June 30 and file it with the SEC no later than August 31
of each year. The Fund’s Form N-PX will be available at no
charge upon request by calling
1-877-776-1187.
It will also be available on the SEC’s EDGAR
website at
www.sec.gov
.
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL HOLDERS OF
SECURITIES
A principal shareholder is any person who owns of record or
beneficially 5% or more of the outstanding shares of a Fund. A
control person is one who owns beneficially or through controlled
companies more than 25% of the voting securities of a company or
acknowledges the existence of control. Shareholders with a
controlling interest could affect the outcome of voting or the
direction of management of the Fund.
As
of the date of this Statement of Additional Information, the Fund
has not commenced operations and there are no owners of record of
5% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund.
MANAGEMENT SERVICES
The
following information supplements and should be read in conjunction
with the section in the Prospectus entitled
“Management.”
Investment Advisor
ProcureAM,
LLC, the Advisor, serves as investment advisor to the Fund and
along with the Board has overall responsibility for the general
management and administration of the Trust, pursuant to the
Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and the Advisor
(the “Advisory Agreement”). As of the date of this SAI,
the Advisor was newly formed for the purpose of advising the Fund,
and has no other accounts under management. Under the Advisory
Agreement, the Advisor, subject to the supervision of the Board,
provides an investment program for the Fund and is responsible for
the investment of the Fund’s assets in conformity with the
stated investment policies of the Fund. The Advisor is responsible
for placing purchase and sale orders and providing continuous
supervision of the investment portfolio of the Fund. The Advisor
also arranges for the provision of distribution, transfer agency,
custody, administration and all other services necessary for the
Fund to operate.
The
Advisory Agreement will continue in effect with respect to the Fund
from year to year provided such continuance is specifically
approved at least annually by (i) the vote of a majority of the
Fund’s outstanding voting securities or a majority of the
Trustees of the Trust, and (ii) the vote of a majority of the
Independent Trustees of the Trust, cast in person at a meeting
called for the purpose of voting on such approval.
The
Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically if assigned (as
defined in the 1940 Act). The Advisory Agreement is also terminable
at any time without penalty by the Trustees of the Trust or by vote
of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund on
60 days’ written notice to the Advisor or by the Advisor on
60 days’ written notice to the Trust.
Pursuant
to the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor is entitled to receive a
fee, payable monthly, at the annual rate for the Fund based on a
percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets as
follows:
Fund
Name
|
Management
Fee
|
Procure
Space ETF
|
0.75%
|
In
consideration of the fees paid with respect to the Fund, the
Advisor has agreed to pay all expenses of the Trust, except (i)
brokerage and other transaction expenses, including taxes; (ii)
extraordinary legal fees or expenses, such as those for litigation
or arbitration; (iii) compensation and expenses of the Independent
Trustees, counsel to the Independent Trustees, and the
Trust’s chief compliance officer; (iv) extraordinary
expenses; (v) distribution fees and expenses paid by the Trust
under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under
the 1940 Act; and (vi) the advisory fee payable to the Advisor
hereunder.
As
of the date of this SAI, the Fund has not commenced operations and,
therefore, has not yet incurred any advisory fees under the
Advisory Agreement.
In
addition to providing advisory services under the Advisory
Agreement, the Advisor also: (i) supervises all non-advisory
operations of the Fund; (ii) provides personnel to perform such
executive, administrative and clerical services as are reasonably
necessary to provide effective administration of the Fund; (iii)
arranges for (a) the preparation of all required tax returns, (b)
the preparation and submission of reports to existing shareholders,
(c) the periodic updating of prospectuses and statements of
additional information and (d) the preparation of reports to be
filed with the SEC and other regulatory authorities; (iv) maintains
the Fund’s records; and (v) provides office space and all
necessary office equipment and services.
Sub-Advisor
Penserra Capital Management LLC (“Sub-Advisor”) with
its principal office located at 4 Orinda Way, 100-A, Orinda
California 94563, serves as the investment sub-adviser for the Fund
pursuant to an Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between the
Advisor and Penserra Capital Management LLC, dated September 1,
2018 (referred to as a “Sub-Advisory Agreement”). The
Sub-Advisor is responsible for placing purchase and sale orders and
shall make investment decisions for the Fund, subject to the
supervision by the Advisor. For its services, the Sub-Advisor is
compensated by the Adviser. As of April 25, 2018, the Sub-Advisor
managed approximately $1.6 billion in assets.
Portfolio Manager
The
Sub-Advisor acts as portfolio manager for the Fund. The Sub-Advisor
will supervise and manage the investment portfolio of the Fund and
will direct the purchase and sale of the Fund’s investment
securities. The Sub-Advisor utilizes a team of investment
professionals acting together to manage the assets of the Fund. The
team meets regularly to review portfolio holdings and to discuss
purchase and sale activity. The team adjusts holdings in the
portfolio as they deem appropriate in the pursuit of the
Fund’s investment objective.
Dustin Lewellyn,
Ernesto Tong, and Anand Desai of Penserra Capital Management LLC
(“Penserra” or “Sub-Advisor”) are the
Fund’s portfolio managers and are jointly responsible for the
day-to-day management of the Fund. The Portfolio Managers are
responsible for various functions related to portfolio management,
including, but not limited to, investing cash inflows, implementing
investment strategy, researching and reviewing investment strategy,
and overseeing members of their portfolio management team with more
limited responsibilities.
Mr. Lewellyn has
been Chief Investment Officer with Penserra since 2012. He was
President and Founder of Golden Gate Investment Consulting LLC from
2011 through 2015. Prior to that, Mr. Lewellyn was a managing
director at Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc.
(“CSIM”), which he joined in 2009, and head of
portfolio management for Schwab ETFs. Prior to joining CSIM, he
worked for two years as director of ETF product management and
development at a major financial institution focused on asset and
wealth management. Prior to that, he was a portfolio manager for
institutional clients at a financial services firm for three years.
In addition, he held roles in portfolio operations and portfolio
management at a large asset management firm for more than 6
years.
Mr. Tong has been a
Managing Director with Penserra since 2015. Prior to that, Mr. Tong
spent seven years as vice president at Blackrock, where he was a
portfolio manager for a number of the iShares ETFs, and prior to
that, he spent two years in the firm’s index research
group.
Mr. Desai has been
a Vice President with Penserra since 2015. Prior to that, Mr. Desai
was a portfolio fund accountant at State Street for five
years.
Other Accounts Managed
The
following tables provide additional information about other
portfolios or accounts managed by the Fund’s portfolio
managers as of March 31, 2018.
Total
number of other accounts managed by the portfolio managers within
each category below and the total assets in the accounts managed
within each category below.
Portfolio
Manager
|
|
Registered
Investment Companies
|
|
Other Pooled
Investment Vehicles
|
|
Other
Accounts
|
|
|
Number of
Accounts
|
|
Total
Assets
|
|
Number of
Accounts
|
|
Total
Assets
|
|
Number of
Accounts
|
|
Total
Assets
|
Dustin
Lewellyn
|
|
14
|
|
$1.37
billion
|
|
N/A
|
|
N/A
|
|
N/A
|
|
N/A
|
Ernesto
Tong
|
|
14
|
|
$1.37
billion
|
|
N/A
|
|
N/A
|
|
N/A
|
|
N/A
|
Anand
Desai
|
|
14
|
|
$1.37
billion
|
|
N/A
|
|
N/A
|
|
N/A
|
|
N/A
|
Material Conflicts of
Interest
.
Because
the portfolio managers manage multiple portfolios for multiple
clients, the potential for conflicts of interest exists. Each
portfolio manager may manage portfolios having substantially the
same investment style as the Fund. However, the portfolios managed
by a portfolio manager may not have portfolio compositions
identical to those of the Fund managed by the portfolio manager
due, for example, to specific investment limitations or guidelines
present in some portfolios or accounts, but not others. The
portfolio managers may purchase securities for one portfolio and
not another portfolio, and the performance of securities purchased
for one portfolio may vary from the performance of securities
purchased for other portfolios. A portfolio manager may place
transactions on behalf of other accounts that are directly or
indirectly contrary to investment decisions made on behalf of the
Fund, or make investment decisions that are similar to those made
for the Fund, both of which have the potential to adversely impact
the Fund depending on market conditions. For example, a portfolio
manager may purchase a security in one portfolio while
appropriately selling that same security in another portfolio. In
addition, some of these portfolios have fee structures that are or
have the potential to be higher than the advisory fees paid by the
Fund, which can cause potential conflicts in the allocation of
investment opportunities between the Fund and the other accounts.
However, the compensation structure for portfolio managers does not
generally provide incentive to favor one account over another
because that part of a manager’s bonus based on performance
is not based on the performance of one account to the exclusion of
others. There are many other factors considered in determining the
portfolio managers’ bonus and there is no formula that is
applied to weight the factors listed (see
“Compensation”). In addition, current trading practices
do not allow the Advisor to intentionally favor one portfolio over
another as trades are executed as trade orders are received.
Portfolio’s rebalancing dates also generally vary between
fund families. Program trades created from the portfolio rebalance
are executed at market on close.
Compensation for the Portfolio Manager
The
portfolio managers receive a base pay and an annual bonus incentive
based on performance against individual and organizational unit
objectives, as well as overall Advisor results. The plan is
designed to align manager compensation with investors' goals by
rewarding portfolio managers who obtain results consistent with the
objectives of the products under the individual’s management.
In addition, these employees also participate in a long-term
incentive program. The long-term incentive plan is eligible to
senior level employees and is designed to reward profitable growth
in company value. An employee's total compensation package is
reviewed periodically to ensure that they are competitive relative
to the external marketplace.
Ownership of Securities
The
portfolio managers do not own Shares of the Fund.
OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS
Fund Administrator, Custodian and Transfer Agent
U.S. Bancorp Fund
Services LLC
(“U.S.
Bancorp”) serves as the Fund’s administrator,
custodian, and transfer agent.
U.S. Bancorp
principal address is 615 East Michigan
Street
, Milwaukee, WI 53202
.
Under the Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement with the
Trust,
U.S. Bancorp
provides
necessary administrative, legal, tax, accounting services, and
financial reporting for the maintenance and operations of the Trust
and the Fund.
U.S. Bancorp
is
responsible for maintaining the books and records and calculating
the daily net asset value of the Fund. In addition,
U.S.
Bancorp
makes available the office
space, equipment, personnel and facilities required to provide such
services.
Under the Custody Agreement with the Trust,
U.S. Bancorp
maintains in separate
accounts cash, securities and other assets of the Trust and the
Fund, keeps all necessary accounts and records, and provides other
services.
Under the Custody
Agreement,
U.S. Bancorp
is also
authorized to appoint certain foreign custodians or foreign custody
managers for Fund investments outside the United
States.
Pursuant to a Transfer Agency Services Agreement
with the Trust,
U.S. Bancorp
acts as transfer agent to the Fund, dividend
disbursing agent and shareholder servicing agent to the
Fund.
The Advisor compensates
U.S. Bancorp
for the foregoing services out of the
Advisor’s unified management fee.
Distributor
Quasar Distributors
LLC
, the Distributor, is located at
777 E. Wisconsin Ave.
, Milwaukee, WI 53202
. The Distributor, a wholly owned subsidiary of
U.S. Bancorp, is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”),
and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
(“FINRA”).
The Distributor
has entered into a Services Agreement with
ProcureAM LLC
to distribute the
Fund.
Shares
will be continuously offered for sale by the Trust through the
Distributor only in whole Creation Units, as described in the
section of this SAI entitled “Purchase and Redemption of
Creation Units.” The Distributor also 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
investment policies of the Fund or which securities are to be
purchased or sold by the Fund.
The
Board intends to adopt a Distribution and Service Plan pursuant to
Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. In accordance with its Rule 12b-1
plan, the Fund will be authorized to pay an amount up to 0.25% of
its average daily net assets each year to finance activities
primarily intended to result in the sale of Creation Units of the
Fund or the provision of investor services. No Rule 12b-1 fees are
currently paid by the Fund and there are no plans to impose these
fees. However, in the event Rule 12b-1 fees are charged in the
future, they will be paid out of the Fund’s assets, and over
time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and they
may cost you more than certain other types of sales
charges.
Under
the Service and Distribution Plan, and as required by Rule 12b-1,
the Trustees will receive and review after the end of each calendar
quarter a written report provided by the Distributor of the amounts
expended under the Plan and the purpose for which such expenditures
were made.
The
Advisor and its affiliates may, out of their own resources, pay
amounts to third parties for distribution or marketing services on
behalf of the Fund. The making of these payments could create a
conflict of interest for a financial intermediary receiving such
payments.
Compliance Services Company
Vigilant Compliance, LLC, located at 223 Wilmington West Chester
Pike, Chadds Ford, PA 19317, will manage the compliance programs of
the Trust and the Fund. Michael Hogan of Vigilant Compliance, LLC
will act as Chief Compliance Officer (the “CCO”) of the
Trust and the Fund and perform the functions of the chief
compliance officer as described in Rule 38a-1 under the Investment
Company Act of 1940. The CCO shall have primary responsibility for
administering the Trust’s compliance policies and procedures
adopted pursuant to Rule 38a-1 (the “Compliance
Program”) and reviewing the Compliance Program, in the manner
specified in Rule 38a-1, at least annually, or as may be required
by Rule 38a-1, as may be amended from time to time. The CCO reports
directly to the Board of Trustees regarding the Compliance
Program.
Calculation Agent
Real-time
calculation is provided by Thomson Reuters. Closing index values
and weights are provided to data vendors between 6PM and 7PM
Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday, except on official
New York Stock Exchange holidays. The Underlying Index values are
distributed at 15-second intervals throughout the days on which the
Underlying Index is calculated.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Cohen & Company Ltd., located at 1350 Euclid Ave., Suite 800,
Cleveland, Ohio 44115, serves as independent registered public
accounting firm.
Cohen & Company
will perform the annual audit of the Fund’s
financial statements, serve as tax advisor to the Trust and will
prepare the Fund’s federal, state and excise tax returns, and
advise the Trust on matters of accounting and federal and state
income taxation.
Legal Counsel
Chapman
and
Cutler
LLP, 1270
Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020, serves
as Legal Counsel to the Trust and the Fund.
CERTAIN CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Because the
portfolio managers manage multiple portfolios for multiple clients,
the potential for conflicts of interest exists. Each portfolio
manager may manage portfolios having substantially the same
investment style as the Fund. However, the portfolios managed by a
portfolio manager may not have portfolio compositions identical to
those of the Fund managed by the portfolio manager due, for
example, to specific investment limitations or guidelines present
in some portfolios or accounts, but not others. The portfolio
managers may purchase or sell short securities for one portfolio
and not another portfolio, and the performance of securities short
for one portfolio may vary from the performance of securities
purchased or sold short for other portfolios. A portfolio manager
may place transactions on behalf of other accounts that are
directly or indirectly contrary to investment decisions made on
behalf of the Fund, or make investment decisions that are similar
to those made for the Fund, both of which have the potential to
adversely impact the Fund depending on market conditions. For
example, a portfolio manager may purchase a security in one
portfolio while appropriately selling that same security in another
portfolio. In addition, some of these portfolios have fee
structures that are or have the potential to be higher than the
advisory fees paid by the Fund, which can cause potential conflicts
in the allocation of investment opportunities between the Fund and
the other accounts. However, the compensation structure for
portfolio managers does not generally provide incentive to favor
one account over another because that part of a manager’s
bonus based on performance is not based on the performance of one
account to the exclusion of others. There are many other factors
considered in determining the portfolio manager’s bonus and
there is no formula that is applied to weight the factors listed
(see “Compensation”). In addition, current trading
practices do not allow the Advisor to intentionally favor one
portfolio over another as trades are executed as trade orders are
received. Portfolio’s rebalancing dates also generally vary
between fund families.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE
Subject
to the general supervision by the Advisor and the Board, the
Sub-Advisor is responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities
for the Fund, the selection of brokers and dealers to effect the
transactions, which may be affiliates of the Advisor, and the
negotiation of brokerage commissions. The Fund may execute
brokerage or other agency transactions through registered
broker-dealers who receive compensation for their services in
conformity with the 1940 Act, the Exchange Act of 1934, and the
rules and regulations thereunder. Compensation may also be paid in
connection with riskless principal transactions (on Nasdaq or
over-the-counter securities and securities listed on an exchange)
and agency or over-the-counter transactions executed with an
electronic communications network or an alternative trading
system.
The
Fund will give primary consideration to obtaining the most
favorable prices and efficient executions of transactions in
implementing trading policy. Consistent with this policy, when
securities transactions are traded on an exchange, the Fund's
policy will be to pay commissions that are considered fair and
reasonable without necessarily determining that the lowest possible
commissions are paid in all circumstances. The Sub-Advisor believes
that a requirement always to seek the lowest possible commission
cost could impede effective portfolio management and preclude the
Fund from obtaining a high quality of brokerage services. In
seeking to determine the reasonableness of brokerage commissions
paid in any transaction, the Sub-Advisor will rely upon its
experience and knowledge regarding commissions generally charged by
various brokers and on its judgment in evaluating the brokerage and
research services received from the broker effecting the
transaction. Such determinations will be necessarily subjective and
imprecise, as in most cases an exact dollar value for those
services is not ascertainable.
The
Sub-Advisor does not consider sales of Shares by broker-dealers as
a factor in the selection of broker-dealers to execute portfolio
transactions.
As
permitted by Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act, the Sub-Advisor may
cause the Fund to pay a broker-dealer a commission for effecting a
securities transaction for the Fund that is in excess of the
commission that another broker-dealer would have charged for
effecting the transaction, if the Sub-Advisor makes a good faith
determination that the broker’s commission paid by the Fund
is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and
research services provided by the broker-dealer, viewed in terms of
either the particular transaction or the Advisor’s overall
responsibilities to the Fund and its other investment advisory
clients. The practice of using a portion of the Fund’s
commission dollars to pay for brokerage and research services
provided to the Sub-Advisor is sometimes referred to as “soft
dollars.” Section 28(e) is sometimes referred to as a
“safe harbor,” because it permits this practice,
subject to a number of restrictions, including the
Sub-Advisor’s compliance with certain procedural requirements
and limitations on the type of brokerage and research services that
qualify for the safe harbor.
Research
products and services may include, but are not limited to, general
economic, political, business and market information and reviews,
industry and company information and reviews, evaluations of
securities and recommendations as to the purchase and sale of
securities, financial data on a company or companies, performance
and risk measuring services and analysis, stock price quotation
services, computerized historical financial databases and related
software, credit rating services, analysis of corporate
responsibility issues, brokerage analysts’ earnings
estimates, computerized links to current market data, software
dedicated to research, and portfolio modeling. Research services
may be provided in the form of reports, computer-generated data
feeds and other services, telephone contacts, and personal meetings
with securities analysts, as well as in the form of meetings
arranged with corporate officers and industry spokespersons,
economists, academics and governmental representatives. Brokerage
products and services assist in the execution, clearance and
settlement of securities transactions, as well as functions
incidental thereto, including but not limited to related
communication and connectivity services and equipment, software
related to order routing, market access, algorithmic trading, and
other trading activities. On occasion, a broker-dealer may furnish
the Sub-Advisor with a service that has a mixed use (that is, the
service is used both for brokerage and research activities that are
within the safe harbor and for other activities). In this case, the
Sub-Advisor is required to reasonably allocate the cost of the
service, so that any portion of the service that does not qualify
for the safe harbor is paid for by the Sub-Advisor from its own
funds, and not by portfolio commissions paid by the
Fund.
Research
products and services provided to the Sub-Advisor by broker-dealers
that effect securities transactions for the Fund may be used by the
Advisor in servicing all of its accounts. Accordingly, not all of
these services may be used by the Sub-Advisor in connection with
the Fund. Some of these products and services are also available to
the Sub-Advisor for cash, and some do not have an explicit cost or
determinable value. The research received does not reduce the
advisory fees paid to the Sub-Advisor for services provided to the
Fund. The Advisor’s expenses would likely increase if the
Sub-Advisor had to generate these research products and services
through its own efforts, or if it paid for these products or
services itself.
As
of the date of this SAI, the Fund has not commenced operations and,
therefore, has not entered into securities
transactions.
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
Portfolio Disclosure Policy
The Trust has adopted a Portfolio Holdings Policy (the
“Policy”) designed to govern the disclosure of Fund
portfolio holdings and the use of material non-public information
about Fund holdings. The Policy applies to all officers, employees
and agents of the Fund, including the Advisor. The Policy is
designed to ensure that the disclosure of information about the
Fund’s portfolio holdings is consistent with applicable legal
requirements and otherwise in the best interest of the
Fund.
As an ETF, information about the Fund’s portfolio holdings is
made available on a daily basis in accordance with the provisions
of any Order of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
“SEC”) applicable to the Fund, regulations of the
Fund’s listing Exchange and other applicable SEC regulations,
orders and no-action relief. Such information typically reflects
all or a portion of the Fund’s anticipated portfolio holdings
as of the next Business Day (as defined below). This information is
used in connection with the creation and redemption process and is
disseminated on a daily basis through the facilities of the
Exchange, the National Securities Clearing Corporation (the
“NSCC”) and/or third party service
providers.
The Fund will disclose on the Fund’s website
(
www.procuream.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 net asset value (the
“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 the Business Day. Online disclosure of such
holdings is publicly available at no charge.
Daily access to the Fund’s portfolio holdings is permitted to
personnel of the Advisor, the Sub-Advisor, the Distributor and the
Fund’s administrator, custodian and accountant and other
agents or service providers of the Trust who have need of such
information in connection with the ordinary course of their
respective duties to the Fund. The Fund’s Chief Compliance
Officer may authorize disclosure of portfolio
holdings.
The Fund will disclose its complete portfolio holdings schedule in
public filings with the SEC on a quarterly basis, based on the
Fund’s fiscal year, within sixty (60) days of the end of the
quarter, and will provide that information to shareholders, as
required by federal securities laws and regulations
thereunder.
No person is authorized to disclose the Fund’s portfolio
holdings or other investment positions except in accordance with
the Policy. The Trust’s Board reviews the implementation of
the Policy on a periodic basis.
INDICATIVE INTRA-DAY VALUE
The approximate value of the Fund’s investments on a
per-Share basis, the Indicative Intra-Day Value or IIV, is
disseminated by the Exchange every 15 seconds during hours of
trading on the Exchange. The IIV should not be viewed as a
“real-time” update of NAV because the IIV will be
calculated by an independent third party calculator and may not be
calculated in the exact same manner as NAV, which is computed
daily.
An independent third-party calculator calculates the IIV during
hours of trading on the Exchange by dividing the “Estimated
Fund Value” as of the time of the calculation by the total
number of outstanding Shares. “Estimated Fund Value” is
the sum of the estimated amount of cash held in the Fund’s
portfolio, the estimated amount of accrued interest owing to the
Fund and the estimated value of the securities held in the
Fund’s portfolio, minus the estimated amount of liabilities.
The IIV will be calculated based on the same portfolio holdings
disclosed on the Fund’s website. In determining the estimated
value for each of the component securities, the IIV will use last
sale, market prices or other methods that would be considered
appropriate for pricing equity securities held by registered
investment companies.
Although the Fund provides the independent third party calculator
with information to calculate the IIV, the Fund is not involved in
the actual calculation of the IIV and is not responsible for the
calculation or dissemination of the IIV. The Fund makes no warranty
as to the accuracy of the IIV.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING SHARES
Organization and Description of Shares of Beneficial
Interest
The
Trust is a Delaware statutory trust and registered investment
company. The Trust was organized on December 19, 2017 and has
authorized capital of an unlimited number of shares of beneficial
interest of no par value that may be issued in more than one class
or series.
Under
Delaware law, the Trust is not required to hold an annual
shareholders meeting if the 1940 Act does not require such a
meeting. Generally, there will not be annual meetings of Trust
shareholders. If requested by shareholders of at least 10% of the
outstanding Shares of the Trust, the Trust will call a meeting of
the Trust’s shareholders for the purpose of voting upon the
question of removal of a Trustee and will assist in communications
with other Trust shareholders. Shareholders holding two-thirds of
Shares outstanding may remove Trustees from office by votes cast at
a meeting of Trust shareholders or by written consent.
All
Shares will be freely transferable; provided, however, that Shares
may not be redeemed individually, but only in Creation Units. The
Shares will not have preemptive rights or cumulative voting rights,
and none of the Shares will have any preference to conversion,
exchange, dividends, retirements, liquidation, redemption or any
other feature. Shares have equal voting rights, except that, if the
Trust creates additional funds, only Shares of that fund may be
entitled to vote on a matter affecting that particular fund. Trust
shareholders are entitled to require the Trust to redeem Creation
Units if such shareholders are Authorized Participants. The
Declaration of Trust confers upon the Board the power, by
resolution, to alter the number of Shares constituting a Creation
Unit or to specify that Shares of the Trust may be individually
redeemable. The Trust reserves the right to adjust the stock prices
of Shares to maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any
such adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or
reverse stock splits which would have no effect on the net assets
of the Fund.
The
Trust’s Declaration of Trust disclaims liability of the
shareholders or the officers of the Trust for acts or obligations
of the Trust which are binding only on the assets and property of
the Trust. The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification by
the Trust for all loss and expense of the Fund's shareholders held
personally liable for the obligations of the Trust. The risk of a
Trust’s shareholder incurring financial loss on account of
shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which the Fund
itself would not be able to meet the Trust’s obligations and
this risk should be considered remote. If the Fund does not grow to
a size to permit it to be economically viable, the Fund may cease
operations. In such an event, shareholders may be required to
liquidate or transfer their Shares at an inopportune time and
shareholders may lose money on their investment.
Book Entry Only System
DTC
will act as securities depositary for the Shares. The Shares of the
Fund is represented by global securities registered in the name of
DTC or its nominee and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Except
as provided below, certificates will not be issued for
Shares.
DTC
has advised the Trust as follows: DTC, the world’s largest
securities depository, is a limited-purpose trust company organized
under the New York Banking Law, a member of the Federal Reserve
System, a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of
the New York Uniform Commercial Code and a “clearing
agency” registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A
of the Exchange Act. DTC holds and provides asset servicing for
over 3.5 million issues of U.S. and non-U.S. equity issues,
corporate and municipal debt issues and money market instruments
(from over 100 countries). DTC was created to hold securities of
its participants (the “DTC Participants”) and to
facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions
among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic
computerized book-entry transfers and pledges in accounts of DTC
Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of
securities certificates. DTC Participants include both U.S. and
non-U.S. securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies,
clearing corporations and certain other organizations. DTC is a
wholly-owned subsidiary of The Depository Trust & Clearing
Corporation (“DTCC”). DTCC is the holding company for
DTC, the NSCC and Fixed Income Clearing Corporation, all of which
are registered clearing agencies. DTCC is owned by the users of its
regulated subsidiaries.
Access
to the DTC system is also available to others such as both U.S. and
non-U.S. securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies and
clearing corporations that clear through or maintain a custodial
relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly
(“Indirect Participants”). DTC agrees with and
represents to DTC Participants that it will administer its
book-entry system in accordance with its rules and bylaws and
requirements of law. Beneficial ownership of Shares will be limited
to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and persons holding
interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants.
Ownership of beneficial interests in Shares (owners of such
beneficial interests are referred to herein as “Beneficial
Owners”) will be shown on, and the transfer of ownership will
be effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect
to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with
respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not
DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through
DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase
of Shares. The laws of some jurisdictions may require that certain
purchasers of securities take physical delivery of such securities
in definitive form. Such laws may impair the ability of certain
investors to acquire beneficial interests in Shares.
Beneficial
Owners of Shares will not be entitled to have Shares registered in
their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical
delivery of certificates in definitive form and are not considered
the registered holders of the Shares. Accordingly, each Beneficial
Owner must rely on the procedures of DTC, DTC Participants and any
Indirect Participants through which such Beneficial Owner holds its
interests in order to exercise any rights of a holder of Shares.
The Trust understands that under existing industry practice, in the
event the Trust requests any action of holders of Shares, or a
Beneficial Owner desires to take any action that DTC, as the record
owner of all outstanding Shares, is entitled to take, DTC would
authorize the DTC Participants to take such action and that the DTC
Participants would authorize the Indirect Participants and
Beneficial Owners acting through such DTC Participants to take such
action and would otherwise act upon the instructions of Beneficial
Owners owning through them. DTC, through its nominee Cede &
Co., is the record owner of all outstanding Shares.
Conveyance
of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial
Owners will be effected as follows. DTC will make available to the
Trust upon request and for a fee to be charged to the Trust a
listing of Shares holdings of each DTC Participant. The Trust shall
inquire of each such DTC Participant as to the number of Beneficial
Owners holding Shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC
Participant. The Trust will provide each such DTC Participant with
copies of such notice, statement or other communication, in such
form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may
reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or
communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly
or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust
shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount
as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal,
all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
Beneficial Owners may wish to take certain steps to augment the
transmission to them of notices of significant events with respect
to Shares by providing their names and addresses to the DTC
registrar and request that copies of notices be provided directly
to them.
Distributions
of Shares shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as
the registered holder of all Shares. DTC or its nominee, upon
receipt of any such distributions, shall immediately credit DTC
Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate
to their respective beneficial interests in Shares as shown on the
records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to
Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of Shares held through
such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and
customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for
the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a
“street name,” and will be the responsibility of such
DTC Participants. The Trust has no responsibility or liability for
any aspects of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial
Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership
interests in such Shares, or for maintaining, supervising or
reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership
interests or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC
and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC
Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners
owning through such DTC Participants.
DTC
may determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to
Shares at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Trust and
discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under
applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Trust shall take
action either to find a replacement for DTC to perform its
functions at a comparable cost or, if such a replacement is
unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates representing
ownership of Shares, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with
respect thereto satisfactory to the Exchange.
DTC
rules applicable to DTC Participants are on file with the SEC. More
information about DTC can be found at www.dtcc.com and
www.dtc.org.
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION
UNITS
Creation
The Trust issues
and sells Shares of the Fund only in Creation Units on a continuous
basis on any Business Day (as defined below) through the
Distributor at the Shares’ NAV next determined after receipt
of an order in proper form. The Distributor processes purchase
orders only on a day that the Exchange is open for trading (a
“Business Day”). The Exchange is open for trading
Monday through Friday except for 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.
Deposit
of Securities and Deposit or Delivery of Cash
The consideration
for purchase of Creation Units of the Fund generally consists of
the Deposit Securities for each Creation Unit constituting a
substantial replication, or representation, of the securities
included in the Fund’s portfolio as selected by the Advisor
(“Fund Securities”) and the Cash Component computed as
described below. Together, the Deposit Securities and the Cash
Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which
represents the minimum investment amount for a Creation Unit of the
Fund.
The Cash Component
serves to compensate the Trust or the Authorized Participant, as
applicable, for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit
and the Deposit Amount (as defined below). The Cash Component is an
amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the Fund Shares
(per Creation Unit) and the “Deposit Amount,” an amount
equal to the market value of the Deposit Securities. If the Cash
Component is a positive number (
i.e.
, the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds
the Deposit Amount), the Authorized Participant will deliver the
Cash Component. If the Cash Component is a negative number
(
i.e.
, the NAV per Creation
Unit is less than the Deposit Amount), the Authorized Participant
will receive the Cash Component.
The Custodian
through the NSCC (see the section of this SAI entitled
“Purchase and Redemption of Creation
Units—Creation—Procedures for Creation of Creation
Units”), makes available on each Business Day, prior to the
opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m. New York
time), the list of the name and the required number of shares of
each Deposit Security to be included in the current Fund Deposit
(based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for
the Fund. This Fund Deposit is applicable, subject to any
adjustments as described below, to orders to effect creations of
Creation Units of the Fund until such time as the next-announced
composition of the Deposit Securities is made
available.
The identity and
number of shares of the Deposit Securities required for the Fund
Deposit for the Fund changes as rebalancing adjustments and
corporate action events are reflected within the Fund from time to
time by the Advisor, with a view to the investment objective of the
Fund. In addition, the Trust reserves the right to permit or
require the substitution of an amount of cash (that is a
“cash in lieu” amount) to be added to the Cash
Component to replace any Deposit Security that may not be available
in sufficient quantity for delivery or that may not be eligible for
transfer through the systems of DTC or the Clearing Process
(discussed below) or for other similar reasons. The Trust also
reserves the right to permit or require a “cash in
lieu” amount where the delivery of Deposit Securities by the
Authorized Participant (as described below) would be restricted
under the securities laws or where delivery of Deposit Securities
to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of
Deposit Securities by the Authorized Participant becoming
restricted under the securities laws, and in certain other
situations.
In addition to the
list of names and number of securities constituting the current
Deposit Securities of the Fund Deposit, the Custodian, through the
NSCC, also makes available on each Business Day the estimated Cash
Component, effective through and including the previous Business
Day, per outstanding Creation Unit of the Fund.
Procedures
for Creation of Creation Units
All orders to
create Creation Units must be placed with the Distributor either
(1) through Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the
“Clearing Process”), a clearing agency that is
registered with the SEC, by a “Participating Party,”
i.e.,
a broker-dealer or
other participant in the Clearing Process; or (2) outside the
Clearing Process by a DTC Participant (see the section of this SAI
entitled “Additional Information Concerning Shares —
Book Entry Only System”). In each case, the Participating
Party or the DTC Participant must have executed an agreement with
the Distributor with respect to creations and redemptions of
Creation Units (a “Participant Agreement”); such
parties are collectively referred to as “APs” or
“Authorized Participants.” Investors should contact the
Distributor for the names of Authorized Participants. All Fund
Shares, whether created through or outside the Clearing Process,
will be entered on the records of DTC in the name of Cede & Co.
for the account of a DTC Participant.
The Distributor
will process orders to purchase Creation Units received by U.S.
mail, telephone, facsimile and other electronic means of
communication by the closing time of the regular trading session on
the Exchange (the “Closing Time”) (normally 4:00 p.m.
New York time), as long as they are in proper form. Mail is
received periodically throughout the day. An order sent by U.S.
mail will be opened and time stamped when it is received. If an
order to purchase Creation Units is received in proper form by
Closing Time, then it will be processed that day. Purchase orders
received in proper form after Closing Time will be processed on the
following Business Day and will be priced at the NAV determined on
that day. Custom orders must be received by the Distributor no
later than 3:00 p.m. New York time on the trade date. A custom
order may be placed by an Authorized Participant in the event that
the Trust permits the substitution of an amount of cash to be added
to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security which may not
be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or which may not
be eligible for trading by such Authorized Participant or the
investor for which it is acting or other relevant reason. The date
on which an order to create Creation Units (or an order to redeem
Creation Units, as discussed below) is placed is referred to as the
“Transmittal Date.” Orders must be transmitted by an
Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method
acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in
the Participant Agreement, as described below in the sections of
this SAI entitled “Purchase and Redemption of Creation
Units—Placement of Creation Orders Using the Clearing
Process” and “Purchase and Redemption of Creation
Units—Placement of Creation Orders Outside the Clearing
Process.”
All orders to
create Creation Units from investors who are not Authorized
Participants shall be placed with an Authorized Participant in the
form required by such Authorized Participant. In addition, the
Authorized Participant may request the investor to make certain
representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order,
e.g.
, to provide for
payments of cash, when required. Investors should be aware that
their particular broker may not have executed a Participant
Agreement and, therefore, orders to create Creation Units of the
Fund have to be placed by the investor’s broker through an
Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement.
In such cases there may be additional charges to such investor. At
any given time, there may be only a limited number of
broker-dealers that have executed a Participant
Agreement.
Those placing
orders for Creation Units through the Clearing Process should
afford sufficient time to permit proper submission of the order to
the Distributor prior to the Closing Time on the Transmittal Date.
Orders for Creation Units that are effected outside the Clearing
Process are likely to require transmittal by the DTC Participant
earlier on the Transmittal Date than orders effected using the
Clearing Process. Those persons placing orders outside the Clearing
Process should ascertain the deadlines applicable to DTC and the
Federal Reserve Bank wire system by contacting the operations
department of the broker or depository institution effectuating
such transfer of the Fund Deposit. For more information about
Clearing Process and DTC, see the sections of this SAI entitled
“Purchase and Redemption of Creation
Units—Creation—Placement of Creation Orders Using the
Clearing Process” and “Purchase and Redemption of
Creation Units—Creation—Placement of Creation Orders
Outside the Clearing Process.”
Placement
of Creation Orders Using the Clearing Process
The Clearing
Process is the process of creating or redeeming Creation Units
through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC. Fund
Deposits made through the Clearing Process must be delivered
through a Participating Party that has executed a Participant
Agreement. The Participant Agreement authorizes the Distributor to
transmit through the Custodian to NSCC, on behalf of the
Participating Party, such trade instructions as are necessary to
effect the Participating Party’s creation order. Pursuant to
such trade instructions to NSCC, the Participating Party agrees to
deliver the Fund Deposit to the Trust, together with such
additional information as may be required by the Distributor. An
order to create Creation Units through the Clearing Process is
deemed received by the Distributor on the Transmittal Date if (1)
such order is received by the Distributor not later than the
Closing Time on such Transmittal Date and (2) all other procedures
set forth in the Participant Agreement are properly
followed.
Placement
of Creation Orders Outside the Clearing Process
Fund Deposits made
outside the Clearing Process must be delivered through a DTC
Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. A DTC
Participant who wishes to place an order creating Creation Units to
be effected outside the Clearing Process does not need to be a
Participating Party, but such orders must state that the DTC
Participant is not using the Clearing Process and that the creation
of Creation Units will instead be effected through a transfer of
securities and cash directly through DTC. The Fund Deposit transfer
must be ordered by the DTC Participant on the Transmittal Date in a
timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number
of Deposit Securities through DTC to the account of the Fund by no
later than 11:00 a.m. New York time on the next Business Day
following the Transmittal Date (the “DTC
Cut-Off-Time”).
All questions as to
the number of Deposit Securities to be delivered, and the validity,
form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of
any tendered securities, will be determined by the Trust, whose
determination shall be final and binding. The amount of cash equal
to the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian
through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely
manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than 2:00
p.m. New York time on the next Business Day following the
Transmittal Date. An order to create Creation Units outside the
Clearing Process is deemed received by the Distributor on the
Transmittal Date if (1) such order is received by the Distributor
not later than the Closing Time on such Transmittal Date and (2)
all other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are
properly followed. However, if the Custodian does not receive both
the required Deposit Securities and the Cash Component by 11:00
a.m. and 2:00 p.m., respectively, on the next Business Day
following the Transmittal Date, such order will be canceled. Upon
written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be
resubmitted the following Business Day using the Fund Deposit as
newly constituted to reflect the then-current Deposit Securities
and Cash Component. The delivery of Creation Units so created will
occur no later than the third Business Day following the day on
which the purchase order is deemed received by the
Distributor.
Additional
transaction fees may be imposed with respect to transactions
effected through a DTC participant outside the Clearing Process and
in the limited circumstances in which any cash can be used in lieu
of Deposit Securities to create Creation Units. See the section of
this SAI entitled “Purchase and Sale of Creation
Units—Creation—Creation Transaction
Fee.”
Creation Units may
be created in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion
of the applicable Deposit Securities. In these circumstances, the
initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of the Fund
Shares on the date the order is placed in proper form since, in
addition to available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in
an amount equal to the sum of (1) the Cash Component plus (2) 125%
of the then-current market value of the undelivered Deposit
Securities (the “Additional Cash Deposit”). The order
shall be deemed to be received on the Business Day on which the
order is placed provided that the order is placed in proper form
prior to Closing Time and funds in the appropriate amount are
deposited with the Custodian by 11:00 a.m. New York time the
following Business Day. If the order is not placed in proper form
by Closing Time or funds in the appropriate amount are not received
by 11:00 a.m. the next Business Day, then the order may be deemed
to be canceled and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to
the Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional
amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Trust,
pending receipt of the undelivered Deposit Securities to the extent
necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in
an amount at least equal to 125% of the daily marked-to-market
value of the undelivered Deposit Securities. To the extent that
undelivered Deposit Securities are not received by 1:00 p.m. New
York time on the third Business Day following the day on which the
purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor, or in the
event a marked-to-market payment is not made within one Business
Day following notification by the Distributor that such a payment
is required, the Trust may use the cash on deposit to purchase the
undelivered Deposit Securities. Authorized Participants will be
liable to the Trust and the Fund for the costs incurred by the
Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be
deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of
the Deposit Securities exceeds the market value of such Deposit
Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the
Distributor plus the brokerage and related transaction costs
associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused
portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the undelivered
Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Custodian or
purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a
transaction fee will be charged in all cases. See the section of
this SAI entitled “Purchase and Redemption of Creation
Units—Creation—Creation Transaction Fee.” The
delivery of Creation Units so created will occur no later than the
third Business Day following the day on which the purchase order is
deemed received by the Distributor.
Acceptance
of Orders for Creation Units
The Trust reserves
the absolute right to reject a creation order transmitted to it by
the Distributor if: (1) the order is not in proper form; (2) the
investor(s), upon obtaining the Fund Shares ordered, would own 80%
or more of the currently outstanding Shares of any Fund; (3) the
Deposit Securities delivered are not as disseminated for that date
by the Custodian, as described above; (4) acceptance of the Deposit
Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund;
(5) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of
counsel, be unlawful; (6) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would
otherwise, in the discretion of the Trust or the Advisor, have an
adverse effect on the Trust or the rights of beneficial owners; or
(7) there exist circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the
Custodian, the Distributor and the Advisor that make it for all
practical purposes impossible to process creation orders. Examples
of such circumstances include acts of God; public service or
utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions
and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer
failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts;
systems failures involving computer or other information systems
affecting the Trust, the Advisor, the Distributor, DTC, NSCC, the
Custodian or sub-custodian or any other participant in the creation
process and similar extraordinary events. The Distributor shall
notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the
Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such prospective creator
of its rejection of the order. The Trust, 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 Fund Deposits nor shall any of them incur any liability for the
failure to give any such notification. 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 and the
Trust’s determination shall be final and
binding.
Creation Units
typically are issued on a “T+2 basis” (that is two
Business Days after trade date). However, as discussed in Appendix
B, the Fund reserves the right to settle Creation Unit transactions
on a basis other than T+2 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.
To the extent
contemplated by an Authorized Participant’s agreement with
the Distributor, the Trust will issue Creation Units to such
Authorized Participant notwithstanding the fact that the
corresponding Portfolio Deposits have not been received in part or
in whole, in reliance on the undertaking of the Authorized
Participant to deliver the missing Deposit Securities as soon as
possible, which undertaking shall be secured by such Authorized
Participant’s delivery and maintenance of collateral having a
value equal to 110%, which the Adviser may change from time to
time, of the value of the missing Deposit Securities in accordance
with the Trust’s then-effective procedures. Such collateral
must be delivered no later than 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the
contractual settlement date. The only collateral that is acceptable
to the Trust is cash in U.S. Dollars or an irrevocable letter of
credit in form, and drawn on a bank, that is satisfactory to the
Trust. The cash collateral posted by the Authorized Participant may
be invested at the risk of the Authorized Participant, and income,
if any, on invested cash collateral will be paid to that Authorized
Participant. Information concerning the Trust’s current
procedures for collateralization of missing Deposit Securities is
available from the Distributor. The Authorized Participant
Agreement will permit the Trust to buy the missing Deposit
Securities at any time and will subject the Authorized Participant
to liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Trust of
purchasing such securities and the cash collateral or the amount
that may be drawn under any letter of credit.
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. 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,
and the Trust’s determination shall be final and
binding.
Creation
Transaction Fee
Investors will be
required to pay to the Custodian a fixed transaction fee (the
“Creation Transaction Fee”) to offset the transfer and
other transaction costs associated with the issuance of Creation
Units. The standard creation transaction fee will be the same
regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased by an investor
on the applicable Business Day. The Creation Transaction Fee for
each creation order is set forth below:
Fund
Name
|
Creation
Transaction Fee
|
Procure
Space ETF
|
$500
|
The Creation
Transaction Fee may be waived for the Fund when the Advisor or
Sub-Advisor believes that waiver of the Creation Transaction Fee is
in the best interest of the Fund. When determining whether to waive
the Creation Transaction Fee, the Advisor considers a number of
factors including, but not limited to, whether waiving the Creation
Transaction Fee will: facilitate the initial launch of the Fund;
reduce the cost of portfolio rebalancings; improve the quality of
the secondary trading market for the Fund's shares and not result
in the Fund’s bearing additional costs or expenses as a
result of the waiver.
An additional
variable fee of up to four times the fixed transaction fee
(expressed as a percentage of the value of the Deposit Securities)
may be imposed for (1) creations effected outside the Clearing
Process and (2) cash creations (to offset the Trust’s
brokerage and other transaction costs associated with using cash to
purchase the requisite Deposit Securities). Investors are
responsible for the costs of transferring the securities
constituting the Deposit Securities to the account of the
Trust.
In order to seek to
replicate the in-kind creation order process for creation orders
executed in whole or in part with cash, the Trust expects to
purchase, in the secondary market or otherwise gain exposure to,
the portfolio securities that could have been delivered as a result
of an in-kind creation order pursuant to local law or market
convention, or for other reasons (“Creation Market
Purchases”). In such cases where the Trust makes Creation
Market Purchases, the Authorized Participant will reimburse the
Trust for, among other things, any difference between the market
value at which the securities and/or financial instruments were
purchased by the Trust and the cash-in-lieu amount, applicable
registration fees, brokerage commissions and certain
taxes.
Redemption
The process to
redeem Creation Units is essentially the reverse of the process by
which Creation Units are created, as described above. To redeem
Shares directly from the Fund, an investor must be an Authorized
Participant or must redeem through an Authorized Participant. The
Trust redeems Creation Units on a continuous basis on any Business
Day through the Distributor at the Shares’ NAV next
determined after receipt of an order in proper form. The Fund will
not redeem Shares in amounts less than Creation Units. Authorized
Participants must accumulate enough Shares in the secondary market
to constitute a Creation Unit in order to have such Shares redeemed
by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will
be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to
permit assembly of a Creation Unit.
With respect to the
Fund, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available prior to the
opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m. New York
time) on each Business Day, the identity of the Fund Securities
that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or
correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as
described below) on that day. Fund Securities received on
redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities that are
applicable to creations of Creation Units. Unless cash redemptions
are available or specified for the Fund, the redemption proceeds
for a Creation Unit generally consist of Fund Securities — as
announced on the Business Day the request for redemption is
received in proper form — plus or minus cash in an amount
equal to the difference between the NAV of the Fund Shares being
redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a redemption
request in proper form, and the value of the Fund Securities (the
“Cash Redemption Amount”), less a redemption
transaction fee (see the section of this SAI entitled
“Purchase and Redemption of Creation
Units—Redemption—Redemption Transaction
Fee”).
The right of
redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed (1)
for any period during which the Exchange is closed (other than
customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during
which trading on the Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for
any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which
disposal of the Shares of the Fund or determination of the
Fund’s NAV is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such
other circumstances as is permitted by the SEC.
Deliveries of
redemption proceeds by the Fund generally will be made within two
Business Days (that is “T+2”). However, as discussed in
Appendix B, the Fund reserves the right to settle redemption
transactions and deliver redemption proceeds on a basis other than
T+2 to accommodate foreign market holiday schedules, to account for
different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend
record dates and dividend ex-dates (that is the last date the
holder of a security can sell the security and still receive
dividends payable on the security sold), and in certain other
circumstances. For each country relating to the Fund, Appendix B
hereto identifies the instances where more than seven days would be
needed to deliver redemption proceeds. Pursuant to an order of the
SEC, in respect of the Fund, the Trust will make delivery of
in-kind redemption proceeds within the number of days stated in
Appendix B to be the maximum number of days necessary to deliver
redemption proceeds.
In the event that
cash redemptions are permitted or required by the Trust, proceeds
will be paid to the Authorized Participant redeeming shares on
behalf of the redeeming investor as soon as practicable after the
date of redemption (within seven calendar days thereafter, except
for the instances listed in Appendix B hereto where more than seven
calendar days would be needed).
Placement
of Redemption Orders Using the Clearing Process
Orders to redeem
Creation Units through the Clearing Process must be delivered
through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant
Agreement. Investors other than Authorized Participants are
responsible for making arrangements with an Authorized Participant
for an order to redeem. An order to redeem Creation Units is deemed
received by the Trust on the Transmittal Date if: (1) such order is
received by the Distributor not later than Closing Time on such
Transmittal Date; and (2) all other procedures set forth in the
Participant Agreement are properly followed. Such order will be
effected based on the NAV of the Fund as next determined. An order
to redeem Creation Units using the Clearing Process made in proper
form but received by the Distributor after Closing Time will be
deemed received on the next Business Day immediately following the
Transmittal Date and will be effected at the NAV determined on such
next Business Day. The requisite Fund Securities and the Cash
Redemption Amount will be transferred by the third NSCC business
day following the date on which such request for redemption is
deemed received.
Placement
of Redemption Orders Outside the Clearing Process
Orders to redeem
Creation Units outside the Clearing Process must be delivered
through a DTC Participant that has executed the Participant
Agreement. A DTC Participant who wishes to place an order for
redemption of Creation Units to be effected outside the Clearing
Process does not need to be a Participating Party, but such orders
must state that the DTC Participant is not using the Clearing
Process and that redemption of Creation Units will instead be
effected through transfer of Fund Shares directly through DTC. An
order to redeem Creation Units outside the Clearing Process is
deemed received by the Distributor on the Transmittal Date if (1)
such order is received by the Distributor not later than Closing
Time on such Transmittal Date; (2) such order is accompanied or
followed by the requisite number of Fund Shares, which delivery
must be made through DTC to the Custodian no later than the DTC
Cut-Off-Time, and the Cash Redemption Amount, if owed to the Fund,
which delivery must be made by 2:00 p.m. New York Time; and (3) all
other procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement are
properly followed. After the Distributor receives an order for
redemption outside the Clearing Process, the Distributor will
initiate procedures to transfer the requisite Fund Securities which
are expected to be delivered and the Cash Redemption Amount, if
any, by the third Business Day following the Transmittal
Date.
The calculation of
the value of the Fund Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount to
be delivered or received upon redemption (by the Authorized
Participant or the Trust, as applicable) will be made by the
Custodian according to the procedures set forth the section of this
SAI entitled
“Determination
of Net Asset Value”
computed on the Business Day on
which a redemption order is deemed received by the Distributor.
Therefore, if a redemption order in proper form is submitted to the
Distributor by a DTC Participant not later than Closing Time on the
Transmittal Date, and the requisite number of Shares of the Fund
are delivered to the Custodian prior to the DTC Cut-Off-Time, then
the value of the Fund Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount to
be delivered or received (by the Authorized Participant or the
Trust, as applicable) will be determined by the Custodian on such
Transmittal Date. If, however, either (1) the requisite number of
Shares of the Fund are not delivered by the DTC Cut-Off-Time, as
described above, or (2) the redemption order is not submitted in
proper form, then the redemption order will not be deemed received
as of the Transmittal Date. In such case, the value of the Fund
Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount to be delivered or
received will be computed on the Business Day following the
Transmittal Date provided that the Fund Shares of the Fund are
delivered through DTC to the Custodian by 11:00 a.m. New York time
the following Business Day pursuant to a properly submitted
redemption order.
If it is not
possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities, the Trust may
in its discretion exercise its option to redeem Fund Shares in
cash, and the redeeming Authorized Participant will be required to
receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition, an investor
may request a redemption in cash that the Trust may, in its sole
discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a
cash payment equal to the NAV of its Fund Shares based on the NAV
of Shares of the Fund next determined after the redemption request
is received in proper form (minus a transaction fee which will
include an additional charge for cash redemptions to offset the
Fund’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated with
the disposition of Fund Securities). The Fund may also, in its sole
discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a
portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of
the Fund Securities, or cash in lieu of some securities added to
the Cash Redemption Amount, but in no event will the total value of
the securities delivered and the cash transmitted differ from the
NAV. Redemptions of Fund Shares for Fund Securities will be subject
to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and
the Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions)
reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent
that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities
upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the
Fund Securities under such laws. An Authorized Participant or an
investor for which it is acting that is subject to a legal
restriction with respect to a particular security included in the
Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of a Creation Unit may
be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant
may request the redeeming Beneficial Owner of the Fund Shares to
complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to
such matters as compensating cash payment, beneficial ownership of
shares or delivery instructions.
Redemption
Transaction Fee
Investors will be
required to pay to the Custodian a fixed transaction fee (the
“Redemption Transaction Fee”) to offset the transfer
and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of
Creation Units. The standard redemption transaction fee will be the
same regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed by an
investor on the applicable Business Day. The Redemption Transaction
Fee for each redemption order is set forth below:
Fund
Name
|
Redemption
Transaction Fee
|
Procure
Space ETF
|
$500
|
The Redemption
Transaction Fee may be waived for the Fund when the Advisor or
Sub-Advisor believes that waiver of the Redemption Transaction Fee
is in the best interest of the Fund. When determining whether to
waive the Redemption Transaction Fee, the Advisor considers a
number of factors including, but not limited to, whether waiving
the Redemption Transaction Fee will: reduce the cost of portfolio
rebalancings; improve the quality of the secondary trading market
for the Fund's shares and not result in the Fund’s bearing
additional costs or expenses as a result of the
waiver.
An additional
variable fee of up to four times the fixed transaction fee
(expressed as a percentage value of the Fund Securities) may be
imposed for (1) redemptions effected outside the Clearing Process
and (2) cash redemptions (to offset the Trust’s brokerage and
other transaction costs associate with the sale of Fund
Securities). Investors will also bear the costs of transferring the
Fund Securities from the Trust to their account or on their
order.
In order to seek to
replicate the in-kind redemption order process for creation orders
executed in whole or in part with cash, the Trust expects to sell,
in the secondary market, the portfolio securities or settle any
financial instruments that may not be permitted to be re-registered
in the name of the Participating Party as a result of an in-kind
redemption order pursuant to local law or market convention, or for
other reasons (“Market Sales”). In such cases where the
Trust makes Market Sales, the Authorized Participant will reimburse
the Trust for, among other things, any difference between the
market value at which the securities and/or financial instruments
were sold or settled by the Trust and the cash-in-lieu amount,
applicable registration fees, brokerage commissions and certain
taxes.
Cash
Creations and Redemptions
The Trust reserves
the right to offer a “cash” option for creations and
redemptions of Shares, although it has no current intention of
doing so for the Fund. In each instance of such cash creations and
redemptions, transaction fees may be imposed that will be higher
than the transaction fees associated with in-kind creations and
redemptions. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance
with the requirements of the SEC applicable to management
investment companies offering redeemable securities.
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 Trust on an ongoing
basis, at any point a “distribution,” as such term is
used in the Securities Act, may occur. 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
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 such 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
categorization as an underwriter.
Broker-dealers
who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a
distribution (as contrasted to ordinary secondary trading
transactions), and thus dealing with Shares that are part of an
“unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section
4(3)(C) of the Securities Act, would be unable to take advantage of
the prospectus-delivery exemption provided by Section 4(3) of the
Securities Act. 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 ordinary secondary market transactions) and thus
dealing with the Shares that are part of an over-allotment within
the meaning of Section 4(3)(A) of the Securities Act would be
unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption
provided by Section 4(3) of the Securities Act. Firms that incur a
prospectus delivery obligation with respect to Shares are reminded
that, under Rule 153 of the Securities Act, a prospectus delivery
obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities Act owed to an
exchange member in connection with a sale on the Exchange is
satisfied by the fact that the prospectus is available at the
Exchange upon request. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided
in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on an
exchange.
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
General Policies
The
following information supplements and should be read in conjunction
with the section in the Prospectus entitled “Dividends,
Distributions and Taxes.”
Dividends
from net investment income are declared and paid at least annually
by the Fund. Distributions of net realized capital gains, if any,
generally are declared and paid once a year, but the Trust may make
distributions on a more frequent basis for the Fund to improve its
Underlying Index tracking or to comply with the distribution
requirements of the Code, in all events in a manner consistent with
the provisions of the 1940 Act. In addition, the Trust may
distribute at least annually amounts representing the full dividend
yield on the underlying Portfolio Securities of the Fund, net of
expenses of the Fund, as if the Fund owned such underlying
Portfolio Securities for the entire dividend period in which case
some portion of each distribution may result in a return of capital
for tax purposes for certain shareholders.
Dividends
and other distributions on Shares are distributed, as described
below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of such Shares.
Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect
Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds
received from the Trust. The Trust may make additional
distributions to the extent necessary (i) to distribute the entire
annual “investment company taxable income” of the
Trust, plus any net capital gains and (ii) to avoid imposition of
the excise tax imposed by Section 4982 of the Code. Management of
the Trust reserves the right to declare special dividends if, in
its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to
preserve the status of the Fund as a “regulated investment
company” (a “RIC”) or to avoid imposition of
income or excise taxes on undistributed income.
Dividend Reinvestment Service
No
reinvestment service is provided by the Trust. Broker-dealers may
make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for
use by Beneficial Owners of the Fund through DTC Participants for
reinvestment of their dividend distributions. If this service is
used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will
be automatically reinvested in additional whole Shares of the Fund.
Beneficial Owners should contact their broker to determine the
availability and costs of the service and the details of
participation therein. Brokers may require Beneficial Owners to
adhere to specific procedures and timetables.
U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAXATION
Set
forth below is a discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax
considerations affecting the Fund and the purchase, ownership and
disposition of Shares. It is based upon the U.S. Internal Revenue
Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), U.S. Treasury
Department regulations promulgated thereunder, judicial
authorities, and administrative rulings and practices, all as in
effect as of the date in conjunction with the section in the
Prospectus entitled “Dividends, Distributions and
Taxes.”
Except
to the extent discussed below, this summary assumes that a
Fund’s shareholder holds Shares as capital assets within the
meaning of the Code, and does not hold Shares in connection with a
trade or business. This summary does not address all potential U.S.
federal income tax considerations possibly applicable to an
investment in Shares, and does not address the tax consequences to
Fund shareholders subject to special tax rules, including, but not
limited to, partnerships and the partners therein, tax-exempt
shareholders, regulated investment companies, real estate
investment trusts (“REITs”), real estate mortgage
investment conduits (“REMICs”), those who hold Fund
Shares through an IRA, 401(k) plan or other tax-advantaged account,
and, except to the extent discussed below, “non-U.S.
shareholders” (as defined below). This discussion does not
discuss any aspect of U.S. state, local, estate and gift, or
non-U.S., tax law. Furthermore, this discussion is not intended or
written to be legal or tax advice to any shareholder in a Fund or
other person and is not intended or written to be used or relied
on, and cannot be used or relied on, by any such person for the
purpose of avoiding any U.S. federal tax penalties that may be
imposed on such person. Prospective Fund shareholders are urged to
consult their own tax advisers with respect to the specific U.S.
federal, state and local, and non-U.S., tax consequences of
investing in Shares based on their particular
circumstances.
The
Fund has not requested and will not request an advance ruling from
the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) as to the
U.S. federal income tax matters described below. The IRS could
adopt positions contrary to those discussed below and such
positions of this SAI and all of which are subject to change,
possibly with retroactive effect. The following information
supplements and should be sustained. Prospective investors should
consult their own tax advisors with regard to the U.S. federal tax
consequences of the purchase, ownership or disposition of Shares,
as well as the tax consequences arising under the laws of any
state, non-U.S. country or other taxing jurisdiction.
Tax
Treatment of the Fund
In General
. The Fund intends to qualify and elect to be
treated as a separate regulated investment company
(“RIC”) under the Code. As a RIC, a Fund generally will
not be required to pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on
any ordinary income or capital gains that it distributes to its
shareholders.
To
qualify and remain eligible for the special tax treatment accorded
to RICs, the Fund must meet certain income, asset and distribution
requirements, described in more detail below. Specifically, the
Fund must (i) derive at least 90% of its gross income in each
taxable year from dividends, interest, payments with respect to
securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of
stock, securities or foreign currencies, other income (including,
but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward
contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in
such stock, securities or currencies and net income derived from
interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships
(“QPTPs”) (
i.e.
, partnerships that are traded on
an established securities market or readily tradable on a secondary
market, other than partnerships that derive at least 90% of their
income from interest, dividends, and other qualifying RIC income
described above), and (ii) diversify its holdings so that, at the
end of each quarter of the Fund’s taxable year, (a) at least
50% of the value of the Fund’s assets is represented by cash,
securities of other RICs, U.S. government securities and other
securities, with such other securities limited, in respect of any
one issuer, to an amount not greater in value than 5% of the
Fund’s total assets and not greater than 10% of the
outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (b) not more than
25% of the value of its assets is invested in the securities (other
than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any
one issuer, any two or more issuers of which 20% or more of the
voting stock of each such issuer is held by the Fund and that are
determined to be engaged in the same or similar trades or
businesses or related trades or businesses or in the securities of
one or more QPTPs. Furthermore, the Fund must distribute annually
at least 90% of the sum of (i) its “investment company
taxable income” (which includes dividends, interest and net
short-term capital gains) and (ii) certain net tax-exempt income,
if any.
Failure to Maintain RIC Status
. If a Fund fails to qualify
as a RIC for any year (subject to certain curative measures allowed
by the Code), the Fund will be subject to regular corporate-level
U.S. federal income tax in that year on all of its taxable income,
regardless of whether the Fund makes any distributions to its
shareholders. In addition, in such case, distributions will be
taxable to a Fund’s shareholders generally as ordinary
dividends to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated
earnings and profits, possibly eligible for (i) in the case of an
individual Fund shareholder, treatment as a qualified dividend (as
discussed below) subject to tax at preferential long-term capital
gains rates or (ii) in the case of a corporate Fund shareholder, a
dividends-received deduction. The remainder of this discussion
assumes that the Fund will qualify for the special tax treatment
accorded to RICs.
Excise Tax
. A Fund will be subject to a 4% excise tax on
certain undistributed income generally if the Fund does not
distribute to its shareholders in each calendar year at least 98%
of its ordinary income for the calendar year (taking into account
certain deferrals and elections), 98.2% of its capital gain net
income (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for the twelvemonths
ended October 31 of such year (or later if the Fund is permitted to
elect and so elects), plus 100% of any undistributed amounts from
prior years. For these purposes, a Fund will be treated as having
distributed any amount on which it has been subject to U.S.
corporate income tax for the taxable year ending within such
calendar year. The Fund intends to make distributions necessary to
avoid this 4% excise tax, although there can be no assurance that
it will be able to do so.
Phantom Income
. With respect to some or all of its
investments, a Fund may be required to recognize taxable income in
advance of receiving the related cash payment. For example, under
the “wash sale” rules, a Fund may not be able to deduct
currently a loss on a disposition of a portfolio security. As a
result, a Fund may be required to make an annual income
distribution greater than the total cash actually received during
the year. Such distribution may be made from the existing cash
assets of the Fund or cash generated from selling portfolio
securities. The Fund may realize gains or losses from such sales,
in which event the Fund’s shareholders may receive a larger
capital gain distribution than they would in the absence of such
transactions. (See also — “Certain Debt
Instruments” below.)
Certain Debt Instruments
. Some of the debt securities (with
a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of
issuance) that may be acquired by a Fund (such as zero-coupon debt
instruments or debt instruments with payment in-kind interest) may
be treated as debt securities that are issued originally at a
discount. Generally, the amount of original issue discount 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. If a Fund acquires debt securities (with a fixed maturity
date of more than one year from the date of issuance) in the
secondary market, such debt securities may be treated as having
market discount. Generally, any gain recognized on the disposition
of, and any partial payment of principal on, a debt security having
market discount is treated as ordinary income to the extent the
gain, or principal payment, does not exceed the “accrued
market discount” on such debt security. Market discount
generally accrues in equal daily installments. A Fund may make one
or more of the elections applicable to debt securities having
market discount, which could affect the character and timing of
recognition of income.
Some
debt securities (with a fixed maturity date of one year or less
from the date of issuance) that may be acquired by a Fund may be
treated as having acquisition discount, or original issue discount
in the case of certain types of debt securities. Generally, a Fund
will be required to include the acquisition discount, or original
issue discount, in income over the term of the debt security, even
though payment of that amount is not received until a later time,
usually when the debt security matures. A Fund may make one or more
of the elections applicable to debt securities having acquisition
discount, or original issue discount, which could affect the
character and timing of recognition of income.
PFIC Investments
. A Fund may purchase shares in a non-U.S.
corporation treated as a “passive foreign investment
company” (“PFIC”) for U.S. federal income tax
purposes. As a result, the Fund may be subject to increased U.S.
federal income tax (plus charges in the nature of interest on
previously-deferred income taxes on the PFIC’s income) on any
“excess distributions” made on, or gain from a sale (or
other disposition) of, the PFIC shares even if the Fund distributes
such income to its shareholders.
In lieu
of the increased income tax and deferred tax interest charges on
excess distributions on, and dispositions of, a PFIC’s
shares, the Fund can elect to treat the underlying PFIC as a
“qualified electing fund,” provided that the PFIC
agrees to provide the Fund with certain information on an annual
basis. With a “qualified electing fund” election in
place, the Fund must include in its income each year its share
(whether distributed or not) of the ordinary earnings and net
capital gain of the PFIC.
In the
alternative, a Fund can elect, under certain conditions, to
mark-to-market at the end of each taxable year its PFIC shares. The
Fund would recognize as ordinary income any increase in the value
of the PFIC shares and as an ordinary loss (up to any prior net
income resulting from the mark-to-market election) any decrease in
the value of the PFIC shares.
With a
“mark-to-market” or “qualified election
fund” election in place on a PFIC, a Fund might be required
to recognize in a year income in excess of the sum of the actual
distributions received by it on the PFIC shares and the proceeds
from its dispositions of the PFIC’s shares. Any such income
generally would be subject to the RIC distribution requirements and
would be taken into account for purposes of the 4% excise tax
(described above).
Section 1256 Contracts
. A Fund’s investments in
so-called “Section 1256 contracts,” such as certain
futures contracts, most non-U.S. currency forward contracts traded
in the interbank market and options on most stock indices, are
subject to special tax rules. Section 1256 contracts held by a Fund
at the end of its taxable year are required to be marked to their
market value, and any unrealized gain or loss on those positions
will be included in a Fund’s income as if each position had
been sold for its fair market value at the end of the taxable year.
The resulting gain or loss will be combined with any gain or loss
realized by a Fund from positions in Section 1256 contracts closed
during the taxable year. Provided such positions were held as
capital assets and were not part of a “hedging
transaction” or a “straddle,” 60% of the
resulting net gain or loss will be treated as long-term gain or
loss, and 40% of such net gain or loss will be treated as
short-term capital gain or loss, regardless of the period of time
the positions were actually held by a Fund. In addition, a Fund may
be required to defer the recognition of losses on certain Section
1256 contracts to the extent of any unrecognized gains on related
positions held by the Fund. Income from Section 1256 contracts
generally would be subject to the RIC distribution requirements and
would be taken into account for purposes of the 4% excise tax
(described above).
Swaps
. As a result of entering into swap contracts, a Fund
may make or receive periodic net payments. A Fund also may make or
receive a payment when a swap is terminated prior to maturity
through an assignment of the swap or other closing transaction.
Periodic net payments generally will constitute ordinary income or
deductions, while termination of a swap generally will result in
capital gain or loss (which will be a long-term capital gain or
loss if a Fund has been a party to the swap for more than one
year). With respect to certain types of swaps, a Fund may be
required to currently recognize income or loss with respect to
future payments on such swaps or may elect under certain
circumstances to mark such swaps to market annually for tax
purposes as ordinary income or loss. The tax treatment of many
types of credit default swaps is uncertain.
Short Sales
. In general, gain or loss on a short sale is
recognized when a Fund closes the sale by delivering the borrowed
property to the lender, not when the borrowed property is sold. If,
however, a Fund already owns property that is identical to the kind
it borrows and sells pursuant to a short sale “against the
box,” and such pre-existing ownership position has
appreciated (
i.e.
, the fair
market value exceeds the Fund’s tax basis), the Fund may be
required to recognize such gain at the time the borrowed stock is
sold. Any gain or loss realized upon closing out a short sale
generally is considered as capital gain or loss to the extent that
the property used to close the short sale constitutes a capital
asset in the Fund’s hands. Except with respect to certain
situations where the property used by a Fund to close a short sale
has a long-term holding period on the date of the short sale,
special rules generally would treat the gains on short sales as
short-term capital gains. These rules also may terminate the
running of the holding period of “substantially identical
property” held by a Fund. Moreover, a loss on a short sale
will be treated as long-term capital loss if, on the date of the
short sale, “substantially identical property” has been
held by a Fund for more than one year. In general, a Fund will not
be permitted to deduct payments made to reimburse the lender of
securities for dividends paid on borrowed stock if the short sale
is closed on or before the 45th day after the short sale is entered
into.
Foreign Currency Transactions
. Gains or losses attributable
to fluctuations in exchange rates between the time a Fund accrues
income, expenses or other items denominated in a foreign currency
and the time the Fund actually collects or pays such items are
generally treated as ordinary income or loss. Similarly, gains or
losses on foreign currency forward contracts, certain foreign
currency options and futures contracts and the disposition of debt
securities denominated in a foreign currency, to the extent
attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the
acquisition and disposition dates, generally are also treated as
ordinary income or loss, unless a Fund were to elect otherwise
where such an election is permitted.
Non-U.S. Investments
. Dividends, interest and proceeds from
the direct or indirect sale of non-U.S. securities may be subject
to non-U.S. withholding tax and other taxes, including financial
transaction taxes. Even if a Fund is entitled to seek a refund in
respect of such taxes, it may not have sufficient information to do
so or may choose not to do so. Tax treaties between certain
countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes
in some cases. Non-U.S. taxes paid by a Fund will reduce the return
from the Fund’s investments.
Special or Uncertain Tax Consequences
. A Fund’s
investment or other activities could be subject to special and
complex tax rules that may produce differing tax consequences, such
as disallowing or limiting the use of losses or deductions, causing
the recognition of income or gain without a corresponding receipt
of cash, affecting the time as to when a purchase or sale of stock
or securities is deemed to occur or altering the characterization
of certain complex financial transactions.
A Fund
may engage in investment or other activities the treatment of which
may not be clear or may be subject to recharacterization by the
IRS. In particular, the tax treatment of certain swaps and other
derivatives and income from foreign currency transactions is
unclear for purposes of determining a Fund’s status as a RIC.
If a final determination on the tax treatment of a Fund’s
investment or other activities differs from the Fund’s
original expectations, the final determination could adversely
affect the Fund’s status as a RIC or the timing or character
of income recognized by the Fund, requiring the Fund to purchase or
sell assets, alter its portfolio or take other action in order to
comply with the final determination.
Tax
Treatment of Fund Shareholders
Taxation of U.S. Shareholders
The
following is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax
consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of Fund
Shares applicable to “U.S. shareholders.” For purposes
of this discussion, a “U.S. shareholder” is a
beneficial owner of Fund Shares who, for U.S. federal income tax
purposes, is (i) an individual who is a citizen or resident of the
United States; (ii) a corporation (or an entity treated as a
corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or
organized in the United States or under the laws of the United
States, or of any state thereof, or the District of Columbia; (iii)
an estate, the income of which is includable in gross income for
U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of its source; or (iv)
a trust, if (a) a U.S. court is able to exercise primary
supervision over the administration of such trust and one or more
U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial
decisions of the trust, or (b) the trust has a valid election in
place to be treated as a U.S. person.
Fund Distributions
. In general, Fund
distributions are subject to U.S. federal income tax when paid,
regardless of whether they consist of cash or property and
regardless of whether they are re-invested in Shares. However, any
Fund distribution declared in October, November or December of any
calendar year and payable to shareholders of record on a specified
date during such month will be deemed to have been received by each
Fund shareholder on December 31 of such calendar year, provided
such dividend is actually paid during January of the following
calendar year.
Distributions
of a Fund’s net investment income and a Fund’s net
short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses
(collectively referred to as “ordinary income
dividends”) are taxable as ordinary income to the extent of
the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits
(subject to an exception for “qualified dividend income, as
discussed below). Corporate shareholders of a Fund may be eligible
to take a dividends-received deduction with respect to such
distributions, provided the distributions are attributable to
dividends received by the Fund on stock of U.S. corporations with
respect to which the Fund meets certain holding period and other
requirements. To the extent designated as “capital gain
dividends” by a Fund, distributions of a Fund’s net
long-term capital gains in excess of net short-term capital losses
(“net capital gain”) are taxable at long-term capital
gain tax rates to the extent of the Fund’s current and
accumulated earnings and profits, regardless of a Fund
shareholder’s holding period in the Fund’s Shares. Such
dividends will not be eligible for a dividends-received deduction
by corporate shareholders.
A
Fund’s net capital gain is computed by taking into account
the Fund’s capital loss carryforwards, if any. Under the
Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, capital
losses incurred in tax years beginning after December 22, 2010 can
be carried forward indefinitely and retain the character of the
original loss. To the extent that these carryforwards are available
to offset future capital gains, it is probable that the amount
offset will not be distributed to shareholders. In the event that a
Fund were to experience an ownership change as defined under the
Code, the Fund’s loss carryforwards, if any, may be subject
to limitation.
Distributions
of “qualified dividend income” (defined below) are
taxed to certain non-corporate shareholders at the reduced rates
applicable to long-term capital gain to the extent of the
Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, provided
that the Fund shareholder meets certain holding period and other
requirements with respect to the distributing Fund’s Shares
and the distributing Fund meets certain holding period and other
requirements with respect to the dividend-paying stocks. Dividends
subject to these special rules, however, are not actually treated
as capital gains and, thus, are not included in the computation of
a non-corporate shareholder’s net capital gain and generally
cannot be used to offset capital losses. The portion of
distributions that a Fund may report as qualified dividend income
generally is limited to the amount of qualified dividend income
received by the Fund, but if for any Fund taxable year 95% or more
of the Fund’s gross income (exclusive of net capital gain
from sales of stock and securities) consists of qualified dividend
income, all distributions of such income for that taxable year may
be reported as qualified dividend income. For this purpose,
“qualified dividend income” generally means income from
dividends received by a Fund from U.S. corporations and qualified
non-U.S. corporations. Income from dividends received by a Fund
from a REIT or another RIC generally is qualified dividend income
only to the extent that the dividend distributions are made out of
qualified dividend income received by such REIT or other
RIC.
To the
extent that a Fund makes a distribution of income received by such
Fund in lieu of dividends with respect to securities on loan
pursuant to a securities lending transaction, such income will not
constitute qualified dividend income to individual shareholders and
will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction for
corporate shareholders.
Distributions
in excess of a Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and
profits will, as to each shareholder, be treated as a tax- free
return of capital to the extent of the shareholder’s tax
basis in its Shares of the Fund, and as a capital gain thereafter
(assuming the shareholder holds its Shares of the Fund as capital
assets).
The
Fund intends to distribute its net capital gain at least annually.
However, by providing written notice to its shareholders no later
than 60 days after its year-end, a Fund may elect to retain some or
all of its net capital gain and designate the retained amount as a
“deemed distribution.” In that event, the Fund pays
U.S. federal income tax on the retained net capital gain, and each
Fund shareholder recognizes a proportionate share of the
Fund’s undistributed net capital gain. In addition, each Fund
shareholder can claim a tax credit or refund for the
shareholder’s proportionate share of the Fund’s U.S.
federal income taxes paid on the undistributed net capital gain and
increase the shareholder’s tax basis in the Fund Shares by an
amount equal to the shareholder’s proportionate share of the
Fund’s undistributed net capital gain, reduced by the amount
of the shareholder’s tax credit or refund. Organizations or
persons not subject to U.S. federal income tax on such net capital
gain will be entitled to a refund of their pro rata share of such
taxes paid by the Fund upon timely filing appropriate returns or
claims for refund with the IRS.
With
respect to non-corporate Fund shareholders (
i.e.
, individuals, trusts and estates),
ordinary income and short-term capital gain are taxed at a current
maximum rate of 37% and long-term capital gain is taxed at a
current maximum rate of 20%. Corporate shareholders are taxed at a
current maximum rate of 21% on their income and gain.
In
addition, high-income individuals (and certain trusts and estates)
generally will be subject to a 3.8% Medicare tax on “net
investment income,” in addition to otherwise applicable U.S.
federal income tax. “Net investment income” generally
will include dividends (including capital gain dividends) received
from a Fund and net gains from the redemption or other disposition
of Shares. Please consult your tax advisor regarding this
tax.
If a
Fund is a “qualified fund of funds” (
i.e.
, a RIC at least 50% of the total
assets of which, at the close of each quarter of the taxable year,
is represented by interests in other RICs) or more than 50% of a
Fund’s total assets at the end of a taxable year consist of
non-U.S. stock or securities, the Fund may elect to “pass
through” to its shareholders certain non-U.S. income taxes
paid by the Fund. This means that each shareholder will be required
to (i) include in gross income, even though not actually received,
the shareholder’s pro rata share of the Fund’s non-U.S.
income taxes, and (ii) either take a corresponding deduction (in
calculating U.S. federal taxable income) or credit (in calculating
U.S. federal income tax), subject to certain limitations. Investors
considering buying Shares just prior to a distribution should be
aware that, although the price of the Shares purchased at such time
may reflect the forthcoming distribution, such distribution
nevertheless may be taxable (as opposed to a non-taxable return of
capital).
Exempt-Interest Dividends
. If at the end of each quarter of
a Fund’s taxable year, (i) the Fund is a qualified fund of
funds (as defined above), or (ii) 50% or more of the Fund’s
assets, by value, consist of certain obligations exempt from U.S.
federal income tax under Section 103(a) of the Code (relating
generally to obligations of a state or local governmental unit),
the Fund shall be qualified to designate a portion of its dividends
as “exempt-interest dividends.” Exempt-interest
dividends generally will be excludable from a shareholder’s
gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Exempt-interest
dividends will be included, however, in determining the
portion, if any, of a person’s
social security and railroad retirement benefit payments subject to
U.S. federal income tax. Interest on indebtedness incurred to
purchase or carry shares of a Fund that pays exempt-interest
dividends will not be deductible by the shareholders for U.S.
federal income tax purposes to the extent attributable to
exempt-interest dividends.
Furthermore,
exempt-interest dividends paid by a Fund could subject certain
shareholders in the Fund to the U.S. federal alternative minimum
tax. For taxable years beginning before January 1, 2018,
corporations are subject to an alternative minimum tax based, in
part, on certain differences between taxable income as adjusted for
other tax preferences and the corporation’s “adjusted
current earnings,” which more closely reflect a
corporation’s economic income. Because an exempt-interest
dividend paid by a Fund will be included in adjusted current
earnings, a corporate shareholder of such Fund may be required to
pay alternative minimum tax on exempt- interest dividends paid by
the Fund. In addition, if a Fund invests in “private activity
bonds,” a portion of the exempt-interest dividends paid by
such Fund may be treated as an item of “tax preference”
and, therefore, could subject certain shareholders of the Fund to
the U.S. federal alternative minimum tax.
REIT/REMIC Investments
. A Fund may invest in REITs owning
residual interests in REMICs. Certain income from a REIT that is
attributable to a REMIC residual interest (known as “excess
inclusion” income) is allocated to a Fund’s
shareholders in proportion to the dividends received from the Fund,
producing the same income tax consequences as if the Fund
shareholders directly received the excess inclusion income. In
general, excess inclusion income (i) cannot be offset by net
operating losses (subject to a limited exception for certain thrift
institutions), (ii) constitutes “unrelated business taxable
income” to certain entities (such as a qualified pension
plan, an individual retirement account, a 401(k) plan, a Keogh plan
or other tax-exempt entity), and (iii) in the case of a non-U.S.
shareholder, does not qualify for any withholding tax reduction or
exemption. In addition, if at any time during any taxable year
certain types of entities own Shares, the Fund will be subject to a
tax equal to the product of (i) the excess inclusion income
allocable to such entities and (ii) the highest U.S. federal income
tax rate imposed on corporations (currently 35%). A Fund also is
subject to information reporting with respect to any excess
inclusion income.
Sales or Exchanges of Shares
. Any capital gain or loss
realized upon a sale or exchange of Shares generally is treated as
a long- term gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more
than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale or
exchange of Shares held for one year or less generally is treated
as a short-term gain or loss, except that any capital loss on the
sale of Shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term
capital loss to the extent that capital gain dividends were paid
(or deemed to be paid) with respect to such Shares. All or a
portion of any loss realized upon a sale or exchange of Fund Shares
will be disallowed if substantially identical shares are purchased
(through reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within a 61-day
period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the
disposition of the Fund Shares. In such a case, the basis of the
newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed
loss.
Legislation
passed by Congress requires reporting to the IRS and to taxpayers
of adjusted cost basis information for “covered
securities,” which generally include shares of a RIC acquired
on or after January 1, 2012. Shareholders should contact their
brokers to obtain information with respect to the available cost
basis reporting methods and available elections for their
accounts.
Creation Unit Issues and Redemptions
. On an issue of Shares
as part of a Creation Unit, made by means of an in-kind deposit, an
Authorized Participant generally recognizes capital gain or loss
equal to the difference between (i) the fair market value (at
issue) of the issued Shares (plus any cash received by the
Authorized Participant as part of the issue) and (ii) the
Authorized Participant’s aggregate basis in the exchanged
securities (plus any cash paid by the Authorized Participant as
part of the issue). On a redemption of Shares as part of a Creation
Unit where the redemption is conducted in-kind by a payment of Fund
Securities, an Authorized Participant generally recognizes capital
gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the fair market
value (at redemption) of the securities received (plus any cash
received by the Authorized Participant as part of the redemption)
and (ii) the Authorized Participant’s basis in the redeemed
Shares (plus any cash paid by the Authorized Participant as part of
the redemption). However, the IRS may assert, under the “wash
sale” rules or on the basis that there has been no
significant change in the Authorized Participant’s economic
position, that any loss on an issue or redemption of Creation Units
cannot be deducted currently.
In
general, any capital gain or loss recognized upon the issue or
redemption of Shares (as components of a Creation Unit) is treated
either as long-term capital gain or loss, if the deposited
securities (in the case of an issue) or the Shares (in the case of
a redemption) have been held for more than one year, or otherwise
as short-term capital gain or loss. However, any capital loss on a
redemption of Shares held for six months or less is treated as
long-term capital loss to the extent that capital gain dividends
were paid (or deemed to be paid) with respect to such Fund
Shares.
Reportable Transactions
. If a Fund shareholder recognizes a
loss with respect to Shares of $2 million or more (for an
individual Fund shareholder) or $10 million or more (for a
corporate shareholder) in any single taxable year (or a greater
loss over a combination of years), the Fund shareholder may be
required file a disclosure statement with the IRS. Significant
penalties may be imposed upon the failure to comply with these
reporting rules. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to
determine the applicability of these rules in light of their
individual circumstances.
Taxation
of Non-U.S. Shareholders
The
following is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax
consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of Fund
Shares applicable to “non-U.S. shareholders.” For
purposes of this discussion, a “non-U.S. shareholder”
is a beneficial owner of Fund Shares that is not a U.S. shareholder
(as defined above) and is not an entity or arrangement treated as a
partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The following
discussion is based on current law, and is for general information
only. It addresses only selected, and not all, aspects of U.S.
federal income taxation.
Dividends
. With respect to non-U.S. shareholders of a Fund,
the Fund’s ordinary income dividends generally will be
subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a rate of 30% (or at a
lower rate established under an applicable tax treaty). However,
ordinary income dividends that are “interest-related
dividends” or “short-term capital gain dividends”
(each as defined below) and capital gain dividends generally will
not be subject to U.S. federal withholding (or income) tax,
provided that the non-U.S. shareholder furnishes the Fund with a
completed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, as applicable, (or
acceptable substitute documentation) establishing the non-U.S.
shareholder’s non-U.S. status and the Fund does not have
actual knowledge or reason to know that the non-U.S. shareholder
would be subject to such withholding tax if the non-U.S.
shareholder were to receive the related amounts directly rather
than as dividends from the Fund. “Interest-related
dividends” generally means dividends designated by a Fund as
attributable to such Fund’s U.S.-source interest income,
other than certain contingent interest and interest from
obligations of a corporation or partnership in which such Fund is
at least a 10% shareholder, reduced by expenses that are allocable
to such income. “Short-term capital gain dividends”
generally means dividends designated by a Fund as attributable to
the excess of such Fund’s net short-term capital gain over
its net long-term capital loss. Depending on its circumstances, a
Fund may treat such dividends, in whole or in part, as ineligible
from these exemptions from withholding.
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, special rules apply in certain cases, including as
described below. For example, in cases where dividend income from a
non-U.S. shareholder’s investment in a Fund is effectively
connected with a trade or business of the non-U.S. shareholder
conducted in the United States, the non-U.S. shareholder generally
will be exempt from withholding tax, but will be subject to U.S.
federal income tax at the graduated rates applicable to U.S.
shareholders. Such income generally must be reported on a U.S.
federal income tax return. Furthermore, such income also may be
subject to the 30% branch profits tax in the case of a non-U.S.
shareholder that is a corporation. In addition, if a non-U.S.
shareholder is an individual who is present in the United States
for 183 days or more during the taxable year and has a “tax
home” in the United States, any gain incurred by such
shareholder with respect to his or her capital gain dividends and
short-term capital gain dividends would be subject to a 30% U.S.
federal income tax (which, in the case of short-term capital gain
dividends, may, in certain instances, be withheld at source by a
Fund). Lastly, special rules apply with respect to dividends that
are subject to the Foreign Investment in Real Property Act
(“FIRPTA”), discussed below (see—
“Investments in U.S. Real Property”).
Sales or Exchanges of Fund Shares
. Under current law, gain on a sale
or exchange of Shares generally will be exempt from U.S. federal
income tax (including withholding at the source) unless (i) the
non-U.S. shareholder is an individual who was physically present in
the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year and
has a “tax home” in the United States, in which case
the non-U.S. shareholder would incur a 30% U.S. federal income tax
on his
capital gain, (ii) the gain is effectively connected
with a U.S. trade or business conducted by the non-U.S. shareholder
(in which case the non-U.S. shareholder generally would be taxable
on such gain at the same graduated rates applicable to U.S.
shareholders, would be required to file a U.S. federal income tax
return and, in the case of a corporate non-U.S. shareholder, may
also be subject to the 30% branch profits tax), or (iii) the gain
is subject to FIRPTA, as discussed below
(see—“Investments in U.S. Real
Property”).
Credits or Refunds
. To claim a credit or refund for any
Fund-level taxes on any undistributed long-term capital gains (as
discussed above) or any taxes collected through withholding, a
non-U.S. Fund shareholder must obtain a U.S. taxpayer
identification number and file a U.S. federal income tax return
even if the non-U.S. Fund shareholder would not otherwise be
required to do so.
Investments in U.S. Real Property
. Subject to the exemptions
described below, a non-U.S. shareholder generally will be subject
to U.S. federal income tax under FIRPTA on any gain from the sale
or exchange of Shares if the Fund is a “U.S. real property
holding corporation” (as defined below) at any time during
the shorter of the period during which the non-U.S. shareholder
held such Shares and the five-year period ending on the date of the
disposition of those Shares. Any such gain will be taxed in the
same manner as for a U.S. Fund shareholder and in certain cases
will be collected through withholding at the source in an amount
equal to 15% of the sales proceeds. A Fund will be a “U.S.
real property holding corporation” if the fair market value
of its “U.S. real property interests”
(“USRPIs”) (which includes shares of U.S. real property
holding corporations and certain participating debt securities)
equals or exceeds 50% of the fair market value of such interests
plus its interests in real property located outside the United
States plus any other assets used or held for use in a
business.
An
exemption from FIRPTA applies if either (i) the class of Shares
disposed of by the non-U.S. shareholder is regularly traded on an
established securities market (as determined for U.S. federal
income tax purposes) and the non-U.S. shareholder did not actually
or constructively hold more than 5% of such class of Shares at any
time during the five-year period prior to the disposition, or (ii)
the Fund is a “domestically-controlled RIC.” A
“domestically-controlled RIC” is any RIC in which at
all times during the relevant testing period 50% or more in value
of the RIC’s stock is owned by U.S. persons.
Furthermore,
special rules apply under FIRPTA in respect of distributions
attributable to gains from USRPIs. In general, if a Fund is a U.S.
real property holding corporation (taking certain special rules
into account), distributions by such Fund attributable to gains
from USRPIs will be treated as income effectively connected with a
trade or business within the United States, subject generally to
tax at the same graduated rates applicable to U.S. shareholders
and, in the case of a corporation that is a non-U.S. shareholder, a
“branch profits” tax at a rate of 30% (or other
applicable lower treaty rate). Such distributions will be subject
to U.S. federal withholding tax and generally will give rise to an
obligation on the part of the non-U.S. shareholder to file a U.S.
federal income tax return.
Even if
a Fund is treated as a U.S. real property holding corporation,
distributions on the Fund’s Shares will not be treated, under
the rule described above, as income effectively connected with a
U.S. trade or business in the case of a non-U.S. shareholder that
owns (for the applicable period) 5% or less (by class) of Shares
and such class is regularly traded on an established securities
market for U.S. federal income tax purposes (but such distribution
will be treated as ordinary dividends subject to a 30% withholding
tax or lower applicable treaty rate). Non-U.S. shareholders that
engage in certain “wash sale” and/or substitute
dividend payment transactions the effect of which is to avoid the
receipt of distributions from the Fund that would be treated as
gain effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business will be
treated as having received such distributions.
All
shareholders of the Fund should consult their tax advisers
regarding the application of the rules described
above.
Back-Up Withholding
A Fund
(or a financial intermediary such as a broker through which a
shareholder holds Shares in a Fund) may be required to report
certain information on a Fund shareholder to the IRS and withhold
U.S. federal income tax (“backup withholding”) at a 24%
rate from taxable distributions and redemption or sale proceeds
payable to the Fund shareholder if (i) the Fund shareholder fails
to provide the Fund with a correct taxpayer identification number
or make required certifications, or if the IRS notifies the Fund
thatthe Fund shareholder is otherwise subject to backup
withholding, and (ii) the Fund shareholder is not otherwise exempt
from backup withholding. Non-U.S. shareholders can qualify for
exemption from backup withholding by submitting a properly
completed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E. Backup withholding is not an
additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited against a
Fund shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax
liability.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act
The
U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act ("FATCA") generally imposes
a 30% withholding tax on "withholdable payments" (defined below)
made to (i) a "foreign financial institution" ("FFI"), unless the
FFI enters into an agreement with the IRS to provide information
regarding certain of its direct and indirect U.S. account holders
and satisfy certain due diligence and other specified requirements,
and (ii) a "non-financial foreign entity" (“NFFE”)
unless such NFFE provides certain information to the withholding
agent about certain of its direct and indirect “substantial
U.S. owners” or certifies that it has no such U.S. owners.
The beneficial owner of a "withholdable payment" may be eligible
for a refund or credit of the withheld tax. The U.S. government
also has entered into several intergovernmental agreements with
other jurisdictions to provide an alternative, and generally
easier, approach for FFIs to comply with FATCA.
"Withholdable
payments" generally include, among other items, (i) U.S.-source
interest and dividends, and (ii) gross proceeds from the sale or
disposition, occurring on or after January 1, 2019, of property of
a type that can produce U.S.-source interest or
dividends.
A Fund
may be required to impose a 30% withholding tax on withholdable
payments to a shareholder if the shareholder fails to provide the
Fund with the information, certifications or documentation required
under FATCA, including information, certification or documentation
necessary for the Fund to determine if the shareholder is a
non-U.S. shareholder or a U.S. shareholder and, if it is a non-U.S.
shareholder, if the non-U.S. shareholder has “substantial
U.S. owners” and/or is in compliance with (or meets an
exception from) FATCA requirements. The Fund will not pay any
additional amounts to shareholders in respect of any amounts
withheld. The Fund may disclose any shareholder information,
certifications or documentation to the IRS or other parties as
necessary to comply with FATCA.
The
requirements of, and exceptions from, FATCA are complex. All
prospective shareholders are urged to consult their own tax
advisors regarding the potential application of FATCA with respect
to their own situation.
Section 351
The
Trust, on behalf of the Fund, has the right to reject an order for
a purchase of Shares of the Fund if the purchaser (or any group of
purchasers) would, upon obtaining the shares so ordered, own 80% or
more of the outstanding Shares of a given Fund and if, pursuant to
Section 351 of the Code, that Fund would have a basis in the
Deposit Securities different from the market value of such
securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to
require information necessary to determine beneficial share
ownership for purposes of the 80% determination.
OTHER INFORMATION
The
Fund is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by the Exchange.
The Exchange makes no representation or warranty, express or
implied, to the owners of Shares or any member of the public
regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or
in the Fund particularly or the ability of the Fund to achieve its
objective. The Exchange has no obligation or liability in
connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the
Fund.
For
purposes of the 1940 Act, the Fund is a registered investment
company, and the acquisition of Shares by other registered
investment companies and companies relying on exemption from
registration as investment companies under Section 3(c)(1) or
3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act is subject to the restrictions of Section
12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, except as permitted by an exemptive order
that permits registered investment companies to invest in the Fund
beyond those limitations.
Shareholder inquiries may be made by writing to
the Trust, c/o ProcureAM, LLC, at 16 Firebush Road, Levittown, PA
19056
.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
As
of the date of this Statement of Additional Information, the Fund
has not yet commenced operations.
APPENDIX A
SUMMARY OF PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES
The
Advisor exercises its proxy voting rights with regard to the
holdings in the Fund’s investment portfolio with the goals of
maximizing the value of the Fund’s investments, promoting
accountability of a company’s management and board of
directors (collectively, the “Management”) to its
shareholders, aligning the interests of management with those of
shareholders, and increasing transparency of a company’s
business and operations.
The
Advisor seeks to avoid material conflicts of interest through its
use of a third party proxy services vendor (the “Proxy
Vendor”), which applies detailed, pre-determined proxy voting
guidelines (the “Voting Guidelines”) in an objective
and consistent manner across client accounts, based on research and
recommendations provided by a third party vendor, and without
consideration of any client relationship factors. The Advisor
engages a third party as an independent fiduciary to vote all
proxies for the Fund.
All
proxy voting proposals are reviewed, categorized, analyzed and
voted in accordance with the Voting Guidelines. These guidelines
are reviewed periodically and updated as necessary to reflect new
issues and any changes in our policies on specific issues. Items
that can be categorized under the Voting Guidelines will be voted
in accordance with any applicable guidelines. Proposals that cannot
be categorized under the Voting Guidelines will be referred to the
Portfolio Oversight Committee for discussion and vote.
Additionally, the Portfolio Oversight Committee may review any
proposal where it has identified a particular company, industry or
issue for special scrutiny. With regard to voting proxies of
foreign companies, the Advisor weighs the cost of voting, and
potential inability to sell the securities (which may occur during
the voting process) against the benefit of voting the proxies to
determine whether or not to vote.
APPENDIX B
SECURITIES SETTLEMENTS FOR CREATIONS AND REDEMPTIONS
The Fund generally
intends to effect deliveries of Creation Units and Deposit
Securities on a basis of “T” plus two business days.
The Fund may effect deliveries of Creation Units and Deposit
Securities on a basis other than T plus two in order to accommodate
local holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among
foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend
dates, or under certain other circumstances. The ability of the
Fund to effect in-kind creations and redemptions within two
business days of receipt of an order in good form is subject, among
other things, to the condition that, within the time period from
the date of the order to the date of delivery of the securities,
there are no days that are holidays in the applicable foreign
market. For every occurrence of one or more intervening holidays in
the applicable foreign market that are not holidays observed in the
U.S. equity market, the redemption settlement cycle will be
extended by the number of such intervening holidays, but not more
than twelve calendar days. In the event that a delay in a
redemption settlement cycle will extend to more than twelve
calendar days, the Fund will effect a cash-in-lieu redemption to
the extent necessary. In addition to holidays, other unforeseeable
closings in a foreign market due to emergencies may also prevent
the Trust from delivering securities within the normal settlement
period.
The securities
delivery cycles currently practicable for transferring Deposit
Securities to redeeming investors, coupled with foreign market
holiday schedules, will require a delivery process longer than
seven calendar days in certain circumstances.
The holidays
applicable to the Fund during such periods are listed below, as are
instances where more than seven days will be needed to deliver
redemption proceeds. Although certain holidays may occur on
different dates in subsequent years, the number of days required to
deliver redemption proceeds in any given year is not expected to
exceed the maximum number of days listed below for the Fund. The
proclamation of new holidays, the treatment by market participants
of certain days as “informal holidays” (
e.g.
, days on which no or limited
securities transactions occur, as a result of substantially
shortened trading hours), the elimination of existing holidays, or
changes in local securities delivery practices, could affect the
information set forth herein at some time in the
future.
The dates of the
Regular Holidays in calendar year 2019 are:
Argentina
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
April
18
|
June
20
|
October
20
|
March
4
|
April
19
|
July
8
|
November
18
|
March
5
|
May
1
|
July
9
|
December
8
|
March
24
|
May
25
|
August
19
|
December
25
|
April
2
|
June
17
|
October
14
|
|
|
|
|
|
Australia
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
April
22
|
August
5
|
December
25
|
January
28
|
April
25
|
October
7
|
|
April
19
|
May
6
|
November
5
|
|
|
|
|
|
Austria
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
May
30
|
August
15
|
December
8
|
January
6
|
June
10
|
October
26
|
December
25
|
April
22
|
June
20
|
November
1
|
December
26
|
May
1
|
|
|
|
Belgium
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
May
30
|
August
15
|
December
25
|
April
22
|
June
10
|
November
1
|
|
May
1
|
July
21
|
November
11
|
|
|
|
|
|
Brazil
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
March
6
|
June
20
|
November
2
|
January
25
|
April
19
|
July
9
|
November
15
|
March
4
|
April
21
|
September
7
|
December
25
|
March
5
|
May
1
|
October
12
|
|
|
|
|
|
Canada
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
April
19
|
July
1
|
November
11
|
February
11
|
April
22
|
August
5
|
December
25
|
February
18
|
May
20
|
September
2
|
December
26
|
February
19
|
June
21
|
October
14
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chile
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
May
21
|
September
18
|
December
8
|
April
19
|
July
1
|
September
19
|
December
25
|
April
20
|
July
16
|
October
14
|
|
May
1
|
August
15
|
November
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
China
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
February
9
|
September
13
|
October
4
|
February
4
|
February
10
|
September
30
|
October
7
|
February
5
|
April
5
|
October
1
|
|
February
6
|
May
1
|
October
2
|
|
February
7
|
June
7
|
October
3
|
|
|
|
|
|
Colombia
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
May
1
|
August
7
|
December
8
|
January
7
|
June
3
|
August
19
|
December
25
|
March
25
|
June
24
|
October
14
|
|
April
18
|
July
1
|
November
4
|
|
April
19
|
July
20
|
November
11
|
|
|
|
|
|
Czech Republic:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
May
8
|
October
28
|
December
26
|
April
19
|
July
5
|
November
17
|
|
April
22
|
July
6
|
December
24
|
|
May
1
|
September
28
|
December
25
|
|
|
|
|
|
Denmark
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
April
22
|
June
5
|
December
25
|
April
18
|
May
17
|
June
10
|
December
26
|
April
19
|
May
30
|
December
24
|
December
31
|
|
|
|
|
Egypt
:
|
|
|
|
January
7
|
May
1
|
July
23
|
September
1
|
January
25
|
June
5
|
August
12
|
October
6
|
April
25
|
June
6
|
August
13
|
November
10
|
April
28
|
June
7
|
August
14
|
|
Egypt
markets closed on Fridays.
|
|
|
|
|
Finland
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
April
22
|
December
6
|
December
26
|
January
6
|
May
1
|
December
24
|
|
April
19
|
May
30
|
December
25
|
|
|
|
|
|
France
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
May
8
|
July
14
|
November
11
|
April
22
|
May
30
|
August
15
|
December
25
|
May
1
|
June
10
|
November
1
|
December
26
|
|
|
|
|
Germany
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
May
1
|
October
3
|
|
April
9
|
May
30
|
December
25
|
|
April
22
|
June
10
|
December
26
|
|
|
|
|
|
Greece
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
March
25
|
May
1
|
October
28
|
January
6
|
April
26
|
June
17
|
December
25
|
March
11
|
April
29
|
August
15
|
December
26
|
|
|
|
|
Hong Kong
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
April
5
|
May
13
|
October
7
|
February
4
|
April
19
|
June
7
|
December
25
|
February
5
|
April
20
|
July
1
|
December
26
|
February
6
|
April
22
|
September
14
|
|
February
7
|
May
1
|
October
1
|
|
Hungary
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
May
1
|
August
20
|
December
26
|
March
15
|
June
9
|
October
23
|
|
April
19
|
June
10
|
November
1
|
|
April
22
|
August
19
|
December
25
|
|
|
|
|
|
India
:
|
|
|
|
January
26
|
March
21
|
August
15
|
|
February
19
|
April
19
|
October
2
|
|
March
4
|
May
1
|
December
25
|
|
|
|
|
|
Indonesia
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
April
19
|
June
1
|
August
17
|
February
5
|
May
1
|
June
5
|
September
1
|
March
7
|
May
19
|
June
6
|
November
10
|
April
3
|
May
30
|
August
12
|
December
25
|
|
|
|
|
Ireland
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
April
22
|
August
5
|
December
26
|
March
18
|
May
6
|
October
28
|
December
27
|
April
19
|
June
3
|
December
25
|
|
|
|
|
|
Israel
:
|
|
|
|
March
21
|
May
9
|
September
30
|
October
14
|
April
21
|
June
10
|
October
1
|
October
22
|
April
27
|
August
11
|
October
9
|
|
The
Israeli market is closed every Friday.
|
|
|
|
|
Italy
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
April
22
|
June
2
|
December
8
|
January
6
|
April
25
|
August
15
|
December
25
|
April
19
|
May
1
|
November
1
|
December
26
|
|
|
|
|
Japan
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
March
21
|
July
15
|
November
4
|
January
2
|
April
19
|
August
12
|
November
25
|
January
3
|
May
3
|
September
16
|
December
23
|
January
14
|
May
4
|
September
23
|
|
February
11
|
May
6
|
October
14
|
|
Malaysia
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
March
1
|
June
5
|
September
9
|
January
21
|
March
19
|
June
6
|
September
16
|
February
1
|
March
22
|
August
12
|
November
10
|
February
5
|
May
1
|
August
31
|
December
25
|
February
6
|
May
19
|
September
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mexico
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
April
18
|
May
5
|
December
12
|
February
4
|
April
19
|
September
16
|
December
25
|
March
18
|
May
1
|
November
18
|
|
|
|
|
|
Morocco
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
July
29
|
August
20
|
November
6
|
January
11
|
August
12
|
August
21
|
November
10
|
May
1
|
August
14
|
September
1
|
November
18
|
|
|
|
|
Netherlands
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
April
27
|
May
30
|
December
26
|
April
19
|
May
4
|
June
10
|
|
April
22
|
May
5
|
December
25
|
|
|
|
|
|
New Zealand
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
April
19
|
June
3
|
December
26
|
January
2
|
April
22
|
October
28
|
|
February
6
|
April
25
|
December
25
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nigeria
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
April
22
|
June
5
|
December
25
|
March
8
|
May
1
|
August
12
|
December
26
|
April
19
|
May
29
|
October
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
Norway
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
April
22
|
May
30
|
December
25
|
April
18
|
May
1
|
June
10
|
December
26
|
April
19
|
May
17
|
December
24
|
|
|
|
|
|
Peru
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
May
1
|
July
29
|
November
1
|
April
18
|
June
29
|
August
30
|
December
8
|
April
19
|
July
28
|
October
8
|
December
25
|
|
|
|
|
Philippines
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
April
19
|
August
12
|
December
24
|
February
5
|
May
1
|
August
21
|
December
25
|
April
9
|
June
5
|
August
26
|
December
30
|
April
18
|
June
12
|
November
1
|
December
31
|
|
|
|
|
Poland
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
May
1
|
August
15
|
December
25
|
January
6
|
May
3
|
November
1
|
December
26
|
April
22
|
June
20
|
November
11
|
|
|
|
|
|
Portugal
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
May
1
|
August
15
|
December
1
|
April
19
|
June
10
|
October
5
|
December
8
|
April
25
|
June
20
|
November
1
|
December
25
|
|
|
|
|
Russia
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
January
4
|
March
8
|
June
12
|
January
2
|
January
7
|
May
1
|
November
4
|
January
3
|
February
23
|
May
9
|
|
|
|
|
|
Saudi Arabia
:
|
|
|
|
Information
not available as of the date of this Registration
Statement.
The
Saudi Arabia Market is closed on Fridays.
|
|
|
|
|
Singapore
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
April
19
|
June
5
|
October
27
|
February
5
|
May
1
|
August
9
|
December
25
|
February
6
|
May
19
|
August
12
|
|
|
|
|
|
South Africa
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
April
22
|
June
17
|
December
16
|
March
21
|
April
27
|
August
9
|
December
25
|
April
19
|
May
1
|
September
24
|
December
26
|
South Korea
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
May
1
|
June
13
|
September
26
|
February
4
|
May
5
|
August
15
|
October
3
|
Februry
5
|
May
7
|
September
23
|
October
9
|
February
6
|
May
22
|
September
24
|
December
25
|
March
1
|
June
6
|
September
25
|
|
|
|
|
|
Spain
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
April
22
|
September
11
|
December
8
|
January
6
|
May
1
|
October
12
|
December
25
|
April
18
|
July
25
|
November
1
|
|
April
19
|
August
15
|
December
6
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sweden
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
May
1
|
June
22
|
December
26
|
Januaru
6
|
May
30
|
November
2
|
December
31
|
April
19
|
June
6
|
December
24
|
|
April
22
|
June
21
|
December
25
|
|
|
|
|
|
Switzerland
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
April
22
|
August
1
|
|
January
2
|
May
30
|
December
25
|
|
April
19
|
June
10
|
December
26
|
|
|
|
|
|
Taiwan
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
February
7
|
February
23
|
April
5
|
February
4
|
February
8
|
February
28
|
June
7
|
February
5
|
February
9
|
March
1
|
September
13
|
February
6
|
February
19
|
April
4
|
October
10
|
|
|
|
|
Thailand
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
April
15
|
July
17
|
December
10
|
February
19
|
April
16
|
July
29
|
December
31
|
April
8
|
April
17
|
October
14
|
|
April
13
|
May
1
|
October
23
|
|
April
14
|
May
19
|
December
5
|
|
|
|
|
|
Turkey
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
May
19
|
August
13
|
August
30
|
April
23
|
June
5
|
August
14
|
October
29
|
May
1
|
August
12
|
August
15
|
|
|
|
|
|
United Kingdom
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
May
6
|
August
6
|
|
April
19
|
May
27
|
December
25
|
|
April
22
|
August
5
|
December
26
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vietnam
:
|
|
|
|
January
1
|
February
6
|
April
15
|
September
2
|
February
4
|
February
7
|
April
30
|
|
February
5
|
February
8
|
May
1
|
|
Redemptions
: The longest redemption cycle for the Fund
is a function of the longest redemption cycle among the countries
and regions whose securities comprise the Fund. In the calendar
year
2019
(the
only year for which holidays are known at the time of this filing),
the dates of regular holidays affecting the following securities
markets present the worst-case redemption cycles* for the Fund as
follows:
Australia:
Redemption Request Date
|
Redemption Settlement Date
|
Settlement Period
|
4/15/2019
|
4/23/2019
|
8
|
4/16/2019
|
4/24/2019
|
8
|
4/17/2019
|
4/26/2019
|
9
|
4/18/2019
|
4/29/2019
|
11
|
Brazil:
Redemption Request Date
|
Redemption Settlement Date
|
Settlement Period
|
2/27/2019
|
3/7/2019
|
8
|
2/28/2019
|
3/8/2019
|
8
|
3/1/2019
|
3/11/2019
|
10
|
China:
Redemption Request Date
|
Redemption Settlement Date
|
Settlement Period
|
1/30/2019
|
2/11/2019
|
12
|
1/31/2019
|
2/12/2019
|
12
|
2/1/2019
|
2/13/2019
|
12
|
Czech Republic
:
Redemption Request Date
|
Redemption Settlement Date
|
Settlement Period
|
1/30/2019
|
2/11/2019
|
12
|
1/31/2019
|
2/12/2019
|
12
|
2/1/2019
|
2/13/2019
|
12
|
2/4/2019
|
2/13/2019
|
9
|
2/5/2019
|
2/13/2019
|
8
|
9/25/2019
|
10/8/2019
|
13
|
9/26/2019
|
10/8/2019
|
12
|
9/27/2019
|
10/9/2019
|
12
|
Egypt:
Redemption Request Date
|
Redemption Settlement Date
|
Settlement Period
|
8/7/2019
|
8/19/2019
|
12
|
8/8/2019
|
8/20/2019
|
12
|
8/9/2019
|
8/20/2019
|
11
|
Finland:
Redemption Request Date
|
Redemption Settlement Date
|
Settlement Period
|
12/23/2019
|
12/31/2019
|
8
|
Hong
Kong:
Redemption Request Date
|
Redemption Settlement Date
|
Settlement Period
|
1/31/2019
|
2/8/2019
|
8
|
2/1/2019
|
2/11/2019
|
10
|
Israel:
Redemption Request Date
|
Redemption Settlement Date
|
Settlement Period
|
10/7/2019
|
10/15/2019
|
8
|
Japan
:
Redemption Request Date
|
Redemption Settlement Date
|
Settlement Period
|
12/26/2018
|
1/4/2019
|
9
|
12/27/2018
|
1/7/2019
|
11
|
12/28/2018
|
1/8/2019
|
11
|
Malaysia
:
Redemption Request Date
|
Redemption Settlement Date
|
Settlement Period
|
1/30/2019
|
2/7/2019
|
8
|
1/31/2019
|
2/8/2019
|
8
|
Morocco:
Redemption Request Date
|
Redemption Settlement Date
|
Settlement Period
|
8/9/2019
|
8/19/2019
|
10
|
5/30/2019
|
6/10/2019
|
10
|
Russia
:
Redemption Request Date
|
Redemption Settlement Date
|
Settlement Period
|
12/31/2018
|
1/8/2019
|
8
|
South
Africa:
Redemption Request Date
|
Redemption Settlement Date
|
Settlement Period
|
4/12/2019
|
2/23/2019
|
11
|
4/15/2019
|
4/24/2019
|
9
|
4/16/2019
|
4/25/2019
|
9
|
4/17/2019
|
4/26/2019
|
9
|
4/18/2019
|
4/29/2019
|
11
|
4/19/2019
|
4/29/2019
|
10
|
12/19/2019
|
12/30/2019
|
11
|
12/20/2019
|
12/31/2019
|
11
|
12/23/2019
|
1/1/2020
|
9
|
12/24/2019
|
1/2/2020
|
9
|
South
Korea:
Redemption Request Date
|
Redemption Settlement Date
|
Settlement Period
|
2/1/2019
|
2/13/2019
|
12
|
2/4/2019
|
2/13/2019
|
9
|
2/5/2019
|
2/12/2019
|
8
|
9/20/2019
|
9/30/2019
|
10
|
Taiwan:
Redemption Request Date
|
Redemption Settlement Date
|
Settlement Period
|
1/31/2019
|
2/11/2019
|
11
|
2/1/2019
|
2/11/2019
|
10
|
Turkey:
Redemption Request Date
|
Redemption Settlement Date
|
Settlement Period
|
5/31/2019
|
6/10/2019
|
10
|
Vietnam:
Redemption Request Date
|
Redemption Settlement Date
|
Settlement Period
|
1/31/2019
|
2/11/2019
|
11
|
2/1/2019
|
2/12/2019
|
11
|
2/4/2019
|
2/12/2019
|
8
|
*These
worst-case redemption cycles are based on information regarding
regular holidays, which may be out of date. Based on changes in
holidays, longer (worse) redemption cycles are
possible.
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING
FIRM
To the
Shareholder of Procure Space ETF
Opinion on the Financial Statement
We have
audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of
Procure Space ETF (the “Fund”) as of November 2, 2018,
including the related notes (collectively referred to as the
“financial statement”). In our opinion, the financial
statement presents fairly, in all material respects, the financial
position of the Fund as of November 2, 2018, in conformity with
accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of
America.
Basis for Opinion
The
financial statement is the responsibility of the Fund’s
management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the
Fund’s financial statement based on our audit. We are a
public accounting firm registered with the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”)
and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in
accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable
rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and
the PCAOB.
We
conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB.
Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to
obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statement
is free of material misstatement, whether due to error or
fraud.
Our
audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of
material misstatement of the financial statement, whether due to
error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those
risks. Such procedures include examining, on a test basis, evidence
regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statement
and confirmation of cash owned as of November 2, 2018, by
correspondence with the custodian. Our audit also included
evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates
made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation
of the financial statement. We believe that our audit provides a
reasonable basis for our opinion.
We have
served as the Fund’s auditor since 2018.
/s/ Cohen & Company, Ltd.
COHEN
& COMPANY, LTD.
Cleveland,
Ohio
January
28, 2019
Financial Statement
Procure Space ETF
Statement
of Assets and Liabilities
November
2, 2018
|
|
|
|
Assets:
|
|
|
|
Cash
at Custodian
|
$
100,000
|
|
|
Total Assets
|
$
100,000
|
|
|
Liabilities
|
$
-
|
|
|
Total Liabilities
|
$
-
|
|
|
Net Assets:
|
$
100,000
|
|
|
Net Assets Consist of:
|
|
Paid-In-Capital
|
$
100,000
|
|
|
Net Asset Value
|
|
(unlimited shares authorized):
|
|
Net
Assets
|
$
100,000
|
Capital
Shares Issued and Outstanding
|
4,000
|
|
|
Net
Asset Value, Offering and Redemption
|
|
Price
Per Share
|
$
25.00
|
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of this financial
statement.
Procure
Space ETF
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT
November
2, 2018
Procure
ETF Trust II (the “Trust”), a Delaware statutory trust
organized on December 19, 2017, is an open-end management
investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of
1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and consisting of
multiple investment series, one of which is the Procure Space ETF
(the “Fund”), a non-diversified fund. The investment
objective of the Fund is to provide investment results that, before
fees and expenses, correspond generally to the total return
performance of an equity index called the “S-Network Space
Index” developed by S-Network Global Indexes. As of November
2, 2018, the Trust has had no operations other than those actions
relating to organizational and registration matters, including the
sale and issuance to ProcureAM, LLC. (the “Sole
Shareholder”) of 4,000 shares of the Fund. The proceeds of
the 4,000 shares were held in cash. The Fund currently offers one
class of shares that has no front end sales load, no deferred sales
charge and no redemption fee. The Fund may issue an unlimited
number of shares (“Shares”) of beneficial interest,
with no par value. All shares of the Fund have equal rights and
privileges.
Shares
of the Fund are expected to be listed and traded on the New York
Stock Exchange Arca, Inc. Market prices for the Shares may be
different from their net asset value (“NAV”). The Fund
expects to issue and redeem Shares on a continuous basis at NAV
only in large blocks of Shares, typically 25,000 Shares, called
“Creation Units.” Creation Units will be issued and
redeemed principally in-kind for securities included in a specified
universe. Once created, Shares generally will trade in the
secondary market at market prices that change throughout the day in
amounts less than a Creation Unit. Except when aggregated in
Creation Units, Shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund.
Shares of the Fund may only be purchased or redeemed by certain
financial institutions (“Authorized Participants”). An
Authorized Participant is either (i) a broker-dealer or other
participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net
Settlement System of the National Securities Clearing Corporations
or (ii) a DTC participant and, in each case must have executed a
Participant Agreement with the Fund’s distributor. Most
retail investors will not qualify as Authorized Participants or
have the resources to buy and sell whole Creation Units. Therefore,
they will be unable to purchase or redeem the Shares directly from
the Fund. Rather, most retail investors will purchase Shares in the
secondary market with the assistance of a broker and will be
subject to customary brokerage commissions or fees.
2.
Summary
of Significant Accounting Policies
The
Fund is an investment company and accordingly follows the
investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the
Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”)
Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 “Financial
Services – Investment Companies”.
The
following is a summary of significant accounting policies
consistently followed by the Fund in the preparation of its
financial statement. The financial statement has been prepared in
conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the
United States of America (“GAAP”).
Procure
Space ETF
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT (continued)
November
2, 2018
(a) Use of
Estimates
The
preparation of the financial statement in conformity with GAAP
requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect
the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of
contingent assets and liabilities at the date of this financial
statement. Actual results could differ from those
estimates.
(b)
Indemnifications
Under
the Fund’s organizational documents, its officers and
Trustees are indemnified against certain liabilities arising out of
the performance of their duties to the Fund. In addition, in the
normal course of business, the Fund enters into contracts with
service providers and others that provide general indemnification
clauses. The Fund’s maximum exposure under the contracts is
unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made
against the Fund. However, based on experience, the Fund expects
the risk of loss to be remote.
(c)
Federal Income Taxes
The
Fund intends to elect and continue to qualify to be taxed as a
“regulated investment company’ under Subchapter M of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. If so qualified, the
Fund generally will not be subject to federal income tax to the
extent it distributes substantially all of its net investment
income and capital gains to shareholders. The Fund generally
intends to operate in a manner such that it will not be liable for
federal income or excise taxes.
(d)
Organizational and Offering Costs
All
organizational and offering costs for the Fund will be borne by the
Adviser and are not subject to reimbursement.
(e)
Cash
Cash
includes non-interest bearing non-restricted cash with one
institution.
Pursuant
to an Investment Advisory Agreement (“Advisory
Agreement”) between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the
Adviser, the Adviser provides investment advice to the Fund and
oversees the day-to-day operations of the Fund, subject to the
direction and control of the Board and the officers of the Trust.
Under the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor agrees to pay all
expenses of the Trust, except brokerage and other transaction
expenses including taxes; extraordinary legal fees or expenses,
such as those for litigation or arbitration; compensation and
expenses of the Independent Trustees, counsel to the Independent
Trustees, and the Trust’s chief compliance officer;
extraordinary expenses; distribution fees and expenses paid by the
Trust under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1
under the 1940 Act; and the advisory fee payable to the Advisor
hereunder. For services provided to the Fund, the Fund pays the
Adviser 0.75% at an annual rate based on the Fund’s average
daily net assets.
Penserra
Capital Management, LLC intends to serve as the Sub-Advisor (the
“Sub-Advisor”) to the fund. The Sub-Advisor has overall
responsibility for selecting and continuously monitoring the
Fund’s investments. The Advisor has overall responsibility
for overseeing the investment of the Fund’s assets, managing
the Fund’s business affairs and providing certain clerical,
bookkeeping and other administrative services for the
Trust.
U.S.
Bank Global Fund Services, a subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp, intends to
serve as the Fund’s fund accountant, administrator and
transfer agent pursuant to certain fund accounting servicing, fund
administration servicing and transfer agent servicing agreements.
U.S. Bank National Association, a subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp,
intends to serve as the Fund’s custodian pursuant to a
custody agreement. Quasar Distributors, LLC, an affiliate of U.S.
Bank Global Fund Services, intends to serve as the Fund’s
distributor pursuant to a distribution agreement.
The
Fund has adopted a Distribution and Service (12b-1) Plan, pursuant
to which payments of up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets
may be made by the Fund. The Board of Trustees of the Fund has
determined that no such payment will be made, and there are no
plans in place to implement the fee.
A
Trustee and certain officers of the Trust are also
employees/officers of the Adviser.
The
beneficial ownership, either directly or indirectly, of more than
25% of the voting securities of a fund creates a presumption of
control of the fund, under Section 2(a)(9) of the 1940 Act. As of
the date of this financial statement, the Adviser owned 100% of the
outstanding shares of the Fund.
5. Subsequent Events
In
preparing this financial statement, Management has evaluated events
and transactions for potential recognition or disclosure through
the date this financial statement was available to be issued. There
were no events or transactions that occurred during the period
subsequent to November 2, 2018, that materially impacted the
amounts or disclosures in the Fund’s statement.
PART C
OTHER INFORMATION
Item 28. Exhibits
|
Declaration
of Trust of Procure ETF Trust II (“
Registrant
”). *
|
(c)
|
Articles
IV, VII and VIII of the Declaration of Trust, Exhibit 28(a) above,
define the rights of
holders of the
securities being registered. (Certificates for shares are not
issued.)
|
|
Investment
Advisory Agreement, dated September 1, 2018 between the Registrant
and
ProcureAM, LLC
(“
Advisor
”), as
investment adviser for the Registrant and its investment portfolio
(the “
Fund
”).
*
|
|
|
|
Investment
Sub-Advisory Agreement between ProcureAM LLC and Penserra Capital
Management LLC (“Sub-Advisor”), as investment
sub-advisor.
*
|
|
|
|
Distribution
Agreement by and between the Registrant and Quasar Distributors
LLC. *
|
|
Custodian
Agreement by and between the Registrant and U.S. Bancorp Fund
Services, LLC. *
|
|
Fund
Administration Agreement by and between the Registrant and U.S.
Bancorp Fund Services, LLC*
|
|
|
|
Fund
Accounting Agreement by and between the Registrant and U.S. Bancorp
Fund Services, LLC. *
|
|
Transfer
Agency Agreement by and between the Registrant and U.S. Bancorp
Fund Services, LLC. *
|
|
Form of
Authorized Participant Agreement. *
|
|
|
|
Form of
Purchasing Fund Agreement. *
|
|
|
|
Index
License Agreement between S-Network Global Indexes Inc. and
ProcureAM LLC.*
|
|
|
|
Compliance
Services Agreement by and between the Registrant and Vigilant
Compliance, LLC. *
|
|
|
|
Opinion
and Consent of Chapman and Cutler LLP regarding the legality of
securities registered with respect to the Registrant.
*
|
|
Consent
of independent registered public accounting firm. *
|
|
Initial
Capital Agreement. *
|
|
Plan of
Distribution Pursuant to Rule 12b-1. *
|
|
Code of
Ethics of the Advisor and the Registrant. *
|
|
Code of
Ethics of the Sub-Advisor. *
|
|
Code of
Ethics of the Distributor. *
|
|
Power
of Attorney executed by John Jacobs, Erik Liik, James Brenner and
Robert Tull. *
|
|
|
|
* filed
herewith
|
Item 29. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with
Registrant.
Not
Applicable.
Item 30. Indemnification
Under
Delaware law, Section 3817 of the Treatment of Delaware Statutory
Trusts empowers Delaware business trusts to indemnify and hold
harmless any trustee or beneficial owner or other person from and
against any and all claims and demands whatsoever, subject to such
standards and restrictions as may be set forth in the governing
instrument of the business trust. The Registrant’s
Declaration of Trust contains the following
provisions:
Section 8.1.1 General
Limitation of Liability
. No
personal liability for any debt or obligation of the Trust shall
attach to any Trustee of the Trust. Without limiting the foregoing,
a Trustee shall not be responsible for or liable in any event for
any neglect or wrongdoing of any officer, agent, employee,
investment advisor, subadvisor, principle underwriter or custodian
of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible or liable for
the act or omission of any other Trustee. Every note, bond,
contract, instrument, certificate, Share or undertaking and every
other act or thing whatsoever executed or done by or on behalf of
the Trust or the Trustees or any Trustee in connection with Trust
shall be conclusively deemed to have been executed or done only in
or with respect to their, his or her capacity as Trustees or
Trustee and neither such Trustees or Trustee nor the Shareholders
shall be personally liable thereon.
Section 8.2 Liability of
Trustee
. The exercise by the
Trustees of their powers and discretion hereunder shall be binding
upon the Trust, the Shareholders and any other person dealing with
the Trust. The liability of the Trustees, however, shall be limited
by this Section 8.2.
Section 8.2.1 Liability for
Own Actions
. A Trustee shall be
liable to the Trust or the Shareholders only for his or her own
willful
misfeasance
, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless
disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of
Trustee, and for nothing else, and shall not be liable for errors
of judgment or mistakes of fact or law.
Section 8.2.2 Liability for
Actions of Others
. The Trustees
shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or
wrongdoing of any officer, agent, employee, consultant, advisor,
administrative distributor, principal underwriter, custodian,
transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent, Shareholder servicing
agent or accounting agent of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be
responsible for any act or omission of any other
Trustee.
Section 8.2.3 Advice of
Experts and Reports of Others
.
The Trustees may take advice of counsel or other experts with
respect to the meaning and operation of this Declaration of Trust
and their duties as Trustees hereunder, and
shall
be under no liability for any act or omission in
accordance with such advice or for failing to follow such advice.
In discharging their duties, the Trustees, when acting in good
faith, shall be entitled to rely upon the books of account of the
Trust and upon written reports made to the Trustees by any officers
appointed by them, any independent public accountant and (with
respect to the subject matter of the contract involved) any
officer, partner or responsible employee of any other party to any
contract entered into hereunder.
Section 8.4 Liability of
Shareholders
. Without
limiting
the provisions of this Section 8.4 or
the DSTA, the Shareholders shall be entitled to the same limitation
of personal liability extended to stockholders of private
corporations organized for profit under the General Corporation Law
of the State of Delaware.
Section 8.4.1 Limitation of
Liability
. No personal
liability for any debt or obligation of the Trust shall attach to
any Shareholder or former Shareholder of the Trust, and neither the
Trustees, nor any officer, employee or agent of the Trust shall
have any power to bind any Shareholder personally or to call upon
any Shareholder for the payment of any sum of money or assessment
whatsoever other than such as the Shareholder may at any time
personally agree to pay by way of subscription for any Shares or
otherwise.
Section 8.4.2 Indemnification
of Shareholders
. In case any
Shareholder or former Shareholder of the Trust shall be held to be
personally liable solely by reason of being or having been a
Shareholder and not because of such Shareholder’s acts or
omissions or for some other reason, the Shareholder or former
Shareholder (or, in the case of a natural person, his or her heirs,
executors, administrators or other legal representatives or, in the
case of a corporation or other entity, its corporate or other
general successor) shall be entitled out of the assets of the Trust
to be held harmless from and indemnified against all loss and
expense arising from such liability; provided, however, there shall
be no liability or obligation of the Trust arising hereunder to
reimburse any Shareholder for taxes paid by reason of such
Shareholder’s ownership of any Shares or for losses suffered
by reason of any changes in value of any Trust assets. The Trust
shall, upon request by the Shareholder or former Shareholder,
assume the defense of any claim made against the Shareholder for
any act or obligation of the Trust and satisfy any judgment
thereon.
Section 8.5 Indemnification.
Section 8.5.1 Indemnification
of Covered Persons
. Subject to
the exceptions and limitations contained in Section 8.5.2, every
person who is or has been a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of
the Trust, including persons who serve at the request of the Trust
as directors, trustees, officers, employees or agents of another
organization in which the Trust has an interest as a shareholder,
creditor or otherwise (each, a “Covered Person”), shall
be indemnified by the Trust to the fullest extent permitted by law
against liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or
paid by him or her in connection with any claim, action, suit or
proceeding in which he or she becomes involved as a party or
otherwise by virtue of his or her being or having been such a
director, trustee, officer, employee or agent and against amounts
paid or incurred by him or her in settlement
thereof.
Section 8.5.2
Exceptions
. No indemnification
shall be provided hereunder to a Covered
Person:
(a)
for any liability to the Trust or its
Shareholders arising out of a final adjudication by the court or
other body before which the proceeding was brought that the Covered
Persons engaged in willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence
or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his
or her office;
(b)
with respect to any matter as to
which the Covered Person shall have been finally adjudicated not to
have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his or her
action was in the best interests of the Trust; or
(c)
in the event of a settlement or other
disposition not involving a final adjudication (as provided in
paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section 8.5.2) and resulting in a
payment by a Covered Person, unless there has been either a
determination that such Covered Person did not engage in willful
misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of
the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office or position
by the court or other body approving the settlement or other
disposition, or a reasonable determination, based on a review of
readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry),
that he or she did not engage in such conduct, such determination
being made by: (i) a vote of a majority of the Disinterested
Trustees (as such term is defined in Section 8.5.2) acting on the
matter (provided that a majority of Disinterested Trustees then in
office act on the matter); or (ii) a written opinion of independent
legal counsel.
Section 8.5.3 Rights of
Indemnification
. The rights of
indemnification herein provided may be insured against by policies
maintained by the Trust, and shall be severable, shall not affect
any other rights to which any Covered Person may now or hereafter
be entitled, shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a
Covered Person, and shall inure to the benefit
of
the
heirs, executors and administrators of such a person. Nothing
contained herein shall affect any rights to indemnification to
which Trust personnel other than Covered Persons may be entitled by
contract or otherwise under law.
Section 8.5.4 Expenses of
Indemnification
. Expenses of
preparation and presentation of a defense to any claim, action,
suit or proceeding subject to a claim for indemnification under
this Section 8.5 shall be advanced by the Trust prior to final
disposition thereof upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf
of the recipient to repay such amount if it is ultimately
determined that he or she is not entitled to indemnification under
this Section 8.5, provided that either:
(a)
Such undertaking is secured by a
surety bond or some other appropriate security of the Trust shall
be insured against losses arising out of any such advances;
or
(b)
a majority of the Disinterested
Trustees acting on the matter (provided that a majority of the
Disinterested Trustees then in office act on the matter) or
independent legal counsel in a written opinion shall determine,
based upon a review of the readily available facts (as opposed to
the facts available upon a full trial), that there is a reason to
believe that the recipient ultimately will be found entitled to
indemnification.
Section 8.5.5 Certain Defined
Terms Relating to Indemnification
. As used in this Section 8.5, the following words
shall have the meanings set forth below:
(a)
“Claim,”
“action,” “suit” or
“proceeding” shall apply to all claims, actions, suits,
proceedings (civil, criminal, administrative or other, including
appeals), actual or threatened;
(b)
a “Disinterested Trustee”
is one (i) who is not an Interested Person of the Trust (including
anyone, as such Disinterested Trustee, who has been exempted from
being an Interested Person by any rule, regulation or order of the
Commission), and (ii) against whom none of such actions, suits or
other proceedings or another action, suit or other proceeding on
the same or similar grounds is then or has been pending;
and
(c)
“Liability” and
“expenses” shall include, without limitation,
attorneys’ fees, costs, judgments, amounts paid in
settlement, fines, penalties and other liabilities.
Section 8.6 Jurisdiction,
Venue, and Waiver of Jury Trial
. In accordance with Section 3804(e) of the DSTA,
any suit, action or proceeding brought by or in the right of any
Shareholder or any person claiming any interest in any Shares
seeking to enforce any provision of, or based on any matter arising
out of, or in connection with, this Declaration of Trust or the
Trust, any Series or Class or any Shares, including any claim of
any nature against the Trust, any Series or Class, the Trustees or
officers of the Trust, shall be brought exclusively in the Court of
Chancery of the State of Delaware to the extent there is subject
matter jurisdiction in such court for the claims asserted or, if
not, then in the Superior Court of the State of Delaware, and all
Shareholders and other such Persons hereby irrevocably consent to
the jurisdiction of such courts (and the appropriate appellate
courts therefrom) in any such suit, action or proceeding and
irrevocably waive, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any
objection they may make now or hereafter have to the laying of the
venue of any such suit, action or proceeding in such court or that
any such suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court has
been brought in an inconvenient forum and further, IN CONNECTION
WITH ANY SUCH SUIT, ACTION, OR PROCEEDING BROUGHT IN THE SUPERIOR
COURT IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE, ALL SHAREHOLDERS AND ALL OTHER SUCH
PERSONS HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVE THE RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY TO
THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. All Shareholders and other
such persons agree that service of summons, complaint or other
process in connection with any proceedings may be made by
registered or certified mail or by overnight courier addressed to
such person at the address shown on the books and records of the
Trust for such person or at the address of the person shown on the
books and records of the Trust with respect to the Shares that such
person claims an interest in. Service of process in any such suit,
action or proceeding against the Trust or any Trustee or officer of
the Trust may be made at the address of the Trust’s
registered agent in the State of Delaware. Any service so made
shall be effective as if personally made in the State of
Delaware.
In
addition, the Registrant has entered into an Investment Advisory
Agreement with its Investment Advisor and a Distribution Agreement
with its Distributor. These agreements provide indemnification for
those entities and their affiliates. The Investment Advisor’s
and Distributor’s personnel may serve as trustees and
officers of the Trust. The Investment Advisory Agreement with the
Fund provides that the Investment Advisor will not be liable for
any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by
the Fund, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad
faith or gross negligence on the part of the Investment Advisor or
from reckless disregard by the Investment Advisor of its
obligations or duties under the Agreement. Under the Distribution
Agreement, the Registrant will indemnify Quasar Distributors
LLC against certain liabilities.
Insofar as indemnification for liability arising
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(“
1933
Act
”), may be permitted to trustees, officers
and controlling persons of the Registrant by the Registrant
pursuant to the Declaration of Trust 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 1933 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 trustees, officers or controlling persons of the Registrant
in connection with the successful defense of any act, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such trustees, officers or controlling
persons in connection with the shares 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 1933 Act and
will be governed by the final adjudication of such
issues.
Trustees
and officers liability policies purchased by the Registrant insure
the Registrant and their respective trustees, partners, officers
and employees, subject to the policies’ coverage limits and
exclusions and varying deductibles, against loss resulting from
claims by reason of any act, error, omission, misstatement,
misleading statement, neglect or breach of duty.
Item 31. Business and Other Connections of Investment
Advisor.
The
description of the Investment Advisor is found under the caption
“Service Providers—Investment Advisor” in the
Prospectus and under the caption “Management
Services—Investment Advisor” in the Statement of
Additional Information constituting Parts A and B, respectively, of
this Registration Statement, which are incorporated by reference
herein. The Investment Advisor may also provide investment advisory
services to persons or entities other than the Registrant. With
respect to the Investment Advisor, the response to this Item is
incorporated by reference to ProcureAM, LLC’s Form ADV on
file with the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940,
as amended.
Penserra
Capital Management LLC (the “Sub-Advisor”) serves as
the investment sub-adviser for the Registrant with respect to the
Fund. The principal business address of the Sub-Advisor is 4 Orinda
Way, 100-A, Orinda California 94563. With respect to the
Sub-Advisor, the response to this Item is incorporated by reference
to Penserra Capital Management LLC’s Form ADV on file with
the SEC pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended
(File No. 801-80466).
The
Advisor’s and Sub-Advisor’s respective Form ADVs may be
obtained, free of charge, at the SEC’s website at
www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.
Item 32. Distributor
(a)
Quasar Distributors, LLC acts as principal
underwriter for the following investment
companies:
Advisors
Series Trust
|
LoCorr
Investment Trust
|
Aegis
Funds
|
Lord
Asset Management Trust
|
Allied
Asset Advisors Funds
|
MainGate
Trust
|
Alpha
Architect ETF Trust
|
Managed
Portfolio Series
|
Amplify
ETF Trust
|
Manager
Directed Portfolios
|
Angel
Oak Funds Trust
|
Matrix
Advisors Fund Trust
|
Barrett
Opportunity Fund, Inc.
|
Matrix
Advisors Value Fund, Inc.
|
Bridge
Builder Trust
|
Merger
Fund
|
Bridges
Investment Fund, Inc.
|
Monetta
Trust
|
Brookfield
Investment Funds
|
Nicholas
Equity Income Fund, Inc.
|
Brown
Advisory Funds
|
Nicholas
Family of Funds, Inc.
|
Buffalo
Funds
|
Oaktree
Funds
|
CG
Funds Trust
|
Permanent
Portfolio Family of Funds
|
DoubleLine
Funds Trust
|
Perritt
Funds, Inc.
|
ETF
Series Solutions
|
PRIMECAP
Odyssey Funds
|
Evermore
Funds Trust
|
Professionally
Managed Portfolios
|
First
American Funds, Inc.
|
Prospector
Funds, Inc.
|
FundX
Investment Trust
|
Provident
Mutual Funds, Inc.
|
Glenmede
Fund, Inc.
|
Rainier
Investment Management Mutual Funds
|
Glenmede
Portfolios
|
RBB
Fund, Inc.
|
GoodHaven
Funds Trust
|
RBC
Funds Trust
|
Greenspring
Fund, Inc.
|
Series
Portfolio Trust
|
Harding
Loevner Funds, Inc.
|
Sims
Total Return Fund, Inc.
|
Hennessy
Funds Trust
|
Thompson
IM Funds, Inc.
|
Horizon
Funds
|
TrimTabs
ETF Trust
|
Hotchkis
& Wiley Funds
|
Trust
for Professional Managers
|
Intrepid
Capital Management Funds Trust
|
Trust
for Advised Portfolios
|
IronBridge
Funds, Inc.
|
USA
Mutuals
|
Jacob
Funds, Inc.
|
Wall
Street EWM Funds Trust
|
Jensen
Portfolio, Inc.
|
Westchester
Capital Funds
|
Kirr
Marbach Partners Funds, Inc.
|
Wisconsin
Capital Funds, Inc.
|
LKCM
Funds
|
YCG
Funds
|
(b)
To the best of Registrant’s knowledge, the
directors and executive officers of Quasar Distributors, LLC are as
follows:
Name and
Principal
Business Address
|
|
Position and Offices with Quasar
Distributors, LLC
|
|
Positions and Offices
with Registrant
|
Teresa
Cowan
(1)
|
|
President,
Board Member
|
|
None
|
Andrew
M. Strnad
(2)
|
|
Vice
President, Secretary
|
|
None
|
Joseph
C. Neuberger
(1)
|
|
Board
Member
|
|
None
|
Michael
Peck
(1)
|
|
Board
Member
|
|
None
|
Susan
LaFond
(1)
|
|
Vice
President, Treasurer, Co-Chief Compliance Officer
|
|
None
|
Peter
A. Hovel
(1)
|
|
Chief
Financial Officer
|
|
None
|
Jennifer
Brunner
(1)
|
|
Vice
President, Co-Chief Compliance Officer
|
|
None
|
Brett
Scribner
(3)
|
|
Assistant
Treasurer
|
|
None
|
Thomas
A. Wolden
(3)
|
|
Assistant
Treasurer
|
|
None
|
(1) This individual is located at 777 East Wisconsin Avenue,
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53202.
(2) This individual is located at 10 West Market Street, Suite
1150, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46204.
(3) This individual is located at 800 Nicollet Mall,
Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55402.
Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records.
All
accounts, books and other documents required by Section 31(a) of
the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder are maintained
at:
|
|
|
Advisor:
|
|
ProcureAM,
LLC
16
Firebush Road
Levittown,
PA 19056
|
|
|
Sub-Advisor:
|
|
Penserra
Capital Management LLC
4
Orinda Way, 100A
Orinda,
CA 94563
|
Administrator:
|
|
U.S.
Bancorp Fund Services LLC
615
East Michigan Street
Milwaukee,
WI 53202
|
|
|
Distributor:
|
|
Quasar
Distributors LLC
777 E
Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee,
WI 53202
|
|
|
|
Custodian
|
|
U.S.
Bancorp Fund Services LLC
615
East Michigan Street
Milwaukee,
WI 53202
|
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 Registrant has duly
caused this amendment to the Registration Statement to be signed on
its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the
City of Levittown and State of Pennsylvania on this 28th day of
January, 2019.
|
Procure
ETF Trust II
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/
Robert
Tull
|
|
|
|
Robert
Tull
|
|
|
|
President
|
|
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Act, this amendment to the
Registration Statement has been signed below by the following
persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.
Signature
|
|
Title
|
|
Date
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/
John Jacobs
|
|
Trustee
|
|
January
28, 2019
|
John
Jacobs*
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/
Erik Liik
|
|
Trustee
|
|
January
28, 2019
|
Erik
Liik*
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/
James Brenner
|
|
Trustee
|
|
January
28, 2019
|
James
Brenner*
|
|
|
|
|
/s/
Robert Tull
|
|
Trustee
and President
|
|
January
28, 2019
|
Robert
Tull
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/
Adrienne Chanin
|
|
Treasurer,
Chief Financial Officer
|
|
January
28, 2019
|
Adrienne
Chanin
|
|
and
Principal Accounting Officer
|
|
|
*
By:
|
|
|
|
|
/s/
Robert Tull
|
|
|
|
January
28, 2019
|
Robert
Tull
Attorney-in-Fact*
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*
Attorney-in-Fact, pursuant to power of
attorney.
Exhibit (l)
INITIAL CAPITAL AGREEMENT
THIS INITIAL CAPITAL AGREEMENT is entered into as of October
11, 2018 by and between ProcureAM LLC with its principal
office at 16 Firebush Road, Levittown, Pennsylvania 19506
(“Purchaser”) and Procure ETF Trust II, a Delaware
statutory trust, with its principal office at 16 Firebush Road,
Levittown, Pennsylvania 19506 (the
“Trust”).
In consideration of the mutual covenants herein contained, the
parties hereto agree as follows:
1.
The
Trust hereby issues and sells to the Purchaser, and the Purchaser
hereby purchases 4,000 shares (the “Shares”)
of the Procure Space Fund (the “Fund”), a series of the
Trust, for a total aggregate cash price of $25 with respect to the
Fund for a total aggregate cash price of $100,000, the receipt and
sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged by the
Trust.
2.
The
Purchaser hereby represents that it is purchasing the Shares for
investment only and not with a view to reselling or otherwise
redistributing the Shares. Specifically, the Shares are being
purchased pursuant to Section 14 of the Investment Company Act
of 1940, as amended, to serve as the seed capital for the Fund
prior to commencement of the public offering of such Fund’s
Shares.
3.
The Purchaser hereby acknowledges that it is aware
that the Shares have not been register
ed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the “Act”), on the basis that the sale of such Shares
to the Purchaser will be exempt under Section 4(2) of the Act
as not involving any public offering. The Purchaser further
acknowledges that the Trust’s reliance on this exemption is
predicated on the Purchaser’s representation and warranty to
the Trust that the Shares are being acquired for the
Purchaser’s own account for investment purpose and not with a
view to the distribution or redemption thereof, and that the
Purchaser has no present intention to dispose of the Shares. The
Purchaser represents that it will not take any action which will
subject the sale of the Shares to the registration provisions of
the Act.
4.
The Trust represents that the Shares are fully paid and
non-assessable.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and the
Purchaser have executed this Agreement as of October 11, 2018,
to be effective of the same day.
PROCUREAM
LLC
|
|
PROCURE
ETF TRUST II
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/
Robert
Tull
|
|
By:
|
/s/
Robert
Tull
|
|
Name:
|
Robert
Tull
|
|
Name:
|
Robert
Tull
|
|
Title:
|
President
|
|
Title:
|
President
|
|
Exhibit (a)
DECLARATION OF TRUST
of
PROCURE ETF TRUST II
(a Delaware Statutory Trust)
Dated as of September 1, 2018
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION OF TRUST
Page
ARTICLE I Name and Definitions
|
3
|
Section 1.
|
Name.
|
3
|
Section 2.
|
Definitions.
|
3
|
ARTICLE II Purpose of Trust
|
5
|
ARTICLE
III Shares
|
5
|
Section 1.
|
Division of Beneficial Interest.
|
5
|
Section 2.
|
Ownership of Shares.
|
7
|
Section 3.
|
Transfer of Shares.
|
7
|
Section 4.
|
Investments in the Trust.
|
7
|
Section 5.
|
Status of Shares and Limitation of Personal Liability.
|
8
|
Section 6.
|
Establishment and Designation of Series or Class.
|
8
|
Section 7.
|
Indemnification of Shareholders.
|
11
|
ARTICLE IV Trustees
|
11
|
Section 1.
|
Numbers, Election and Tenure.
|
11
|
Section 2.
|
Effect of Death, Resignation, Etc. of a Trustee.
|
12
|
Section 3.
|
Powers.
|
12
|
Section 4.
|
Expenses of the Trust and Series.
|
17
|
Section 5.
|
Ownership of Assets of the Trust.
|
18
|
Section 6.
|
Service Contracts.
|
18
|
Section 7.
|
Trustees and Officers as Shareholders.
|
19
|
ARTICLE V Shareholders’ Voting Powers and
Meetings
|
20
|
Section 1.
|
Voting Powers; Meetings; Notice; Record Dates.
|
20
|
Section 2.
|
Quorum and Required Vote.
|
21
|
Section 3.
|
Record Dates.
|
21
|
Section 4.
|
Additional Provisions.
|
21
|
ARTICLE VI Net Asset Value, Distributions and
Redemptions
|
22
|
Section 1.
|
Determination of Net Asset Value, Net Income and
Distributions.
|
22
|
Section 2.
|
Redemptions and Repurchases.
|
22
|
ARTICLE VII Compensation and Limitation of Liability of
Trustees
|
24
|
Section 1.
|
Compensation.
|
24
|
Section 2.
|
Limitation of Liability.
|
24
|
Section 3.
|
Indemnification.
|
24
|
Section 4.
|
Trustee’s Good Faith Action; Expert Advice; No Bond or
Surety.
|
26
|
Section 5.
|
Insurance.
|
26
|
ARTICLE VIII Miscellaneous
|
26
|
Section 1.
|
Liability of Third Persons Dealing with Trustees.
|
26
|
Section 2.
|
Derivative Actions.
|
26
|
Section 3.
|
Termination of the Trust or Any Series or Class.
|
28
|
Section 4.
|
Reorganization.
|
29
|
Section 5.
|
Amendments.
|
30
|
Section 6.
|
Maintaining Copies of Declaration of Trust; References; Headings;
Counterparts.
|
30
|
Section 7.
|
Applicable Law.
|
31
|
Section 8.
|
Provisions in Conflict with Law or Regulations.
|
32
|
Section 9.
|
Statutory Trust Only.
|
32
|
Section 10.
|
Writings.
|
32
|
DECLARATION OF TRUST
of
PROCURE ETF TRUST II
THIS
DECLARATION OF TRUST is made as of the date set forth below by the
Trustees named hereunder for the purpose of forming a Delaware
statutory trust.
WHEREAS, the
Trustees desire to form a statutory trust pursuant to the Delaware
Statutory Trust Act;
NOW,
THEREFORE, the Trustees hereby direct that the Certificate of Trust
be filed with the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of
Delaware and do hereby declare that the Trustees will hold IN TRUST
all cash, securities, and other assets which the Trust now
possesses or may hereafter acquire from time to time in any manner
and manage and dispose of the same upon the following terms and
conditions for the benefit of the Shareholders of this
Trust.
ARTICLE I
NAME AND DEFINITIONS
This
Trust shall be known as the “Procure ETF Trust II,” and
the Trustees shall conduct the business of the Trust under that
name or any other name as they may from time to time
determine.
Section
2.
Definitions
.
Whenever used
herein, unless otherwise required by the context or specifically
provided:
(a)
“Administrator”
means a party furnishing services to the Trust pursuant to any
administration contract described in Article IV, Section 6(c)
hereof;
(b)
“By-Laws”
shall mean the By-Laws of the Trust as amended from time to time,
which By-Laws are expressly herein incorporated by reference as
part of the “governing instrument” within the meaning
of the Delaware Act;
(c)
“Certificate
of Trust” means the certificate of trust of the Trust, as
filed in the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of
Delaware in accordance with the Delaware Act and as it may be
amended or restated from time to time;
(d)
“Class”
means a class of Shares of a Series of the Trust established in
accordance with the provisions of Article III hereof;
(e)
“Code”
means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or any successor statute),
as amended from time to time, and the rules and regulations
thereunder, as adopted or amended from time to time;
(f)
“Commission”
means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission;
(g)
“Declaration
of Trust” means this Declaration of Trust, as amended,
supplemented or amended and restated from time to
time;
(h)
“Delaware
Act” means the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, 12 Del. C.
§§ 3801 et seq., as amended from time to
time;
(i)
“Interested
Person” shall have the meaning given it in Section 2(a)(19)
of the 1940 Act;
(j)
“Investment
Adviser” means a party furnishing services to the Trust
pursuant to any investment advisory contract described in Article
IV, Section 6(a) hereof;
(k)
“Net Asset
Value” means the net asset value of each Series or Class of
the Trust, determined as provided in Article VI, Section 1
hereof;
(l)
“1940
Act” means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended
from time to time, and the rules and regulations thereunder, as
adopted or amended from time to time;
(m)
“Outstanding
Shares” means Shares shown in the books of the Trust or its
transfer agent as then outstanding;
(n)
“Person”
means and includes natural persons, corporations, partnerships,
limited partnerships, business trusts, limited liability
partnerships, statutory trusts and foreign statutory trusts,
trusts, limited liability companies, associations, joint ventures,
estates, custodians, nominees and any other individual or entity in
its own or any representative capacity, and governments and
agencies and political subdivisions thereof, in each case whether
domestic or foreign;
(o)
“Principal
Underwriter” shall have the meaning given such term in the
1940 Act;
(p)
“Series”
means each Series of Shares established and designated under or in
accordance with the provisions of Article III hereof;
(q)
“Shareholder”
means a record owner of Outstanding Shares;
(r)
“Shares”
means the transferable units of beneficial interest (par value
$0.001 per Share) into which the beneficial interest in the Trust
shall be divided from time to time and includes fractions of Shares
as well as whole Shares;
(s)
“Sub-Adviser”
means a party furnishing services to the Trust pursuant to any
investment sub-advisory contract described in Article IV, Section
6(a) hereof;
(t)
“Trust”
means the Delaware statutory trust established under the Delaware
Act by this Declaration of Trust and the filing of the Certificate
of Trust in the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of
Delaware;
(u)
“Trust
Property” means any and all property, real or personal,
tangible or intangible, which is from time to time owned or held by
or for the account of the Trust or any Series; and
(v)
“Trustees”
means the Person or Persons who have signed this Declaration of
Trust and all other Persons who may from time to time be duly
elected or appointed and have qualified to serve as Trustees in
accordance with the provisions hereof, in each case so long as such
Person shall continue in office in accordance with the terms of
this Declaration of Trust, and reference herein to a Trustee or the
Trustees shall refer to such Person or Persons in his or her or
their capacity as Trustees hereunder.
ARTICLE II
PURPOSE OF TRUST
The
purpose of the Trust is to conduct, operate and carry on the
businesses of an open-end management investment company registered
under the 1940 Act through one or more Series. In furtherance of
the foregoing, it shall be the purpose of the Trust to do
everything necessary, suitable, convenient or proper for the
conduct, promotion and attainment of any businesses and purposes
which at any time may be incidental or may appear conducive or
expedient for the accomplishment of the business of an open-end
management investment company registered under the 1940 Act and
which may be engaged in or carried on by a trust organized under
the Delaware Act, and in connection therewith the Trust shall have
and may exercise all of the powers conferred by the laws of the
State of Delaware upon a Delaware statutory trust.
The
Trust is not intended to be, shall not be deemed to be, and shall
not be treated as, a general or limited partnership, joint venture,
corporation or joint stock company, nor shall the Trustees or
Shareholders or any of them for any purpose be deemed to be, or
treated in any way whatsoever as though they were liable or
responsible hereunder as partners or joint venturers.
ARTICLE III
SHARES
Section
1.
Division of Beneficial
Interest
.
(a)
The beneficial
interest in the Trust may be divided into one or more Series. The
Trustees may divide each Series into one or more Classes. Subject
to the further provisions of this Article III and any applicable
requirements of the 1940 Act, the Trustees shall have full power
and authority, in their sole discretion, and without obtaining any
authorization or vote of the Shareholders of any Series or Class
thereof, to:
(i)
divide the
beneficial interest in each Series or Class thereof into Shares,
with or without par value as the Trustees shall
determine;
(ii)
issue
Shares without limitation as to number (including fractional
Shares) to such Persons and for such amount and type of
consideration, subject to any restriction set forth in the By-Laws,
including cash or securities, at such time or times and on such
terms as the Trustees may deem appropriate;
(iii)
establish,
designate, re-designate, classify, reclassify and change in any
manner any Series or Class thereof and fix such preferences, voting
powers, rights, duties and privileges and business purpose of each
Series or Class thereof as the Trustees may from time to time
determine, which preferences, voting powers, rights, duties and
privileges may be senior or subordinate to (or in the case of
business purpose, different from) any existing Series or Class
thereof and may be limited to specified property or obligations of
the Trust or profits and losses associated with specified property
or obligations of the Trust; provided, however, that the Trustees
may not reclassify or change Outstanding Shares in a manner
materially adverse to Shareholders of such Shares, without
obtaining the authorization or vote of the Series or Class of
Shareholders that would be materially adversely
affected;
(iv)
divide
or combine the Shares of any Series or Class thereof into a greater
or lesser number without thereby materially changing the
proportionate beneficial interest of the Shares of such Series or
Class thereof in the assets held with respect to that Series or
Class;
(v)
issue Shares to
acquire other assets (including assets subject to, and in
connection with, the assumption of liabilities) and
businesses;
(vi)
change
the name of any Series or Class thereof;
(vii)
dissolve
and terminate any one or more Series or Classes thereof;
and
(viii)
take
such other action with respect to the Shares as the Trustees may
deem desirable.
(b)
Subject to the
distinctions permitted among Classes of the same Series as
established by the Trustees, consistent with the requirements of
the 1940 Act and the Code, each Share of a Series of the Trust
shall represent an equal beneficial interest in the net assets of
such Series, and each Shareholder of a Series shall be entitled to
receive such Shareholder’s pro rata share of distributions of
income and capital gain, if any, made with respect to such Series.
Upon redemption of the Shares of any Series, the applicable
Shareholder shall be paid solely out of the funds and property of
such Series of the Trust.
(c)
All references to
Shares in this Declaration of Trust shall be deemed to be
references to Shares of any or all Series or Classes thereof, as
the context may require. All provisions herein relating to the
Trust shall apply equally to each Series of the Trust and each
Class thereof, except as otherwise provided or as the context
otherwise requires.
(d)
All Shares issued
hereunder, including, without limitation, Shares issued in
connection with a dividend in Shares or a split or reverse split of
Shares, shall be fully paid and non-assessable. Except as otherwise
provided by the Trustees, Shareholders shall have no preemptive or
other right to subscribe to any additional Shares or other
securities issued by the Trust.
Section
2.
Ownership of
Shares
.
The
ownership of Shares shall be recorded on the books of the Trust or
those of a transfer or similar agent for the Trust, which books
shall be maintained separately for the Shares of each Series or
Class of the Trust. No certificates certifying the ownership of
Shares shall be issued except as the Trustees may otherwise
determine from time to time. The Trustees may make such rules as
they consider appropriate for the issuance of Share certificates,
the transfer of Shares of each Series or Class of the Trust and
similar matters. The record books of the Trust as kept by the Trust
or any transfer or similar agent, as the case may be, shall be
conclusive as to the identity of the Shareholders of each Series or
Class of the Trust and as to the number of Shares of each Series or
Class of the Trust held from time to time by each Shareholder. No
Shareholder shall be entitled to receive any payment of a dividend
or distribution, nor to have notice given to him as provided herein
or in the By-Laws, until he or she has given his or her address to
the Trust or to the Trust’s transfer or similar
agent.
Section
3.
Transfer of
Shares
.
Except
as otherwise provided by the Trustees, Shares shall be transferable
on the books of the Trust only by the record holder thereof or by
his or her duly authorized agent upon delivery to the Trustees or
the Trust’s transfer or similar agent of a duly executed
instrument of transfer (together with a Share certificate if one is
outstanding), and such evidence of the genuineness of each such
execution and authorization and of such other matters as may be
required by the Trustees. Upon such delivery, and subject to any
further requirements specified by the Trustees or contained in the
By-Laws, the transfer shall be recorded on the books of the Trust.
Until a transfer is so recorded, the Shareholder of record of
Shares shall be deemed to be the holder of such Shares for all
purposes hereunder, and neither the Trustees nor the Trust, nor any
transfer agent or registrar or any officer, employee, or agent of
the Trust, shall be affected by any notice of a proposed
transfer.
Section
4.
Investments in the
Trust
.
Investments may be
accepted by the Trust from Persons, at such times, on such terms,
and for such consideration as the Trustees from time to time may
authorize. At the Trustees’ discretion, such investments,
subject to applicable law, may be in the form of cash or
securities, valued as provided in Article VI, Section 1.
Investments in a Series shall be credited to each
Shareholder’s account in the form of full and fractional
Shares at the Net Asset Value per Share next determined after the
investment is received or accepted as may be determined by the
Trustees; provided, however, that the Trustees may, in their sole
discretion, (a) impose a sales charge upon investments in any
Series or Class, (b) issue fractional Shares, or (c) determine the
Net Asset Value per Share of the initial capital contribution. The
Trustees shall have the right to refuse to accept investments in
any Series or Class at any time without any cause or reason
therefor whatsoever.
Section
5.
Status of Shares and Limitation of
Personal Liability
.
Shares
shall be deemed to be personal property giving only the rights
provided in this Declaration of Trust. Every Shareholder by virtue
of having become a Shareholder shall be held to have expressly
assented and agreed to be bound by the terms hereof. The death,
incapacity, dissolution, termination, or bankruptcy of a
Shareholder during the existence of the Trust shall not operate to
terminate the Trust, nor entitle the representative of any such
Shareholder to an accounting or to take any action in court or
elsewhere against the Trust or the Trustees, but entitles such
representative only to the rights of such Shareholder under this
Declaration of Trust. Ownership of Shares shall not entitle the
Shareholder to any title in or to the whole or any part of the
Trust Property or right to call for a participation or division of
the same or for an accounting, nor shall the ownership of Shares
constitute the Shareholders as partners. No Shareholder shall be
personally liable for the debts, liabilities, obligations and
expenses incurred by, contracted for, or otherwise existing with
respect to, the Trust or any Series or Class. Neither the Trust nor
the Trustees, nor any officer, employee, or agent of the Trust
shall have any power to bind personally any Shareholders, nor,
except as specifically provided herein, to call upon any
Shareholder for the payment of any sum of money or assessment
whatsoever other than such as the Shareholder may at any time
personally agree to pay. Shareholders shall have the same
limitation of personal liability as is extended to shareholders of
a private corporation for profit incorporated in the State of
Delaware.
Section
6.
Establishment and Designation of
Series or Class
.
(a)
The establishment
and designation of any Series or Class of Shares of the Trust shall
be effective upon the adoption by a majority of the then Trustees
of a resolution that sets forth such establishment and designation
and the relative rights and preferences of such Series or Class of
the Trust, whether directly in such resolution or by reference to
another document including, without limitation, any registration
statement of the Trust, or as otherwise provided in such
resolution. Each resolution shall be incorporated herein by
reference upon adoption.
(b)
Shares of each
Series or Class of the Trust established pursuant to this Article
III, unless otherwise provided in the resolution establishing such
Series or Class, shall have the following relative rights and
preferences:
(i)
Assets Held with Respect to a
Particular Series
.
All
consideration received by the Trust for the issue or sale of Shares
of a particular Series, together with all assets in which such
consideration is invested or reinvested, all income, earnings,
profits, and proceeds thereof from whatever source derived
(including, without limitation, any proceeds derived from the sale,
exchange or liquidation of such assets and any funds or payments
derived from any reinvestment of such proceeds in whatever form the
same may be), shall irrevocably be held separately with respect to
that Series for all purposes, subject only to the rights of
creditors of such Series, from the assets of the Trust and every
other Series and shall be so recorded upon the books of account of
the Trust. Such consideration, assets, income, earnings, profits
and proceeds thereof, from whatever source derived (including,
without limitation, any proceeds derived from the sale, exchange or
liquidation of such assets, and any funds or payments derived from
any reinvestment of such proceeds), in whatever form the
same
may be,
are herein referred to as “assets held with respect to”
that Series. In the event that there are any assets, income,
earnings, profits and proceeds thereof, funds or payments which are
not readily identifiable as assets held with respect to any
particular Series (collectively “General Assets”), the
Trustees shall allocate such General Assets to, between or among
any one or more of the Series in such manner and on such basis as
the Trustees, in their sole discretion, deem fair and equitable,
and any General Assets so allocated to a particular Series shall be
assets held with respect to that Series. If there are Classes of
Shares within a Series, the assets with respect to the Series shall
be further allocated to each Class in the proportion that the
“assets with respect to” the Class (calculated in the
same manner as with determination of “assets with respect
to” the Series) bears to the assets of all Classes within the
Series. Each such allocation by the Trustees shall be conclusive
and binding upon the Shareholders of all Series for all purposes.
Separate and distinct records shall be maintained for each Series
and the assets held with respect to each Series shall be held and
accounted for separately from the assets held with respect to all
other Series and the General Assets of the Trust not allocated to
such Series.
(ii)
Liabilities
Held with Respect to a Particular Series
.
The
assets of the Trust held with respect to each particular Series
shall be charged against the liabilities of the Trust held with
respect to that Series and all expenses, costs, charges, and
reserves attributable to that Series, except that liabilities and
expenses allocated solely to a particular Class shall be borne by
that Class. Any general liabilities of the Trust which are not
readily identifiable as being held with respect to any particular
Series or Class shall be allocated and charged by the Trustees to
and among any one or more of the Series or Classes in such manner
and on such basis as the Trustees in their sole discretion deem
fair and equitable. All liabilities, expenses, costs, charges, and
reserves so charged to a Series or Class are herein referred to as
“liabilities held with respect to” that Series or
Class. Each allocation of liabilities, expenses, costs, charges,
and reserves by the Trustees shall be conclusive and binding upon
the Shareholders of all Series or Classes for all purposes. Without
limiting the foregoing, but subject to the right of the Trustees to
allocate general liabilities, expenses, costs, charges or reserves
as herein provided, the debts, liabilities, obligations and
expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with
respect to a particular Series shall be enforceable against the
assets held with respect to such Series only and not against the
assets of the Trust generally or against the assets held with
respect to any other Series, and none of the debts, liabilities,
obligations and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise
existing with respect to the Trust generally or any other Series
shall be enforceable against the assets held with respect to such
Series. Notice of this contractual limitation on liabilities among
Series shall be set forth in the Certificate of Trust (whether
originally or by amendment) as filed or to be filed in the Office
of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware pursuant to the
Delaware Act, and upon the giving of such notice in the Certificate
of Trust, the statutory provisions of Section 3804 of the Delaware
Act relating to limitations on liabilities among Series (and the
statutory effect under Section 3804 of setting forth such notice in
the Certificate of Trust) and Section 3806 of the Delaware Act
shall become applicable to the Trust and each Series. Any person
extending credit to, contracting with or having any claim against
any Series may look only to the assets of that Series to satisfy or
enforce any debt with respect to that Series. No Shareholder or
former Shareholder of any Series, in such capacity, shall have a
claim on or any right to any assets allocated or belonging to any
other Series.
(iii)
Dividends,
Distributions, Redemptions and Repurchases
.
Notwithstanding any
other provisions of this Declaration of Trust, including, without
limitation, Article VI, no dividend or distribution, including,
without limitation, any distribution paid upon termination of the
Trust or of any Series or Class with respect to, nor any redemption
or repurchase of, the Shares of any Series or Class, shall be
effected by the Trust other than from the assets held with respect
to such Series, nor shall any Shareholder or any particular Series
or Class otherwise have any right or claim against the assets held
with respect to any other Series except to the extent that such
Shareholder has such a right or claim hereunder as a Shareholder of
such other Series. The Trustees shall have full discretion, to the
extent not inconsistent with the 1940 Act, to determine which items
shall be treated as income and which items as capital, and each
such determination and allocation shall be conclusive and binding
upon the Shareholders.
(iv)
Equality
.
All the
Shares of each particular Series shall represent an equal
proportionate interest in the assets held with respect to that
Series (subject to the liabilities held with respect to that Series
or Class thereof and such rights and preferences as may have been
established and designated with respect to any Class within such
Series), and each Share of any particular Series shall be equal to
each other Share of that Series.
(v)
Voting
.
With
respect to any Class of a Series, each such Class shall represent
interests in the assets of that Series and have the same voting,
dividend, liquidation and other rights and terms and conditions as
each other Class of that Series, except that expenses allocated to
a Class may be borne solely by such Class as determined by the
Trustees and a Class may have exclusive voting rights with respect
to matters affecting only that Class.
(vi)
Fractions
.
Any
fractional Share of a Series or Class thereof shall carry
proportionately all the rights and obligations of a whole Share of
that Series or Class, including rights with respect to voting,
receipt of dividends and distributions, redemption of Shares and
termination of the Trust.
(vii)
Exchange
Privilege
.
The
Trustees shall have the authority to provide that the Shareholders
of any Series or Class shall have the right to exchange said Shares
for Shares of one or more other Series of Shares or Class of Shares
of the Trust or of other investment companies registered under the
1940 Act in accordance with such requirements and procedures as may
be established by the Trustees.
(viii)
Combination
of Series
.
The
Trustees shall have the authority, without the approval of the
Shareholders of any Series or Class, unless otherwise required by
applicable law, to combine the assets and liabilities held with
respect to any two or more Series or Classes into assets and
liabilities held with respect to a single Series or Class;
provided, however, that the Trustees may not combine Outstanding
Shares in a manner materially adverse to Shareholders of such
Series or Class without obtaining the authorization or vote of the
Series or Class of Shareholders that would be materially adversely
affected.
Section
7.
Indemnification of
Shareholders
.
The
Trust shall indemnify and hold each Shareholder harmless from and
against any claim or liability to which such Shareholder may become
subject solely by reason of his or her being or having been a
Shareholder and not because of such Shareholder’s acts or
omissions or for some other reason, and shall reimburse such
Shareholder for all legal and other expenses reasonably incurred by
him or her in connection with any such claim or liability (upon
proper and timely request by the Shareholder); provided, however,
that no Shareholder shall be entitled to indemnification by any
Series unless such Shareholder is a Shareholder of Shares of such
Series. The rights accruing to a Shareholder under this
Section 7 shall not exclude any other right to which such
Shareholder may be lawfully entitled, nor shall anything herein
contained restrict the right of the Trust to indemnify or reimburse
a Shareholder in any appropriate situation even though not
specifically provided herein.
ARTICLE IV
TRUSTEES
Section
1.
Numbers, Election and
Tenure
.
The
number of Trustees shall initially be one, and thereafter shall be
such number as shall be fixed from time to time by a written
instrument signed by a majority of Trustees, or by resolution
approved by a majority of Trustees; provided, however, that the
number of Trustees shall in no event be less than three. Each
Trustee shall serve during the lifetime of the Trust until he or
she (a) dies, (b) resigns, (c) is declared incompetent by a court
of appropriate jurisdiction, or (d) is removed, or, if sooner,
until the next meeting of Shareholders called for the purpose of
electing Trustees and until the election and qualification of his
or her successor. In the event that less than the majority of the
Trustees holding office have been elected by the Shareholders, the
Trustees then in office shall call a Shareholders’ meeting
for the election of Trustees. Any Trustee may resign at any time by
written instrument signed by him or her and delivered to any
officer of the Trust or to a meeting of the Trustees. Such
resignation shall be effective upon receipt unless specified to be
effective at some other time. Except to the extent expressly
provided in a written agreement with the Trust, no Trustee
resigning and no Trustee removed shall have any right to any
compensation for any period following his or her resignation or
removal, or any right to damages on account of such removal. The
Shareholders may elect Trustees at any meeting of Shareholders
called by the Trustees for that purpose. Any Trustee may be removed
(a) with or without cause at any meeting of Shareholders by a vote
of two-thirds of the Outstanding Shares of the Trust, or (b) with
or without cause at any time by written instrument signed by at
least two-thirds of the remaining Trustees, specifying the date
when such removal shall become effective.
Section
2.
Effect of Death, Resignation, Etc. of
a Trustee
.
The
death, declination to serve, resignation, retirement, removal or
incapacity of one or more Trustees, or all of them, shall not
operate to annul the Trust or to revoke any existing agency created
pursuant to the terms of this Declaration of Trust. Whenever there
shall be fewer than the designated number of Trustees, until
additional Trustees are elected or appointed as provided herein to
bring the total number of Trustees equal to the designated number,
the Trustees in office, regardless of their number, shall have all
the powers granted to the Trustees and shall discharge all the
duties imposed upon the Trustees by this Declaration of Trust. As
conclusive evidence of such vacancy, a written instrument
certifying the existence of such vacancy may be executed by an
officer of the Trust or by a majority of the Trustees. In the event
of the death, declination, resignation, retirement, removal, or
incapacity of all the then Trustees within a short period of time
and without the opportunity for at least one Trustee being able to
appoint additional Trustees to replace those no longer serving, the
Trust’s officers are empowered to appoint new Trustees
subject to the provisions of Section 16(a) of the 1940
Act.
Section
3.
Powers
.
(a)
Subject to the
provisions of this Declaration of Trust, the business of the Trust
shall be managed by the Trustees, and the Trustees shall have all
powers necessary or convenient to carry out that responsibility,
including the power to engage in securities transactions of all
kinds on behalf of the Trust. Without limiting the foregoing, the
Trustees may:
(i)
adopt By-Laws not
inconsistent with this Declaration of Trust providing for the
management of the affairs of the Trust and may amend and repeal
such By-Laws to the extent that such By-Laws do not reserve that
right to the Shareholders;
(ii)
consistent
with the provisions of the 1940 Act, enlarge or reduce the number
of Trustees or remove any Trustee with or without cause at any time
by written instrument signed by at least two-thirds of the
remaining Trustees, specifying the date when such removal shall
become effective;
(iii)
fill
vacancies caused by enlargement of their number or by the death,
resignation, retirement or removal of a Trustee;
(iv)
elect
and remove, with or without cause, such officers and appoint and
terminate such agents as they consider appropriate;
(v)
appoint from their
own number and establish and terminate one or more committees,
consisting of two or more Trustees, that may exercise the powers
and authority of the Trustees to the extent that the Trustees so
determine;
(vi)
employ
one or more custodians of the assets of the Trust and authorize
such custodians to employ sub-custodians and to deposit all or any
part of such assets in a system or systems for the central handling
of securities or with a Federal Reserve Bank;
(vii)
employ
auditors, counsel or other agents of the Trust, subject to the
conditions set forth in this Declaration of Trust or in the
By-Laws;
(viii)
employ
an Administrator for the Trust and authorize such Administrator to
employ sub-administrators;
(ix)
employ
an Investment Adviser to the Trust and authorize such Investment
Adviser to employ Sub-Advisers;
(x)
retain a transfer
agent or a shareholder servicing agent, or both;
(xi)
provide
for the issuance and distribution of Shares by the Trust directly
or through one or more Principal Underwriters or
otherwise;
(xii)
redeem,
repurchase and transfer Shares pursuant to applicable
law;
(xiii)
set
record dates for the determination of Shareholders with respect to
various matters;
(xiv)
declare
and pay dividends and distributions, if any, to Shareholders of
each Series from the assets of such Series; and
(xv)
delegate
such authority as they consider desirable to any officer of the
Trust, to any committee of the Trustees and to any agent or
employee of the Trust or to any such Investment Adviser,
Administrator, sub-adviser, sub-administrator, custodian, transfer
or shareholder servicing agent, or Principal Underwriter. Any
determination as to what is in the interests of the Trust made by
the Trustees in good faith shall be conclusive. In construing the
provisions of this Declaration of Trust, the presumption shall be
in favor of a grant of power to the Trustees.
(b)
Unless otherwise
specified herein or in the By-Laws or required by applicable law,
any action by the Trustees shall be deemed effective if approved or
taken by a majority of the Trustees present at a meeting of
Trustees at which a quorum of Trustees is present, including any
meeting held by means of a conference telephone or similar
communications equipment by means of which all persons
participating in the meeting can hear each other within or without
the State of Delaware.
(c)
Without limiting
the foregoing, the Trustees shall have the power and authority to
cause the Trust (or to act on behalf of the Trust):
(i)
To invest and
reinvest cash and other property, to hold cash or other property
uninvested, and to subscribe for, invest in, reinvest in, purchase
or otherwise acquire, own, hold, pledge, sell, assign, transfer,
exchange, distribute, write options on, lend or otherwise deal in
or dispose of or enter into contracts for the future acquisition or
delivery of securities and other instruments and property of every
nature and kind, including, without limitation, shares or interests
in open-end or closed-end investment companies or other pooled
investment vehicles, common and preferred stocks, warrants and
rights to purchase securities, all types of bonds, debentures,
stocks, negotiable or non-negotiable instruments, loans,
obligations, participations, other evidences of indebtedness,
certificates of deposit or indebtedness, commercial papers,
repurchase agreements, bankers’ acceptances, derivative
instruments, and other securities or properties of any kind,
issued, created, guaranteed, or sponsored by any and all Persons,
including without limitation, states, territories, and possessions
of the United States and the District of Columbia and any political
subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, and foreign
government or any political subdivision of the United States
Government or any foreign government, or any international
instrumentality, or by any bank or savings institution, or by any
corporation or organization organized under the laws of the United
States or of any state, territory, or possession thereof, or by any
corporation or organization organized under any foreign law, or
engage in “when issued” or delayed delivery
transactions and in all types of financial instruments and hedging
and risk management transactions; change the investments of the
assets of the Trust; and to exercise any and all rights, powers,
and privileges of ownership or interest in respect of any and all
such investments of every kind and description, including, without
limitation, the right to consent and otherwise act with respect
thereto, with power to designate one or more Persons to exercise
any of said rights, powers, and privileges in respect of any of
said instruments;
(ii)
Consistent
with the provisions of the 1940 Act, to sell, exchange, lend,
pledge, mortgage, hypothecate, lease, or write options (including,
options on futures contracts) with respect to, or otherwise deal
in, any property rights relating to any or all of the assets of the
Trust or any Series;
(iii)
To
vote or give assent, or exercise any rights of ownership, with
respect to stock or other securities or property and to execute and
deliver proxies or powers of attorney to such Person or Persons as
the Trustees shall deem proper, granting to such Person or Persons
such power and discretion with relation to securities or property
as the Trustees shall deem proper;
(iv)
To
exercise powers and right of subscription or otherwise which in any
manner arise out of ownership of securities;
(v)
To hold any
security or property in any form, whether in book entry, bearer,
unregistered or other negotiable form, or in its own name or in the
name of a custodian or sub-custodian or a nominee or nominees or
otherwise;
(vi)
To
consent to or participate in any plan for the reorganization,
consolidation or merger of any corporation or issuer of any
security which is held in the Trust;
(vii)
To
consent to any contract, lease, mortgage, purchase or sale of
property by such corporation or issuer;
(viii)
To
pay calls or subscriptions with respect to any security held in the
Trust;
(ix)
To
join with other security holders in acting through a committee,
depositary, voting trustee or otherwise, and in that connection to
deposit any security with, or transfer any security to, any such
committee, depositary or trustee, and to delegate to them such
power and authority with relation to any security (whether or not
so deposited or transferred) as the Trustees shall deem proper, and
to agree to pay, and to pay, such portion of the expenses and
compensation of such committee, depositary or trustee as the
Trustees shall deem proper;
(x)
To compromise,
arbitrate or otherwise adjust claims in favor of or against the
Trust or any matter in controversy, including, but not limited to,
claims for taxes;
(xi)
To
enter into joint ventures, general or limited partnerships and any
other combinations or associations;
(xii)
Consistent
with the provisions of the 1940 Act, to borrow funds or other
property in the name of the Trust exclusively for Trust purposes
and in connection therewith issue notes or other evidence of
indebtedness and to mortgage and pledge the Trust Property or any
part thereof to secure any or all of such
indebtedness;
(xiii)
To
endorse or guarantee the payment of any notes or other obligations
of any Person, to make contracts of guaranty or suretyship, or
otherwise assume liability for payment thereof, and to mortgage and
pledge the Trust Property or any part thereof to secure any or all
of such obligations;
(xiv)
To
purchase and pay for entirely out of Trust Property such insurance
as the Trustees may deem necessary or appropriate for the conduct
of the business, including, without limitation, insurance policies
insuring the assets of the Trust or payment of distributions and
principal on its portfolio investments, and insurance polices
insuring the Shareholders, Trustees, officers, employees, agents,
Investment Advisers, Principal Underwriters, or independent
contractors of the Trust, individually against all claims and
liabilities of every nature arising by reason of holding, being or
having held any such office or position, or by reason of any action
alleged to have been taken or omitted by any such Person as
Trustee, officer, employee, agent, Investment Adviser, Principal
Underwriter, or independent contractor, including any action taken
or omitted that may be determined to constitute negligence, whether
or not the Trust would have the power to indemnify such Person
against liability;
(xv)
To
adopt, establish and carry out pension, profit-sharing, share
bonus, share purchase, savings, thrift and other retirement,
incentive and benefit plans and trusts, including the purchasing of
life insurance and annuity contracts as a means of providing such
retirement and other benefits, for any or all of the Trustees,
officers, employees and agents of the Trust;
(xvi)
To
operate as and carry out the business of an investment company, and
exercise all the powers necessary or appropriate to the conduct of
such operations;
(xvii)
To
enter into contracts of any kind and description;
(xviii)
To
employ as custodian of any assets of the Trust one or more banks,
trust companies or companies that are members of a national
securities exchange or such other entities as the Commission may
permit as custodians of the Trust, subject to any conditions set
forth in this Declaration of Trust or in the By-Laws;
(xix)
To
employ auditors, counsel or other agents of the Trust, subject to
any conditions set forth in this Declaration of Trust or in the
By-Laws;
(xx)
To
establish and interpret the investment policies, practices, or
limitations of any Series or Class;
(xxi)
To
establish separate and distinct Series with separately defined
investment objectives and policies and distinct investment
purposes, and with separate Shares representing beneficial
interests in such Series, and to establish separate Classes, all in
accordance with the provisions of Article III;
(xxii)
To
the fullest extent permitted by Section 3804 of the Delaware Act,
to allocate assets, liabilities and expenses of the Trust to a
particular Series and liabilities and expenses to a particular
Class or to apportion the same between or among two or more Series
or Classes, provided that any liabilities or expenses incurred by a
particular Series or Class shall be payable solely out of the
assets belonging to that Series or Class as provided for in Article
III; and
(xxiii)
To
engage in any other lawful act or activity in which a statutory
trust organized under the Delaware Act may engage subject to the
requirements of the 1940 Act.
(d)
The Trust shall not
be limited to investing in obligations maturing before the possible
termination of the Trust or one or more of its Series. The Trust
shall not in any way be bound or limited by any present or future
law or custom in regard to investment by fiduciaries. The Trust
shall not be required to obtain any court order to deal with any
assets of the Trust or take any other action hereunder. The Trust
may pursue its investment program and any other powers as set forth
in this Section 3 of Article IV either directly or indirectly
through one or more subsidiary vehicles at the discretion of the
Trustees.
(e)
Except as
prohibited by applicable law, the Trustees may, on behalf of the
Trust, buy any securities and other instruments and property from
or sell any securities and other instruments and property to, or
lend any assets of the Trust to, any Trustee or officer of the
Trust or any firm of which any such Trustee or officer is a member
acting as principal, or have any such dealings with any Investment
Adviser, Sub-Adviser, Administrator, Principal Underwriter,
distributor or transfer agent for the Trust or with any Interested
Person of such person. Except as prohibited by applicable law, the
Trust may employ any such person, or entity in which such person is
an Interested Person, as broker, legal counsel, registrar,
Investment Adviser, Sub-Adviser, Administrator, Principal
Underwriter, distributor, transfer agent, dividend disbursing
agent, shareholder servicing agent, custodian or in any other
capacity upon customary terms.
Section
4.
Expenses of the Trust and
Series
.
Subject
to Section 6 of Article III, the Trust or a particular Series shall
pay, directly or indirectly through contractual arrangements, or
shall reimburse the Trustees from the Trust Property or the assets
belonging to the particular Series, for expenses, including, but
not limited to, interest charges, taxes, brokerage fees and
commissions; expenses of pricing Trust portfolio securities;
expenses of sale, addition and reduction of Shares; insurance
premiums; applicable fees, interest charges and expenses of third
parties, including the Trust’s investment advisers,
sub-advisers, managers, administrators, distributors, custodians,
transfer agents, shareholder servicing agents and fund accountants;
fees of pricing, interest, dividend, credit and other reporting
services; costs of membership in trade associations;
telecommunications expenses; funds transmission expenses; auditing,
legal and compliance expenses; costs of forming the Trust and its
Series and maintaining its existence; costs of preparing and
printing the prospectuses, statements of additional information and
Shareholder reports of the Trust and each Series and delivering
them to Shareholders; expenses of meetings of Shareholders and
proxy solicitations therefor; costs of maintaining books and
accounts; costs of reproduction, stationery and supplies; fees and
expenses of the Trustees; compensation of the Trust’s
officers and employees and costs of other personnel performing
services for the Trust or any Series; costs of Trustee meetings;
Commission registration fees and related expenses; registration
fees and related expenses under state or foreign securities or
other laws; and for such non-recurring items as may arise,
including litigation to which the Trust or a Series (or a Trustee
or officer of the Trust acting as such) is a party, and for all
losses and liabilities by them incurred in administering the Trust.
The Trustees shall have a lien on the assets belonging to the
appropriate Series, or in the case of an expense allocable to more
than one Series, on the assets of each such Series, prior to any
rights or interests of the Shareholders thereto, for the
reimbursement to them of such expenses, disbursements, losses and
liabilities. This Article shall not preclude the Trust from
directly paying any of the aforementioned fees and
expenses.
Section
5.
Ownership of Assets of the
Trust
.
The
assets of the Trust shall be held separate and apart from any
assets now or hereafter held in any capacity other than as Trustee
hereunder by the Trustees or any successor Trustees. Title to all
of the assets of the Trust shall at all times be considered as
vested in the Trust as a separate legal entity, except that the
Trustees shall have power to cause legal title to any Trust
Property to be held by or in the name of one or more of the
Trustees, or in the name of the Trust, or in the name of any other
Person as nominee, on such terms as the Trustees may determine. The
right, title and interest of the Trustees in the Trust Property
shall vest automatically in each Person who may hereafter become a
Trustee. Upon the resignation, removal or death of a Trustee, he or
she shall automatically cease to have any right, title or interest
in any of the Trust Property, and the right, title and interest of
such Trustee in the Trust Property shall vest automatically in the
remaining Trustees. Such vesting and cessation of title shall be
effective whether or not conveyancing documents have been executed
and delivered. No Shareholder shall be deemed to have a severable
ownership in any individual asset of the Trust or any right of
partition or possession thereof, but each Shareholder shall have a
proportionate undivided beneficial ownership in the Trust or
Series.
Section
6.
Service Contracts
.
(a)
Subject to such
requirements and restrictions as may be set forth under federal
and/or state law and in the By-Laws, including, without limitation,
the requirements of Section 15 of the 1940 Act, the Trustees may,
at any time and from time to time, contract for exclusive or
non-exclusive advisory, sub-advisory and/or management services for
the Trust or for any Series (or Class thereof) with any
corporation, trust, association, or other organization; and any
such contract may contain such other terms as the Trustees may
determine, including, without limitation, authority for the
Investment Adviser to supervise and direct the investment of all
assets held, and to determine from time to time without prior
consultation with the Trustees what investments shall be purchased,
held, sold, or exchanged and what portion, if any, of the assets of
the Trust shall be held uninvested and to make changes in the
Trust’s investments; authority for the Investment Adviser to
delegate certain or all of its duties under such contracts to
qualified Sub-Advisers, or such other activities as may
specifically be delegated to such party.
(b)
The Trustees may
also, at any time and from time to time, contract with any
corporation, trust, association, or other organization, appointing
it exclusive or non-exclusive distributor or Principal Underwriter
for the Shares of one or more of the Series (or Classes) or other
securities to be issued by the Trust. Every such contract shall
comply with such requirements and restrictions as may be set forth
under federal and/or state law and in the By-Laws, including,
without limitation, the requirements of Section 15 of the 1940 Act,
and any such contract may contain such other terms as the Trustees
may determine.
(c)
The Trustees are
also empowered, at any time and from time to time, to contract with
any corporations, trusts, associations or other organizations,
appointing it or them the administrator, fund accountant,
custodian, transfer agent and/or shareholder servicing agent for
the Trust or one or more of its Series. Every such contract shall
comply with such requirements and restrictions as may be set forth
under federal and/or state law and in the By-Laws or stipulated by
resolution of the Trustees.
(d)
The Trustees may
adopt a plan or plans of distribution with respect to Shares of any
Series or Class and enter into any related agreements, whereby the
Series or Class finances directly or indirectly any activity that
is primarily intended to result in sales of its Shares, subject to
the requirements of Section 12 of the 1940 Act, Rule 12b-1
thereunder, and other applicable rules and
regulations.
(e)
Subject to
applicable law, the Trustees are further empowered, at any time and
from time to time, to contract with any entity to provide such
other services to the Trust or one or more of the Series, as the
Trustees determine to be in the best interests of the Trust and the
applicable Series.
(f)
The fact
that:
(i)
any of the
Shareholders, Trustees, or officers of the Trust is a shareholder,
director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, Investment Adviser,
Sub-Adviser, Administrator, sub-adviser, sub-administrator,
Principal Underwriter, distributor, or affiliate or agent of or for
any corporation, trust, association, or other organization, or for
any parent or affiliate of any organization with which an advisory,
management, or administration contract, or Principal
Underwriter’s or distributor’s contract, or fund
accounting, custody, transfer agent, shareholder servicing agent or
other type of service contract may have been or may hereafter be
made, or that any such organization, or any parent or affiliate
thereof, is a Shareholder or has an interest in the Trust; or
that
(ii)
any
corporation, trust, association or other organization with which an
advisory, management, or administration contract or Principal
Underwriter’s or distributor’s contract, or fund
accounting, custody, transfer agent or shareholder servicing agent
contract may have been or may hereafter be made also has an
advisory, management, or administration contract, or Principal
Underwriter’s or distributor’s or other service
contract with one or more other corporations, trusts, associations,
or other organizations, or has other business or
interests,
shall
not affect the validity of any such contract or disqualify any
Shareholder, Trustee or officer of the Trust from voting upon or
executing the same or create any liability or accountability to the
Trust or its Shareholders, provided approval of each such contract
is made pursuant to the requirements of the 1940 Act.
Section
7.
Trustees and Officers as
Shareholders
.
Any
Trustee, officer or agent of the Trust may acquire, own and dispose
of Shares to the same extent as if he were not a Trustee, officer
or agent. The Trustees may issue and sell and cause to be issued
and sold Shares to, and redeem such Shares from, any such Person or
any firm or company in which such Person is interested, subject to
the general limitations contained herein, the terms of the
Trust’s then-current registration statement for the Shares or
the limitations contained in the By-Laws relating to the sale and
redemption of such Shares.
ARTICLE V
SHAREHOLDERS' VOTING POWERS AND MEETINGS
Section
1.
Voting Powers; Meetings; Notice;
Record Dates
.
(a)
The Shareholders
shall have power to vote only with respect to:
(i)
the election or
removal of Trustees as provided in Article IV hereof;
and
(ii)
such
additional matters relating to the Trust as may be required by
applicable law, this Declaration of Trust, the By-Laws or any
registration of the Trust with the Commission (or any successor
agency), or as the Trustees may consider necessary or
desirable.
(b)
As to each matter
on which a Shareholder is entitled to vote, such Shareholder shall
be entitled to one vote for each whole Share (as of the Record Date
applicable to the meeting or written consent pursuant to which the
vote of Shareholders is being sought or obtained) and a
proportionate fractional vote with respect to the fractional
Shares, if any. All references in this Declaration of Trust or the
By-Laws to a vote of, or the holders of, a majority, percentage or
other proportion of Outstanding Shares shall mean a vote of, or the
holders of, such majority, percentage or other proportion of the
votes to which such Shares entitle their holder(s).
(c)
Notwithstanding any
other provision of this Declaration of Trust, on any matters
submitted to a vote of the Shareholders, all Outstanding Shares of
the Trust then-entitled to vote shall be voted in aggregate,
except:
(i)
when required by
the 1940 Act, Shares shall be voted by individual
Series;
(ii)
when
the matter involves any action that the Trustees have determined
will affect only the interests of one or more Series, then only the
Shareholders of such Series shall be entitled to vote thereon;
and
(iii)
when
the matter involves any action that the Trustees have determined
will affect only the interests of one or more Classes, then only
the Shareholders of such Class or Classes shall be entitled to vote
thereon.
(d)
There shall be no
cumulative voting in the election of Trustees.
(e)
Shares may be voted
in person or by proxy. A proxy may be given in writing. The By-Laws
may provide that proxies may also, or may instead, be given by an
electronic or telecommunications device or in any other
manner.
(f)
Notwithstanding
anything else contained herein or in the By-Laws, in the event a
proposal by anyone other than the officers or Trustees of the Trust
is submitted to a vote of the Shareholders of one or more Series or
Classes thereof or of the Trust, or in the event of any proxy
contest or proxy solicitation or proposal in opposition to any
proposal by the officers or Trustees of the Trust, Shares may be
voted only by written proxy or in person at a meeting.
(g)
Until Shares of a
Class or Series are issued, the Trustees may exercise all rights of
Shareholders of that Class or Series and may take any action
required by law, this Declaration of Trust or the By-Laws to be
taken by the Shareholders with respect to that Class or Series.
Shares held in the treasury shall not confer any voting rights on
the Trustees and shall not be entitled to any dividends or other
distributions declared with respect to the Shares.
(h)
Meetings of the
Shareholders shall be called and notice thereof and record dates
therefor shall be given and set as provided in the
By-Laws.
Section
2.
Quorum and Required
Vote
.
Except
when a larger quorum is required by applicable law, by the By-Laws
or by this Declaration of Trust, one-third (33-1/3%) of the
Outstanding Shares entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum at a
Shareholders’ meeting. When any one or more Series (or
Classes) is to vote separate from any other Series (or Classes) of
Shares, one-third (33-1/3%) of the Outstanding Shares of each such
Series (or Class) entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum at a
Shareholders’ meeting of that Series (or Class). Except when
a larger vote is required by any provision of this Declaration of
Trust or the By-Laws or by applicable law, when a quorum is present
at any meeting, a majority of the Outstanding Shares voted shall
decide any questions, including the election of Trustees, provided
that where any provision of law or of this Declaration of Trust
requires that the holders of any Series shall vote as a Series (or
that holders of a Class shall vote as a Class), then a majority of
the Outstanding Shares of that Series (or Class) voted on the
matter shall decide that matter insofar as that Series (or Class)
is concerned.
Section
3.
Record Dates
.
For the
purpose of determining the Shareholders of any Series (or Class)
who are entitled to vote on a matter or receive payment of any
dividend or of any other distribution, the Trustees may from time
to time fix a date, which shall be before the date for taking
action on the matter or before the date for the payment of such
dividend or such other payment, as the record date for determining
the Shareholders of such Series (or Class) having the right to vote
or receive such dividend or distribution. Without fixing a record
date, the Trustees may for distribution purposes close the register
or transfer books for one or more Series (or Classes) at any time
prior to the payment of a distribution. Nothing in this Section
shall be construed as precluding the Trustees from setting
different record dates for different Series (or
Classes).
Section
4.
Additional
Provisions
.
The
By-Laws may include further provisions for Shareholders, votes and
meetings and related matters.
ARTICLE VI
NET ASSET VALUE, DISTRIBUTIONS AND
REDEMPTIONS
Section
1.
Determination of Net Asset Value, Net
Income and Distributions
.
Subject
to applicable law and Article III, Section 6 hereof, the Trustees,
in their absolute discretion, may prescribe and shall set forth in
the By-Laws or in a duly adopted resolution of the Trustees such
bases and time for determining the Net Asset Value per Share of any
Series or Class or net income attributable to the Shares of any
Series or Class, or the declaration and payment of dividends and
distributions on the Shares of any Series or Class, as they may
deem necessary or desirable. The Trustees shall cause the Net Asset
Value of Shares of each Series or Class to be determined from time
to time in a manner consistent with applicable laws and
regulations. The Trustees may delegate the power and duty to
determine the Net Asset Value per Share to one or more Trustees or
officers of the Trust or to a custodian, depository or other agent
appointed for such purpose. The Net Asset Value of Shares shall be
determined separately for each Series or Class at such times as may
be prescribed by the Trustees or, in the absence of action by the
Trustees, as of the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange
on each day for all or part of which such Exchange is open for
unrestricted trading.
Section
2.
Redemptions and
Repurchases
.
(a)
Each Shareholder of
a Series shall have the right at such times as may be permitted by
the Trustees to require the Series to redeem all or any part of his
Shares at a redemption price per Share equal to the Net Asset Value
per Share at such time as the Trustees shall have prescribed by
resolution. In the absence of such resolution, the redemption price
per Share shall be the Net Asset Value next determined after
receipt by the Series of a request for redemption in proper form
less such charges as are determined by the Trustees and described
in the Trust’s Registration Statement for that Series under
the Securities Act of 1933. The Trustees may specify conditions,
prices, and places of redemption, and may specify binding
requirements for the proper form or forms of requests for
redemption. Payment of the redemption price may be wholly or partly
in securities or other assets at the value of such securities or
assets used in such determination of Net Asset Value or may be in
cash. Upon redemption, Shares may be reissued from time to time. To
the extent permitted by law, the Trustees may retain the proceeds
of any redemption of Shares required by them for payment of amounts
due and owing by a Shareholder to the Trust or any Series or Class.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trustees may postpone payment of
the redemption price and may suspend the right of the Shareholders
to require any Series or Class to redeem Shares during any period
of time when and to the extent permissible under the 1940
Act.
(b)
Subject to the
provisions of paragraph (a) above, payment for any Shares which are
presented for redemption shall be made in cash or property from the
assets of the relevant Series and payment for such Shares shall be
made within seven (7) days after the date upon which the redemption
request is effective, or such longer period as may be required. The
redemption price may in any case or cases be paid wholly or partly
in kind if the Trustees determine that such payment is advisable in
the interest of the remaining Shareholders of the Series or Class
thereof for which the Shares are being redeemed. Subject to the
foregoing, the fair value, selection and quantity of securities or
other property so paid or delivered as all or part of the
redemption price may be determined by or under authority of the
Trustees. In no case shall the Trust be liable for any delay of any
Investment Adviser, Sub-adviser, Administrator or Custodian or
other Person in transferring securities selected for delivery as
all or part of any payment-in-kind.
(c)
If, as referred to
in paragraph (a) above, the Trustees postpone payment of the
redemption price and suspend the right of Shareholders to redeem
their Shares, such suspension shall take effect at the time the
Trustees shall specify, but not later than the close of business on
the business day next following the declaration of suspension.
Thereafter Shareholders shall have no right of redemption or
payment until the Trustees declare the end of the suspension. If
the right of redemption is suspended, a Shareholder may either
withdraw his request for redemption or receive payment based on the
Net Asset Value per Share next determined after the suspension
terminates.
(d)
The Trust shall, to
the extent permitted by applicable law, have the right at any time
to redeem the Shares owned by any holder thereof:
(i)
in connection with
the termination of any Series or Class of Shares;
(ii)
if
the value of such Shares in the account or accounts maintained by
the Trust or its transfer agent for such Series or Class of Shares
is less than the value determined from time to time by the Trustees
as the minimum required for an account or accounts of such Series
or Class, provided that the Trust shall provide a Shareholder with
written notice at least fifteen (15) days prior to effecting a
redemption of that Shareholder’s Shares as a result of not
satisfying such requirement;
(iii)
if
the Shareholder fails to pay when due the full purchase price of
Shares issued to him;
(iv)
if
the Shareholder fails to comply with paragraph (e) of this Section
2; or
(v)
if the Trustees
determine that redemption is appropriate or necessary to prevent
harm to the Trust or its shareholders and such redemption is
permitted under applicable law.
Any
such redemption shall be effected at the redemption price and in
the manner provided in this Article VI.
(e)
The Shareholders
shall upon demand disclose to the Trustees in writing such
information with respect to direct and indirect ownership of Shares
and the beneficial owner(s) thereof as the Trustees deem necessary
to comply with the provisions of the Code, or to comply with the
requirements of any governmental authority or applicable law or
regulation.
ARTICLE VII
COMPENSATION AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY OF
TRUSTEES
Section
1.
Compensation
.
The
Trustees in such capacity shall be entitled to reasonable
compensation from the Trust, and they may fix the amount of such
compensation. However, the Trust will not compensate those Trustees
who are otherwise compensated by the Investment Adviser,
Sub-Adviser or the Principal Underwriter under the terms of any
contract between the Trust and the Investment Adviser, Sub-Adviser
or the Principal Underwriter, as applicable. Nothing herein shall
in any way prevent the employment of any Trustee for advisory,
management, legal, accounting, investment banking or other services
and payment for such services by the Trust.
Section
2.
Limitation of
Liability
.
A
Trustee, when acting in such capacity, shall not be personally
liable to any person other than the Trust or a beneficial owner for
any act, omission or obligation of the Trust or any Trustee. A
Trustee shall not be liable for any act or omission or any conduct
whatsoever in his capacity as Trustee, provided that nothing
contained herein or in the Delaware Act shall protect any Trustee
against any liability to the Trust or to Shareholders to which he
would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad
faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties
involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee hereunder. No
Trustee who has been determined to be an “audit committee
financial expert” (for purposes of Section 407 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 or any successor provision thereto) by
the Trustees shall be subject to any greater liability or duty of
care in discharging such Trustee’s duties and
responsibilities by virtue of such determination than is any
Trustee who has not been so designated.
Section
3.
Indemnification
.
(a)
Subject to the
exceptions and limitations contained in the By-Laws:
(i)
every person who
is, has been, or becomes a Trustee or officer of the Trust
(hereinafter referred to as a “Covered Person”) shall
be indemnified by the Trust to the fullest extent permitted by law
against liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or
paid by him or her in connection with any proceeding in which he or
she becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of being or
having been a Trustee or officer of the Trust and against amounts
paid or incurred by him or her in the settlement thereof;
and
(ii)
expenses
in connection with the defense of any proceeding of the character
described in clause (i) above shall be advanced by the Trust to the
Covered Person from time to time prior to final disposition of such
proceeding to the fullest extent permitted by law.
(b)
For purposes of
this Section 3 and Section 5 of this Article VII below,
“proceeding” means any threatened, pending or completed
claim, action, suit or proceeding (including appeals), whether
civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, including
subpoenas issued by the Commission; and “liabilities”
and “expenses” includes, without limitation,
attorneys’ fees, costs, judgments, amounts paid in
settlement, fines, penalties and all other liabilities
whatsoever.
(c)
No indemnification
shall be provided hereunder to a Covered Person who shall have been
adjudicated by a court or body before which the proceeding was
brought:
(i)
to be liable to the
Trust or its Shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad
faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties
involved in the conduct of his office; or
(ii)
not
to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his
action was in the best interest of the Trust.
(d)
The Trust’s
financial obligations arising from the indemnification provided
herein may be insured by policies maintained by the Trust, shall be
severable, shall not be exclusive of or affect any other rights to
which any Covered Person may now or hereafter be entitled, shall
continue as to a person who has ceased to be a Covered Person as to
acts or omissions as a Covered Person and shall inure to the
benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a
person. Nothing contained herein shall affect any rights to
indemnification to which Trust personnel, other than Covered
Persons, and other persons may be entitled by contract or otherwise
under law.
(e)
Expenses in
connection with the defense of any proceeding of the character
described in paragraph (b) above may be advanced by the Trust or
Series from time to time prior to final disposition thereof upon
receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such Covered Person
that such amount will be paid over by him to the Trust or Series if
it is ultimately determined that he is not entitled to
indemnification under this Section 3; provided, however, that
either (i) such Covered Person shall have provided appropriate
security for such undertaking, (ii) the Trust is insured against
losses arising out of any such advance payments, or (iii) either a
majority of the Trustees who are neither Interested Persons of the
Trust nor parties to the matter, or independent legal counsel in a
written opinion, shall have determined, based upon a review of
readily available facts (as opposed to a trial type inquiry or full
investigation), that there is reason to believe that such Covered
Person will be found entitled to indemnification under Section
3.
(f)
In no event will
any revision, amendment or change to this Section 3 or the By-Laws
affect in any manner the rights of any Covered Person to receive
indemnification by the Trust against all liabilities and expenses
reasonably incurred or paid by the Covered Person in connection
with any proceeding in which the Covered Person becomes involved as
a party or otherwise by virtue of being or having been a Trustee or
officer of the Trust (including any amount paid or incurred by the
Covered Person in the settlement of such proceeding) with respect
to any act or omission of such Covered Person that occurred or is
alleged to have occurred prior to the time such revision, amendment
or change to this Section 3 or the By-Laws is made.
Section
4.
Trustee’s Good Faith Action;
Expert Advice; No Bond or Surety
.
The
exercise by the Trustees of their powers and discretions hereunder
shall be binding upon everyone interested. A Trustee shall be
liable to the Trust and to any Shareholder solely for his or her
own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless
disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of
Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes
of fact or law. The Trustees may take advice of counsel or other
experts with respect to the meaning and operation of this
Declaration of Trust and the By-Laws, and shall be under no
liability for any act or omission in accordance with such advice.
The Trustees shall not be required to give any bond as such, nor
any surety if a bond is required.
Section
5.
Insurance
.
The
Trustees shall be entitled and empowered to the fullest extent
permitted by law to purchase, with Trust assets, insurance for
liability and for all expenses reasonably incurred or paid or
expected to be paid by a Trustee, officer or agent of the Trust in
connection with any proceeding in which he or she may become
involved by virtue of his or her capacity or former capacity as a
Trustee, officer or agent of the Trust. For purposes of this
Section 5, “agent” means any Person who is, was or
becomes an employee or other agent of the Trust who is not a
Covered Person.
ARTICLE VIII
MISCELLANEOUS
Section
1.
Liability of Third Persons Dealing
with Trustees
.
No
Person dealing with the Trustees shall be bound to make any inquiry
concerning the validity of any transaction made or to be made by
the Trustees or to see to the application of any payments made or
property transferred to the Trust or upon its order.
Section
2.
Derivative
Actions
.
(a)
Shareholders of the
Trust or any Series may not bring a derivative action to enforce
the right of the Trust or an affected Series, as applicable, unless
each of the following conditions is met:
(i)
Each complaining
Shareholder was a Shareholder of the Trust or the affected Series,
as applicable, at the time of the action or failure to act
complained of, or acquired the Shares afterwards by operation of
law from a Person who was a Shareholder at that time;
(ii)
Each
complaining Shareholder was a Shareholder of the Trust or the
affected Series, as applicable, as of the time the demand required
by subparagraph (iii) below was made;
(iii)
Prior
to the commencement of such derivative action, the complaining
Shareholders have made a written demand to the Trustees requesting
that the Trustees cause the Trust or affected Series, as
applicable, to file the action itself. In order to warrant
consideration, any such written demand must include at least the
following:
(1)
a detailed
description of the action or failure to act complained of and the
facts upon which each such allegation is made;
(2)
a statement to the
effect that the complaining Shareholders believe that they will
fairly and adequately represent the interests of similarly situated
Shareholders in enforcing the right of the Trust or the affected
Series, as applicable, and an explanation of why the complaining
Shareholders believe that to be the case;
(3)
a certification
that the requirements of sub-paragraphs (i) and (ii) have been met,
as well as information reasonably designed to allow the Trustees to
verify that certification; and
(4)
a certification
that each complaining Shareholder will be a Shareholder of the
Trust or the affected Series, as applicable, as of the commencement
of the derivative action;
(iv)
Shareholders
owning Shares representing at least 10% of the voting power of the
Trust or the affected Series, as applicable, must join in bringing
the derivative action; and
(v)
A copy of the
derivative complaint must be served on the Trust, assuming the
requirements of sub-paragraphs (i)-(iv) above have already been met
and the derivative action has not been barred in accordance with
paragraph (b)(ii) below.
(b)
Demands for
derivative action submitted in accordance with the requirements
above will be considered by those Trustees who are not deemed to be
Interested Persons of the Trust. Within 30 calendar days of the
receipt of such demand by the Trustees, those Trustees who are not
deemed to be Interested Persons of the Trust will consider the
merits of the claim and determine whether maintaining a suit would
be in the best interests of the Trust or the affected Series, as
applicable. Trustees that are not deemed to be Interested Persons
of the Trust are deemed independent for all purposes, including for
the purpose of approving or dismissing a derivative
action.
(i)
If the demand for
derivative action has not been considered within 30 calendar days
of the receipt of such demand by the Trustees, a decision
communicated to the complaining Shareholder within the time
permitted by sub-paragraph (ii) below, and sub-paragraphs (i)-(iv)
of paragraph (a) above have been met, the complaining Shareholders
shall not be barred by this Declaration of Trust from commencing a
derivative action.
(ii)
If
the demand for derivative action has been made to the Trustees, and
a majority of those Trustees who are not deemed to be Interested
Persons of the Trust have considered the merits of the claim and
have determined that maintaining a suit would not be in the best
interests of the Trust or the affected Series, as applicable, the
complaining Shareholders shall be barred from commencing the
derivative action. If upon such consideration a majority of those
Trustees who are not deemed to be Interested Persons of the Trust
determine that such a suit should be maintained, then the
appropriate officers of the Trust shall commence initiation of that
suit and such suit shall proceed directly rather than derivatively.
The Trustees, or the appropriate officers of the Trust, shall
inform the complaining Shareholders of any decision reached under
this sub-paragraph (ii) in writing within five business days of
such decision having been reached.
(c)
A Shareholder of a
particular Series of the Trust shall not be entitled to participate
in a derivative action on behalf of any other Series of the
Trust.
Section
3.
Termination of the Trust or Any Series
or Class
.
(a)
Unless terminated
as provided herein, the Trust shall continue without limitation of
time. The Trust may be dissolved at any time by vote of a majority
of the Outstanding Shares of each Series entitled to vote or by the
Trustees by written notice to the Shareholders. Any Series of
Shares or Class thereof may be dissolved at any time by the
Trustees by written notice to the Shareholders of such Series or
Class.
(b)
Upon the requisite
action by the Trustees to dissolve the Trust or to dissolve any one
or more Series of Shares or any Class thereof, after paying or
otherwise providing for all charges, taxes, expenses, and
liabilities, whether due or accrued or anticipated, of the Trust or
of the particular Series or any Class thereof as may be determined
by the Trustees and as required by the Delaware Act, the Trust
shall in accordance with such procedures as the Trustees may
consider appropriate reduce the remaining assets of the Trust or of
the affected Series or Class to distributable form in cash or other
securities, or any combination thereof, and distribute the proceeds
to the Shareholders of the Series or Classes involved, ratably
according to the number of Shares of such Series or Class held by
the Shareholders of such Series or Class on the date of
distribution. Thereupon, the Trust or any affected Series or Class
shall terminate, and the Trustees and the Trust shall be discharged
of any and all further liabilities and duties relating thereto or
arising therefrom, other than as set forth in paragraph (c) below,
and the right, title, and interest of all parties with respect to
the Trust or such Series or Class shall be canceled and
discharged.
(c)
Upon termination of
the Trust, following completion of winding up of its business, the
Trustees shall cause a certificate of cancellation of the
Certificate of Trust to be filed in accordance with the Delaware
Act, which Certificate of Cancellation may be signed by any one
Trustee. Upon termination of the Trust, the Trustees, subject to
Section 3808 of the Delaware Act, shall be discharged of any and
all further liabilities and duties relating thereto or arising
therefrom, and the right, title, and interest of all parties with
respect to the Trust shall be cancelled and
discharged.
Section
4.
Reorganization
.
(a)
Notwithstanding
anything else herein, the Trustees may, without Shareholder
approval, unless such approval is required by applicable
law:
(i)
cause the Trust to
merge or consolidate with or into one or more trusts (or series
thereof to the extent permitted by law), partnerships,
associations, corporations or other business entities (including
trusts, partnerships, associations, corporations or other business
entities created by the Trustees to accomplish such merger or
consolidation) so long as the surviving or resulting entity is an
investment company as defined in the 1940 Act, or is a series
thereof, that will succeed to or assume the Trust’s
registration under the 1940 Act and that is formed, organized, or
existing under the laws of the United States or of a state,
commonwealth, possession or territory of the United States, unless
otherwise permitted under the 1940 Act;
(ii)
cause
any one or more Series (or Classes) of the Trust to merge or
consolidate with or into any one or more other Series (or Classes)
of the Trust, one or more trusts (or series or classes thereof to
the extent permitted by law), partnerships, associations,
corporations;
(iii)
cause
the Shares to be exchanged under or pursuant to any state or
federal statute to the extent permitted by law; or
(iv)
cause
the Trust to reorganize as a corporation, limited liability company
or limited liability partnership under the laws of Delaware or any
other state or jurisdiction.
(b)
Any agreement of
merger or consolidation or exchange or certificate of merger may be
signed by a majority of the Trustees and facsimile signatures
conveyed by electronic or telecommunication means shall be
valid.
(c)
Pursuant to and in
accordance with the provisions of Section 3815(f) of the Delaware
Act, and notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this
Declaration of Trust, an agreement of merger or consolidation
approved by the Trustees in accordance with this Section 4 may
effect any amendment to the governing instrument of the Trust or
effect the adoption of a new governing instrument of the Trust if
the Trust is the surviving or resulting trust in the merger or
consolidation. The Trustees may create one or more statutory trusts
to which all or any part of the assets, liabilities, profits, or
losses of the Trust or any Series or Class thereof may be
transferred and may provide for the conversion of Shares in the
Trust or any Series or Class thereof into beneficial interests in
any such newly-created trust or trusts or any series of classes
thereof.
(d)
The approval of the
Trustees shall be sufficient to cause the Trust, or any Series
thereof, to sell and convey all or substantially all of the assets
of the Trust or any affected Series to another Series of the Trust
or to another entity to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act,
for adequate consideration, which may include the assumption of all
outstanding obligations, taxes, and other liabilities, accrued or
contingent, of the Trust or any affected Series, and which may
include shares or interests in such other Series of the Trust or
other entity or series thereof.
Section
5.
Amendments
.
(a)
All rights granted
to the Shareholders under this Declaration of Trust are granted
subject to the reservation of the right of the Trustees to amend
this Declaration of Trust as herein provided, except as set forth
herein to the contrary. Subject to the foregoing, the provisions of
this Declaration of Trust (whether or not related to the rights of
Shareholders) may be amended at any time, so long as such amendment
is not in contravention of applicable law, including the 1940 Act,
by an instrument in writing signed by a majority of the Trustees
(or by an officer of the Trust pursuant to the vote of a majority
of such Trustees). Any such amendment shall be effective as
provided in the instrument containing the terms of such amendment
or, if there is no provision therein with respect to effectiveness,
upon the execution of such instrument and of a certificate (which
may be a part of such instrument) executed by a Trustee or officer
of the Trust to the effect that such amendment has been duly
adopted.
(b)
No amendment may be
made, under Section 5(a) above, which would change any rights with
respect to any Share in the Trust by reducing the amount payable
thereon upon liquidation of the Trust, by repealing the limitations
on personal liability of any Shareholders or Trustee, or by
diminishing or eliminating any voting rights pertaining thereto,
except with a vote, at a meeting of the Shareholders, of the lesser
of (i) 67% or more of the Shares present or represented at
such meeting, provided the holders of more than 50% of the Shares
are present or represented by proxy or (ii) more than 50% of
the Shares.
(c)
No amendment of
this Declaration of Trust or repeal of any of its provisions shall
limit or eliminate the limitation of liability provided to Trustees
and Officers hereunder with respect to any act or omission
occurring prior to such amendment or repeal.
(d)
A certification
signed by a majority of the Trustees setting forth an amendment and
reciting that it was duly adopted by the Shareholders or by the
Trustees as aforesaid or a copy of the Declaration of Trust, as
amended, and executed by a majority of the Trustees, shall be
conclusive evidence of such amendment when lodged among the records
of the Trust.
(e)
Notwithstanding any
other provision hereof, until such time as Shares are first sold,
this Declaration of Trust may be terminated or amended in any
respect by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Trustees or by
an instrument signed by a majority of the Trustees.
Section
6.
Maintaining Copies of Declaration of
Trust; References; Headings; Counterparts
.
(a)
The original or a
copy of this Declaration of Trust and of each restatement and/or
amendment hereto shall be kept at the office of the Trust where it
may be inspected by any Shareholder. Anyone dealing with the Trust
may rely on a certificate by an officer of the Trust as to whether
or not any such restatements and/or amendments have been made and
as to any matters in connection with the Trust hereunder; and, with
the same effect as if it were the original, may rely on a copy
certified by an officer of the Trust to be a copy of this
Declaration of Trust or of any such restatements and/or
amendments.
(b)
In this Declaration
of Trust and in any such restatements and/or amendments, references
to this Declaration of Trust, and all expressions such as
“herein,” “hereof,” and
“hereunder,” shall be deemed to refer to this
Declaration of Trust as amended or affected by any such
restatements and/or amendments.
(c)
Headings are placed
herein for convenience of reference only and shall not be taken as
a part hereof or control or affect the meaning, construction or
effect of this Declaration of Trust. Whenever the singular number
is used herein, the same shall include the plural; and the neuter,
masculine and feminine genders shall include each other, as
applicable.
(d)
This Declaration of
Trust may be executed in any number of counterparts each of which
shall be deemed an original.
Section
7.
Applicable Law
.
(a)
This Declaration of
Trust and the Trust created hereunder are to be governed by and
construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of
Delaware. The Trust shall be of the type commonly called a
statutory trust, and without limiting the provisions hereof, the
Trust specifically reserves the right to exercise any of the powers
or privileges afforded to statutory trusts or actions that may be
engaged in by statutory trusts under the Delaware Act, and the
absence of a specific reference herein to any such power,
privilege, or action shall not imply that the Trust may not
exercise such power or privilege or take such actions.
(b)
Notwithstanding the
first sentence of Section 7(a) of this Article VIII, there shall
not be applicable to the Trust, the Trustees, or this Declaration
of Trust either the provisions of Sections 3540 and 3561 of Title
12 of the Delaware Code or any provisions of the laws (statutory or
common) of the State of Delaware (other than the Delaware Act)
pertaining to trusts that relate to or regulate: (i) the filing
with any court or governmental body or agency of trustee accounts
or schedules of trustee fees and charges; (ii) affirmative
requirements to post bonds for trustees, officers, agents, or
employees of a trust; (iii) the necessity for obtaining a court or
other governmental approval concerning the acquisition, holding, or
disposition of real or personal property; (iv) fees or other sums
applicable to trustees, officers, agents or employees of a trust;
(v) the allocation of receipts and expenditures to income or
principal; (vi) restrictions or limitations on the permissible
nature, amount, or concentration of trust investments or
requirements relating to the titling, storage, or other manner of
holding of trust assets; or (vii) the establishment of fiduciary or
other standards or responsibilities or limitations on the acts or
powers or liabilities or authorities and powers of trustees that
are inconsistent with the limitations or liabilities or authorities
and powers of the Trustees set forth or referenced in this
Declaration of Trust.
Section
8.
Provisions in Conflict with Law or
Regulations
.
(a)
The provisions of
this Declaration of Trust are severable, and if the Trustees shall
determine, with the advice of counsel, that any such provision is
in conflict with the 1940 Act, the regulated investment company
provisions of the Code, and the regulations thereunder, the
Delaware Act or with other applicable laws and regulations, the
conflicting provision shall be deemed never to have constituted a
part of this Declaration of Trust; provided, however, that such
determination shall not affect any of the remaining provisions of
this Declaration of Trust or render invalid or improper any action
taken or omitted prior to such determination.
(b)
If any provision of
this Declaration of Trust shall be held invalid or unenforceable in
any jurisdiction, such invalidity or unenforceability shall attach
only to such provision in such jurisdiction and shall not in any
manner affect such provision in any other jurisdiction or any other
provision of this Declaration of Trust in any
jurisdiction.
Section
9.
Statutory Trust
Only
.
It is
the intention of the Trustees to create a statutory trust pursuant
to the Delaware Act and that this Declaration of Trust, together
with the By-Laws, be the governing instrument of such statutory
trust. It is not the intention of the Trustees to create a general
partnership, limited partnership, joint stock association,
corporation, bailment, or any form of legal relationship other than
a statutory trust pursuant to the Delaware Act. Nothing in this
Declaration of Trust shall be construed to make the Shareholders,
either by themselves or with the Trustees, partners, or members of
a joint stock association.
Section
10.
Writings
.
To the
fullest extent permitted by applicable laws and
regulations:
(a)
all requirements in
this Declaration of Trust or in the By-Laws that any action be
taken by means of any writing, including, without limitation, any
written instrument, any written consent or any written agreement,
shall be deemed to be satisfied by means of any electronic record
in such form that is acceptable to the Trustees; and
(b)
all requirements in
this Declaration of Trust or in the By-Laws that any writing be
signed shall be deemed to be satisfied by any electronic signature
in such form that is acceptable to the Trustees.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the Trustee named below, being the sole Trustee of
Procure ETF Trust II, has executed this Declaration of Trust as of
this 1st day of September, 2018.
/s/ Robert Tull
Robert
Tull, as Trustee and not individually
Exhibit (b)
BY-LAWS
of
PROCURE ETF TRUST II
(a Delaware Statutory Trust)
Dated
as of September 1, 2018
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ARTICLE
I Introduction
|
|
1
|
Section 1.
|
Declaration of Trust.
|
1
|
Section 2.
|
Definitions.
|
1
|
ARTICLE
II Offices
|
|
1
|
Section 1.
|
Principal Office.
|
1
|
Section 2.
|
Delaware Office.
|
1
|
Section 3.
|
Other Offices.
|
2
|
ARTICLE
III Meetings of Shareholders
|
|
2
|
Section 1.
|
Place of Meetings.
|
2
|
Section 2.
|
Call of Meetings.
|
2
|
Section 3.
|
Notice of Meetings of Shareholders.
|
2
|
Section 4.
|
Manner of Giving Notice; Affidavit of Notice.
|
2
|
Section 5.
|
Adjourned Meeting; Notice.
|
3
|
Section 6.
|
Voting.
|
3
|
Section 7.
|
Waiver of Notice; Consent of Absent Shareholders.
|
4
|
Section 8.
|
Shareholder Action by Written Consent Without a
Meeting.
|
4
|
Section 9.
|
Record Date for Shareholder Notice, Voting and Giving
Consents.
|
4
|
Section 10.
|
Proxies.
|
5
|
Section 11.
|
Inspectors of Election.
|
6
|
ARTICLE
IV Trustees
|
|
7
|
Section 1.
|
Powers.
|
7
|
Section 2.
|
Number of Trustees.
|
7
|
Section 3.
|
Vacancies.
|
7
|
Section 4.
|
Place of Meetings and Meetings by Telephone.
|
7
|
Section 5.
|
Regular Meetings.
|
7
|
Section 6.
|
Special Meetings.
|
7
|
Section 7.
|
Quorum; Action of Trustees.
|
8
|
Section 8.
|
Waiver of Notice.
|
8
|
Section 9.
|
Adjournment.
|
8
|
Section 10.
|
Notice of Adjournment.
|
8
|
Section 11.
|
Action Without a Meeting.
|
8
|
Section 12.
|
Fees and Compensation of Trustees.
|
9
|
Section 13.
|
Delegation of Power to Other Trustees.
|
9
|
Section 14.
|
Chairman.
|
9
|
ARTICLE
V Committees
|
|
9
|
Section 1.
|
Committees of Trustees.
|
9
|
Section 2.
|
Proceedings and Quorum.
|
10
|
Section 3.
|
Compensation of Committee Members.
|
10
|
ARTICLE
VI Officers
|
|
10
|
Section 1.
|
Officers.
|
10
|
Section 2.
|
Election of Officers.
|
10
|
Section 3.
|
Subordinate Officers.
|
10
|
Section 4.
|
Removal and Resignation of Officers.
|
10
|
Section 5.
|
Vacancies in Offices.
|
11
|
Section 6.
|
President.
|
11
|
Section 7.
|
Vice Presidents.
|
11
|
Section 8.
|
Secretary and Assistant Secretaries.
|
11
|
Section 9.
|
Treasurer and Assistant Treasurers.
|
12
|
Section 10.
|
Chief Compliance Officer.
|
12
|
ARTICLE
VII Indemnification of Trustees, Officers, Employees and Other
Agents
|
12
|
Section 1.
|
Agents, Proceedings, Expenses.
|
12
|
Section 2.
|
Indemnification of Trustees and Officers.
|
13
|
Section 3.
|
Indemnification of Agents.
|
13
|
Section 4.
|
Limitations, Settlements.
|
13
|
Section 5.
|
Insurance, Rights Not Exclusive.
|
14
|
Section 6.
|
Advance of Expenses.
|
14
|
ARTICLE
VIII Inspection of Records and Reports
|
14
|
Section 1.
|
Inspection by Shareholders.
|
14
|
Section 2.
|
Inspection by Trustees.
|
15
|
Section 3.
|
Financial Statements.
|
15
|
ARTICLE
IX General Matters
|
|
15
|
Section 1.
|
Checks, Drafts, Evidence of Indebtedness.
|
15
|
Section 2.
|
Contracts and Instruments; How Executed.
|
15
|
Section 3.
|
Fiscal Year.
|
15
|
Section 4.
|
Seal.
|
16
|
Section 5.
|
Writings.
|
16
|
Section 6.
|
Severability.
|
16
|
Section 7.
|
Headings.
|
16
|
ARTICLE
X Amendments
|
|
16
|
BY-LAWS
OF
PROCURE ETF TRUST II
(a Delaware
Statutory Trust)
ARTICLE I
Introduction
Section
1.
Declaration
of Trust
.
These
By-Laws shall be subject to the Declaration of Trust, as from time
to time in effect (“Declaration of Trust”), of Procure
ETF Trust II, a Delaware statutory trust (“Trust”). In
the event of any inconsistency between the terms hereof and the
terms of the Declaration of Trust, the terms of the Declaration of
Trust shall control.
Section
2.
Definitions
.
Capitalized terms
used herein and not herein defined are used as defined in the
Declaration of Trust.
ARTICLE II
Offices
Section
1.
Principal
Office
.
The
principal executive office of the Trust shall be 16 Firebush Road,
Levittown, PA 19056 until such time as the Trustees may change the
location of the principal executive office of the Trust to any
other place within or outside the State of Delaware.
Section
2.
Delaware
Office
.
The
Trustees shall establish a registered office in the State of
Delaware and shall appoint as the Trust’s registered agent
for service of process in the State of Delaware an individual who
is a resident of the State of Delaware or a Delaware corporation or
a corporation authorized to transact business in the State of
Delaware; in each case the business office of such registered agent
for service of process shall be identical with the registered
Delaware office of the Trust. The Trustees may designate a
successor resident agent: provided, however, that such appointment
shall not become effective until written notice thereof is
delivered to the Office of the Secretary of the State of
Delaware.
Section
3.
Other
Offices
.
The
Trustees may at any time establish branch or subordinate offices at
any place or places within or outside the State of Delaware as the
Trustees may from time to time determine.
ARTICLE III
Meetings of Shareholders
Section
1.
Place
of Meetings
.
Meetings of
Shareholders shall be held at any place designated by the Trustees.
In the absence of any such designation, Shareholders’
meetings shall be held at the principal executive office of the
Trust.
Section
2.
Call
of Meetings
.
There
shall be no annual meetings of Shareholders except as required by
law. Special meetings of the Shareholders of the Trust or of any
Series or Class may be called at any time by a majority of the
Trustees or by the President or the Secretary for the purpose of
taking action upon any matter requiring the vote or authority of
the Shareholders of the Trust or of any Series or Class as herein
provided or provided in the Declaration of Trust or upon any other
matter as to which such vote or authority is deemed by the Trustees
or the President to be necessary or desirable. Meetings of the
Shareholders of the Trust or of any Series or Class may be called
for any purpose deemed necessary or desirable upon the written
request of the Shareholders holding at least twenty-five percent
(25%) of the Outstanding Shares of the Trust entitled to vote at
such meeting, provided that (i) such request shall state the
purposes of such meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on,
and (ii) the Shareholders requesting such meeting shall have paid
to the Trust the reasonably estimated cost of preparing and mailing
the notice thereof, which the Secretary shall determine and specify
to such Shareholders. If the Secretary fails for more than thirty
(30) days to call a special meeting, the Trustees or the
Shareholders requesting such a meeting may, in the name of the
Secretary, call the meeting by giving the required notice. If the
meeting is a meeting of Shareholders of any Series or Class, but
not a meeting of all Shareholders of the Trust, then only a special
meeting of Shareholders of such Series or Class need be called and,
in such case, only Shareholders of such Series or Class shall be
entitled to notice of and to vote at such meeting.
Section
3.
Notice
of Meetings of Shareholders
.
All
notices of meetings of Shareholders shall be sent or otherwise
given to Shareholders in accordance with Section 4 of this Article
III not less than ten (10) nor more than ninety (90) days before
the date of the meeting. The notice shall specify (i) the place,
date and hour of the meeting, and (ii) the general nature of the
business to be transacted.
Section
4.
Manner
of Giving Notice; Affidavit of Notice
.
Notice
of any meeting of Shareholders shall be (i) given either by hand
delivery, first-class mail, telegraphic or other written or
electronic communication, charges prepaid, and (ii) addressed to
the Shareholder at the address of that Shareholder appearing on the
books of the Trust or its transfer agent or given by the
Shareholder to the Trust for the purpose of notice. If no such
address appears on the Trust’s books or is not given to the
Trust, or to the Trust’s transfer or similar agent, notice
shall be deemed to be waived and therefore unnecessary, unless and
until the Shareholder provides the Trust, or to the Trust’s
transfer or similar agent, his or her address. Notice shall be
deemed to have been given at the time when delivered personally or
deposited in the mail or sent by telegram or other means of written
or electronic communication or, where notice is given by
publication, on the date of publication. Without limiting the
manner by which notice otherwise may be given effectively to
Shareholders, any notice to Shareholders given by the Trust shall
be effective if given by a single written notice to Shareholders
who share an address if consented to by the Shareholders at that
address.
If any
notice addressed to a Shareholder at the address of that
Shareholder appearing on the books of the Trust is returned to the
Trust by the United States Postal Service marked to indicate that
the Postal Service is unable to deliver the notice to the
Shareholder at that address, all future notices or reports shall be
deemed to have been duly given without further mailing if such
future notices or reports shall be kept available to the
Shareholder, upon written demand of the Shareholder, at the
principal executive office of the Trust for a period of one year
from the date of the giving of the notice.
An
affidavit of the mailing or other means of giving any notice of any
meeting of Shareholders shall be filed and maintained in the
records of the Trust.
Section
5.
Adjourned
Meeting; Notice
.
Any
meeting of Shareholders, whether or not a quorum is present, may be
adjourned from time to time by the vote of a majority of the Shares
represented at the meeting, either in person or by proxy.
Notwithstanding the above, broker non-votes will be excluded from
the denominator of the calculation of the number of votes required
to approve any proposal to adjourn a meeting. Notice of adjournment
of a Shareholders’ meeting to another time or place need not
be given, if such time and place are announced at the meeting at
which adjournment is taken and the adjourned meeting is held within
a reasonable time after the date set for the original meeting. If
the adjournment is for more than sixty (60) days from the date set
for the original meeting or a new record date is fixed for the
adjourned meeting, notice of any such adjourned meeting shall be
given to each Shareholder of record entitled to vote at the
adjourned meeting in accordance with the provisions of Sections 3
and 4 of this Article III. At any adjourned meeting, the Trust may
transact any business which might have been transacted at the
original meeting.
Section
6.
Voting
.
The
Shareholders entitled to vote at any meeting of Shareholders shall
be determined in accordance with the provisions of the Declaration
of Trust of the Trust, as in effect as of such time. The
Shareholders’ vote may be by voice vote or by ballot;
provided, however, that any election for Trustees must be by ballot
if demanded by any Shareholder before the voting has begun. On any
matter other than election of Trustees, any Shareholder may cast
part of the votes that such Shareholder is entitled to cast in
favor of the proposal and refrain from casting and/or cast the
remaining part of such votes against the proposal, but if such
Shareholder fails to specify the number of votes that such
Shareholder is casting in favor of the proposal, it will be
conclusively presumed that such Shareholder is casting all of the
votes that such Shareholder is entitled to cast in favor of such
proposal.
Section
7.
Waiver
of Notice; Consent of Absent Shareholders
.
The
transaction of business and any actions taken at a meeting of
Shareholders, however called and noticed and wherever held, shall
be as valid as though taken at a meeting duly held after regular
call and notice provided a quorum is present either in person or by
proxy at the meeting of Shareholders and if either before or after
the meeting, each Shareholder entitled to vote who was not present
in person or by proxy at the meeting of the Shareholders signs a
written waiver of notice or a consent to a holding of the meeting
or an approval of the minutes. The waiver of notice or consent need
not specify either the business to be transacted or the purpose of
any meeting of Shareholders.
Attendance by a
Shareholder at a meeting of Shareholders shall also constitute a
waiver of notice of that meeting, except if the Shareholder objects
at the beginning of the meeting to the transaction of any business
because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened and except
that attendance at a meeting of Shareholders is not a waiver of any
right to object to the consideration of matters not included in the
notice of the meeting of Shareholders if that objection is
expressly made at the beginning of the meeting.
Section
8.
Shareholder
Action by Written Consent Without a Meeting
.
Except
as provided in the Declaration of Trust, any action that may be
taken at any meeting of Shareholders may be taken without a meeting
and without prior notice if a consent or consents in writing
setting forth the action to be taken is signed by the holders of
Outstanding Shares having not less than the minimum number of votes
that would be necessary to authorize or take that action at a
meeting at which all Shares entitled to vote on that action were
present and voted; provided, however, that the Shareholders receive
any necessary Information Statement or other necessary
documentation in conformity with the requirements of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 or the rules or regulations thereunder. Any
such written consent may be executed and given by facsimile or
other electronic means. All such consents shall be filed with the
Secretary of the Trust and shall be maintained in the Trust’s
records. Any Shareholder giving a written consent, a transferee of
the Shares, a personal representative of the Shareholder, or their
respective proxy holders may revoke the Shareholder’s written
consent by a writing received by the Secretary of the Trust before
written consents of the number of Outstanding Shares required to
authorize the proposed action have been filed with the
Secretary.
If the
consents of all Shareholders entitled to vote have not been
solicited in writing and if the unanimous written consent of all
such Shareholders shall not have been received, the Secretary shall
give prompt notice of the action approved by the Shareholders
without a meeting. This notice shall be given in the manner
specified in Section 4 of this Article III to each Shareholder
entitled to vote who did not execute such written
consent.
Section
9.
Record
Date for Shareholder Notice, Voting and Giving
Consents
.
(a) For
purposes of determining the Shareholders entitled to vote or act at
any meeting or adjournment or postponement thereof, the Trustees
may fix in advance a record date which shall not be more than
ninety (90) days nor less than ten (10) days before the date of any
such meeting. Without fixing a record date for a meeting, the
Trustees may for voting and notice purposes close the register or
transfer books for one or more Series (or Classes) for all or any
part of the period between the earliest date on which a record date
for such meeting could be set in accordance herewith and the date
of such meeting. If the Trustees do not so fix a record date or
close the register or transfer books of the affected Series or
Classes, the record date for determining Shareholders entitled to
notice of or to vote at a meeting of Shareholders shall be the
close of business on the business day next preceding the day on
which notice is given or, if notice is waived, at the close of
business on the business day next preceding the day on which the
meeting is held.
(b) The
record date for determining Shareholders entitled to give consent
to action in writing without a meeting, (a) when no prior action of
the Trustees has been taken, shall be the day on which the first
written consent is given, or (b) when prior action of the Trustees
has been taken, shall be (i) such date as determined for that
purpose by the Trustees, which record date shall not precede the
date upon which the resolution fixing it is adopted by the Trustees
and shall not be more than twenty (20) days after the date of such
resolution, or (ii) if no record date is fixed by the Trustees, the
record date shall be the close of business on the day on which the
Trustees adopt the resolution relating to that action.
(c) Nothing
in this Section shall be construed as precluding the Trustees from
setting different record dates for different Series or Classes.
Only Shareholders of record on the record date, as herein
determined, shall have any right to vote or to act at any meeting
or give consent to any action relating to such record date,
notwithstanding any transfer of Shares on the books of the Trust
after such record date.
Section
10.
Proxies
.
Subject
to the provisions of the Declaration of Trust, Shareholders
entitled to vote for Trustees or on any other matter shall have the
right to do so either in person or by proxy, provided that either
(i) a written instrument authorizing such a proxy to act is
executed by the Shareholder or his or her duly authorized
attorney-in-fact and dated not more than eleven (11) months before
the meeting, unless the instrument specifically provides for a
longer period, or (ii) the Trustees adopt an electronic,
telephonic, computerized or other alternative to the execution of a
written instrument authorizing the proxy to act, and such
authorization is received not more than eleven (11) months before
the meeting. A proxy shall be deemed executed by a Shareholder if
the Shareholder’s name is placed on the proxy (whether by
manual signature, typewriting, telegraphic or electronic
transmission or otherwise) by the Shareholder or the
Shareholder’s attorney-in-fact. A valid proxy which does not
state that it is irrevocable shall continue in full force and
effect unless (i) revoked by the Person executing it before the
vote pursuant to that proxy is taken, (a) by a writing delivered to
the Trust stating that the proxy is revoked, or (b) by a subsequent
proxy executed by such Person, or (c) attendance at the meeting and
voting in person by the Person executing that proxy, or (d)
revocation by such Person using any electronic, telephonic,
computerized or other alternative means authorized by the Trustees
for authorizing the proxy to act; or (ii) written notice of the
death or incapacity of the maker of that proxy is received by the
Trust before the vote pursuant to that proxy is counted. A proxy
with respect to Shares held in the name of two or more Persons
shall be valid if executed by any one of them unless at or prior to
exercise of the proxy the Trust receives a specific written notice
to the contrary from any one of the two or more Persons. A proxy
purporting to be executed by or on behalf of a Shareholder shall be
deemed valid unless challenged at or prior to its exercise and the
burden of proving invalidity shall rest on the challenger. Unless
otherwise specifically limited by their terms, proxies shall
entitle the Shareholder to vote at any adjournment or postponement
of a Shareholders’ meeting. At every meeting of Shareholders,
unless the voting is conducted by inspectors, all questions
concerning the qualifications of voters, the validity of proxies,
and the acceptance or rejection of votes, shall be decided by the
chairman of the meeting. Subject to the provisions of the
Declaration of Trust or these By-Laws, all matters concerning the
giving, voting or validity of proxies shall be governed by the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware relating to
proxies, and judicial interpretations thereunder, as if the Trust
were a Delaware corporation and the Shareholders were shareholders
of a Delaware corporation.
Section
11.
Inspectors
of Election
.
Before
any meeting of Shareholders, the Trustees may appoint any persons
other than nominees for office to act as inspectors of election at
the meeting or its adjournment or postponement. If no inspectors of
election are so appointed, the chairman of the meeting may appoint
inspectors of election at the meeting. If any person appointed as
inspector fails to appear or fails or refuses to act, the chairman
of the meeting may appoint a person to fill the
vacancy.
These
inspectors shall:
(a) Sign
an oath to faithfully execute the duties of the inspector with
strict impartiality and according to the best of such
inspector’s ability;
(b) Determine
the number of Shares outstanding and the voting power of each, the
Shares represented at the meeting, the existence of a quorum and
the authenticity, validity and effect of proxies;
(c) Receive
votes, ballots or consents;
(d) Hear
and determine all challenges and questions in any way arising in
connection with the right to vote;
(e) Count
and tabulate all votes or consents;
(f) Determine
when the polls shall close;
(g) Determine
the result and make a certificate of such result; and
(h) Do
any other acts that may be proper to conduct the election or vote
with fairness to all Shareholders.
ARTICLE IV
Trustees
Section
1.
Powers
.
Subject
to the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, the Declaration of
Trust and these By-Laws relating to action required to be approved
by the Shareholders, the business and affairs of the Trust shall be
managed and all powers shall be exercised by or under the direction
of the Trustees.
Section
2.
Number
of Trustees
.
The
exact number of Trustees within the limits specified in the
Declaration of Trust and in accordance with the applicable
provisions of the 1940 Act, shall be fixed from time to time, as
provided in the Declaration of Trust, by a resolution of the
Trustees.
Section
3.
Vacancies
.
Vacancies in the
authorized number of Trustees may be filled as provided in the
Declaration of Trust.
Section
4.
Place
of Meetings and Meetings by Telephone
.
All
meetings of the Trustees may be held at any place that has been
selected from time to time by the Trustees. In the absence of such
a selection, regular meetings shall be held at the principal
executive office of the Trust. Subject to any applicable
requirements of the 1940 Act, any meeting, regular or special, may
be held by conference telephone or similar communication equipment,
so long as all Trustees participating in the meeting can hear one
another and all such Trustees shall be deemed to be present at the
meeting.
Section
5.
Regular
Meetings
.
Regular
meetings of the Trustees shall be held at such time as shall from
time to time be fixed by the Trustees. Such regular meetings may be
held without notice.
Section
6.
Special
Meetings
.
Special
meetings of the Trustees may be held at any time or place for any
purpose when called by the President, the Secretary or by written
request of two (2) or more of the Trustees. Notice of the time and
place of special meetings shall be communicated to each Trustee
orally in person or by telephone or transmitted to him or her by
first-class or overnight mail, electronic mail, telegram, telecopy
or other electronic means addressed to each Trustee at that
Trustee’s address as it is shown on the records of the Trust,
at least one (1) day before the meeting. Notice may be provided on
the day of the special meeting by telephone, electronic mail,
telegram, telecopy, or other electronic means, if, under the
circumstances, the party calling the meeting deems more immediate
action to be necessary or appropriate. Oral notice shall be deemed
to be given when given directly to the person required to be
notified and all other notices shall be deemed to be given when
sent. The notice need not specify the purpose of the meeting or the
place of the meeting, if the meeting is to be held at the principal
executive office of the Trust.
Section
7.
Quorum;
Action of Trustees
.
A
majority of the authorized number of Trustees shall constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business, except to adjourn as
provided in Section 9 of this Article IV. Every act or decision
done or made by a majority of the Trustees present at a meeting
duly held at which a quorum is present shall be regarded as the act
of the Trustees, subject to the provisions of the Declaration of
Trust. A meeting at which a quorum is initially present may
continue to transact business notwithstanding the withdrawal of
Trustees if any action taken is approved by at least a majority of
the required quorum for that meeting.
Section
8.
Waiver
of Notice
.
Notice
of any meeting need not be given to any Trustee who either before
or after the meeting signs a written waiver of notice, a consent to
holding the meeting, or an approval of the minutes. The waiver of
notice or consent need not specify the purpose of the meeting. All
such waivers, consents, and approvals shall be filed with the
records of the Trust or made a part of the minutes of the meeting.
Notice of a meeting shall also be deemed given to any Trustee who
attends the meeting without protesting, prior to or at its
commencement, the lack of notice to that Trustee.
Section
9.
Adjournment
.
A
majority of the Trustees present, whether or not constituting a
quorum, may adjourn any meeting to another time and
place.
Section
10.
Notice
of Adjournment
.
Notice
of the time and place of holding an adjourned meeting need not be
given unless the meeting is adjourned for more than forty-eight
(48) hours, in which case notice of the time and place shall be
given before the time of the adjourned meeting in the manner
specified in Section 6 of this Article IV to the
Trustees.
Section
11.
Action
Without a Meeting
.
Unless
the 1940 Act requires that a particular action be taken only at a
meeting at which the Trustees are present in person, any action to
be taken by the Trustees at a meeting may be taken without such
meeting by the written consent of the Trustees then in office.
Unless the 1940 Act or the Declaration of Trust requires that a
particular action be approved by a greater percentage, such written
consent shall be effective if provided by a majority of the
Trustees then in office. Any such written consent may be executed
and given by facsimile or other electronic means. Such written
consents shall be filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the
Trustees. If any action is so taken by the Trustees by the written
consent of less than all of the Trustees, prompt notice of the
taking of such action shall be furnished to each Trustee who did
not execute such written consent, provided that the effectiveness
of such action shall not be impaired by any delay or failure to
furnish such notice.
Section
12.
Fees and Compensation of
Trustees
.
Trustees and
members of committees may receive such compensation, if any, for
their services and such reimbursement of expenses as may be fixed
or determined by resolution of the Trustees. This Section 12 of
Article IV shall not be construed to preclude any Trustee from
serving the Trust in any other capacity as an officer, agent,
employee, or otherwise and receiving additional compensation for
those services.
Section
13.
Delegation of Power to
Other Trustees
.
Any
Trustee may, by power of attorney, delegate his or her power for a
period not exceeding one (1) month at any one time to any other
Trustee, provided that in no case shall fewer than two Trustees
personally exercise the powers granted to the Trustees under the
Declaration of Trust except as otherwise expressly provided herein
or by resolution of the Board of Trustees. Except where applicable
law may require a Trustee to be present in person, a Trustee
represented by another Trustee, pursuant to such power of attorney,
shall be deemed to be present for purpose of establishing a quorum
and satisfying the required majority vote.
Section
14.
Chairman
.
The
Trustees may appoint a Trustee to serve as Chairman of the Board
(“Chairman”). If, and to the extent, specifically
required by the 1940 Act, the Chairman shall not be an Interested
Person. The Chairman shall serve at the pleasure of the Trustees,
shall preside over meetings of the Trustees and will have a key
role in setting the agenda for the board, establishing a boardroom
culture that will foster a meaningful dialogue between fund
management and Trustees, overseeing the tasks of the adviser(s),
negotiating in favor of shareholders when negotiating advisory
contracts, and providing leadership to the board while focusing on
the long-term interests of the Shareholders. The Chairman will also
exercise and perform such other powers and duties as may be from
time to time assigned to him or her by the Trustees or prescribed
by the Declaration of Trust or by these By-Laws.
ARTICLE V
Committees
Section
1.
Committees
of Trustees
.
The
Trustees may by resolution designate one or more committees, each
consisting of two (2) or more Trustees, to serve at the pleasure of
the Trustees. The number composing such committees and the powers
conferred upon the same shall be determined by the vote of a
majority of the Trustees. The Trustees may abolish any such
committee at any time in their sole discretion. Any committee to
which the Trustees delegate any of their powers shall maintain
records of its meetings and shall report its actions to the
Trustees. The Trustees shall have the power to rescind any action
of any committee, but no such rescission shall have retroactive
effect. The Trustees shall have the power at any time to fill
vacancies in the committees. The Trustees may delegate to these
committees any of its powers, subject to the limitations of
applicable law. The Trustees may designate one or more Trustees as
alternate members of any committee who may replace any absent
member at any meeting of the committee.
Section
2.
Proceedings
and Quorum
.
In the
absence of an appropriate resolution of the Trustees, each
committee may adopt such rules and regulations governing its
proceedings, quorum and manner of acting as it shall deem proper
and desirable, provided that the quorum shall not be less than two
Trustees. In the event any member of any committee is absent from
any meeting, the committee may take action only if a majority of
its members are present at the meeting.
Section
3.
Compensation
of Committee Members
.
Each
committee member may receive such compensation from the Trust for
his or her services and reimbursement for his or her expenses as
may be fixed from time to time by the Trustees.
ARTICLE VI
Officers
Section
1.
Officers
.
The
officers of the Trust shall be a President, a Secretary, a
Treasurer and a Chief Compliance Officer. The Trust may also have,
at the discretion of the Trustees, one or more Vice Presidents, one
or more Assistant Secretaries, one or more Assistant Treasurers,
and such other officers as may be appointed in accordance with the
provisions of Section 3 of this Article VI. Any person may hold one
or more offices of the Trust except that no one person may serve
concurrently as both President and Secretary or as both President
and Vice President. A person who holds more than one office in the
Trust may not act in more than one capacity to execute, acknowledge
or verify an instrument required by law to be executed,
acknowledged or verified by more than one officer. Any officer may
be, but need not be, a Trustee or Shareholder.
Section
2.
Election
of Officers
.
The
officers of the Trust, except such officers as may be appointed in
accordance with the provisions of Section 3 or Section 5 of this
Article VI, shall be elected by the Trustees, and each shall serve
at the pleasure of the Trustees, subject to the rights, if any, of
an officer under any contract of employment.
Section
3.
Subordinate
Officers
.
The
Trustees may appoint and may empower the President to appoint such
other officers as the business of the Trust may require, each of
whom shall hold office for such period, have such authority and
perform such duties as are provided in these By-Laws or as the
Trustees may from time to time determine.
Section
4.
Removal
and Resignation of Officers
.
Subject
to the rights, if any, of an officer under any contract of
employment, any officer may be removed, either with or without
cause, by a vote of a majority of the Trustees then in office and
in attendance, at any regular or special meeting of the Trustees or
by the principal executive officer or by such other officer upon
whom such power of removal may be conferred by the Trustees. In
addition, any officer appointed in accordance with the provisions
of Section 3 of this Article may be removed, with or without cause,
by any officer upon whom such power of removal shall have been
conferred by the Trustees.
Any
officer may resign at any time by giving written notice to the
Trust. Any resignation shall take effect at the date of the receipt
of that notice or at any later time specified in that notice; and
unless otherwise specified in that notice, the acceptance of the
resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. Any
resignation is without prejudice to the rights, if any, of the
Trust under any contract to which the officer is a
party.
Section
5.
Vacancies
in Offices
.
A
vacancy in any office because of death, resignation, removal,
disqualification or other cause shall be filled in the manner
prescribed in these By-Laws for regular appointment to that office.
The President may make temporary appointments to a vacant office
pending action by the Trustees.
Section
6.
President
.
The
President shall be the chief executive officer of the Trust and
shall, subject to the control of the Trustees, have general
supervision, direction and control of the business and the officers
of the Trust. He or she shall preside at all meetings of the
Shareholders and, in the absence of the Chairman, at the meetings
of the Trustees. He or she shall have the general powers and duties
of a president of a corporation and shall have such other powers
and duties as may be prescribed by the Trustees, the Declaration of
Trust or these By-Laws.
Section
7.
Vice
Presidents
.
In the
absence or disability of the President, any Vice President, unless
there is an Executive Vice President, shall perform all the duties
of the President and when so acting shall have all powers of and be
subject to all the restrictions upon the President. The Executive
Vice President or Vice Presidents, whichever the case may be, shall
have such other powers and shall perform such other duties as from
time to time may be prescribed for them respectively by the
Trustees or the President or by these By-Laws.
Section
8.
Secretary
and Assistant Secretaries
.
The
Secretary shall keep or cause to be kept at the principal executive
office of the Trust, the office of the Administrator, the office of
any sub-administrator or such other place as the Trustees may
direct, a book of minutes of all meetings and actions of Trustees,
committees of Trustees and Shareholders with the time and place of
holding, whether regular or special, and if special, how
authorized, the notice given, the names of those present at
Trustees’ meetings or committee meetings, the number of
Shares present or represented at meetings of Shareholders and the
proceedings of the meetings.
The
Secretary shall give or cause to be given notice of all meetings of
the Shareholders and of the Trustees (or committees thereof)
required to be given by these By-Laws or by applicable law and
shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as may
be prescribed by the Trustees or by these By-Laws.
Any
Assistant Secretary may perform such duties of the Secretary as the
Secretary or the Board of Trustees may assign, and, in the absence
of the Secretary, he or she may perform all the duties of the
Secretary.
Section
9.
Treasurer
and Assistant Treasurers
.
The
Treasurer shall be the chief financial and accounting officer of
the Trust and shall keep and maintain or cause to be kept and
maintained adequate and correct books and records of accounts of
the properties and business transactions of the Trust and each
Series or Class thereof, including accounts of the assets,
liabilities, receipts, disbursements, gains, losses, capital and
retained earnings of all Series or Classes thereof. The books of
account shall at all reasonable times be open to inspection by any
Trustee.
The
Treasurer shall deposit all monies and other valuables in the name
and to the credit of the Trust with such depositaries as may be
designated by the Board of Trustees. He or she shall disburse the
funds of the Trust as may be ordered by the Trustees, shall render
to the President and Trustees, whenever they request it, an account
of all of his or her transactions as chief financial and accounting
officer and of the financial condition of the Trust and shall have
other powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by
the Trustees or these By-Laws.
Any
Assistant Treasurer may perform such duties of the Treasurer as the
Treasurer or the Board of Trustees may assign, and in the absence
of the Treasurer, he may perform all the duties of the
Treasurer.
Section
10.
Chief
Compliance Officer
.
The
Chief Compliance Officer (the “CCO”) shall perform the
functions of the Trust’s chief compliance officer as
described in Rule 38a-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
The CCO shall have primary responsibility for administering the
Trust’s compliance policies and procedures adopted pursuant
to Rule 38a-1 (the “Compliance Program”) and reviewing
the Compliance Program, in the manner specified in Rule 38a-1, at
least annually, or as may be required by Rule 38a-1, as may be
amended from time to time. The CCO shall report directly to the
Board of Trustees regarding the Compliance Program.
ARTICLE VII
Indemnification of Trustees, Officers,
Employees and Other Agents
Section
1.
Agents,
Proceedings, Expenses
.
For
purposes of this Article VII, “agent” means any Person
who is, was or becomes an employee or other agent of the Trust who
is not an officer or Trustee of the Trust; “proceeding”
means any threatened, pending or completed claim, action, suit or
proceeding (including appeals), whether civil, criminal,
administrative or investigative, including subpoenas issued by the
Commission; and “liabilities” and
“expenses” includes, without limitation,
attorneys’ fees, costs, judgments, amounts paid in
settlement, fines, penalties and all other liabilities
whatsoever.
Section
2.
Indemnification
of Trustees and Officers
.
Subject
to the exceptions and limitations contained in Section 4 of this
Article VII, the Trust shall indemnify its Trustees and officers to
the fullest extent consistent with state law and the 1940 Act.
Without limitation of the foregoing, the Trust shall indemnify each
person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to
any proceedings, by reason of alleged acts or omissions within the
scope of his or her service as a Trustee or officer of the Trust,
against judgments, fines, penalties, settlements and reasonable
expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually incurred by him
or her in connection with such proceeding to the maximum extent
consistent with state law and the 1940 Act. Subject to the
exceptions and limitations contained in Section 4 of this Article
VII, the Trust may, to the fullest extent consistent with
applicable law, indemnify each Person who is serving or has served
at the request of the Trust as a director, officer, partner,
trustee, employee, agent or fiduciary of another domestic or
foreign corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, other
enterprise or employee benefit plan (“Other Position”)
and who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to
any proceeding by reason of alleged acts or omissions while acting
within the scope of his or her service in such Other Position,
against judgments, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses
(including attorneys’ fees) actually incurred by him or her
in connection with such proceeding to the maximum extent consistent
with state law and the 1940 Act. The indemnification and other
rights provided by this Article VII shall continue as to a person
who has ceased to be a Trustee or officer of the Trust. In no event
will any revision, amendment or change to the By-Laws affect in any
manner the rights of any Trustee or officer of the Trust to receive
indemnification by the Trust against all liabilities and expenses
reasonably incurred or paid by the Trustee or officer in connection
with any proceeding in which the Trustee or officer becomes
involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of being or having been
a Trustee or officer of the Trust (including any amount paid or
incurred by the Trustee or officer in the settlement of such
proceeding) with respect to any act or omission of such Trustee or
officer that occurred or is alleged to have occurred prior to the
time such revision, amendment or change to the By-Laws is
made.
Section
3.
Indemnification
of Agents
.
Subject
to the exceptions and limitations contained in Section 4 of this
Article VII, every agent may be indemnified by the Trust to the
fullest extent permitted by law against all liabilities and against
all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him or her in
connection with any proceeding in which he or she becomes involved
as a party or otherwise by virtue of his or her being or having
been an agent.
Section
4.
Limitations,
Settlements
.
(a) The
Trust shall not indemnify a Trustee, officer or agent who shall
have been adjudicated by a court or body before which the
proceeding was brought (i) to be liable to the Trust or its
Shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the
conduct of his office (collectively, “disabling
conduct”) or (ii) not to have acted in good faith in the
reasonable belief that his action was in or not opposed to the best
interest of the Trust.
(b) The
Trust shall not indemnify a Trustee, officer or agent unless (i)
the court or other body before which the proceeding was brought
determines that such Trustee, officer or agent did not engage in
disabling conduct or (ii) with respect to any proceeding disposed
of (whether by settlement, pursuant to a consent decree or
otherwise) without an adjudication by the court or other body
before which the proceeding was brought, there has been (a) a
dismissal of the proceeding by the court or other body before which
it was brought for insufficiency of evidence of any disabling
conduct with which such Trustee, officer or agent has been charged
or (b) a determination based upon a review of readily available
facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry) that such Trustee,
officer or agent did not engage in disabling conduct by either
independent legal counsel or a majority of those Trustees who are
neither Interested Persons of the Trust nor parties to the
proceeding.
Section
5.
Insurance,
Rights Not Exclusive
.
The
Trust’s financial obligations arising from the
indemnification provided herein or in the Declaration of Trust (i)
may be insured by policies maintained by the Trust on behalf of any
Trustee, officer or agent; (ii) shall be severable; (iii) shall not
be exclusive of or affect any other rights to which any Trustee,
officer or agent may now or hereafter be entitled; and (iv) shall
inure to the benefit of the Trustee, officer or agent’s
heirs, executors and administrators.
Section
6.
Advance
of Expenses
.
Expenses incurred
by a Trustee or officer in connection with the defense of any
proceeding shall be advanced by the Trust from time to time and
expenses incurred by an agent in connection with the defense of any
proceeding may be advanced by the Trust from time to time prior to
final disposition thereof upon receipt of an undertaking by, or on
behalf of, such Trustee, officer or agent that such amount will be
paid over by him or her to the Trust if it is ultimately determined
that he or she is not entitled to indemnification under this
Article VII; provided, however, that (a) such Person shall have
provided appropriate security for such undertaking, (b) the Trust
is insured against losses arising out of any such advance payments,
or (c) either a majority of the Trustees who are neither Interested
Persons of the Trust nor parties to the proceeding, or independent
legal counsel in a written opinion, shall have determined, based
upon a review of the readily available facts (as opposed to a
trial-type inquiry or full investigation), that there is reason to
believe that such Trustee, officer or agent will be found entitled
to indemnification under this Article VII.
ARTICLE VIII
Inspection of Records and Reports
Section
1.
Inspection
by Shareholders
.
The
Trustees shall from time to time determine whether and to what
extent, and at what times and places, and under what conditions and
regulations the accounts and books of the Trust or any Series shall
be open to the inspection of the Shareholders; and no Shareholder
shall have any right to inspect any account or book or document of
the Trust except as conferred by law or otherwise by the Trustees
or by resolution of the Shareholders.
Section
2.
Inspection
by Trustees
.
Every
Trustee shall have the absolute right at any reasonable time to
inspect all books, records, and documents of every kind and the
physical properties of the Trust. This inspection by a Trustee may
be made in person or by an agent or attorney and the right of
inspection includes the right to copy and make extracts of
documents.
Section
3.
Financial
Statements
.
A copy
of any financial statements and any income statement of the Trust
for each semi-annual period of each fiscal year and accompanying
balance sheet of the Trust as of the end of each such period that
has been prepared by the Trust shall be kept on file in the
principal executive office of the Trust for at least twelve (12)
months and each such statement shall be exhibited at all reasonable
times to any Shareholder demanding an examination of any such
statement or a copy shall be mailed to any such Shareholder. The
semi-annual income statements and balance sheets referred to in
this section shall be accompanied by the report, if any, of any
independent accountants engaged by the Trust or the certificate of
an authorized officer of the Trust that the financial statements
were prepared without audit from the books and records of the
Trust.
ARTICLE IX
General Matters
Section
1.
Checks,
Drafts, Evidence of Indebtedness
.
All
checks, drafts, or other orders for payment of money, notes or
other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of or payable to
the Trust shall be signed or endorsed in such manner and by such
person or persons as shall be designated from time to time in
accordance with the resolution of the Board of
Trustees.
Section
2.
Contracts
and Instruments; How Executed
.
The
Trustees, except as otherwise provided in these By-Laws, may
authorize any officer or officers, agent or agents, to enter into
any contract or execute any instrument in the name of and on behalf
of the Trust (or any Series) and this authority may be general or
confined to specific instances; and unless so authorized or
ratified by the Trustees or within the agency power of an officer,
no officer, agent, or employee shall have any power or authority to
bind the Trust by any contract or engagement or to pledge its
credit or to render it liable for any purpose or for any
amount.
Section
3.
Fiscal
Year
.
The
fiscal year of the Trust and each Series shall be fixed and
re-fixed or changed from time to time by the Trustees.
Section
4.
Seal
.
The
Trustees may adopt a seal which shall be in such form and shall
have such inscription thereon as the Trustees may from time to time
prescribe. However, unless otherwise required by the Trustees, the
seal shall not be necessary to be placed on, and its absence shall
not impair the validity of, any document, instrument or other paper
executed and delivered by or on behalf of the Trust.
Section
5.
Writings
.
To the
fullest extent permitted by applicable laws and
regulations:
(a) all
requirements in these By-Laws that any action be taken by means of
any writing, including, without limitation, any written instrument,
any written consent or any written agreement, shall be deemed to be
satisfied by means of any electronic record in such form that is
acceptable to the Trustees; and
(b) all
requirements in these By-Laws that any writing be signed shall be
deemed to be satisfied by any electronic signature in such form
that is acceptable to the Trustees.
Section
6.
Severability
.
The
provisions of these By-Laws are severable. If the Trustees
determine, with the advice of counsel, that any provision hereof
conflicts with the 1940 Act, the regulated investment company or
other provisions of the Code or with other applicable laws and
regulations, the conflicting provision shall be deemed never to
have constituted a part of these By-Laws; provided, however, that
such determination shall not affect any of the remaining provisions
of these By-Laws or render invalid or improper any action taken or
omitted prior to such determination. If any provision hereof shall
be held invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such
invalidity or unenforceability shall attach only to such provision
only in such jurisdiction and shall not affect any other provision
of these By-Laws.
Section
7.
Headings
.
Headings are placed
in these By-Laws for convenience of reference only and in case of
any conflict, the text of these By-Laws rather than the headings
shall control.
ARTICLE X
Amendments
Except
as otherwise provided by applicable law or by the Declaration of
Trust, these By-Laws may be restated, amended, supplemented or
repealed by a majority vote of the Trustees then in office,
provided that no restatement, amendment, supplement or repeal
hereof shall limit the rights to indemnification or insurance
provided in Article VII hereof with respect to any acts or
omissions of Trustees, officers or agents (as defined in Article
VII) of the Trust prior to such amendment.
Exhibit (d)(i)
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
This
Investment Advisory Agreement (“Agreement”) is made and
entered into as of September 1, 2018, by and between Procure ETF
Trust II,
a Delaware
trust (“Trust”), on behalf of the funds listed on
Appendix A, each a series of shares of the Trust (each, a
“Fund” and, collectively, “Funds”), and
ProcureAM, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company
(“Advisor”).
WHEREAS, the Trust
is an open-end management investment company, registered under the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940
Act”);
WHEREAS, the Trust
is authorized to issue shares of beneficial interest in separate
series with each such series representing interests in a separate
portfolio of securities and other assets of the Trust;
WHEREAS, the
Advisor is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment
Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (“Advisers Act”), and
engages in the business of asset management; and
WHEREAS, the Trust
desires to retain the Advisor to render certain investment
management services to the Funds, and the Advisor is willing to
render such services; and
WHEREAS,
capitalized terms not otherwise defined in this Agreement have the
meanings assigned to them in a Fund’s most recent
prospectus.
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants herein
contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1.
Obligations of
Investment Advisor
(a)
Services.
The Advisor shall provide a
continuous program of investment management for the Funds, subject
to the general supervision of the Trust’s Board of Trustees
and the provisions of this Agreement. Specifically, and without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Advisor agrees to
perform the following services (“Services”) for each
Fund either directly or through any sub-advisor appointed in
accordance with the provisions of subsection (c)
below;
(1)
manage
the investment and reinvestment of the assets of each Fund for the
period and on the terms set forth in this
Agreement;
(2)
continuously review, supervise, and
administer the investment program of each Fund;
(3)
determine, in its discretion, the securities to
be purchased, retained or sold (and implement those decisions) with
respect to each Fund;
(
4) with the assistance of
the Funds’ distributor, determine the number of shares of the
Funds that will be created or redeemed each Business Day based on
the purchase orders submitted by Authorized
Participants;
(5)
provide, in a timely manner, such information as may be reasonably
requested by the Trust or its designated agents in connection with,
among other things, information about each Fund sufficient for a
pricing service or other entity to calculate the Intraday
Indicative Value of the shares of such Fund every fifteen seconds
each Business Day;
(6)
provide the Trust and the Funds with records concerning the
Advisor’s activities under this Agreement which the Trust and
the Funds are required to maintain;
(7)
render regular reports to the Trust’s trustees and officers
concerning the Advisor’s discharge of the foregoing
responsibilities.; and
(8) arrange
for other necessary services, including custodial, transfer agency
and administration.
(b)
Control of the
Trust
. The Advisor shall discharge the responsibilities
described in subsection (a) subject to the control of the trustees
and officers of the Trust and in compliance with (i) such policies
as the trustees may from time to time establish; (ii) the relevant
Fund’s objectives, policies, and limitations as set forth in
its prospectus and statement of additional information, as the same
may be amended from time to time; and (iii) with all applicable
laws and regulations.
(c)
Sub-Advisor and
Agents
. All Services to be furnished by the Advisor under
this Agreement may be furnished through the medium of any managers,
officers or employees of the Advisor or through such other parties
(including, without limitation, a sub-advisor) as the Advisor may
determine from time to time.
(d)
Expenses and
Personnel
. The Advisor agrees, at its own expense or at the
expense of one or more of its affiliates, to render the Services
and to provide the office space, furnishings, equipment and
personnel as may be reasonably required in the judgment of the
trustees and officers of the Trust to perform the Services on the
terms and for the compensation provided herein. The Advisor shall
authorize and permit any of its officers, managers and employees,
who may be elected as trustees or officers of the Trust, to serve
in the capacities in which they are elected. Except to the extent
expressly assumed by the Advisor herein and except to the extent
required by law to be paid by the Advisor, the Trust shall pay all
costs and expenses in connection with its operation.
(e)
Books and Records
.
The Advisor hereby undertakes and agrees to maintain all records
not maintained by a service provider or sub-adviser pursuant to
their agreements with the Trust or Advisor, in the form and for the
period required by Rule 31a-2 under the 1940 Act. All books and
records prepared and maintained by the Advisor for the Trust and
each Fund under this Agreement shall be the property of the Trust
and such Fund and, upon request therefor, the Advisor shall
surrender to the Trust and such Fund such of the books and records
so requested
.
The
Advisor further agrees that it will not disclose or use any records
or information obtained pursuant to this Agreement in any manner
whatsoever except as authorized in this Agreement and that it will
keep confidential any information obtained pursuant to this
Agreement and disclose such information only if the Trust has
authorized such disclosure, or if such disclosure is required by
federal or state regulatory authorities.
(f)
Additional Services
Provided at the Expense of the Trust
. The Advisor agrees, at
the expense of the Trust or the Advisor, (i) to prepare all
required tax returns of the Trust and each Fund, (ii) to prepare
and submit reports to existing shareholders, (iii) to update
periodically the prospectuses and statements of additional
information of the Trust and (iv) to prepare reports to be filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and
other regulatory authorities. In each case, the Advisor may cause a
sub-advisor to perform such duties.
2.
Fund
Transactions
.
(a)
General.
The
Advisor is authorized to select the brokers or dealers that will
execute the purchases and sales of portfolio securities for each
Fund. With respect to brokerage selection, the Advisor shall seek
to obtain the best overall execution for Fund transactions, which
is a combination of price, quality of execution and other factors.
As permitted by Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended (“Section 28(e)”), the Advisor may pay
to a broker which provides brokerage and research services (as such
services are defined in Section 28(e)) to a Fund an amount of
disclosed commission in excess of the commission which another
broker would have charged for effecting that transaction. Such
practice is subject to a good faith determination that such
commission is reasonable in light of the services provided and to
such policies as the Trust’s trustees may adopt from time to
time. Such services of brokers are used by the Advisor in
connection with all of its investment activities, and some of such
services obtained in connection with the execution of transactions
for a Fund may be used in managing other investment
accounts.
(b)
Mixed-Use Services
.
On occasion, a broker-dealer might furnish the Advisor with a
service which has a mixed use (i.e., the service is used both for
investment and brokerage activities and for other activities).
Where this occurs, the Advisor will reasonably allocate the cost of
the service, so that the portion or specific component which
assists in investment and brokerage activities is obtained using
portfolio commissions from a Fund or other managed accounts, and
the portion or specific component which provides other assistance
(for example, administrative or non-research assistance) is paid
for by the Advisor from its own funds.
(c)
Exclusivity.
Where
the Advisor deems the purchase or sale of a security to be in the
best interest of a Fund as well as its other customers (including
any other fund or other investment company or advisory account for
which the Advisor acts as investment adviser), the Advisor, to the
extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, may aggregate
the securities to be sold or purchased for a Fund with those to be
sold or purchased for such other customers in order to obtain the
best net price and most favorable execution under the
circumstances. In such event, allocation of the securities so
purchased or sold, as well as the expenses incurred in the
transaction, will be made by the Advisor, as applicable, in the
manner it considers to be equitable and consistent with its
fiduciary obligations to such Fund and such other customers. In
some instances, this procedure may adversely affect the price and
size of the position obtainable for a Fund.
(d)
Affiliated
Broker-Dealers
. Broker or
dealers selected by the Advisor for the purchase and sale of
securities or other investment instruments for a Fund may include a
sub-advisor, or brokers or dealers affiliated with a sub-advisor,
provided such orders comply with Rules 17e-1 and 10f-3 under the
1940 Act and the Trust’s Rule 17e-1 and Rule 10f-3
Procedures, respectively, in all respects, or any other applicable
exemptive rules or orders applicable to the
Advisor.
(e)
Reporting.
The Advisor will promptly communicate to the officers and the
trustees of the Trust such information relating to portfolio
transactions as they may reasonably request.
(f)
Delegation.
The
Advisor may delegate or share responsibility for Fund transactions
and the terms of this Section 2 with a sub-advisor, pursuant to the
terms of Section 1(c).
3.
Compensation of the
Advisor
.
(a)
For the services
rendered, the facilities furnished and expenses assumed by the
Advisor, each Fund shall pay to the Advisor at the end of each
calendar month a fee for the Fund calculated as a percentage of the
average daily net assets of the Fund at the annual rates set forth
in
Schedule A
of
this Agreement. The Advisor’s fee is accrued daily at 1/365th
of the applicable annual rate set forth in
Schedule A
.
Schedule A
shall
be amended from time to time to reflect the addition and/or
termination of any Fund as a Fund hereunder and to reflect any
change in the advisory fees payable with respect to any Fund duly
approved in accordance with Section 8 hereof. For the purpose
of the fee accrual, the daily net assets of each Fund are
determined in the manner and at the times set forth in the
Fund’s current Prospectus and, on days on which the net
assets are not so determined, the net asset value computation to be
used shall be as determined on the immediately preceding day on
which the net assets were determined. In the event of termination
of this Agreement, all compensation due through the date of
termination will be calculated on a pro-rated basis through the
date of termination and paid within fifteen business days of the
date of termination. The Advisor may waive all or a portion of its
fees provided for hereunder and such waiver will be treated as a
reduction in the purchase price of its services. The Advisor shall
be contractually bound under this Agreement by the terms of any
publicly-announced waiver of its fee, or any limitation of a
Fund’s expenses, as if such waiver or limitation were fully
set forth in this Agreement. The waiver of any of the
Advisor’s fee shall not obligate the Advisor to waive any of
its fee on a subsequent occasion. The Advisor may delegate that a
third party or affiliate may receive payment of all or a part of
the Advisor’s fee.
(b)
The Advisor agrees to
pay all expenses of the Trust, except for: (i) brokerage expenses
and other expenses (such as stamp taxes) connected with the
execution of portfolio transactions or in connection with creation
and redemption transactions; (ii) legal fees or expenses in
connection with any arbitration, litigation or pending or
threatened arbitration or litigation, including any settlements in
connection therewith; (iii) compensation and expenses of the
Trustees of the Trust who are not officers, directors/trustees,
partners or employees of the Advisor or its affiliates
(“Independent Trustees”); (iv) compensation and
expenses of counsel to the Independent Trustees, (iv) compensation
and expenses of the Trust’s chief compliance officer; (v)
extraordinary expenses; (vi) distribution fees and expenses paid by
the Trust under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule
12b-1 under the 1940 Act; and (vii) the advisory fee payable to the
Advisor hereunder. The payment or assumption by the Advisor of any
expense of the Trust that the Advisor is not required by this
Agreement to pay or assume shall not obligate the Advisor to pay or
assume the same or any similar expense of the Trust on any
subsequent occasion.
4.
Status of Investment
Advisor
. The services of the Advisor to the Trust and each
Fund are not to be deemed exclusive, and the Advisor shall be free
to render similar services to others so long as its services to the
Trust and the Funds are not impaired thereby. The Advisor shall be
deemed to be an independent contractor and shall, unless otherwise
expressly provided or authorized, have no authority to act for or
represent the Trust or the Funds in any way or otherwise be deemed
an agent of the Trust or the Funds. Nothing in this Agreement shall
limit or restrict the right of any manager, officer or employee of
the Advisor, who may also be a trustee, officer or employee of the
Trust, to engage in any other business or to devote his or her time
and attention in part to the management or other aspects of any
other business, whether of a similar nature or a dissimilar
nature.
5.
Permissible
Interests
. Trustees, agents, and shareholders of the Trust
are or may be interested in the Advisor (or any successor thereof)
as managers, officers, members or otherwise; and managers,
officers, agents, and members of the Advisor are or may be
interested in the Trust as trustees, shareholders or otherwise; and
the Advisor (or any successor) is or may be interested in the Trust
as a shareholder or otherwise.
6.
Limits of Liability;
Indemnification
. The Advisor assumes no responsibility under
this Agreement other than to render the services called for
hereunder. The Advisor shall not be liable for any error of
judgment or for any loss suffered by the Trust or a Fund in
connection with the matters to which this Agreement relates, except
a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to
receipt of compensation for services (in which case any award of
damages shall be limited to the period and the amount set forth in
Section 36(b)(3) of the 1940 Act) or a loss resulting from willful
misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the
performance of, or from reckless disregard by it of its obligations
and duties under, this Agreement. It is agreed that the Advisor
shall have no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or
completeness of the Trust’s registration statement under the
1940 Act or the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“1933
Act”), except for information supplied by the Advisor for
inclusion therein. The Trust agrees to indemnify the Advisor to the
full extent permitted by the Trust’s Declaration of
Trust.
7.
Term.
Unless
terminated as provided in this Agreement, this Agreement shall
remain in full force and effect for an initial term of two (2)
calendar years commencing on the date on which the first of the
Funds commences operations, and from year to year thereafter
provided such continuance is approved at least annually by the vote
of a majority of the trustees of the Trust who are not
“interested persons” (as defined in the Act) of the
Trust, which vote must be cast in person at a meeting called for
the purpose of voting on such approval; provided, however,
that:
(a) the
Trust may, at any time and without the payment of any penalty,
terminate this Agreement upon 60 days written notice of a decision
to terminate this Agreement by (i) the Trust’s trustees; or
(ii) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of
the Funds;
(b) the
Agreement shall immediately terminate in the event of its
assignment (within the meaning of the 1940 Act and the rules
promulgated thereunder);
(c) the
Advisor may, at any time and without the payment of any penalty,
terminate this Agreement upon 60 days’ written notice to the
Trust and the Funds; and
(d) the
terms of paragraph 6 of this Agreement shall survive the
termination of this Agreement.
8.
Amendments
. No
provision of this Agreement may be changed, waived, discharged or
terminated orally, but only by an instrument in writing signed by
the party against which enforcement of the change, waiver,
discharge or termination is sought, and no amendment of this
Agreement shall be effective with respect to a Fund until approved
by (a) to the extent required by applicable law, the vote of the
holders of a majority of such Fund’s outstanding voting
securities and (b) a majority of those trustees of the Trust who
are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons of any such
party cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting
on such approval. Additional Funds may be added to Appendix A by
written agreement of the Trust and the Advisor.
9.
Applicable Law
.
This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with, and governed
by, the laws of the State of New York without regard to the
principles of the conflict of laws or the choice of
laws.
10.
Representations and
Warranties
.
(a)
Representations and
Warranties of the Advisor.
The Advisor hereby represents and
warrants to the Trust as follows:
(i) the
Advisor is a corporation duly organized, validly existing, and in
good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware and is fully
authorized to enter into this Agreement and carry out its duties
and obligations hereunder;
(ii)
the Advisor is registered as an investment adviser with the SEC
under the Advisers Act, shall maintain such registration in effect
at all times during the term of this Agreement, and shall notify
the Trust immediately if the Advisor ceases to be so
registered;
(iii)
the Advisor has adopted a written code of ethics complying with the
requirements of Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 204A-1 of
the Advisers Act ( as amended from time to time) and if it has not
already done so, will provide the Trust with a copy of that code,
together with evidence of its adoption. Within 20 days of the end
of each calendar quarter during which this Agreement remains in
effect, the chief compliance officer of the Advisor shall certify
to the Trust that the Advisor has complied with the requirements of
Rule 17j-1 (as amended from time to time) during the previous
quarter and that there have been no violations of the
Advisor’s code of ethics or, if such a violation has
occurred, that appropriate action has been taken in response to
such violation. Upon written request of the Trust, the Advisor
shall permit representatives of the Trust to examine the reports
(or summaries of the reports) required to be made to the Advisor by
Rule 17j-1(c)(1) and other records evidencing enforcement of the
code of ethics;
(iv)
the
Advisor, pursuant to Rule 206(4)-7 under the Advisers Act, has
adopted written policies and procedures designed to prevent
violations of the Advisers Act and the rules thereunder, including
include policies and procedures designed to minimize potential
conflicts of interest among the Funds and any other accounts
advised or managed by it or its affiliates, such as cross trading
policies, as well as those designed to ensure the equitable
allocation of portfolio transactions and brokerage
commissions;
(v)
the
Advisor has adopted policies and procedures as required under
Section 204A of the Advisers Act, which are reasonably
designed in light of the nature of its business to prevent the
misuse, in violation of the Advisers Act or the Exchange Act or the
rules thereunder, of material non-public information by the Advisor
or certain associated persons, and has adopted policies and
procedures to monitor and restrict securities trading by certain
employees of the Advisor; and
(vi)
the
Advisor shall not receive any incentive fees for outperforming the
underlying index of any Fund.
(b)
Representations and
Warranties of the Trust
. The Trust hereby represents and
warrants to the Advisor as follows: (i) the Trust has been duly
organized as a trust under the laws of the State of Delaware and is
authorized to enter into this Agreement and carry out its terms;
(ii) shares of each Fund are (or will be) registered for offer and
sale to the public under the 1933 Act; and (iii) such registrations
will be kept in effect during the term of this
Agreement.
11.
Liability of Trust and
Funds.
It is expressly agreed that the obligations of the
Trust hereunder shall not be binding upon any of the trustees,
shareholders, nominees, officers, agents or employees of the Trust
personally, but shall bind only the trust property of the Trust as
provided in the Declaration of Trust. This Agreement shall not be
deemed to have been made by any of them individually or to impose
any liability on them personally. With respect to any obligation of
the Trust or a Fund arising under this Agreement, the Advisor shall
look for payment or satisfaction of such obligation solely to the
assets and property of the Fund to which such obligation relates,
and under no circumstances shall the Advisor have the right to set
off claims relating to a Fund by applying property of any other
series of the Trust. The business and contractual relationships
created by this Agreement, consideration for entering into this
Agreement, and the consequences of such relationship and
consideration relate solely to the Trust and the
Funds.
12.
Use of Names
. The
Trust acknowledges that all rights to the name(s) “Procure
ETF Trust II” and Procure Shares and any derivatives thereof
(“Names”), as well as any logos that are now or shall
hereafter be associated with Names (“Logos”), belong to
the Advisor, and that the Trust is being granted a limited license
to use such Names and Logos in its name, the name of its series and
the name of its classes of shares. In the event that this Agreement
is terminated, and the Advisor no longer acts as investment adviser
to the Trust, the Advisor reserves the right to withdraw from the
Trust and the Funds the uses of Names and Logos or any name or logo
that would imply a continuing relationship between the Trust or the
Funds and the Advisor or any of its affiliates.
13.
Assignment
.
The Advisor may not assign this Agreement and this Agreement shall
automatically terminate in the event of an
“assignment,” as such term is defined in
Section 2(a)(4) of the 1940 Act. The Advisor shall notify the
Trust’s administrator and Board in writing sufficiently in
advance of any proposed change of “control,” as defined
in Section 2(a)(9) of the 1940 Act, so as to enable the Trust
to: (a) consider whether an assignment will occur,
(b) consider whether to enter into a new Investment Advisory
Agreement with the Advisor, and (c) prepare, file, and deliver
any disclosure document, proxy solicitation or other material
related to a proposed “change of control”, to a
Fund’s shareholders as may be required by applicable
law.
14.
Severability.
If
any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a
court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of this
Agreement shall not be affected thereby, and to this extent, the
provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed to be
severable.
15.
N
otice
. Notices of
any kind to be given to the Trust hereunder by the Advisor shall be
in writing and shall be duly given if mailed or delivered to the
Trust at 16 Firebush Road, Levittown, PA 19056, Attention: Robert
Tull, or to such other address or to such individual as shall be so
specified by the Trust to the Advisor. Notices of any kind to be
given to the Advisor hereunder by the Trust shall be in writing and
shall be duly given if mailed or delivered to the Advisor at the
Trust at 16 Firebush Road, Levittown, PA 19056, Attention: Robert
Tull, or at such other address or to such individual as shall be so
specified by the Advisor to the Trust. Notices shall be deemed to
have been given on the date delivered personally or by courier
service, or three days after sent by registered or certified mail,
postage prepaid, return receipt requested.
16.
Miscellaneous
.
The captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of
reference only and in no way define or delimit any of the
provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect.
If any provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by
a court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of this
Agreement shall not be affected thereby. This Agreement shall be
binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto
and their respective successors (subject to Sections 7(b) and
13 hereof). Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, this
Agreement shall not be construed to require, or to impose any duty
upon, either of the parties to do anything in violation of any
applicable laws or regulations. Any provision in this Agreement
requiring compliance with any statute or regulation shall mean such
statute or regulation as amended and in effect from time to
time.
17.
Governing
Law
. This
Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with,
the laws of the State of New York without giving effect to the
conflict of laws principles thereof; provided that nothing herein
shall be construed to preempt, or to be inconsistent with, any
federal law, regulation or rule, including the 1940 Act and the
Advisers Act and any rules and regulations promulgated
thereunder
.
[Signature Page to Follow]
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to
be executed as of the day and the year first written
above.
Procure
ETF Trust II
By: /s/
Robert Tull
Name:
Robert Tull
Title:
Sole Board Member
|
ProcureAM
LLC
By: /s/
Robert Tull
Name:
Robert Tull
Title:
President
|
Appendix A
Name of Fund
Fee
Rate (% of the average daily net assets)
Exhibit (d)(ii)
PENSERRA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT
Sub-Advisory
Agreement (this “Agreement”) entered into as of the 1st
day of September 2018, by and between ProcureAM, LLC, a Delaware
limited liability company with its principal place of business at
16 Firebush Road, Levittown, PA 19056 (the “Adviser”),
and Penserra Capital Management LLC, a registered investment
advisor organized under the laws of the State of New York (the
“Sub-Adviser”).
WHEREAS, Procure
Trust II, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Trust”), is
an open-end management investment company, registered as such under
the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940
Act”);
WHEREAS, the
Adviser is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment
Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”);
WHEREAS, the
Adviser has entered into an Investment Advisory Agreement dated
September 1, 2018 (the “Advisory Agreement”) with
Procure Trust II (the “Trust”), relating to the
provision of portfolio management services to each series listed on
Schedule A
hereto;
WHEREAS, the
Advisory Agreement provides that the Adviser may delegate any or
all of its portfolio management responsibilities under the Advisory
Agreement to one or more sub-advisers;
WHEREAS, the
Adviser and the Trustees of the Trust desire to retain the
Sub-Adviser to render portfolio management services to the Fund in
the manner and on the terms set forth in this Agreement, and the
Sub-Adviser is willing to provide such services.
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and mutual covenants
hereinafter set forth, the parties hereto agree as
follows:
1.
Appointment and Acceptance of
Appointment
. The Adviser hereby appoints the Sub-Adviser to
act as an investment adviser to the Fund for the periods and on the
terms herein set forth. The Sub-Adviser accepts such appointment
and agrees to render the services herein set forth, for the
compensation herein provided.
2.
Sub-Advisory
Services
.
(a)
The Sub-Adviser
shall, subject to the supervision and oversight of the Adviser,
manage the investment and reinvestment of such portion of the
assets of the Fund, as the Adviser may from time to time allocate
to the Sub-Adviser for management (the “Sub-Advised
Assets”). The Sub-Adviser shall manage the Sub-Advised Assets
in conformity with (i) the investment objective, policies and
restrictions of the Fund set forth in the Trust’s prospectus
and statement of additional information relating to the Fund, as
they may be amended from time to time, any additional policies or
guidelines, including without limitation compliance policies and
procedures, established by the Adviser, the Trust’s Chief
Compliance Officer, or by the Trust’s Board of Trustees
(“Board”) that have been furnished in writing to the
Sub-Adviser, (ii) the written instructions and directions received
from the Adviser and the Trust as delivered; and (iii) the
requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940
Act”), the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Advisers
Act”), and all other federal and state laws applicable to
registered investment companies and the Sub-Adviser’s duties
under this Agreement, all as may be in effect from time to time.
The foregoing are referred to below together as the
“Policies.”
For
purposes of compliance with the Policies, the Sub-Adviser shall be
entitled to treat the Sub-Advised Assets as though the Sub-Advised
Assets constituted the entire Fund, and the Sub-Adviser shall not
be responsible in any way for the compliance of any assets of the
Fund, other than the Sub-Advised Assets, with the Policies. Subject
to the foregoing, the Sub-Adviser is authorized, in its discretion
and without prior consultation with the Adviser, to buy, sell, lend
and otherwise trade in any stocks, bonds and other securities and
investment instruments on behalf of the Fund, without regard to the
length of time the securities have been held and the resulting rate
of portfolio turnover or any tax considerations; and the majority
or the whole of the Sub-Advised Assets may be invested in such
proportions of stocks, bonds, other securities or investment
instruments, or cash, as the Sub-Adviser shall determine.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 2(a),
however, (i) the Sub-Adviser shall, upon and in accordance with
written instructions from the Adviser, effect such portfolio
transactions for the Sub-Advised Assets as the Adviser shall
determine are necessary in order for the Fund to comply with the
Policies, and (ii) upon notice to the Sub-Adviser, the Adviser may
effect in-kind redemptions with shareholders of the Fund with
securities included within the Sub-Advised Assets.
(b)
Absent instructions
from the Adviser or the officers of the Trust to the contrary, the
Sub-Adviser shall place orders pursuant to its determinations
either directly with the issuer or with any broker and/or dealer or
other person who deals in the securities in which the Fund is
trading. With respect to common and preferred stocks, in executing
portfolio transactions and selecting brokers or dealers, the
Sub-Adviser shall use its best judgment to obtain the best overall
terms available. In assessing the best overall terms available for
any transaction, the Sub-Adviser shall consider all factors it
deems relevant, including the breadth of the market in the
security, the price of the security, the financial condition and
execution capability of the broker or dealer, and the
reasonableness of the commission, if any, both for the specific
transaction and on a continuing basis. In evaluating the best
overall terms available and in selecting the broker or dealer to
execute a particular transaction, the Sub-Adviser may also consider
the brokerage and research services (as those terms are defined in
Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) provided to
the Fund and/or other account over which the Sub-Adviser and/or an
affiliate of the Sub-Adviser exercises investment discretion. With
respect to securities other than common and preferred stocks, in
placing orders with brokers, dealers or other persons, the
Sub-Adviser shall attempt to obtain the best net price and
execution of its orders, provided that to the extent the execution
and price available from more than one broker, dealer or other such
person are believed to be comparable, the Sub-Adviser may, at its
discretion but subject to applicable law, select the executing
broker, dealer or such other person on the basis of the
Sub-Adviser’s opinion of the reliability and quality of such
broker, dealer or such other person; broker or dealers selected by
the Sub-Adviser for the purchase and sale of securities or other
investment instruments for the Sub-Advised Assets may include
brokers or dealers affiliated with the Sub-Adviser, provided such
orders comply with Rules 17e-1 and 10f-3 under the 1940 Act and the
Trust’s Rule 17e-1 and Rule 10f-3 Procedures, respectively,
in all respects, or any other applicable exemptive rules or orders
applicable to the Sub-Adviser. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
Sub-Adviser will not effect any transaction with a broker or dealer
that is an “affiliated person” (as defined under the
1940 Act) of the Sub-Adviser or the Adviser without the prior
approval of the Adviser. The Adviser shall provide the Sub-Adviser
with a list of brokers or dealers that are affiliated persons of
the Adviser.
(c)
The Sub-Adviser
acknowledges that the Adviser and the Trust may rely on Rules
17a-7, 17a-10, 10f-3 and 17e-1 under the 1940 Act, and the
Sub-Adviser hereby agrees that it shall not consult with any other
investment adviser to the Trust with respect to transactions in
securities for the Sub-Advised Assets or any other transactions in
the Trust’s assets, other than for the purposes of complying
with the conditions of paragraphs (a) and (b) of Rule 12d3-1 under
the 1940 Act.
(d)
The Sub-Adviser has
provided the Adviser with a true and complete copy of its
compliance policies and procedures for compliance with
“federal securities laws” (as such term is defined
under Rule 38a-1 of the 1940 Act) and Rule 206(4)-7 of the Advisers
Act (the “Sub-Adviser Compliance Policies”). The
Sub-Adviser’s chief compliance officer (“Sub-Adviser
CCO”) shall provide to the Trust’s Chief Compliance
Officer (“Trust CCO”) or his or her delegate promptly
(and in no event more than 10 business days) the
following:
(i)
a report of any
material changes to the Sub-Adviser Compliance
Policies;
(ii)
a report of any
“material compliance matters,” as defined by Rule 38a-1
under the 1940 Act, that have occurred in connection with the
Sub-Adviser Compliance Policies;
(iii)
a copy of the
Sub-Adviser CCO’s report with respect to the annual review of
the Sub-Adviser Compliance Policies pursuant to Rule 206(4)-7 under
the Advisers Act; and
(iv)
an annual (or more
frequently as the Trust CCO may request) certification regarding
the Sub-Adviser’s compliance with Rule 206(4)-7 under the
Advisers Act and Section 38a-1 of the 1940 Act as well as the
foregoing sub-paragraphs (i) – (iii).
(e)
The Sub-Adviser
may, on occasions when it deems the purchase or sale of a security
to be in the best interests of the Fund as well as other fiduciary
or agency accounts managed by the Sub-Adviser, aggregate, to the
extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, the securities
to be sold or purchased in order to obtain the best overall terms
available and execution with respect to common and preferred stocks
and the best net price and execution with respect to other
securities. In such event, allocation of the securities so
purchased or sold, as well as the expenses incurred in the
transaction, will be made by the Sub-Adviser in the manner it
considers to be most fair and equitable over time to the Fund and
to its other accounts.
(f)
The Sub-Adviser, in
connection with its rights and duties with respect to the Fund and
the Trust shall use the care, skill, prudence and diligence under
the circumstances then prevailing that a prudent person acting in a
like capacity and familiar with such matters would use in the
conduct of an enterprise of a like character and with like
aims.
(g)
The services of the
Sub-Adviser hereunder are not deemed exclusive and the Sub-Adviser
shall be free to render similar services to others (including other
investment companies) so long as its services under this Agreement
are not impaired thereby. The Sub-Adviser will waive enforcement of
any non-compete agreement or other agreement or arrangement to
which it is currently a party that restricts, limits, or otherwise
interferes with the ability of the Adviser to employ or engage any
person or entity to provide investment advisory or other services
and will transmit to any person or entity notice of such waiver as
may be required to give effect to this provision; and the
Sub-Adviser will not become a party to any non-compete agreement or
any other agreement, arrangement, or understanding that would
restrict, limit, or otherwise interfere with the ability of the
Adviser and the Trust or any of their affiliates to employ or
engage any person or organization, now or in the future, to manage
the Fund or any other assets managed by the Adviser.
(h)
The Sub-Adviser
shall furnish the Adviser reports concerning portfolio transactions
and performance of the Sub-Advised Assets as the Adviser may
reasonably determine in such form as may be mutually agreed upon,
and agrees to review the Sub-Advised Assets with the Adviser and
discuss the management of them. The Sub-Adviser shall promptly
respond to requests by the Adviser and the Trust CCO or their
delegates for copies of the pertinent books and records maintained
by the Sub-Adviser relating directly to the Fund. The Sub-Adviser
shall also provide the Adviser with such other information and
reports, including information and reports related to compliance
matters, as may reasonably be requested by it from time to time,
including without limitation all material requested by or required
to be delivered to the Board.
(i)
Unless otherwise
instructed by the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser shall
not
have the power, discretion
or responsibility to vote any proxies in connection with securities
in which the Sub-Advised Assets may be invested, and the Adviser
shall retain such responsibility.
(j)
The Sub-Adviser
shall cooperate promptly and fully with the Adviser and/or the
Trust in responding to any regulatory or compliance examinations or
inspections (including any information requests) relating to the
Trust, the Fund or the Adviser brought by any governmental or
regulatory authorities. The Sub-Adviser shall provide the Trust CCO
or his or her delegate with notice within a reasonable period of
any deficiencies or other issues identified by the United States
Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in an
examination or otherwise that relate to or that may affect the
Sub-Adviser’s responsibilities with respect to the
Fund.
(k)
The Sub-Adviser
shall be responsible for the preparation and filing of Schedule 13G
and Form 13F on behalf of the Sub-Advised Assets. The Sub-Adviser
shall not be responsible for the preparation or filing, on behalf
of the Sub-Advised Assets, of any other reports required by a
regulatory authority, except as may be expressly agreed to in
writing.
(l)
The Sub-Adviser
shall maintain separate detailed records of all matters pertaining
to the Sub-Advised Assets, including, without limitation, brokerage
and other records of all securities transactions. Any records
required to be maintained and preserved pursuant to the provisions
of Rule 31a-1 and Rule 31a-2 promulgated under the 1940 Act that
are prepared or maintained by the Sub-Adviser on behalf of the
Trust are the property of the Trust and will be surrendered
promptly to the Trust upon request. The Sub-Adviser further agrees
to preserve for the periods prescribed in Rule 31a-2 under the 1940
Act the records required to be maintained under Rule 31a-1 under
the 1940 Act.
(m)
The Sub-Adviser
shall promptly notify the Adviser of any financial condition that
is likely to impair the Sub-Adviser’s ability to fulfill its
commitments under this Agreement.
3.
Representations and Warranties of the Parties
(a)
The Sub-Adviser
represents and warrants to the Adviser as follows:
(i)
The Sub-Adviser is
a registered investment adviser under the Advisers
Act;
(ii)
The Form ADV that
the Sub-Adviser has previously provided to the Adviser is a true
and complete copy of the form as currently filed with the SEC, and
the information contained therein is accurate and complete in all
material respects and does not omit to state any material fact
necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the
circumstances under which they are made, not misleading. The
Sub-Adviser will promptly provide the Adviser and the Trust with a
complete copy of all subsequent amendments to its Form
ADV;
(iii)
The Sub-Adviser
agrees to maintain an appropriate level of errors and omissions or
professional liability insurance coverage; and
(iv)
This Agreement has
been duly authorized and executed by the Sub-Adviser.
(b)
The Adviser
represents and warrants to the Sub-Adviser as follows:
(i)
The Adviser is
registered under the Advisers Act; and
(ii)
The Adviser and the
Trust has duly authorized the execution of this Agreement by the
Adviser.
4.
Obligations of the
Adviser
.
(a)
The Adviser shall
provide (or cause the Fund’s Custodian (as defined in Section
5 hereof, the Fund’s accountant and the Fund’s
distributor) to provide) timely information to the Sub-Adviser
regarding such matters as the composition of the Sub-Advised
Assets, cash requirements and cash available for investment in the
Sub-Advised Assets, and all other information as may be reasonably
necessary for the Sub-Adviser to perform its responsibilities
hereunder.
(b)
The Adviser has
furnished the Sub-Adviser with a copy of the prospectus and
statement of additional information of the Fund and it agrees
during the continuance of this Agreement to furnish the Sub-Adviser
copies of any revisions or supplements thereto at, or, if
practicable, before the time the revisions or supplements become
effective. The Adviser agrees to furnish the Sub-Adviser with
copies of any financial statements or reports made by the Fund to
its shareholders, and any further materials or information that the
Sub-Adviser may reasonably request to enable it to perform its
functions under this Agreement.
5.
Custodian
. The Adviser shall
provide the Sub-Adviser with a copy of the Fund’s agreement
with the custodian designated to hold the assets of the Fund (the
“Custodian”) and any material modifications thereto
(the “Custody Agreement”) that may affect the
Sub-Adviser’s duties, copies of such modifications to be
provided to the Sub-Adviser reasonably in advance of the
effectiveness of such modifications. The Sub-Advised Assets shall
be maintained in the custody of the Custodian identified in, and in
accordance with the terms and conditions of, the Custody Agreement
(or any sub-custodian properly appointed as provided in the Custody
Agreement). The Sub-Adviser shall have no liability for the acts or
omissions of the Custodian, unless such act or omission is taken
solely in reliance upon instruction given to the Custodian by a
representative of the Sub-Adviser properly authorized to give such
instruction under the Custody Agreement. Any assets added to the
Fund shall be delivered directly to the Custodian.
6.
Use of Name
. During the term of
this Agreement, the Adviser shall have permission to use the
Sub-Adviser’s name in the offering and marketing of the Fund,
and agree to furnish the Sub-Adviser, for its prior approval at its
principal office all prospectuses, brochures, advertisements,
promotional materials, web-based information, proxy statements
shareholder reports and other similar informational materials that
are to be made available to shareholders of the Fund or to the
public and that refer to the Sub-Adviser in any way. The
Sub-Adviser agrees that the Adviser may request that the
Sub-Adviser approve use of a certain type, and that the Adviser
need not provide for approval each additional piece of marketing
material that is of substantially the same type.
During
the term of this Agreement, the Sub-Adviser shall not use the
Adviser’s name or the Trust’s name without the prior
consent of the Adviser.
7.
Expenses
. During the Term of
this Agreement, the Sub-Adviser will pay all expenses incurred by
it in connection with the performance of its duties under paragraph
2 hereof other than the cost (including taxes, brokerage
commissions and other transaction costs, if any) of the securities
or other investment instruments purchased or sold for the
Fund.
8.
Compensation of the
Sub-Adviser
. As full compensation for all services rendered,
facilities furnished and expenses borne by the Sub-Adviser
hereunder, the Sub-Adviser shall be paid the fees in the amounts
and in the manner set forth in
Schedule B
hereto.
9.
Independent Contractor Status
.
The Sub-Adviser shall for all purposes hereof be deemed to be an
independent contractor and shall, unless otherwise provided or
authorized, have no authority to act for or represent the Trust or
the Adviser in any way or otherwise be deemed an agent of the Fund
or the Adviser.
10.
Liability and
Indemnification
.
(a)
Liability
. The duties of the
Sub-Adviser shall be confined to those expressly set forth herein
with respect to the Sub-Advised Assets. The Sub-Adviser shall not
be liable for any loss arising out of any portfolio investment or
disposition hereunder, except a loss directly resulting from
willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the
performance of its duties, or by reason of reckless disregard of
its obligations and duties hereunder. The Sub-Adviser shall have no
liability for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special,
exemplary or punitive damages even if the Sub-Adviser has been
advised of the possibility of such damages. Furthermore, under no
circumstances shall the Sub-Adviser be liable for any loss arising
out of any act or omission taken by another sub-adviser, or any
other third party, in respect of any portion of the Trust’s
assets not managed by the Sub-Adviser pursuant to this Agreement.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall be deemed to
relieve the Sub-Adviser of any liability it would otherwise have
under applicable federal securities laws.
(i)
The Sub-Adviser
shall indemnify the Adviser, the Trust and the Fund, and their
respective affiliates and controlling persons (the “Adviser
Indemnified Persons”) for any liability and expenses,
including reasonable attorneys’ fees, which the Adviser, the
Trust or the Fund and their respective affiliates and controlling
persons may sustain as a result of the Sub-Adviser’s breach
of this Agreement or its representations and warranties herein or
as a result of the Sub-Adviser’s willful misfeasance, bad
faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of its duties
hereunder or violation of applicable law; provided, however, that
the Adviser Indemnified Persons shall not be indemnified for any
liability or expenses that may be sustained as a result of the
either of the Adviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence, or reckless disregard of its duties
hereunder.
(ii)
The Adviser shall
indemnify the Sub-Adviser, its affiliates and its controlling
persons (the “Sub-Adviser Indemnified Persons”) for any
liability and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees,
arising from, or in connection with, the Adviser’s breach of
this Agreement or its representations and warranties herein or as a
result of the Adviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence, reckless disregard of their duties hereunder or
violation of applicable law; provided, however, that the
Sub-Adviser Indemnified Persons shall not be indemnified for any
liability or expenses that may be sustained as a result of the
Sub-Adviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence, or reckless disregard of its duties
hereunder.
11.
Effective Date and Termination
.
This Agreement shall become effective as of the date of its
execution, and:
(a)
unless otherwise
terminated, this Agreement shall continue in effect until
[date two years from signing
date]
, and from year to year thereafter so long as such
continuance is specifically approved at least annually (i) by the
Board or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities
of the Fund, and (ii) by vote of a majority of the Trustees of the
Trust who are not interested persons of the Trust, either of the
Adviser or the Sub-Adviser, cast in person at a meeting called for
the purpose of voting on such approval;
(b)
this Agreement may
at any time be terminated on 60 days’ written notice to the
Sub-Adviser either by vote of the Board or by vote of a majority of
the outstanding voting securities of the Fund;
(c)
this Agreement
shall automatically terminate in the event of its assignment or
upon the termination of the Advisory Agreement; and
(d)
this Agreement may
be terminated by the Sub-Adviser on 60 days’ written notice
to the Adviser and the Trust, or by the Adviser immediately upon
notice to the Sub-Adviser.
(e)
Termination of this
Agreement pursuant to this Section 11 shall be without the payment
of any penalty.
12.
Amendment
. This Agreement may
be amended at any time by mutual consent of the Adviser and the
Sub-Adviser, provided that, if required by law, such amendment
shall also have been approved by vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Fund and by vote of a majority
of the Trustees of the Trust who are not interested persons of the
Trust, either of the Adviser, or the Sub-Adviser, cast in person at
a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such
approval.
13.
Assignment
. The Sub-Adviser may
not assign this Agreement and this Agreement shall automatically
terminate in the event of an “assignment,” as such term
is defined in Section 2(a)(4) of the 1940 Act. The Sub-Adviser
shall notify the Adviser in writing sufficiently in advance of any
proposed change of “control,” as defined in Section
2(a)(9) of the 1940 Act, so as to enable the Trust and/or the
Adviser to: (a) consider whether an assignment will occur, (b)
consider whether to enter into a new Sub-Advisory Agreement with
the Sub-Adviser, and (c) prepare, file, and deliver any disclosure
document to the Fund’s shareholders as may be required by
applicable law.
14.
Miscellaneous
. The captions in
this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and
in no way define or delimit any of the provisions hereof or
otherwise affect their construction or effect. If any provision of
this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by a court decision,
statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of this Agreement shall
not be affected thereby. This Agreement shall be binding upon and
shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their
respective successors (subject to paragraph 11(c) hereof) and, to
the extent provided in paragraph 10 hereof, each Sub-Adviser and
Adviser Indemnified Person. Anything herein to the contrary
notwithstanding, this Agreement shall not be construed to require,
or to impose any duty upon, either of the parties to do anything in
violation of any applicable laws or regulations. Any provision in
this Agreement requiring compliance with any statute or regulation
shall mean such statute or regulation as amended and in effect from
time to time.
15.
Regulation S-P
. In accordance
with Regulation S-P, if non-public personal information regarding
any party’s customers or consumers is disclosed to the other
party in connection with this Agreement, the other party receiving
such information will not disclose or use that information other
than as necessary to carry out the purposes of this
Agreement.
16.
Confidentiality
. Any
information or recommendations supplied by either the Adviser or
the Sub-Adviser, that are not otherwise in the public domain or
previously known to the other party in connection with the
performance of its obligations and duties hereunder, including
without limitation portfolio holdings of the Trust, financial
information or other information relating to a party to this
Agreement, are to be regarded as confidential (“Confidential
Information”) and held in the strictest confidence. Except as
may be required by applicable law or rule or as requested by
regulatory authorities having jurisdiction over a party to this
Agreement, Confidential Information may be used only by the party
to which said information has been communicated and such other
persons as that party believes are necessary to carry out the
purposes of this Agreement, the Custodian, and such persons as the
Adviser may designate in connection with the Sub-Advised
Assets.
17.
Notices
. All notices required
to be given pursuant to this Agreement shall be delivered or mailed
to the address listed below of each applicable party in person or
by registered or certified mail or a private mail or delivery
service providing the sender with notice of receipt or such other
address as specified in a notice duly given to the other parties.
Notice shall be deemed given on the date delivered or mailed in
accordance with this paragraph.
For:
ProcureAM, LLC
16
Firebush Road
Levittown, PA
19056
|
Attn:
Robert Tull
|
|
|
For:
Penserra
Capital Management LLC
|
4
Orinda Way
Suite
100A
Orinda,
CA 94563
|
Attn:
Dustin Lewellyn
|
|
|
For:
Procure Trust
II
|
c/o
ProcureAM, LLC
16
Firebush Road
Levittown, PA
19056
Attn:
Robert Tull
|
18.
Counterparts
. This Agreement
may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be
deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one
and the same instrument.
19.
Governing Law
. This Agreement
shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of
the State of New York, or any applicable provisions of the
Investment Company Act. To the extent that the laws of the State of
New York, or any of the provisions in this Agreement, conflict with
the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act, the
Investment Company Act shall control.
20.
Severability and Survival
.
Should any portion of this Agreement for any reason be held to be
void in law or in equity, the Agreement shall be construed, insofar
as is possible, as if such portion had never been contained herein.
Section 10 shall survive the termination of this
Agreement.
ProcureAM, LLC
By:
/s/ Robert
Tull
Name: Robert
Tull
Title:
President
Penserra Capital Management LLC
By:
/s/ Dustin
Lewellyn
Name:
Dustin Lewellyn
Title:
Chief Investment Officer
Schedule A
Funds(s)
Procure
Space ETF
Schedule B
Sub-advisory Fees
The
Advisor, pursuant to Section 3 of this Agreement, agrees to pay the
Sub-adviser under the following schedule:
For the
services to be rendered by the Sub-adviser as provided in Section 2
of this Agreement, the Adviser shall pay to the Sub-adviser at the
end of each month an advisory fee accrued daily and payable monthly
based on an annual percentage rate of each Funds’ average
daily net assets or minimum fee as follows:
A fee
that is equal to the greater of (1) $40,000 per annum or (2) 0.05%
per annum of the average daily net assets of the Fund, calculated
daily and paid monthly.
Exhibit (h)(iv)
FORM OF
PROCURE ETF TRUST II
PARTICIPANT AGREEMENT
This Participant Agreement (the
“Agreement”) is entered into by and among Quasar
Distributors, LLC, (the “Distributor”), U.S. Bancorp
Fund Services, LLC, as transfer agent (the “Transfer
Agent”) and
[Participant’s Name and NSCC#]
(the “Participant”) and is subject to acceptance by
Procure ETF Trust II (the “Trust”). The Trust is an
open-end management investment company organized as a Delaware
statutory trust consisting of separate investment portfolios (each,
a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”) as
set forth in
Attachment
A
hereto. The Distributor
has been retained as principal underwriter of the Trust and
provides certain services in connection with the sale and
distribution of shares of beneficial interest of the Funds (the
“Shares”). The Transfer Agent has been retained to
provide certain transfer agency services with respect to the
purchase and redemption of Shares.
As
specified in the Trust’s prospectuses and statements of
additional information, as may be amended or supplemented from time
to time (together, the “Prospectus”), Shares may be
purchased or redeemed from a Fund only in aggregations of a
specified number of Shares as set forth in the Prospectus (each, a
“Creation Unit” and collectively, the “Creation
Units”). The Prospectus describes the primary form of
consideration to be provided to the applicable Fund by the
Participant for its own account or on behalf of any party for which
it is acting (whether a customer or otherwise) (“Participant
Client”), which generally includes a designated portfolio of
securities (the “Deposit Securities”) and/or cash.
Creation Units shall generally be redeemed in exchange for Fund
securities (“Fund Securities”) and/or cash, as
described in the Prospectus. The Participant also pays applicable
transaction fees (“Transaction Fees”) and Taxes (as
defined below). All references to “cash” shall refer to
US Dollars. Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein are used
herein as defined in the Prospectus.
This Agreement is intended to set forth the terms
and procedures pursuant to which the Participant may create and/or
redeem Creation Units through the Continuous Net Settlement
(“CNS”) clearing processes of the National Securities
Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) as such processes have
been enhanced to effect purchases and redemptions of Creation
Units, such processes being referred to herein as the
“Clearing Process”, or (ii) outside the Clearing
Process (
i.e.,
through the facilities of The Depository
Trust Company (“DTC”)).
The
parties hereto in consideration of the premises and of the mutual
agreements contained herein agree as follows:
1.
|
STATUS
AND ROLE OF PARTICIPANT.
|
a.
Clearing
Status.
The Participant
represents, covenants and warrants that with respect to orders for
the purchase of Creation Units (“Creation Orders”) or
orders for the redemption of Creation Units (“Redemption
Orders” and, together with “Creation Orders”,
“Orders”) of any Fund (i) by means of the Clearing
Process, it is a member in good standing of the NSCC and a
participant in the CNS System of the NSCC and agrees that it will
remain in good standing throughout the term of this Agreement (a
“Participating Party”); (ii) outside the Clearing
Process, it is a DTC Participant (a “DTC Participant”);
and (iii) it has the ability to transact through the Federal
Reserve System. The Participant may place Orders either through the
Clearing Process or outside the Clearing Process, subject to the
procedures for purchase and redemption of Creation Units set forth
in the Prospectus, this Agreement and all attachments hereto, as
may be amended from time to time (the “Procedures”).
Any change in the foregoing status of Participant shall terminate
this Agreement and Participant shall give prompt notice to the
Distributor, Transfer Agent and the Trust of such
change.
b.
Broker-Dealer
Status.
The Participant
represents, covenants and warrants that it is (i) registered
as a broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, (ii) qualified to act as a broker or dealer in the
states or other jurisdictions where it transacts business, and
(iii) a member in good standing of the Financial Industry
Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). The Participant agrees
that it will maintain such registrations, qualifications and
membership in good standing and in full force and effect throughout
the term of this Agreement. The Participant further agrees to
comply with all applicable U.S. federal laws, the laws of the
states or other jurisdictions concerned, and the rules and
regulations promulgated thereunder and with the Constitution,
By-Laws and Conduct Rules of FINRA (including any NASD Rules that
remain operative until such rules are subsequently renamed,
repealed, rescinded or are otherwise replaced by FINRA Rules), and
that it will not offer or sell Shares of any Fund in any state or
jurisdiction where they may not lawfully be offered and/or sold.
Any change in the foregoing status of Participant shall result in
the automatic termination of this Agreement and Participant shall
give prompt notice to the Distributor, Transfer Agent and the Trust
of such change.
c.
Underwriter
Status.
The Participant
understands and acknowledges that the method by which Creation
Units will be created and traded may raise certain issues under
applicable securities laws. For example, because new Creation Units
of Shares may be issued and sold by a Fund on an ongoing basis, a
“distribution”, as such term is used in the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (“1933 Act”), may occur at any
point. The Participant understands and acknowledges that some
activities on its part, depending on the circumstances, may result
in it being deemed a participant in a distribution in a manner
which could render it a statutory underwriter and subject it to the
prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the 1933 Act. The
Participant also understands and acknowledges that dealers who are
not “underwriters,” but who effect transactions in
Shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of Shares,
are generally required to deliver a prospectus.
d.
Agency.
The
Participant shall have no authority in any transaction to act as
agent of the Distributor, Transfer Agent, the Trust or their
agents. The Participant acknowledges and agrees that for all
purposes of this Agreement, the Participant will be deemed to be an
independent contractor. The Participant agrees to make itself and
its employees available, upon request, during normal business hours
to consult with the Trust, the Transfer Agent or the Distributor or
their designees concerning the performance of the
Participant’s responsibilities under this
Agreement.
e.
Rights and Obligations as DTC
Participant.
The
Participant agrees that in connection with any transactions in
which it acts for a Participant Client, including, without
limitation, for any other DTC Participant or indirect participant,
or any other beneficial owner of Shares (each, a “Beneficial
Owner”), that it shall extend to any such party all of the
rights, and shall be bound by all of the obligations, of a DTC
Participant, in addition to any obligations that it undertakes
hereunder or in accordance with the Prospectus.
f.
Qualified Institutional Buyer
Status
. The Participant
represents, covenants and warrants that it currently is, and will
continue to be throughout the term of this Agreement, a
“qualified institutional buyer” as such term is defined
in Rule 144A of the 1933 Act. Any change in the foregoing status of
Participant shall terminate this Agreement and Participant shall
give prompt notice to the Distributor, Transfer Agent and the Trust
of such change.
g.
No
Affiliation.
The
Participant represents, covenants and warrants that, during the
term of this Agreement, it will not be an affiliated person of a
Fund, a promoter or a principal underwriter of a Fund or an
affiliated person of such persons, except to the extent that the
Participant may be deemed to be an affiliated person under
2(a)(3)(A) or 2(a)(3)(C) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended (the “1940 Act”), due to ownership of Shares.
The Participant shall give prompt notice to the Distributor,
Transfer Agent and the Trust of any change to the foregoing
status.
h.
Agent for
Proxy.
The Participant
represents, covenants and warrants that, from time to time, it may
be a Beneficial Owner or legal owner of Shares (as that term is
defined in Rule 16a-1(a)(2) of the 1934 Act). The Authorized
Participant agrees to irrevocably appoint the Distributor as its
agent and proxy with full authorization and power to vote (or
abstain from voting) its beneficially or legally owned Shares which
the Participant has not rehypothecated and which the Participant is
or may be entitled to vote at any meeting of shareholders of the
Company held after the effective date of this Agreement, whether
annual or special and whether or not an adjourned meeting, or, if
applicable, to give written consent with respect thereto. The
Distributor shall vote (or abstain from voting) such Shares in
accordance with Distributor’s proxy voting policies and
procedures, with complete independence from and without any regard
to any views, statements or interests of the Participant, its
affiliates or any other person. The Participant acknowledges that
the Distributor will not exercise discretion or otherwise provide
advice or guidance to the Participant or any other party in
connection with any vote (or abstention thereof). The Distributor
may carry out its responsibilities hereunder through an agent,
nominee, attorney or such other third party as it deems necessary
or appropriate, to the extent allowable pursuant to applicable
law.
For
purposes of this 1.h., beneficially owned Shares shall not include
those Shares for which the Participant is the record owner but
which are held for the benefit of third parties or in customer or
fiduciary accounts in the ordinary course of business, unless the
Participant instructs the Distributor in writing otherwise. The
Participant acknowledges that the Distributor will not exercise the
voting rights applicable to such Shares unless the Participant
instructs the Distributor in writing otherwise. For the avoidance
of doubt, it shall be the responsibility of the Participant to
instruct the Distributor in writing as to which Shares will/will
not be voted by the agent and proxy pursuant to this Section. The
Participant represents that it has all the necessary legal power
and authority to vote, and to appoint an agent and proxy to vote,
all such Shares as contemplated herein. The Participant hereby
agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Distributor from and
against any loss, liability, cost or expense suffered or incurred
by such Distributor resulting directly from losses, liabilities or
expenses resulting from this Proxy other than those arising from
the negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct of the
Distributor.
The
Distributor, as proxy for the Participant hereunder: (i) is
hereby given full power of substitution and revocation;
(ii) may act through such agents, nominees, or attorneys as it
may appoint from time to time; and (iii) may provide voting
instructions to such agents, nominees, or substitute attorneys in
any lawful manner deemed appropriate by it, including in writing,
by telephone, facsimile, electronically (including through the
internet) or otherwise. The powers of such agent and proxy shall
include (without limiting its general powers hereunder) the power
to receive and waive any notice of any meeting on behalf of the
Participant. The Distributor may terminate this irrevocable proxy
(i.e., Section 1.h.) after sixty (60) days written notice
to the Participant and termination of this irrevocable proxy by
itself shall not serve to terminate the Agreement.
2.
|
EXECUTION
OF ORDERS (GENERAL TERMS).
|
a.
Purchase and Redemption of
Creation Units.
All Orders
shall be handled by each party hereto in accordance with the terms
of the Prospectus and this Agreement (which includes the
Procedures). Each party hereto agrees to comply with the provisions
of such documents to the extent applicable to it. In the event of a
conflict between the Prospectus and the Procedures, the Prospectus
shall control.
b.
NSCC.
Solely with respect to orders for the
purchase or redemption of Creation Units through the Clearing
Process, the Participant as a Participating Party hereby authorizes
the Transfer Agent or its designee to transmit to NSCC on behalf of
the Participant such instructions, including Share and cash amounts
as are necessary with respect to the purchase and redemption of
Creation Units, consistent with the instructions issued by the
Participant. The Participant agrees to be bound by the terms of
such instructions issued by the Transfer Agent or its designee on
behalf of the Trust and reported to NSCC as though such
instructions were issued by the Participant directly to
NSCC.
c.
Consent to
Recording.
It is
contemplated that the phone lines used by the Distributor, the
Transfer Agent and/or their affiliated persons will be recorded,
and the Participant hereby consents to the recording of all calls
with any of those parties.
d.
Irrevocability.
The
Participant acknowledges and agrees on behalf of itself and any
Participant Client that delivery of any Order shall be irrevocable,
provided that the Trust, Transfer Agent and the Distributor on
behalf of the Trust each reserve the right to reject any Order for
any reason.
e.
Prospectus
Delivery.
The Participant
understands a current Prospectus and all required reports for each
applicable Fund are available at [WEBSITE] (or any successor
website). The Distributor will provide to the Participant copies of
the prospectus, and the Participant consents to the delivery of all
prospectuses electronically by e-mail at [__________]
[Participant’s e-mail address]. The Participant agrees to
maintain a valid e-mail address and further agrees to promptly
notify the other parties if its e-mail address changes. The
Participant can revoke this consent upon written notice to the
other parties. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Distributor
agrees to provide to the Participant upon request a reasonable
number of paper copies of either (i) a Fund’s statutory
prospectus or (ii) in the sole discretion of the Distributor,
a Fund’s summary prospectus in accordance with Rule 498 under
the 1933 Act (or any successor rule). The Participant acknowledges
receipt of the Prospectus and represents it has reviewed the
Prospectus and understands the terms thereof, and further
acknowledges that the procedures contained therein pertaining to
the purchase and redemption of Shares are incorporated herein by
reference.
3.
|
EXECUTION
OF ORDERS FOR CREATION UNITS.
|
a.
Title to Securities;
Restricted Shares.
The
Participant represents on behalf of itself and any Participant
Client that, upon delivery of a portfolio of Deposit Securities to
the Trust’s custodian (“Custodian”) and/or
relevant sub-custodian (“Sub-Custodian”), the Trust
will acquire good and unencumbered title to such securities, free
and clear of all liens, restrictions, charges, duties and
encumbrances and not subject to any adverse claims, including,
without limitation, any restriction upon the sale or transfer of
such securities imposed by (i) any agreement or arrangement
entered into by the Participant or any Participant Client in
connection with a transaction to purchase Shares or (ii) any
provision of the 1933 Act and regulations thereunder (except that
portfolio securities of issuers other than U.S. issuers shall not
be required to have been registered under the Securities Act if
exempt from such registration), or of the applicable laws or
regulations of any other applicable jurisdiction, and no such
securities are “restricted securities,” as such term is
used in Rule 144(a)(3)(i) of the 1933 Act.
b.
Corporate
Actions.
With respect to
any Creation Order of a particular Fund, such Fund acknowledges and
agrees to return to the Participant any dividend, distribution or
other corporate action paid to the Fund in respect of any Deposit
Security transferred to the Fund that, based on the valuation of
such Deposit Security at the time of transfer, should have been
paid to the Participant or Participant Client.
c.
Beneficial
Ownership.
The Participant
represents and warrants to the Distributor, Transfer Agent and the
Trust that (based upon the number of outstanding Shares of each
Fund made publicly available by the Trust) (i) it does not
hold, and will not as a result of the contemplated transaction
hold, for the account of any single Beneficial Owner of Shares of
the relevant Fund, eighty percent (80%) or more of the
outstanding Shares of the relevant Fund, or (ii) if it does
hold for the account of any single Beneficial Owner of Shares of
the relevant Fund, eighty percent (80%) or more of the
outstanding Shares of the relevant Fund, that such a circumstance
would not result in the Fund acquiring a basis in the portfolio
securities deposited with the Fund with respect to an order to
create Shares in such Fund different from the market value of such
portfolio securities on the date of such order, pursuant to
Section 351 and 362 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended. Such representation and warranty shall be deemed repeated
with respect to each Creation Order for each Fund. If more than one
Beneficial Owner is combined in any Creation Order, this
representation is made by taking into account all such Beneficial
Owners’ ownership of Shares as a group. The Participant
understands and agrees that the order form relating to any Creation
Order of any Fund shall state substantially the same foregoing
representations and warranties.
The
Distributor, Transfer Agent or the Trust may request information
from the Participant regarding Share ownership and to rely thereon
to the extent necessary to make a determination regarding ownership
of eighty percent (80%) or more of the outstanding Fund Shares
by a Beneficial Owner as a condition to the acceptance of Deposit
Securities.
d.
Sub-Custodian
Account.
The Participant
understands and agrees that in the case of each Fund that invests
in international or global equity securities, the Trust has caused
its Custodian to maintain with the applicable Sub-Custodian for
such Fund an account in the relevant foreign jurisdiction to which
the Participant shall deliver or cause to be delivered the Deposit
Securities for itself or any Participant Client in connection with
any Creation Order, with any appropriate adjustments as advised by
such Sub-Custodian or Fund, in accordance with the terms and
conditions applicable to such account in such
jurisdiction.
e.
Deposit Securities and/or
Relevant Cash Amounts.
The
Participant understands that the amount of any cash and the
identity and the required number of Deposit Securities, as
applicable, to be included with respect to any Creation Order
(based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for
each Fund will be made available on each Business Day, prior to the
opening of business on the New York Stock Exchange
(“NYSE”) through the facilities of the NSCC. The
Participant understands that a Creation Unit will not be issued
until the requisite cash and/or
Deposit
Securities, as applicable, Transaction Fees and Taxes (as defined
below) are transferred to the Trust on or before the settlement
date in accordance with the Prospectus and in accordance with any
instructions provided by the Trust, the Custodian and/or
Sub-Custodian with respect to cash payments, delivery and
settlement.
4.
|
EXECUTION
OF REDEMPTION REQUESTS.
|
a.
Order
Placement.
The Participant
represents, covenants and warrants that it will not attempt to
place a Redemption Order unless it first ascertains that
(a) it or the Participant Client, as the case may be, owns
outright or has full legal authority and legal beneficial right to
tender for redemption the requisite number of Shares to be redeemed
and receive the entire proceeds of the redemption, and
(b) such Shares have not been loaned or pledged to another
party nor are they the subject of a repurchase agreement,
securities lending agreement or such other arrangement which would
preclude the delivery of such Shares in accordance with the
Prospectus and on a “regular way” basis, or as
otherwise required by the Trust. The Participant understands that
Shares of any Fund may be redeemed only when one or more Creation
Units of Shares are held in the account of a single Participant. In
the event that the Distributor, Transfer Agent and/or the Trust
believes that a Participant does not have the requisite number of
Shares to be redeemed as a Creation Unit, the Distributor, Transfer
Agent and/or Trust may reject without liability the
Participant’s Redemption Order.
b.
Additional Payment on
Redemption
. In the event that
the Participant receives Fund Securities the value of which exceeds
the net asset value of the applicable Fund at the time of
redemption, the Participant agrees to pay, on the same business day
it is notified, or cause the Participant Client to pay, on such
day, to the applicable Fund an amount in cash equal to the
difference.
c.
Corporate
Actions.
The Participant
on behalf of itself and any Participant Client acknowledges and
agrees to return to the applicable Fund any dividend, interest,
distribution or other corporate action paid to it or to Participant
Client in respect of any Fund Security that is transferred to the
Participant or any Participant Client that, based on the valuation
of such Fund Security at the time of transfer, should have been
paid to the Fund. The Fund is entitled to reduce the amount of
proceeds due to the Participant or Participant Client by an amount
equal to any dividend, interest distribution or other corporate
action paid to the Participant or to Participant Client in respect
of any Fund Security that is transferred to the Participant or to
Participant Client that, based on the valuation of such Fund
Security at the time of transfer, should have been paid to the
Fund.
5.
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PARTICIPANT
RECORDS, POLICIES AND REPRESENTATIONS.
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a.
Maintenance of
Records.
The Participant
agrees to maintain records of all sales of Shares made by or
through it and to furnish copies of such records to the Trust,
Transfer Agent and/or the Distributor upon
request.
b.
Privacy.
The Participant represents that it has
procedures in place that are reasonably designed to protect the
privacy of non-public personal consumer/customer financial
information to the extent required by applicable U.S. Federal and
state laws, rules and regulations and will continue to do so
throughout the term of this Agreement.
c.
Shareholder
Information
. The Participant
agrees: (i) subject to any privacy obligations or other
obligations arising under the federal or state securities laws it
may have to its customers, to assist the Distributor and/or the
Trust in ascertaining certain information regarding sales of Shares
made by or through Participant upon the request of the Trust or the
Distributor necessary for the Funds to comply with their
obligations to distribute information to their shareholders as may
be required from time to time under applicable state or federal
securities laws, or (ii) in lieu thereof, and at the option of
the Participant, the Participant may undertake to deliver to its
customers that are shareholders of the Funds, the Prospectuses, as
may be amended or supplemented from time to time, proxy material,
annual and other reports of the Funds or other similar information
that the Funds are obligated or otherwise desire to deliver to
their shareholders, after receipt from the Funds or the Distributor
of sufficient, reasonable quantities of the same to allow mailing
thereof to such customers.
d.
Anti-Money
Laundering.
The
Participant represents, covenants and warrants that it has
established an anti-money laundering program (“AML
Program”) that, at a minimum, (i) designates a
compliance officer to administer and oversee the AML Program,
(ii) provides ongoing employee training, (iii) includes
an independent audit function to test the effectiveness of the AML
Program, (iv) establishes internal policies, procedures, and
controls that are tailored to its particular business,
(v) includes a customer identification program consistent with
the rules under section 326 of the USA Patriot Act,
(vi) provides for the filing of all necessary anti-money
laundering reports including, but not limited to, currency
transaction reports and suspicious activity reports,
(vii) provides for screening all new and existing customers
against reports and suspicious activity reports,
(vii) provides for screening all new and existing customers
against the Office of Foreign Asset Control list and any other
government list that is or becomes required under the USA Patriot
Act, and (viii) allows for appropriate regulators to examine
its anti-money laundering books and records. The Participant agrees
that, throughout the term of this Agreement, it will maintain the
AML Program in substantial conformity with the foregoing provisions
as may be amended or supplemented by applicable U.S. federal
regulations. Any change in the foregoing shall result in the
automatic termination of this Agreement, and Participant shall give
prompt notice to the Distributor, Transfer Agent and the Trust of
such change.
e.
Marketing
Materials.
The Participant
represents, warrants and agrees that it will not make any
representations concerning a Fund, the Trust, Creation Units or
Shares other than those contained in the Prospectus or in any
promotional materials or sales literature furnished to the
Participant by the Distributor. The Participant agrees not to
furnish or cause to be furnished to any person or display or
publish any information or materials relating to a Fund, Creation
Units or Shares (including, without limitation, promotional
materials and sales literature, advertisements, press releases,
announcements, statements, posters, signs or other similar
materials, but not including any materials prepared and used for
the Participant’s internal use only or brokerage
communications prepared by the Participant in the normal course of
its business and consistent with the Prospectus and in accordance
with applicable laws and regulations) (“Marketing
Materials”), except such Marketing Materials as may be
furnished to the Participant by the Distributor and such other
Marketing Materials as may be approved in writing by the
Distributor. The Participant understands that the Funds may not be
advertised or marketed as open-end investment companies
(
i.e.,
as mutual funds) that offer redeemable
securities, and that any advertising materials will prominently
disclose that the Shares are not individually redeemable shares of
beneficial interest in the Trust. In addition, the Participant
understands that any advertising material that addresses
redemptions of Shares, including the Prospectus, will disclose that
the owners of Shares may acquire Shares and tender Shares for
redemption to the Trust in Creation Unit aggregations only.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Participant or
an
affiliate
of the Participant may, without the written approval of the
Distributor, prepare and circulate in the regular course of its
business research reports that include information, opinions or
recommendations relating to a Fund (i) for public
dissemination, provided that such research reports compare the
relative merits and benefits of Shares with other products and are
not used for purposes of marketing Shares and (ii) for
internal use by the Participant. The Participant acknowledges that
the Trust, Distributor, Transfer Agent, the Trust’s
investment adviser and their affiliates may disclose that the
Participant is acting as an authorized participant with respect to
the Trust’s Shares and has entered into this
Agreement.
a.
Certification.
Concurrently
with the execution of this Agreement and from time to time
thereafter, the Participant shall deliver to the Distributor, the
Transfer Agent and the Trust, duly certified as appropriate by its
secretary or other duly authorized official, a certificate, in the
form set forth in
Attachment
C
(or pursuant to other
documentation deemed acceptable by the Trust, Transfer Agent or
Distributor in their sole discretion) (the
“Certificate”), setting forth the names, signatures and
other requested information of all persons authorized to give
instructions relating to any activity contemplated hereby or any
other notice, request or instruction on behalf of the Participant
(each an “Authorized Person”). Such Certificate may be
accepted and relied upon by the Transfer Agent, the Distributor and
the Trust as conclusive evidence of the facts set forth therein and
shall be considered to be in full force and effect until delivery
to the Transfer Agent, the Distributor and the Trust of a
superseding Certificate bearing a subsequent
date.
b.
Personal Identification
Number.
The Transfer Agent
or Distributor, as the case may be, shall issue to each Authorized
Person a unique personal identification number (“PIN”)
by which such Authorized Person and the Participant shall be
identified and instructions issued by the Participant hereunder
shall be authenticated.
c.
Termination of
Authority.
Upon the
termination or revocation of authority of such Authorized Person by
the Participant, the Participant shall give prompt written notice
of such fact to the Distributor, Transfer Agent and the Trust and
such notice shall be effective upon receipt by the Distributor,
Transfer Agent and the Trust.
d.
Verification.
The
Transfer Agent and Distributor shall assume that all instructions
issued to them using a PIN have been properly placed by an
Authorized Person, unless the Transfer Agent or Distributor, as the
case may be, has actual knowledge to the contrary or the
Participant has properly revoked such PIN as provided herein.
Neither the Distributor nor the Transfer Agent shall have any
obligation to verify that an Order is being placed by an Authorized
Person.
7.
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PAYMENT
OF CERTAIN FEES AND TAXES.
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a.
Transaction
Fees.
In connection with
the purchase or redemption of Creation Units, the Participant
agrees to pay on behalf of itself or the Participant Client the
Transaction Fee prescribed in the Prospectus as applicable to the
Participant’s transaction. The Trust reserves the right to
adjust any Transaction Fee subject to any limitation as prescribed
in the Prospectus.
b.
Other Fees and
Taxes
. In connection with the
purchase or redemption of Creation Units, the Participant
acknowledges and agrees that the computation of any cash amount to
be paid by or to the Participant shall exclude any taxes or other
fees and expenses payable upon the transfer of beneficial ownership
of Deposit Securities or Fund Securities. To the extent any payment
of any transfer tax, sales or use tax, stamp tax, recording tax,
value added tax or any other similar tax, fee or government charge
(collectively, “Taxes”) applicable to the purchase or
redemption of any Creation Units made pursuant to this Agreement is
imposed, the Participant shall be also responsible for the payment
of any such Taxes regardless of whether or not such Taxes are
imposed directly on the Participant. To the extent the Trust, the
Distributor or their agents pay any such Taxes or they are
otherwise imposed, the Participant agrees to promptly indemnify and
pay such party for any such payment, together with any applicable
penalties, additions to tax or interest thereon. This section shall
survive the termination of this Agreement.
This
Section 8 shall survive the termination of this
Agreement.
Participant’s
Indemnification of the Distributor, Transfer Agent and
Trust.
The Participant
hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Distributor,
Transfer Agent, Trust and their respective subsidiaries,
affiliates, directors, officers, partners, members, employees and
agents, and each person, if any, who controls such persons within
the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act (each an “AP
Indemnified Party”) from and against any loss, liability,
cost or expense suffered or incurred by such AP Indemnified Party
resulting from, in connection with or arising out of (i) any
breach by the Participant of any provision of this Agreement,
(ii) any failure by Participant for any reason, fraudulent,
negligent or otherwise, to comply with its obligations under this
Agreement, (iii) any failure by the Participant to comply with
applicable laws, including rules and regulations of self-regulatory
organizations (“SROs”), in relation to its role as
Participant, (iv) any actions of such AP Indemnified Party in
reliance upon any instructions issued in accordance with the
Procedures (as may be amended from time to time) believed by the
Distributor, the Transfer Agent and/or the Trust to be genuine and
to have been given by the Participant or (v)(1) any representation
by the Participant, its employees or its agents or other
representatives about the Funds, Trust, Creation Units, Shares or
any AP Indemnified Party that is not consistent with the
Trust’s then-current Prospectus made in connection with the
offer or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell Shares and
(2) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in any research reports, Marketing Material
or sales literature described in Section 5.e. hereof or any
alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading to the extent that such statement or omission relates to
the Funds, Trust, Creation Units, Shares or any AP Indemnified
Party unless, in either case, such representation, statement or
omission was made or included by the Participant at the written
direction of the Trust or the Distributor or is based upon any
omission or alleged omission by the Trust or the Distributor to
state a material fact in connection with such representation,
statement or omission necessary to make such representation,
statement or omission not misleading. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the Participant shall not have any obligation to
indemnify any AP Indemnified Party under this Section 8 for
any such losses, liabilities, damages, costs or expenses that are
incurred as a result of, or in connection with, any gross
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on the part of such AP
Indemnified Party.
9.
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LIMITATION
OF LIABILITY.
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This
Section 9 shall survive the termination of this
Agreement.
a.
Express
Duties.
The Distributor
and the Transfer Agent undertake to perform such duties and only
such duties as are expressly set forth herein, or expressly
incorporated herein by reference, and no implied covenants or
obligations shall be read into this Agreement against the
Distributor or the Transfer Agent. The parties understand and agree
that the Trust is a limited a party to this Agreement for the sole
purpose of accepting such Agreement. Accordingly, the Trust has not
agreed to undertake any obligations under this Agreement nor made
any representations or warranties under this Agreement and no
implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Agreement
against the Trust.
The
Trust’s Declaration of Trust (as may be amended and/or
restated) (each, a “Declaration of Trust”) which is
hereby referred to and a copy of which is on file with the
Secretary of the State of Delaware, provides that the name The
Trust means the Trustees from time to time serving (as Trustees but
not personally) under such Declaration of Trust. It is expressly
acknowledged and agreed that to the extent the Trust hereunder
shall have been deemed to have obligations hereunder, such
obligations shall not be binding upon any of the shareholders,
Trustees, officers, employees or agents of the Trust, personally,
but shall bind only the trust property of the Trust, as provided in
its Declaration of Trust. The execution and delivery of this
Agreement have been authorized by the Trustees of the Trust and
signed by an officer of the Trust, acting as such, and neither such
authorization by such Trustees nor such execution and delivery by
such officer shall be deemed to have been made by any of them
individually or to impose any liability on any of them personally,
but shall bind only the trust property of the Trust as provided in
its Declaration of Trust.
The
Distributor and the Transfer Agent each agree that no provision in
this Section 9 shall relieve such party from its obligations
to a Trust under any servicing agreement that it has entered into
with such Trust.
b.
Limited
Liability.
In the absence
of bad faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct on its part,
neither the Distributor nor the Transfer Agent, whether acting
directly or through agents, affiliates or attorneys, shall be
liable for any action taken, suffered or omitted or for any error
of judgment made by any of them in the performance of their duties
hereunder. Neither the Distributor nor the Transfer Agent shall be
liable for any error of judgment made in good faith unless the
party exercising such shall have been grossly negligent in
ascertaining the pertinent facts necessary to make such judgment.
In no event shall the Distributor or the Transfer Agent be liable
for any special, indirect, incidental, exemplary, punitive or
consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but
not limited to loss of revenue, loss of actual or anticipated
profit, loss of contracts, loss of the use of money, loss of
anticipated savings, loss of business, loss of opportunity, loss of
market share, loss of goodwill or loss of reputation), even if such
parties have been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage
and regardless of the form of action. In no event shall the
Distributor or the Transfer Agent be liable for: (i) the acts
or omissions of DTC, NSCC or any other securities depository or
clearing corporation; or (ii) losses incurred by the
Participant or Participant Client as a result of unauthorized use
of any PIN. Further, the Distributor shall not be liable for any
action or failure to take any action with respect to the voting
matters set forth in Section 1.h. above.
c.
Force
Majeure.
Neither the
Distributor nor the Transfer Agent shall be responsible or liable
for any failure or delay in the performance of their obligations
under this Agreement arising out of or caused, directly or
indirectly, by circumstances beyond its reasonable control,
including without limitation, acts of God; earthquakes; fires;
floods; wars; civil or military disturbances; terrorism; sabotage;
epidemics; riots; interruptions; loss or malfunction of utilities,
computer (hardware or software) or communications service;
accidents; labor disputes; acts of civil or military authority or
governmental actions.
d.
Reliance on
Instructions.
The
Distributor and the Transfer Agent may conclusively rely upon, and
shall be fully protected in acting or refraining from acting upon,
any communication authorized under this Agreement and the
Procedures and upon any written or oral instruction, notice,
request, direction or consent reasonably believed by them to be
genuine.
e.
No Advancement by
Transfer Agent.
The
Transfer Agent shall not be required to advance, expend or risk its
own funds or otherwise incur or become exposed to financial
liability in the performance of its duties hereunder, except as may
be required as a result of its own gross negligence, willful
misconduct or bad faith.
f.
Data Errors and
Communication Delays.
Neither the Distributor nor the Transfer
Agent shall be liable to the Participant or to any other person for
any damages arising out of mistakes or errors in data provided to
the Distributor or the Transfer Agent by a third party, or out of
interruptions or delays of electronic means of communications with
the Distributor or the Transfer Agent.
10.
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NOTICES.
Except as otherwise specifically provided in this Agreement, all
notices and amendments required or permitted to be given pursuant
to this Agreement shall be given in writing and delivered by
(i) personal delivery, (ii) postage prepaid registered or
certified United States first class mail, return receipt requested,
(iii) overnight traceable mail (
e.g.,
Federal Express),
(iv) facsimile, (v) electronic mail (e-mail) or
(vi) similar means of same day delivery. Unless otherwise
notified in writing, all notices to the Trust shall be given or
sent as follows: [ ___________________________________________]
Attn.: The Trust.
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All
notices to the Participant, Distributor or Transfer Agent, as the
case may be, shall be directed to the address, telephone, facsimile
numbers or e-mail addresses indicated below the signature line of
such party; provided, however, in the case of communications by the
Distributor or Transfer Agent to the Participant with respect to
any Order as detailed in the Procedures, the Distributor and
Transfer Agent shall contact an Authorized Person or other
Participant designee at such telephone number, e-mail address or
facsimile number provided by such person.
11.
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TERMINATION
AND AMENDMENT. This Agreement shall become effective in this form
as of the date accepted by the Trust and may be terminated at any
time by any party upon thirty days prior notice to the other
parties (i) unless earlier terminated by the Trust in the
event of a breach of this Agreement or the Procedures described
herein by the Participant or (ii) in the event that the Trust
is terminated for any reason.
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This
Agreement may be amended by the Trust from time to time by the
following procedure: the Trust will provide a copy of any such
amendment to the Distributor, the Transfer Agent and the
Participant. If neither the Distributor, the Transfer Agent nor the
Participant objects in writing to the amendment within ten
(10) days, the amendment will become part of this Agreement in
accordance with its terms. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
Transfer Agent and Distributor reserve the right to revise the
Procedures or issue additional procedures relating to the manner of
creating or redeeming Creation Units upon written acknowledgement
of acceptance of such revised Procedures by the Participant, the
Transfer Agent and the Distributor.
12.
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ENTIRE
AGREEMENT. This Agreement and the Procedures, which are hereby
incorporated herein by reference, supersede any prior agreement
between or among the parties with respect to the subject matter
contained herein and constitute the entire agreement among the
parties regarding the matters contained herein.
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13.
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ASSIGNMENT.
No party may assign its rights or obligations under this Agreement
(in whole or in part) without the prior written consent of the
other parties, which shall not be unreasonably withheld; provided
that, any party may assign its rights and obligations hereunder (in
whole, but not in part) without such consent to an entity acquiring
all, or substantially all of its assets or business or to an
affiliate so long as the acquiring entity is able to comply and
fulfill the duties and obligations under this
Agreement.
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14.
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SEVERANCE.
If any provision of this Agreement is held by any court or any act,
regulation, rule or decision of any other governmental or
supranational body or authority or regulatory or self-regulatory
organization to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any
reason, it shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable only to the
extent so held and shall not affect the validity, legality or
enforceability of the other provisions of this Agreement so long as
this Agreement, as so modified, continues to express, without
material change, the original intentions of the parties as to the
subject matter of this Agreement and the deletion of such portion
of this Agreement will not substantially impair the respective
benefits, obligations, or expectations of the parties to this
Agreement.
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15.
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COUNTERPARTS.
This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of
which shall be an original and all shall constitute but one and the
same instrument.
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16.
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GOVERNING
LAW. This Agreement shall be governed by and interpreted in
accordance with the laws of the state of [_______________________]
without regard to the conflicts of laws provisions
thereof. The parties irrevocably submit to the personal
jurisdiction and service and venue of any federal or state court
within the state of [_______________________] having subject matter
jurisdiction, for the purpose of any action, suit or proceeding
arising out of or relating to this Agreement.
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17.
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TRUST
AS THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARY. The parties understand and agree that
the Trust, as a third party beneficiary to this Agreement, is
entitled and intend to proceed directly against the Participant in
the event that the Participant fails to honor any of its
obligations pursuant to this Agreement that benefit the
Trust.
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18.
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INTERPRETATION.
Titles and section headings are included solely for convenient
reference and are not a part of this Agreement.
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See next page for signatures
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to
be executed as of the day of
,
2018.
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QUASAR DISTRIBUTORS, LLC
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BY:
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ADDRESS:
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TELEPHONE:
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FACSIMILE:
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U.S. BANCORP FUND SERVICES, LLC
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BY:
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PRINTED NAME:
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TITLE:
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ADDRESS:
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TELEPHONE:
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FACSIMILE:
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ACCEPTED
BY:
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[I
NSERT
NAME
OF
T
RUST
]
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BY:
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ATTACHMENT A
Procure ETF Trust II - Funds
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Fund
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Ticker
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Procure
Space ETF
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UFO
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A-1
ATTACHMENT B
This
document supplements the Prospectus with respect to the procedures
to be used by (i) the Transfer Agent and Distributor in
processing orders for the purchase of Creation Units of a Fund
(“Creation Orders”) and (ii) the Transfer Agent in
processing orders redeeming Creation units of a Fund
(“Redemption Orders,” and together with Creation
Orders, “Orders”).
A
Participant is required to have signed the Participant Agreement.
Upon acceptance by the Trust of the Participant Agreement, the
Transfer Agent or Distributor, as the case may be, will assign a
personal identification number (“PIN”) to each
Authorized Person authorized to act for the Participant. This will
allow a Participant through its Authorized Person(s) to place an
order with respect to Creation Units.
TO PLACE AN ORDER FOR PURCHASE OR REDEMPTION OF CREATION
UNITS
a.
Order Number. Call to Receive an Order Number. An Authorized Person
for the Participant will call the telephone representative at the
number listed on the applicable Fund’s order form
(“Order Form”) not later than the cut-off time for
placing Orders with the applicable Fund as set forth in the Order
Form (the “Order Cut-Off Time”) to receive an Order
Number. Non-standard Orders generally must be arranged with the
Trust in advance of Order placement. The Order Form (as may be
revised from time to time) is incorporated into and made a part of
this Agreement.
Upon
verifying the authenticity of the caller (as determined by the use
of the appropriate PIN) and the terms of the Order, the telephone
representative will issue a unique Order Number. All Orders with
respect to the purchase or redemption of Creation Units are
required to be in writing and accompanied by the designated Order
Number. Incoming telephone calls are queued and will be handled in
the sequence received. Calls placed before the Order Cut-Off Time
will be processed even if the call is taken after this cut-off
time. ACCORDINGLY, DO NOT HANG UP AND REDIAL. INCOMING CALLS THAT
ARE ATTEMPTED LATER THAN THE ORDER CUT-OFF TIME WILL NOT BE
ACCEPTED.
NOTE
THAT THE TELEPHONE CALL IN WHICH THE ORDER NUMBER IS ISSUED
INITIATES THE ORDER PROCESS BUT DOES NOT ALONE CONSTITUTE THE
ORDER. AN ORDER IS ONLY COMPLETED AND PROCESSED UPON RECEIPT OF
WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS VIA THE ORDER FORM CONTAINING THE DESIGNATED
ORDER NUMBER, AUTHORIZED INDIVIDUALS’ SIGNATURES AND
TRANSMITTED BY FACSIMILE.
b.
Place the Order. An Order Number is only valid for a limited time.
The Order Form for purchase or redemption of Creation Units must be
sent by facsimile to the telephone representative within 20 minutes
of the issuance of the Order Number. In the event that the Order
Form is not received within such time period, the telephone
representative will attempt to contact the Participant to request
immediate transmission of the Order. Unless the Order Form is
received by the telephone representative upon the earlier of
(i) within 15 minutes of contact with the Participant or
(ii) 45 minutes after the Order Cut-Off Time, the Order will
be deemed invalid.
B-2
c.
Await Receipt of Confirmation.
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(i)
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Clearing
Process. The Distributor (in the case of purchases) or the Transfer
Agent (in the case of redemptions) shall issue a confirmation of
Order acceptance within approximately 15 minutes of its receipt of
an Order Form received in good form. In the event the Participant
does not receive a timely confirmation from the Distributor or the
Transfer Agent, it should contact the telephone representative at
the business number indicated.
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(ii)
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Outside
the Clearing Process. In lieu of receiving a confirmation of Order
acceptance, the DTC Participant will receive an acknowledgment of
Order acceptance. The DTC Participant shall deliver on settlement
date the Deposit Securities and/or cash (in the case of purchases)
or the Creation Unit size aggregation of Shares on trade date plus
one (in the case of redemptions) to the Trust through DTC. The
Trust shall settle the transaction on the prescribed settlement
date.
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d.
Ambiguous Instructions. In the event that an Order Form contains
terms that differ from the information provided in the telephone
call at the time of issuance of the Order Number, the telephone
representative will attempt to contact the Participant to request
confirmation of the terms of the Order. If an Authorized Person
confirms the terms as they appear in the Order Form then the Order
will be accepted and processed. If an Authorized Person contradicts
its terms, the Order will be deemed invalid and a corrected Order
Form must be received by the telephone representative not later
than the earlier of (i) within 15 minutes of such contact with
the Participant or (ii) 45 minutes after the Order Cut-Off
Time. If the telephone representative is not able to contact an
Authorized Person, then the Order shall be accepted and processed
in accordance with the terms of the Order Form notwithstanding any
inconsistency from the terms of the telephone information. In the
event that an Order Form contains terms that are illegible, as
determined in the sole discretion of the Transfer Agent or
Distributor (in the case of a Creation Order) or the Transfer Agent
(in the case of a Redemption Order), the Order will be deemed
invalid and will not be processed. A telephone representative will
attempt to contact the Participant to request retransmission of the
Order Form, and a corrected Order Form must be received by the
telephone representative not later than the earlier of
(i) within 15 minutes of such contact with the Participant or
(ii) 45 minutes after the Order Cut-Off Time.
2.
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Election
to Place Orders by Internet.
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a.
General. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, Orders may be
submitted through the Internet (“Web Order Site” or
“Fund Connect”), but must be done so in accordance with
the terms of this Agreement, the Prospectus, the Web Order Site,
the [_______________]User Agreement (which must be separately
entered into by the Participant) (the “___________
Agreement”) and the applicable [___________] User Guide (or
any successor documents). To the extent that any provision of this
Agreement is inconsistent with any provision of any [___________]
Agreement, the [___________] Agreement shall control with respect
to [___________]’s provision of the Web Order Site; provided,
however, it is not the intention of the parties to otherwise modify
the rights, duties and obligations of the parties under the
Agreement, which shall remain in full force and effect until
otherwise expressly modified or terminated in accordance with its
terms. Notwithstanding the forgoing, the Participant acknowledges
that references to the applicable [___________] User Guide (or any
successor
B-3
documents)
contained herein are for instructional purposes only, and such
[___________] User Guide (or any successor documents) does not
contain any additional representations, warranties or obligations
by the Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Distributor or their
respective agents.
b. Certain Acknowledgements. The Participant
acknowledges and agrees (i) that the Trust, the Transfer
Agent, the Distributor and their respective agents may elect to
review any Order placed through the Web Order Site manually before
it is executed and that such manual review may result in a delay in
execution of such Order; (ii) that during periods of heavy
market activity or other times, it may be difficult to place Orders
via the Web Order Site and the Participant may place Orders as
otherwise set forth in
Attachment
B
; and (iii) that any
transaction information, content, or data downloaded or otherwise
obtained through the use of the Web Order Site are done at the
Participant’s own discretion and risk.
EXCEPT
AS OTHERWISE SPECIFICALLY PROVIDED IN THE FUND CONNECT AGREEMENT
AND TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE PARTICIPANT
ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT THE WEB ORDER SITE IS PROVIDED
“AS IS,” “AS AVAILABLE” WITH ALL FAULTS AND
WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. SPECIFICALLY, WITHOUT LIMITING
THE FOREGOING, ALL WARRANTIES, CONDITIONS, OTHER CONTRACTUAL TERMS,
REPRESENTATIONS, INDEMNITIES AND GUARANTEES WITH RESPECT TO THE WEB
ORDER SITE, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, ARISING BY LAW,
CUSTOM, PRIOR ORAL OR WRITTEN STATEMENTS BY THE TRUST, THE TRANSFER
AGENT, THE DISTRIBUTOR OR THEIR RESPECTIVE AGENTS, AFFILIATES,
LICENSORS OR OTHERWISE (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO AS TO TITLE,
SATISFACTORY QUALITY, ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, UNINTERRUPTED USE,
NON-INFRINGEMENT, TIMELINESS, TRUTHFULNESS, SEQUENCE, COMPLETENESS,
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTIES, CONDITIONS AND OTHER CONTRACTUAL TERMS ARISING FROM
TRADE USAGE, COURSE OF DEALING OR COURSE OF PERFORMANCE) ARE HEREBY
OVERRIDDEN, EXCLUDED AND DISCLAIMED.
c.
Election to Terminate
Placing Orders by Internet
. The
Participant may elect at any time to discontinue placing Orders
through the Web Order Site without providing notice under the
Agreement.
3.
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Acknowledgment
Regarding Telephone and Internet Transactions. During periods
of heavy market activity or other times, the Participant
acknowledges it may be difficult to reach the Trust by telephone or
to transact business over the Internet via the Web Order Site.
Technological irregularities may also make the use of the Internet
and Web Order Site slow or unavailable at times. The Trust may
terminate the receipt of redemption or exchange Orders by telephone
or the Internet at any time, in which case you may redeem or
exchange Shares by other means.
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4.
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Purchase
of Creation Units Without Receipt of Deposit
Securities. Creation Units of the Fund may be purchased in
advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the
applicable Deposit Securities, provided that the Participant
deposits an initial deposit of cash with the Trust having a value
greater than the net asset value of the Shares on the date the
Order is placed in proper form. In addition to available Deposit
Securities and cash that generally comprise a Creation Unit, cash
must be deposited in an amount equal to 115% of the market value of
any undelivered Deposit Securities (the “Additional Cash
Deposit”). The Order shall be deemed to be received on the
Business Day on which the Order is placed provided that the Order
is placed in
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B-4
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proper
form prior to Order Cut-Off Time on such date and cash in the
appropriate amount is deposited with the Custodian by 1:00 p.m.
Eastern Time or such other time as designated by the Custodian on
settlement date. If the Order is not placed in proper form by Order
Cut-Off Time or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not
received by 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time on settlement date, then the
Order may be deemed to be rejected and the Participant shall be
liable to the Trust for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An
additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with
the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to
the extent necessary to maintain an amount of cash on deposit with
the Trust at least equal to 115% of the daily marked to market
value of the missing Deposit Securities. In the event that
additional cash is not paid, the Trust may use the cash on deposit
to purchase the missing Deposit Securities. The Participant will be
liable to the Trust for the costs incurred by the Trust in
connection with any such purchases and the Participant shall be
liable to the Trust for any shortfall between the cost to the Trust
of purchasing any missing Deposit Securities and the value of the
collateral. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by
which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds
the market value of such Deposit Securities on the day the Creation
Order was deemed received by the Distributor plus the brokerage and
related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust
will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once
all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received
by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the
Trust. The Trust shall charge and the Participant agrees to pay to
the Trust the Transaction Fee and any additional fees prescribed in
the Prospectus. The delivery of Creation Units of the Fund so
created will occur no later than the prescribed settlement date
following the day on which the Creation Order is deemed received by
the Distributor.
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B-5
ATTACHMENT C
AUTHORIZED PERSONS
PROCURE ETF TRUST II
The
following individuals are Authorized Persons pursuant to
Section 6 of the Participant Agreement between Quasar
Distributors LLC and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC subject to
acceptance by the Trust, and
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,
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Participant
Name
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NSCC
#
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NAME
(1)
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TITLE
(1)
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SIGNATURE
(1)
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TELEPHONE NUMBER
(2)
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E-MAIL
ADDRESS
(2)
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CITY OF
BIRTH
(2)
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Certified
By (Signature):
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(1)
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Required
information.
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(2)
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Required
information to use the Web Order Site.
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C-1
Exhibit (h)(v)
FORM OF
PROCURE ETF TRUST II
PURCHASING FUND AGREEMENT
This Purchasing Fund Agreement (the
“Agreement”) is made as of the date set forth below
between Procure ETF Trust II (“
Trust”
)
and _________________________ (the “
Purchasing
Fund”
).
WHEREAS, Section 12(d)(1)(A) (“Section
12(d)(1)(A)”) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended (“
1940 Act
”), limits investment by an investment
company, as defined in the 1940 Act, and affiliates of such
company, in any other investment company that is registered under
the 1940 Act; and
WHEREAS, the Trust is an investment company
registered as such under the 1940 Act; and is organized as a series
fund with multiple separate series (each such series an
“ETF
” and collectively the
“
ETFs
”); and
WHEREAS,
the Purchasing Fund is a registered investment company or otherwise
meets the definition of “investment company” under the
1940 Act; and
WHEREAS,
the Purchasing Fund is not advised or sponsored by the adviser to
the Trust, ProcureAM, LLC, and is not part of the same “group
of investment companies” (as defined in Section
12(d)(1)(G)(ii) of the 1940 Act) as the Trust;
WHEREAS, the Securities and Exchange Commission
(“
Commission”)
has granted an order (Rel. Nos.
____________ (______________, 2018) (notice) and _______________
(_________________, 2018) (order)) exempting the Trust and certain
investment companies investing in the ETFs of the Trust from the
limits of Section 12(d)(1)(A) (such order, the application
submitted therefor and the notice are collectively referred to as
“
Order
”); and
WHEREAS, in reliance on the Order, the Purchasing
Fund may acquire shares in the ETFs (“
Shares”
)
in excess of the limits imposed by Section 12(d)(1)(A);
and
WHEREAS,
pursuant to the conditions set forth in the Order, each Purchasing
Fund must enter into a written agreement with the Trust prior to
acquiring Shares of any ETF in excess of the limits imposed by
Section 12(d)(1)(A);
NOW,
THEREFORE, the Trust and the Purchasing Fund agree as
follows:
1.
Capitalized terms used and not
otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned such
terms in the Order.
2.
Capitalized
terms used and defined in this Section shall have the following
meanings:
(a)
“Affiliated
Underwriting”
means an
offering of securities during the existence of an underwriting or
selling syndicate of which a principal underwriter is an
Underwriting Affiliate;
(b) “ETF Affiliate”
(c) “
Investing Management
Company
” means a
management company, as defined in Section 4 of the 1940
Act;
(d) “
Purchasing Fund
Adviser
” means the
Purchasing Fund’s investment adviser;
(e) “
Purchasing Fund
Subadviser
” means any
subadviser to a Purchasing Fund;
(f) “
Purchasing Fund’s
Advisory Group
”, consists
of the Purchasing Fund Adviser or Sponsor, as applicable, and any
person controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the
Purchasing Fund Adviser, Sponsor, and any investment company or any
issuer that would be an investment company but for Sections 3(c)(1)
or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act that is advised by the Purchasing Fund
Adviser or sponsored by the Purchasing Fund’s Sponsor, or any
person controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the
Purchasing Fund Adviser or Sponsor, as
applicable;
(g)
Purchasing Fund
Affiliate”
includes the
Purchasing Fund Adviser, Purchasing Fund Subadviser(s), any
Sponsor, promoter and principal underwriter of a Purchasing Fund,
and any person controlling, controlled by, or under common control
with any of these entities;
(h) “
Purchasing Fund Subadvisory
Group
” consists of any
Purchasing Fund Subadviser, any person controlling, controlled by,
or under common control with such subadviser, and any investment
company or issuer that would be an investment company but for
Sections 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act (or portion of such
investment company or issuer) advised or sponsored by such
subadviser or any person controlling, controlled by or under common
control with such subadviser; and
(i) “
Underwriting
Affiliate
” means a
principal underwriter in any underwriting or selling syndicate that
is an officer, director, member of an advisory board, investment
adviser, subadviser, sponsor or employee of the Purchasing Fund, or
a person of which any such officer, director, member of an advisory
board, investment adviser, subadviser, sponsor or employee is an
affiliated person. An Underwriting Affiliate does not include any
person whose relationship to the Trust is covered by Section 10(f)
of the 1940 Act.
3.
The
members of a Purchasing Fund’s Advisory Group will not
control (individually or in the aggregate) an ETF within the
meaning of section 2(a)(9) of the Act. The members of a Purchasing
Fund’s Subadvisory Group will not control (individually or in
the aggregate) an ETF within the meaning of section 2(a)(9) of the
Act. If, as a result of a decrease in the outstanding voting
securities of an ETF, the Purchasing Fund’s Advisory Group or
the Purchasing Fund’s Subadvisory Group, each in the
aggregate, becomes a holder of more than 25 percent of the
outstanding voting securities of an ETF, it will vote its Shares of
such ETF in the same proportion as the vote of all other holders of
such ETF’s Shares. This condition does not apply to the
Purchasing Fund’s Subadvisory Group with respect to an ETF
for which the Purchasing Fund’s Subadviser or a person
controlling, controlled by or under common control with the
Purchasing Fund’s Subadviser acts as the investment adviser
within the meaning of section 2(a)(20)(A) of the
Act.
4.
No
Purchasing Fund or Purchasing Fund Affiliate will cause any
existing or potential investment by the Purchasing Fund in an ETF
to influence the terms of any services or transactions between the
Purchasing Fund or Purchasing Fund Affiliate and the ETF or a Fund
Affiliate
5.
If
the Purchasing Fund is an “Investing Management
Company”, the board of directors or trustees of such
Investing Management Company, including a majority of the
disinterested directors or trustees, will adopt procedures
reasonably designed to ensure that the Purchasing Fund’s
adviser and Purchasing Fund’s subadviser are conducting the
investment program of the Investing Management Company without
taking into account any consideration received by the Investing
Management Company or a Purchasing Fund Affiliate from an ETF or
ETF Affiliate in connection with any services or
transactions.
6.
Once
an investment by a Purchasing Fund in the securities of a ETF
exceeds the limits in Section 12(d)(1)(A)(i) of the 1940 Act, the
Board of the Trust, including a majority of the directors or
trustees who are not “interested persons” within the
meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act (“non-interested
Board members”), will determine that any consideration paid
by the ETF to the Purchasing Fund or a Purchasing Fund Affiliate in
connection with any services or transactions: (i) is fair and
reasonable in relation to the nature and quality of the services
and benefits received by the Fund; (ii) is within the range of
consideration that the ETF would be required to pay to another
unaffiliated entity in connection with the same services or
transactions; and (iii) does not involve overreaching on the part
of any person concerned. This condition does not apply with respect
to any services or transactions between an ETF and its investment
adviser(s), or any person controlling, controlled by or under
common control with such investment adviser(s).
7.
The
Purchasing Fund’s adviser, or trustee or sponsor of an
Purchasing Fund’s trust, as applicable, will waive fees
otherwise payable to it by the Purchasing Fund in an amount at
least equal to any compensation (including fees received pursuant
to any plan adopted by a Fund under Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act)
received from an ETF by the Purchasing Fund’s adviser, or
trustee or sponsor of the Purchasing Fund’s trust, or an
affiliated person of the Purchasing Fund’s adviser, or
trustee or sponsor of the Purchasing Fund’s trust, other than
any advisory fees paid to the Purchasing Fund’s adviser, or
trustee or sponsor of an Purchasing Fund’s trust, or its
affiliated person by the ETF, in connection with the investment by
the Purchasing Fund in the ETF. Any Purchasing Fund’s
subadviser will waive fees otherwise payable to the Purchasing
Fund’s subadviser, directly or indirectly, by the Investing
Management Company in an amount at least equal to any compensation
received from an ETF by the Purchasing Fund’s subadviser, or
an affiliated person of the Purchasing Fund’s sub-adviser,
other than any advisory fees paid to the Purchasing Fund’s
subadviser or its affiliated person by the ETF, in connection with
the investment by the Investing Management Company in the ETF made
at the direction of the Purchasing Fund’s subadviser. In the
event that the Purchasing Fund’s subadviser waives fees, the
benefit of the waiver will be passed through to the Investing
Management Company.
8.
No
Purchasing Fund or Purchasing Fund Affiliate (except to the extent
it is acting in its capacity as an investment adviser to an ETF)
will cause an ETF to purchase a security in any Affiliated
Underwriting.
9.
The Board of the Trust, including a
majority of the non-interested Board members, will adopt procedures
reasonably designed to monitor any purchases of securities by the
ETF in an Affiliated Underwriting, once an investment by a
Purchasing Fund in the securities of the ETF exceeds the limit of
Section 12(d)(1)(A)(i) of the 1940 Act, including any purchases
made directly from an Underwriting Affiliate. The Board will review
these purchases periodically, but no less frequently than annually,
to determine whether the purchases were influenced by the
investment by the Purchasing Fund in the ETF. The Board will
consider, among other things: (i) whether the purchases were
consistent with the investment objectives and policies of the ETF;
(ii) how the performance of securities purchased in an Affiliated
Underwriting compares to the performance of comparable securities
purchased during a comparable period of time in underwritings other
than Affiliated Underwritings or to a benchmark such as a
comparable market index; and (iii) whether the amount of securities
purchased by the ETF in Affiliated Underwritings and the amount
purchased directly from an Underwriting Affiliate have changed
significantly from prior years. The Board will take any appropriate
actions based on its review, including, if appropriate, the
institution of procedures designed to ensure that purchases of
securities in Affiliated Underwritings are in the best interest of
shareholders of the ETF.
10.
At the time of its investment in
Shares of an ETF in excess of the limit in Section 12(d)(1)(A)(i)
of the 1940 Act, the Purchasing Fund will notify the ETF of the
investment. At such time, the Purchasing Fund will also transmit to
the ETF a list of the names of each Purchasing Fund Affiliate and
Underwriting Affiliate. The Purchasing Fund will notify the ETF of
any changes to the list of the names as soon as reasonably
practicable after a change occurs.
11.
The Purchasing Fund and the Trust
represent that their respective boards of directors or trustees and
their investment advisers, or trustee and sponsor, as applicable,
understand the terms and conditions of the Order, and agree to
fulfill their responsibilities under the Order.
12.
If
the Purchasing Fund is an Investment Management Company, it
represents and warrants to the Trust that, before approving any
advisory contract under Section 15 of the 1940 Act, its board of
directors or trustees, including a majority of the disinterested
directors or trustees, found or will find that the advisory fees
charged under such contract are based on services provided that
will be in addition to, rather than duplicative of, the services
provided under the advisory contract(s) of any ETF in which the
Investing Management Company may invest. These findings and their
basis will be fully recorded in the minute books of the appropriate
Investing Management Company.
13.
The
Purchasing Fund agrees that it has sole responsibility under the
Order and this Agreement to monitor the limits of Section
12(d)(1)(A) as they pertain to its acquisition of
Shares.
14.
The Purchasing Fund represents and
warrants to the Trust that, if it is a Management Company, its
investment adviser is registered as an investment adviser under the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, or is exempt from such
registration.
15.
The
Purchasing Fund represents and warrants to the Trust that, if it
purchases Creation Units directly from the Trust, it will do so
only in compliance with the Purchasing Fund’s investment
restrictions and only if so doing is consistent with the investment
policies set forth in the Purchasing Fund’s registration
statement under the Securities Act of 1933.
16.
The
Purchasing Fund and the Trust agree that each shall preserve a copy
of this Agreement, the list of Purchasing Fund Affiliates and
Underwriting Affiliates and a copy of the Order for the duration of
the investment and for a period of not less than six (6) years
thereafter, the first two years shall be maintained by the
Purchasing Fund and the Trust in an easily accessible
place.
17.
The
Purchasing Fund represents and warrants to the Trust that it
understands and complies with the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc. Conduct Rule 2830 and that any sales
charge and/or service fees (other than customary brokerage fees)
charged with respect to shares in the Purchasing Fund will not
exceed the limits applicable to a fund of funds as set forth in
that rule.
18.
If
it is acquiring Shares in excess of either (i) the 5% limit of
Section 12(d)(1)(A)(ii) of the 1940 Act or (ii) the 10% limit of
Section 12(d)(1)(A)(iii) of the 1940 Act, the Purchasing Fund
represents and warrants to the Trust, and agrees, that its
prospectus will disclose in “plain English” the fact
that it may invest in exchange-traded funds and the unique
characteristics of a fund that invests in exchange-traded funds,
including but not limited to the expense structure and any
additional expenses of investing in exchange-traded
funds.
19.
Any
of the provisions of this Agreement notwithstanding, the Purchasing
Fund represents and warrants to the Trust that it operates, and
will continue to operate, in compliance with the 1940 Act, and the
Commission’s rules and regulations thereunder. The Purchasing
Fund agrees that the Trust is entitled to rely on the
representations contained in this Agreement and that the Trust has
no independent duty to monitor the Purchasing Fund’s
compliance with this Agreement, the Order, the 1940 Act, or the
Commission’s rules and regulations
thereunder.
[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have duly executed this Agreement as
of the _____ day of _________________, 20 ___.
______________________________
[Name of Purchasing Fund]
By:
____________________________
Name:
__________________________
Title:
____________________________
ACCEPTED:
PROCURE ETF TRUST II
By:
____________________________
Name:
__________________________
Title:
____________________________
Ex.
(h)(vi)
LICENSE AGREEMENT
THIS
LICENSE AGREEMENT (“Agreement”), is made and entered
into as of October 24, 2017 (the "Commencement Date") by and
between S-NETWORK GLOBAL INDEXES, INC., ("S-NET") a Delaware
corporation, having an office at 267 Fifth Avenue, 5
th
Floor, New York,
New York 10016, and ProcureAM, LLC, ("Licensee"), a Delaware
limited liability company, having an office at 16 Firebush Road,
Levittown, PA 19056.
WHEREAS, S-NET
compiles, calculates, maintains and owns rights in and to a number
of indexes of the prices of various securities of companies in the
Space Exploration industry, listed hereto in Exhibit A, and to the
proprietary data therein contained (such rights being hereinafter
individually and collectively referred to as the “S-NET
Index(es)"); and
WHEREAS, S-NET uses
in commerce and owns trade name and service mark rights to the
designations "S-NETWORK GLOBAL INDEXES, INC.
SM
", “S-NETWORK
SPACE INDEX
SM
”, in
connection with the S-NET Index(es) (such rights being hereinafter
individually and collectively referred to as the "S-NET Marks");
and
WHEREAS, Licensee
and any affiliated or subsidiary companies of Licensee (as provided
in Subsection 12(a) hereof) wish to use the S-NET Index(es) as
a component of the product or products described in Exhibit B
attached hereto and made a part hereof (individually and
collectively referred to as the "Product(s)"); and
WHEREAS, Licensee
wishes to use the S-NET Marks in connection with the issuance,
marketing and/or promotion of the Product(s) and in connection with
making disclosure about the Product(s) under applicable law, rules
and regulations in order to indicate that S-NET is the source of
the S-NET Index(es); and
WHEREAS, Licensee
wishes to obtain S-NET's authorization to use the S-NET Index(es)
and the S-NET Marks in connection with the Product(s) pursuant to
the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.
NOW,
THEREFORE, the parties hereto agree as follows:
(a)
Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, S-NET hereby
grants to Licensee a non-transferable (except as provided in
Subsection 12(a) hereof), exclusive license in the Territory,
(i) to use the S-NET Index(es) as a component of the
Product(s) to be marketed and/or promoted by Licensee and
(ii) to use and refer to the S-NET Marks in connection with
the distribution, marketing and promotion of the Product(s)
ProcureAM SPACE ETF (s) and in connection with making such
disclosure about the Product(s) as Licensee deems necessary or
desirable under any applicable law, rules, regulations or
provisions of this Agreement, but, in each case, only to the extent
necessary to indicate the source of the S-NET Index(es). Each of
the S-NET Marks shall be used in its entirety. It is expressly
agreed and understood by Licensee that no rights to use the S-NET
Index(es) and the S-NET Marks are granted hereunder other than
those specifically described and expressly granted herein. For
purposes of this Agreement, the term “Territory” shall
mean United States and all United States exchanges.
(b)
In the event the Licensee or S-NET arrange or allow the creation of
options traded on any Product(s) then each party agrees that all
fees received as a result of such an arrangement shall be shared on
a 50%/50% basis to both parties.
(c)
The license herein granted shall not transfer to Licensee any legal
or beneficial property rights whatsoever to the S-NET Marks or the
goodwill now associated or which will become associated
therewith.
(d)
Except as provided in Section 12 of this Agreement, no sublicensing
of Licensee’s rights hereunder, even partial, shall occur,
without the prior written consent of S-NET, which consent may be
granted or withheld in S-NET’s sole and absolute
discretion
(e) If
in the future Licensee wishes to use the S-NET Index(es) and/or
S-NET Marks as the basis for an investment fund or other product or
vehicle that is different than the Product(s), any such use shall
be subject to a separate license from S-NET that is reflected in a
written amendment or addendum to this Agreement, or in a separate
written agreement between the parties on terms mutually agreed on
by the parties.
(f) Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the parties may by a mutually agreed written
instrument expand the Territory as defined in subparagraph
1(a).
Unless
terminated early pursuant to Section 4 hereof, the term of this
Agreement shall commence on the Commencement Date and shall
continue in effect thereafter for a period lasting until December
31, 2020 (the “Initial Term”). Thereafter, it shall
automatically renew for successive renewal terms of one (1) year
each, unless Licensee provides to S-NET at least sixty (60) days
prior written notice of its intention not to renew this Agreement
effective upon expiration of the then-current term or renewal term
or to renew it on a non-exclusive basis.
(a) Licensee
shall pay to S-NET the license fees ("License Fees") specified and
provide the data called for in Exhibit C, attached hereto and
made a part hereof.
(b)
During the term of this Agreement and for a period of one (1) year
after its termination, each party shall have the right once per
year, during normal business hours and upon reasonable notice to
the other, to examine or audit on a confidential basis the relevant
books, records and all other documents and materials in the
possession or under the control of such party with respect to the
subject matter and terms of this Agreement, pertaining to the prior
year, and shall have free and full access thereto and permission to
make copies and/or extracts therefrom in order to determine whether
any fees payable under this Agreement have been accurately
calculated. The costs of such audit shall be borne by the party
conducting the audit unless it determines in good faith that it has
been underpaid by five percent (5%) or more; in such case, costs of
the audit shall be paid by the other party.
(e) At
any time during the term of this Agreement, either party may give
the other party thirty (30) days prior written notice of
termination if the terminating party believes in good faith that
material damage or harm is occurring to the reputation or goodwill
of that party by reason of its continued performance hereunder, and
such notice shall be effective on the date of such termination,
unless the other party shall correct the condition causing such
damage or harm within the notice period. For the avoidance of
doubt, in no event shall a Change in Control (as defined below) of
a party affect the rights granted to the parties pursuant to the
foregoing sentence. Change in Control means an event in which: (i)
a controlling interest of a party is acquired directly or
indirectly by a person that is not an Affiliate (as defined below)
of such party prior to the acquisition; (ii) a party merges into,
consolidates with, or otherwise is acquired, directly or
indirectly, by a person that is not an Affiliate of such party
prior to the transaction; or (iii) substantially all of a
party’s assets are sold, directly or indirectly, to a third
party. For purposes of this Subsection 4(a), the term "control"
(including the terms "controlling", "controlled by," and "under
common control with"), means the possession, direct or indirect, of
the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and
policies of a party, whether through the ownership of voting
securities, by contract, or otherwise, and the term "Affiliate" is
an entity that directly or indirectly, through one or more
intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common
control with such party.
(f) In
the case of breach of any of the material terms or conditions of
this Agreement by either party, the other party may terminate this
Agreement by giving thirty (30) days prior written notice of its
intent to terminate, and such notice shall be effective on the date
specified therein for such termination unless the breaching party
shall correct such breach within the notice period.
(g) Termination
of this Agreement and the license herein granted shall be without
prejudice to any rights or remedies which either party may
otherwise have against the other party. The exercise or failure to
exercise the aforementioned right of termination shall in no way be
considered a waiver by either party of any of their legal rights
and remedies. Furthermore, the failure by either party to claim or
enforce performance of any obligation set forth in this Agreement
by the other party for any length of time and however frequently
repeated, shall not be deemed to be a continuing waiver or
modification by such party of its contractual rights to the
performance of such obligation by the other party.
(h) (i)
S-NET shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to cease
compilation and publication of the S-NET Index(es) and, in such
event, to terminate this Agreement; provided, however, if S-NET
does not offer a replacement or substitute index, Licensee shall
succeed to all of S-NET’s rights to such Index (except for
the use of the word “S-NET”) and shall have the right
to hire a third party to compile and publish the Index. In the
event that S-NET intends to discontinue the S-NET Index(es), S-NET
shall use commercially reasonable efforts to give Licensee at least
ninety (90) days written notice prior to such discontinuance, which
notice shall specify whether a replacement or substitute index will
be made available.
(ii)
Licensee shall have the option hereunder within sixty (60) days
after receiving such written notice from S-NET to notify S-NET in
writing of its intent to use the replacement or substitute index,
if any, under the terms of this Agreement. In the event that
Licensee does not exercise such option or no substitute or
replacement index is made available, this Agreement shall be
terminated as of the date specified in the S-NET notice and the
License Fees to the date of such termination shall be computed as
provided in Subsection 4(g).
(i) Licensee
may terminate this Agreement upon ninety (90) days prior written
notice to S-NET if (i) Licensee is informed of the final
adoption of any legislation or regulation or the issuance of any
interpretation that in Licensee's reasonable judgment materially
impairs Licensee's ability to market and/or promote the Product(s);
(ii) any material litigation or regulatory proceeding
regarding the Product(s) is threatened or commenced; or
(iii) Licensee elects to terminate the public offering or
other distribution of the Product(s), as may be applicable or to
switch the benchmark index for a Product for any reason. In such
event the License Fees to the date of such termination shall be
computed as provided in Subsection 4(g).
(j) S-NET
may terminate this Agreement upon ninety (90) days (or upon such
lesser period of time if required pursuant to a court order) prior
written notice to Licensee if (i) S-NET is informed of the
final adoption of any legislation or regulation or the issuance of
any interpretation that in S-NET's reasonable judgment materially
impairs S-NET's ability to license and provide the S-NET Index(es)
and S-NET Marks under this Agreement in connection with such
Product(s); or (ii) any litigation or proceeding is threatened
or commenced and S-NET reasonably believes that such litigation or
proceeding would have a material and adverse effect upon the S-NET
Marks and/or the S-NET Index(es) or upon the ability of S-NET to
perform under this Agreement. In such event the License Fees to the
date of such termination shall be computed as provided in
Subsection 4(g).
(g) In
the event of termination of this Agreement as provided in
Subsections 4(a) through (f) above, the License Fees to the
date of such termination shall be computed by prorating the amount
of the applicable License Fees shown in Exhibit C on the basis
of the number of elapsed days in the current term until the date of
termination.
(h) Notwithstanding
any of the foregoing, after the Initial Term either party may, in
its sole discretion, terminate this Agreement without penalty for
any reason and without cause upon ninety (90) days written notice
to the other party.
(i) Upon
termination of this Agreement, Licensee shall cease to use the
S-NET Index(es) and the S-NET Marks in connection with the
Product(s); provided that Licensee may continue to utilize any
previously printed materials which contain the S-NET Marks for a
period of ninety (90) days following such termination.
(a) S-NET
shall provide Licensee with certain documentation demonstrating
that proper internal compliance rules and oversight have been
established for employees who are directly responsible for changes
in the components of the Index(es). This will include any
restrictions for employees who are directly responsible for changes
in the components of the Index(es) with regards to trading and
beneficial ownership or interest in any product that replicates the
Index (as well as certain individual shares immediately prior to
inclusion into or removal in the Index(es)), and S-NET has adopted
procedures designed to have its employees comply with such policy.
It is expressly understood that Licensee shall have no
responsibility for ensuring that such S-NET employees comply with
such S-NET policy and shall have no duty to inquire whether any
purchasers or sellers of the Product are such S-NET employees.
S-NET shall have no liability to Licensee with respect to its
employees’ adherence or failure of adherence to such policy.
Upon request and when materially revised, S-NET shall provide
copies of such compliance policies to Licensee.
(b) S-NET
shall provide Licensee with: the Index(es); detailed Index
construction documentation; and a minimum of three (3) years daily
history and historical constituents. S-NET will use the necessary
efforts to assure that major financial data resources are contacted
and have access to and upload the three (3) year performance
history of the Index(es).
(c) S-NET
will thereafter provide timely and acceptable updates and reporting
for rebalancing and reconstitution of the Indexes. S-NET shall make
available or cause to be made available on widely disseminated
bases industry standard information and calculations for the
Index(es). Any alterations, rebalances, corporate actions or other
adjustments to the Index(es) will be disseminated using the
indexing industry standards for communications.
(d) S-NET
represents that it will use commercially reasonable efforts and
means at its disposal to create awareness of, support and promote
the Index(es). It also represents that it is willing and prepared
to support Licensee’s sales efforts pertaining to the
Products, provided this support is specific to the Index(es) and
does not involve any endorsement, recommendation, offer to sell or
solicitation of an offer to buy the Products. Such support may
include the provision of educational materials, index data, and
background materials related to the Index(es) and may involve
activities such as, conference calls, speaking engagements (limited
to four (4) per year, although S-NET may elect to do more), road
shows in association with an initial public offering and assistance
with developing marketing materials.
(e) S-NET
agrees to provide reasonable support for Licensee's development and
educational efforts with respect to the Product(s) as follows:
(i) S-NET shall provide Licensee, upon request but subject to
any agreements of confidentiality with respect thereto, copies of
the results of any marketing research conducted by or on behalf of
S-NET with respect to the S-NET Index(es); and (ii) S-NET
shall respond in a timely fashion to any reasonable requests for
information by Licensee regarding the S-NET Index(es).
(f) On
each day the exchange upon which the Product(s) are listed is open
for business (a “Business Day”), S-NET or its agent
will: (i) calculate and disseminate to market data vendors the
value of the S-NET Indexes based on the most recent reported prices
of the underlying securities in the S-NET Index(es) at
approximately 15-second intervals (“Real-Time Data”)
during regular business hours; and (ii) calculate and disseminate
to market data vendors the closing value of the S-NET Index(es) on
such Business Day based on the closing prices of the underlying
securities in the S-NET Index(es). In addition, on each Business
Day S-NET or its agent will make available to the public, on
request, the current methodology used by S-NET or its agent to
calculate the S-NET Index(es). Licensee acknowledges and agrees
that the time frame for distributing the Real-Time Data is an
operational guideline and that failure to achieve performance
within such timeframe shall not constitute a breach of this
Agreement.
(g) S-NET
shall promptly correct or instruct its agent to correct any
mathematical errors made in S-NET's computations of the S-NET
Index(es) which are brought to S-NET's attention by Licensee or
others, provided that nothing in this Section 5 shall give
Licensee the right to exercise any judgment or require any changes
with respect to S-NET's method of composing, calculating or
determining the S-NET Index(es); and, provided further, that
nothing herein shall be deemed to modify the provisions of
Section 9 of this Agreement.
6.
Informational Materials
Review
.
Licensee shall use
its reasonable commercial efforts to protect the goodwill and
reputation of S-NET and of the S-NET Marks in connection with its
use of such Marks under this Agreement. Licensee shall submit to
S-NET for its review and approval all informational materials
pertaining to and to be used in connection with the Product(s),
including, where applicable, all prospectuses, registration
statements, and any other similar documents required to be filed
with governmental or regulatory agencies that in any way use or
refer to S-NET, the S-NET Index(es), or the S-NET Marks (the
"Informational Materials"). Informational Materials shall be
addressed to S-NET, c/o Joseph A. LaCorte, at the address specified
in Subsection 12(d). S-NET's approval shall be required with
respect to the use of and description of S-NET, S-NET Marks and the
S-NET Index(es) and shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed
by S-NET. Specifically, S-NET shall notify Licensee, by facsimile
transmission in accordance with Subsection 12(d) hereof, of
its approval or disapproval of any Informational Materials within
three (3) days (excluding Saturday, Sunday and New York Stock
Exchange Holidays) following receipt thereof from Licensee. Any
disapproval shall state S-NET's reasons therefor. Any failure by
S-NET to respond within such three (3) day period shall be deemed
to constitute a waiver by S-NET of its right to review such
Informational Materials by S-NET. Once Informational Materials have
been approved by S-NET, subsequent Informational Materials which do
not alter the use or description of S-NET, S-NET Marks or the S-NET
Index(es) need not be submitted for review and approval by
S-NET.
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, in the event Informational Materials in any way
directly refer to
Standard &
Poor’s
, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
(“S&P”) as
S-NET’s index calculation agent, then the period afforded
S-NET to review such Informational Materials shall be increased
from three (3) days (excluding Saturday, Sunday and New York Stock
Exchange Holidays) to six (6) days (excluding Saturday, Sunday and
New York Stock Exchange Holidays).
7.
Protection of Value of
License
.
(a)
During the term of this Agreement, S-NET shall use reasonable
commercial efforts to register in the U.S., and maintain in full
force and effect any and all federal service mark registrations for
the S-NET Marks so long as the subject S-NET Index(es) to which the
S-NET Mark(s) refer are compiled and published.
(b)
S-NET shall, at its own expense, use reasonable commercial efforts
to protect S-NET Marks and other proprietary rights against
infringement insofar as such infringement involves an ETF (as
defined in Exhibit B) offered in the United States or Europe, as
the case may be, and conflicts with or impairs Licensee’s
rights and privileges hereunder or the commercial benefits derived
therefrom.
(c)
If Licensee becomes aware of any infringement of the S-NET Marks,
Licensee shall promptly notify S-NET of the facts and circumstances
surrounding such infringement. S-NET shall have the exclusive right
to take action with respect to any such infringement, at
S-NET’s sole expense, including, without limitation, the
right, in its own name and that of Licensee, to commence and
prosecute any suit or other proceeding against any such infringer
or join Licensee as a party thereto. Any recovery obtained in such
proceeding shall belong to S-NET. Licensee shall, at no cost to
Licensee, cooperate with S-NET in any such proceeding, and in
connection therewith (and without limitation), Licensee shall
provide such evidence and give such testimony as may reasonably be
requested by S-NET.
(d)
Licensee shall, at no cost to Licensee, cooperate with S-NET in the
maintenance of such rights and registrations and shall take such
reasonable actions and execute such applicable instruments as S-NET
may from time to time reasonably request, and shall use the
following notice when referring to the S-NET Index(es) or the S-NET
Marks in any Informational Material:
”S-Network
Global Indexes, Inc.
SM
,"
“S-NETWORK
SPACE INDEX
SM
are service marks of S-Network Global Indexes, Inc. and have
been licensed for use by [Procure AM]. The Product(s) is/are not
sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S-Network Global Indexes,
Inc. and S-Network Global Indexes, Inc. makes no representation
regarding the advisability of investing in the
Product(s).
or such
similar language as may be approved in advance by
S-NET.
(a)
Licensee acknowledges that the S-NET Index(es) is selected,
coordinated, arranged and prepared by S-NET through the application
of methods and standards of judgment used and developed through the
expenditure of considerable work, time and money by S-NET. Licensee
also acknowledges that the S-NET Index(es) and the S-NET Marks are
the exclusive property of S-NET, that S-NET has and retains all
proprietary rights therein (including, but not limited to,
trademarks, service marks, patents and copyrights), that the S-NET
Index(es) and its compilation and composition and changes therein
are in the control and discretion of S-NET and that S-NET retains
the right at any time upon reasonable written notice, to modify the
methodology used to calculate the S-NET Index(es).
(b)
S-NET reserves all rights with respect to the S-NET Index(es) and
the S-NET Marks except those expressly licensed to Licensee
hereunder.
(c)
Licensee recognizes the great value of the goodwill associated with
the S-NET Marks and acknowledges that the S-NET Marks and any
registrations therefore are valid and subsisting and all rights
therein and the goodwill pertaining thereto belong exclusively to
S-NET.
(d)
Each party shall treat as confidential and shall not disclose or
transmit to any third party any documentation or other written
materials that are marked as "Confidential and Proprietary" by the
providing party ("Confidential Information"). Confidential
Information shall not include (i) any information that is
available to the public or to the receiving party hereunder from
sources other than the providing party (provided that such source
is not subject to a confidentiality agreement with regard to such
information) or (ii) any information that is independently
developed by the receiving party without use of or reference to
information from the providing party. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, either party may reveal Confidential Information to any
regulatory agency or court of competent jurisdiction if such
information to be disclosed is (a) approved in writing by the
other party for disclosure or (b) required by law, regulatory
agency or court order to be disclosed by a party, provided, if
permitted by law, that prior written notice of such required
disclosure is given to the other party and provided further that
the providing party shall cooperate with the other party to limit
the extent of such disclosure. The provisions of this
Subsection 8(e) shall survive any termination of this
Agreement for a period of five (5) years from disclosure by either
party to the other of the last item of such Confidential
Information.
9.
Warranties;
Disclaimers
.
(a)
S-NET represents and warrants that S-NET has the right to grant the
rights granted to Licensee herein and that, subject to the terms
and conditions of this Agreement, the license granted herein shall
not infringe any trademark, copyright or other proprietary right of
any person not a party to this Agreement.
(b) S-NET
further warrants and represents to Licensee that the S-NET Marks
and the S-NET Index(es) are the exclusive property of S-NET, that
S-NET has and retains all proprietary rights therein (including,
but not limited to trademarks, service marks, patents and
copyrights), that the S-NET Index(es) and its compilation and
composition and changes therein are in the control and discretion
of S-NET, and that the S-NET Index(es) and S-NET Marks do not
infringe the rights of any third party.
(c)
Licensee agrees expressly to be bound itself by and furthermore to
include all of the following disclaimers and limitations in each
prospectus, offering memorandum or each Statement of Additional
Information ("SAI") relating to the Product(s), provided if the SAI
is incorporated by reference into the prospectus and the prospectus
contains disclosure regarding the S-NET Index(es) that conforms to
the notice in Subsection 7(b), including a cross reference to the
SAI disclosure, the disclaimers and limitations set forth below do
not have to be restated in the prospectus. Licensee shall furnish a
copy of the prospectus and, if applicable, the SAI to
S-NET:
“The
Product(s) is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by
S-Network Global Indexes, Inc., ("S-NET"). S-NET makes no
representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of
the Product(s) or any member of the public regarding the
advisability of investing in securities generally or in the
Product(s) particularly or the ability of the S-NET Index(es) to
track the performance of the securities market. S-NET's only
relationship to the Licensee is the licensing of certain service
marks and trade names of S-NET and of the S-NET Index(es) that is
determined, composed and calculated by S-NET without regard to the
Licensee or the Product(s). S-NET has no obligation to take the
needs of the Licensee or the owners of the Product(s) into
consideration in determining, composing or calculating the S-NET
Index(es). S-NET is not responsible for and has not participated in
the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of the
Product(s) to be issued or in the determination or calculation of
the equation by which the Product(s) is to be converted into cash.
S-NET has no obligation or liability in connection with the
administration, marketing or trading of the
Product(s).
“S-NET DOES
NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE S-NET
INDEX(ES) OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN AND S-NET SHALL HAVE NO
LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN.
S-NET MAKES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE
OBTAINED BY LICENSEE, OWNERS OF THE PRODUCT(S), OR ANY OTHER PERSON
OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE S-NET INDEX(ES) OR ANY DATA INCLUDED
THEREIN. S-NET MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND
EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE S-NET INDEX(ES)
OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE
FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL S-NET HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY
SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING
LOST PROFITS), EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGES.”
Any
changes in the foregoing disclaimers and limitations must be
approved in advance in writing by an authorized officer of
S-NET.
(d)
Each party represents and warrants to the other that it has the
authority to enter into this Agreement according to its terms and
that its performance does not violate any laws, regulations or
agreements applicable to it.
(e)
Each party represents that this Agreement has been duly executed by
an authorized signatory and constitutes its valid and binding
obligation enforceable against it in accordance with its terms;
that at all times during the term of this Agreement, it shall have
the power and authority to perform all of its obligations under
this Agreement; and that the execution, delivery and performance of
this Agreement will not violate any agreement or instrument to
which it is a party.
(f)
Licensee represents and warrants to S-NET that the Product(s) shall
at all times comply with the descriptions in Exhibit B and
shall not violate any of the restrictions set forth
therein.
(g)
Licensee represents and warrants to S-NET that the Product(s) shall
not knowingly violate any applicable law, including but not limited
to banking, commodities and securities laws.
(h)
Neither party shall have any liability for lost
profits or indirect, punitive, special, or consequential damages
arising out of this Agreement, even if notified of the possibility
of such damages. Without diminishing the disclaimers and
limitations set forth in Subsection 9(b), in no event shall
the cumulative liability of S-NET (except for claims other than
infringement claims) to Licensee exceed the average annual License
Fees actually paid to S-NET hereunder.
(i)
The provisions of this Section 9 shall survive any termination
of this Agreement.
(a)
Licensee shall indemnify and hold harmless S-NET, its affiliates
and their officers, directors, employees and agents against any and
all judgments, damages, costs or losses of any kind (including
reasonable attorneys' and experts' fees) as a result of any claim,
action, or proceeding that arises out of or relates to
(a) this Agreement, except insofar as it relates to a breach
by S-NET of its representations or warranties or covenants
hereunder, or (b) the Product(s); provided, however, that
S-NET notifies Licensee promptly of any such claim, action or
proceeding. Licensee shall periodically reimburse S-NET for its
reasonable expenses incurred under this Subsection 10(a).
S-NET shall have the right, at its own expense, to participate in
the defense of any claim, action or proceeding against which it is
indemnified hereunder; provided, however, it shall have no right to
control the defense, consent to judgment, or agree to settle any
such claim, action or proceeding without the written consent of
Licensee without waiving the indemnity hereunder. Licensee, in the
defense of any such claim, action or proceeding, except with the
written consent of S-NET, shall not consent to entry of any
judgment or enter into any settlement which either (i) does
not include, as an unconditional term, the grant by the claimant to
S-NET of a release of all liabilities in respect of such claims or
(ii) otherwise adversely affects the rights of S-NET. This
provision shall survive the termination or expiration of this
Agreement.
(b)
S-NET shall indemnify and hold harmless Licensee, the Trusts, their
affiliates and their officers, trustees, directors, employees and
agents against any and all judgments, damages, costs or losses of
any kind (including reasonable attorneys' and experts' fees) as a
result of any claim, action, or proceeding that arises out of or
relates to any breach by S-NET of its representations or warranties
or covenants under this Agreement or arises from a claim that
Licensee’s use of the S-NET Index(es) or S-NET Marks
infringes the rights of any third party; provided, however, that
(a) Licensee notifies S-NET promptly of any such claim, action
or proceeding; (b) Licensee grants S-NET control of its
defense and/or settlement; and (c) Licensee cooperates with
S-NET in the defense thereof. S-NET shall periodically reimburse
Licensee for its reasonable expenses incurred under this
Subsection 10(b). Licensee shall have the right, at its own
expense, to participate in the defense of any claim, action or
proceeding against which it is indemnified hereunder; provided,
however, it shall have no right to control the defense, consent to
judgment, or agree to settle any such claim, action or proceeding
without the written consent of S-NET without waiving the indemnity
hereunder. S-NET, in the defense of any such claim, action or
proceeding, except with the written consent of Licensee, shall not
consent to entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement which
either (i) does not include, as an unconditional term, the
grant by the claimant to Licensee of a release of all liabilities
in respect of such claims or (ii) otherwise adversely affects
the rights of Licensee. This provision shall survive the
termination or expiration of this Agreement.
11.
Suspension of
Performance
.
Neither
S-NET nor Licensee shall bear responsibility or liability for any
losses arising out of any delay in or interruptions of their
respective performance of their obligations under this Agreement
due to any act of God, act of governmental authority, act of
terrorism, act of the public enemy or due to war, the outbreak or
escalation of hostilities, riot, fire, flood, civil commotion,
insurrection, labor difficulty (including, without limitation, any
strike, or other work stoppage or slow down), severe or adverse
weather conditions, communications line failure, or other similar
cause beyond the reasonable control of the party so
affected.
(a)
This Agreement is solely and exclusively between the parties hereto
and shall not be assigned or transferred by either party without
the prior written consent of the other party, and any attempt to so
assign or transfer this Agreement without such written consent
shall be null and void; provided, however, Licensee shall have the
right to grant a sub-license to affiliates parties, such as
ProcureAM Trust I and ProcureAM Trust (each a “Trust”)
for which the Licensee serves as the investment adviser, provided
that such sub-license incorporates the restrictions with respect to
the license set forth in this Agreement.
(b)
This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties
hereto with respect to its subject matter and may be amended or
modified only by a writing signed by duly authorized officers of
both parties. This Agreement supersedes all previous Agreements
between the parties with respect to the subject matter of this
Agreement. There are no oral or written collateral representations,
agreements, or understandings except as provided
herein.
(c)
No breach, default, or threatened breach of this Agreement by
either party shall relieve the other party of its obligations or
liabilities under this Agreement with respect to the protection of
the property or proprietary nature of any property which is the
subject of this Agreement.
(d)
Except as set forth in Section 6 hereof with respect to
Informational Materials, all notices and other communications under
this Agreement shall be (i) in writing, (ii) delivered by
hand, by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, or
by overnight delivery (e.g. DHL), to the address set forth below or
such address as either party shall specify by a written notice to
the other and (iii) deemed given upon receipt.
Notice to
S-NET:
|
S-Network
Global Indexes, Inc.
267
Fifth Avenue, 5
th
Floor
New
York, New York 10016
Attn:
Joseph A. LaCorte
Tel.
(646) 467-7927
Fax.
(646) 467-7930
|
Notice to
Licensee:
|
Procure
AM, LLC
16
Firebush Road
Levittown, PA
19056
Attn:
Robert Tull
Tel.
(215) 486-7242
Fax.
(215) 943-6064
|
(e)
This Agreement shall be interpreted, construed and enforced in
accordance with the laws of the State of New York
without regard to the conflicts of
law provisions thereof. In the event that one or more provisions of
this Agreement shall at any time be found to be invalid or
otherwise rendered unenforceable, such provision or provisions
shall be severable from this Agreement, so that the validity or
enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall
not be affected thereby.
(f)
Each party agrees that in connection with any legal action
or proceeding arising with respect to this Agreement, they will
bring such action or proceeding only in the United States District
Court for the Southern District of New York or in the Supreme Court
of the State of New York in and for the First Judicial Department
and each party agrees to submit to the jurisdiction of such court
and venue in such court and to waive any claim that such court is
an inconvenient forum.
(g)
Nothing contained in this Agreement shall create or be deemed to
create any agency, fiduciary, partnership or joint venture relation
between or among the Licensee or S-NET. No party hereto shall have
the power to obligate or bind the other party in any manner
whatsoever.
(h) The
failure of a party hereto to enforce, or the delay by a party
hereto to enforce, any of its rights under this Agreement shall not
be deemed a continuing waiver or a modification by such party of
any of its rights under this Agreement and any party may, within
the time provided by the applicable law, commence appropriate
proceedings to enforce any or all of its rights under this
Agreement and any prior failure to enforce or delay in enforcement
shall not constitute a defense.
(i) The
failure of a party to insist upon strict adherence to any provision
of this Agreement on any occasion shall not be considered or deemed
to be a waiver nor considered or deemed to deprive that party of
the right thereafter to insist upon strict adherence to that
provision or any other provision of this Agreement. Any waiver must
be in writing.
(j) If
any provision herein is held to be invalid or unenforceable for any
reason, the remaining provisions will continue in full force
without being impaired or invalidated in any way. The parties agree
to replace any invalid provision with a valid provision that most
closely approximates the intent and economic effect of the invalid
provision.
(k) The
parties hereto represent that they have each consulted with counsel
of their own choosing in connection with the negotiation and
execution of this Agreement or have knowingly chosen not to do
so.
(l) This
Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of
which shall be deemed to be an original and all of which together
shall comprise but a single instrument.
12
.
Right
of First Refusal
.
(a)
During the term of this Agreement, if S-NET desires to
create, develop or license a “Competitive Index” to a
third party, Licensee shall have the right of first refusal,
subject to the terms set forth below, to license such Competitive
Index from S-NET. In the event that S-NET creates or develops
a Competitive Index on its own or pursuant to the bona fide request
of a third party, it shall provide written notice to Licensee of
the terms and conditions of such proposed license for such
Competitive Index. Licensee shall have 90 days from the
date of such written notice to enter into a license agreement for
the Competitive Index on terms as least a favorable to S-NET as the
terms set forth in the written notice. In the event that
Licensee does not enter into a license agreement for the
Competitive Index during such 90-day period, this right of first
refusal shall terminate and S-NET shall be free to enter into a
license agreement with any third party on terms as least a
favorable to S-NET as the terms set forth in the written
notice.
(b)
During the term of this Agreement, if Licensee desires to create,
develop or license a “Competitive Index” to a third
party, S-NET shall have the right of first refusal, subject to the
terms set forth below, to create, develop or license such
Competitive Index to Licensee. In the event that Licensee
desires to creates or develops a Competitive Index on its own or
pursuant to the bona fide request of a third party, it shall
provide written notice to S-NET of the terms and conditions of such
proposed license for such Competitive Index. S-NET
shall have 90 days from the date of such written notice to enter
into a license agreement for the Competitive Index on terms as
least a favorable to Licensee as the terms set forth in the written
notice. In the event that S-NET does not enter into a license
agreement for the Competitive Index during such 90-day period, this
right of first refusal shall terminate and Licensee shall be free
to enter into a license agreement with any third party on terms as
least a favorable to Licensee as the terms set forth in the written
notice.
(c) For
purposes of this Agreement, “Competitive Index shall mean an
index in which space technology stocks in such index equal or
exceed 50% of the weight of such index
.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be
executed as of the date first set forth above.
LICENSOR:
|
LICENSEE:
|
S-Network Global Indexes, Inc.
|
ProcureAM, LLC
|
By:
/s/ Joseph A.
LaCorte
Joseph
A. LaCorte, CFA
Its:
President & CEO
|
By:
/s/ Robert
Tull
Robert
Tull
Its:
President
|
EXHIBIT A
LIST OF S-NET INDEX(ES) AND ADDITIONAL MARKS
S-NET
Indexes
|
Ticker
|
"S-Network Global Indexes, Inc.
SM
,"
|
|
“S-NETWORK SPACE INDEX
SM
|
SPACE
|
Index
Description:
S-Network Space Index
SM
I. General Description
The S-Network Space Index tracks a portfolio of companies that
derive substantial revenue from space-related activities. The
companies span multiple economic sectors, including
telecommunications, television and radio broadcasting, rocket and
satellite manufacturing and operation, ground equipment
manufacturing, and space-based imagery and intelligence
services.
The S-Network Space Index is a modified capitalization weighted,
float and space revenue percentage adjusted equity index designed
to serve as an equity benchmark for globally traded stocks that are
materially engaged in the space business.
The S-Network Space Index comprises two main business segments
(“the Segments”):
Satellite
Operators.
Companies whose
principal business involves services provided by satellites that
are owned and/or operated by the companies.
Hardware
. Companies whose business involves the sale of
space-related hardware, including:
●
Satellite Prime
Manufacturers
●
Launch Vehicle Prime
Manufacturers
●
Components and Ground
Equipment
EXHIBIT B
PRODUCT(S) DESCRIPTION
Products
: The Products shall be exchange-traded funds, which
are an open-end, pooled fund, pooled trust or separate account,
that have the following characteristics: (i) the fund issues,
sells, and redeems blocks of shares, units or other interests, (ii)
the fund shares are listed for trading on an approved exchange and
are available for trading throughout each daily trading session;
(iii) the trading of the fund shares may generally take place in an
unlimited amount, (iv) such shares, units or other interests are
generally redeemed “in kind”; (v) the fund has the
investment objective of replicating the
price and yield
performance of the Index
and (vi) is organized under the laws of the United
States.
EXHIBIT C
LICENSE FEES
Licensee
shall pay Licensor a License Fee computed as follows (which shall
be prorated as applicable based on the Commencement Date of this
Agreement):
1.
An annual
calculation and maintenance fee of $3,000 payable quarterly upon
launch of the ETF, plus
2.
An annual basis
point fee as follows:
SPACE:
.05% of average Product assets, payable quarterly, on the first $2
billion in fund assets and .03% of average Product assets, payable
quarterly, on all assets above $2 billion.
The
parties agree that the terms upon which License Fees are calculated
pursuant to this Exhibit C shall be considered "Confidential
Information" for purposes of Subsection 8(c) of this
Agreement.
The
undersigned hereby acknowledges having read and understood the
foregoing Exhibits A, B, and C, as part of the License Agreement
dated October 24, 2017.
LICENSOR:
|
LICENSEE:
|
S-Network Global Indexes, Inc.
|
ProcureAM, LLC
|
By:
/s/Joseph A.
LaCorte
Joseph
A. LaCorte, CFA
Its:
President & CEO
|
By:
/s/ Robert
Tull
Robert
Tull
Its:
President
|
Exhibit (i)
|
Kathleen H. Moriarty
Partner
|
1270
Avenue of the Americas
30th
Floor
New
York, NY 10020-1708
T
212.655.2548
F
646.571.0113
moriarty@chapman.com
|
January 28, 2019
Board of Trustees of Procure ETF Trust II
16 Firebush Road
Levittown, PA 19056
Re:
Procure ETF Trust II
(Registration Nos. 333-222463 and 811-23323) with respect to the
Procure Space Fund (the “Fund”)
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel for the Procure ETF Trust II, a Delaware
statutory trust (the “Trust”), in connection with the
Trust’s filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the “Commission”) on January 8, 2018, May 4, 2018,
July 3, 2018, August 21, 2018, and January 28, 2019 of
Pre-Effective Amendments Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively, to the
Fund’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A (as amended, the
“Registration Statement”), originally filed on January
8, 2018 under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “1933
Act”) (No. 333-222463) and under the Investment Company Act
of 1940 (No. 811-23323), relating to the issuance and sale by the
Trust of an unlimited number of authorized shares of its Fund (the
“Shares”).
In connection with this opinion, we have examined originals or
copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of
such instruments, documents and records as we have deemed relevant
and necessary to examine for the purpose of this opinion, including
(a) the Registration Statement, (b) the Trust’s Declaration
of Trust, as amended to date, (c) the Trust’s By-laws, as
amended to date, (d) resolutions of the Board of Trustees of the
Trust related to the Shares and the Fund; (e) the pertinent
provisions of the constitution and laws of the State of Delaware;
and (f) such other instruments, documents, statements and records
of the Trust and others and other such statutes as we have deemed
relevant and necessary to examine and rely upon for the purpose of
this opinion.
In connection with this opinion, we have assumed the legal capacity
of all natural persons, the accuracy and completeness of all
documents and records that we have reviewed, the genuineness of all
signatures, the authenticity of the documents submitted to us as
originals and the conformity to authentic original documents of all
documents submitted to us as certified, conformed or reproduced
copies.
Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the
Shares proposed to be offered and sold pursuant to the Registration
Statement, when it is made effective by the Commission or otherwise
pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Commission, will have
been validly authorized and, when sold in accordance with the terms
of the Registration Statement and the requirements of applicable
federal and state law and delivered by the Trust against receipt of
the net asset value of the Shares, as described in the Registration
Statement, will have been legally and validly issued and will be
fully paid and non-assessable.
This opinion is given as of the date hereof and we assume no
obligation to advise you of changes that may hereafter be brought
to our attention. This opinion is limited to the Delaware Statutory
Trust Act, the applicable provisions of the Delaware constitution
and the reported judicial decisions interpreting such laws, and we
do not express any opinion concerning any other laws.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to
the Registration Statement, to be filed with the Commission, and to
the use of our name in the Registration Statement under the caption
“Legal Counsel” in the prospectus that is a part
thereof and under the caption “Legal Counsel” in the
statement of additional information that is a part thereof and in
any revised or amended versions thereof. In giving such consent,
however, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons
whose consent is required by Section 7 of the 1933 Act, as amended,
and the rules and regulations thereunder.
Respectfully
submitted,
/s/ Chapman and Cutler LLP
Chapman and Cutler LLP
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING
FIRM
We
hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this
Registration Statement on Form N-1A our report dated January 28,
2019, relating to the financial statement of Procure Space ETF, a
series of Procure ETF Trust II, as of November 2, 2018, and to the
references to our firm under the headings “Independent
Registered Public Accounting Firm” in the Prospectus and
Statement of Additional Information.
/s/ Cohen & Company,
Ltd.
Cohen
& Company, Ltd.
Cleveland,
Ohio
January
28, 2019
Exhibit (m)
PROCURE ETF TRUST II
Rule 12b-1 Distribution and Service Plan
1.
The
Trust
. Procure ETF Trust II
(the “Trust”) is an open-end management investment
company registered as such under the Investment Company Act of
1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and organized as a
series trust (each such series is referred to herein as a
“Fund”).
2.
The
Plan
. The Trust desires to
adopt a plan of distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940
Act with respect to the shares of beneficial interest
(“Shares”) of each Fund, and the Board of Trustees of
the Trust (the “Board of Trustees”) has determined that
there is a reasonable likelihood that adoption of this Distribution
and Service Plan (the “Plan”) will benefit the Funds
listed on Appendix A (each “Designated Fund”) and their
holders of Shares. Accordingly, each Designated Fund hereby adopts
this Plan in accordance with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act on the
following terms and conditions (capitalized terms not otherwise
defined herein have the meanings assigned thereto in the
Funds’ registration statement under the 1940 Act and under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, as such registration
statement is amended by any amendments thereto at the time in
effect).
3.
The
Distributor
. The Trust has
entered into a written Distribution Agreement with Quasar
Distributors LLC (the “Distributor”), pursuant to which
the Distributor will act as the exclusive distributor with respect
to the creation and distribution of Creation Unit size aggregations
of Shares as described in the Funds’ registration statement
(“Creation Units”) of each Fund.
4.
Payments
.
The Designated Fund will pay fees, in the amounts and on the terms
set forth below, or as may hereafter be determined by the Board of
Trustees, that collectively will not exceed, on an annualized
basis, 0.25% of the Designated Fund’s average daily net
assets for purposes permitted by Rule 12b-1. Such fees may include
payments made on the following basis:
(a)
for
(A) acting as agent of the Designated Fund with respect to the sale
of Shares in “Creation Unit” size aggregations as set
forth in the Fund’s registration statement referred to above,
(B) generating and transmitting confirmations of purchases of
Creation Unit aggregations of Shares and delivering copies of the
Fund’s Prospectus and/or Statement of Additional Information
included in the registration statement in connection with purchases
thereof and to prospective purchases; (C) clearing and filing all
advertising, sales and marketing and promotional materials of the
Trust with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority; (D)
maintaining access to telephonic, facsimile or direct computer
communications links with The Depository Trust Company and the U.S.
Bancorp Fund Services LLC as the Fund’s custodian,
administrator and transfer agent; and (E) such other services and
obligations as are set forth in the Distribution
Agreement;
(b)
the
remainder of the fees, not to exceed, on an annualized basis, 0.25%
of the average daily net assets of the Designated Fund, paid or
payable by the Designated Fund to the Distributor, shall be used,
subject to the provision of this Plan, to pay for any activities
primarily intended to result in the sale of Shares of the
Designated Fund in Creation Unit aggregations or secondary market
trading or for the provision of investor and shareholder services
to holders of Shares, including, but not limited
to:
(i)
payments
to registered broker-dealers, banks and/or other persons (each, an
“Investor Services Organization” or “ISO”)
of investor and shareholder services fees (“Investor Services
Fees”), to be computed daily and payable quarterly, in each
case pursuant to a separate agreement with the Distributor, in
substantially the forms approved by the Board of Trustees and
attached as exhibits hereto (each an “Investor Services
Agreement”), as compensation for broker-dealer, investor and
shareholder support, account maintenance and educational and
promotional services relating to the Shares (which may include
compensation and sales incentives to the registered brokers or
other sales personnel of an ISO under an Investor Services
Agreement and facilitation through broker-dealers and other persons
of communications with beneficial owners of Shares), which shall be
provided by the respective ISO pursuant to such agreement with
respect to all Funds subject thereto. Such compensation to any ISO
shall be in an amount as set forth in the individual Investor
Services Agreement, provided that, no ISO shall be entitled to
receive Investor Services Fees of more than .10% of average daily
net assets per annum of the Designated Fund attributable to the
Shares subject to such Agreement;
(ii)
paying
the Distributor, or another party or parties pursuant to
arrangements with the Distributor, to the extent of any amounts
remaining under this Plan after payment of the fees provided for
pursuant to subparagraphs (a), (b) and (c)(i) hereof, not to
exceed, on an annualized basis, .25% of the Designated Fund’s
average daily net assets together with all other amounts to be paid
hereunder, for promotional and marketing activities related to the
sale of Shares of the Designated Fund in Creation Unit aggregations
or in secondary market trading, including, but not limited to,
payment for (A) the printing and distribution costs of the
Funds’ Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information,
except for such printing and distribution costs as are incurred by
the Designated Fund directly in connection with Prospectuses and/or
Statements of Additional Information required to be sent to
existing shareholders; and (B) the production and distribution of
advertisements and other promotional, sales and marketing materials
relating to the sale of Shares of the Designated Fund (other than
as provided above).
(c)
Distribution-related
expenses incurred in any one year to the Distributor under
paragraph (c)(ii) above in payment of certain expenses of marketing
or promotional activities of the Designated Fund shall not be used
to pay for reimbursement of similar expenses with respect to any
other Fund. The aggregate amount payable to the Distributor for
distribution-related expenses by all Funds shall be allocated among
the Funds pro rata in accordance with the average daily net assets
of each Fund, and reimbursement of expenses for such activities and
services attributable to the Funds as a whole shall be allocated to
each Fund according to the method adopted by the Board of Trustees.
The Distributor’s allocation of fees and other expenditures
hereunder shall be subject to the annual review of the Board of
Trustees.
Any
agreement between the Trust and the Distributor or the Distributor
and any other party referred to above shall be approved by the
Board of Trustees as a related agreement under this Plan. All
agreements related to this Plan (including the Distribution
Agreement and each Investor Services Agreement) shall be in writing
and shall provide: (A) that such agreement may be terminated at any
time, without payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of
the
Independent
Trustees (as defined in subparagraph (e) below) or by a vote of a
majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the
1940 Act) of the Designated Fund, on not more than 60 days’
written notice to any other party to the agreement, and (B) that
such agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its
assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act). The Investor Services
Agreement shall require the ISO to provide the Distributor with
such information as is reasonably necessary to permit the
Distributor to comply with the reporting requirements set forth in
paragraph 9 hereof. For purposes thereof, each Investor Services
Agreement shall provide that the ISO claiming Investor Services
Fees under this Plan must represent in writing in connection with
the reports and information to be provided to the Distributor: (i)
that it has been engaged in the requisite activities enumerated in
subparagraph (c)(i) of this Plan and the respective Investor
Services Agreement, and (ii) that the positions reported as
representing its holdings of Shares at each of the three month ends
in any quarterly period hereunder are true, accurate and
complete.
(d)
Distribution
expenses incurred in any one year in excess of 0.25% of each
Fund’s average daily net assets may be reimbursed in
subsequent years subject to the annual 0.25% limit and subject
further to the approval of the Board of Trustees including a
majority of the Trustees who are not “interested
persons” of the Trust (as defined in the 1940 Act) and who
have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of
this Plan or in any agreement related to this Plan (the
“Independent Trustees”).
5.
Effective
Date
. This Plan shall become
effective upon approval by a vote of both a majority of the Board
of Trustees and a majority of the Independent Trustees, cast in
person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on this
Plan.
6.
Term
.
This Plan shall, unless terminated as hereinafter provided, remain
in effect with respect to the Designated Fund for one year from its
effective date and shall continue thereafter, provided that its
continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a vote of
both a majority of the Trustees and a majority of Independent
Trustees, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of
voting on this Plan.
7.
Amendment
.
This Plan may be amended at any time by the Board of Trustees,
provided that (a) any amendment to increase materially the amount
to be spent for the services provided for in paragraph 4 hereof
shall be effective only upon approval by a vote of a majority of
the outstanding voting securities (as such term is defined in the
1940 Act) of the Designated Fund, and (b) any material amendment of
this Plan shall be effective only upon approval by a vote of both a
majority of the Board of Trustees and a majority of the Independent
Trustees, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of
voting on such amendment.
8.
Termination
.
This Plan may be terminated at any time, without payment of any
penalty, by vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees, or by
vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as such
term is defined in the 1940 Act) of the Designated Fund. In the
event of termination or non-continuance of this Plan, the Trust may
reimburse any expense which it incurred prior to such termination
or non-continuance, provided that such reimbursement is
specifically approved by both a majority of the Board of Trustees
and a majority of the Independent Trustees.
9.
Assignment
.
This plan will not be terminated by an assignment; however, an
assignment will terminate any agreement under the plan involving
any such assignment.
10.
Reports
.
While this Plan is in effect, the Distributor shall provide to the
Trustees, and the Trustees shall review, at least quarterly, a
written report of the amounts expended pursuant to the Plan and the
purposes for which such expenditures were made.
11.
Records
.
The Trust shall preserve copies of this Plan, each agreement
related hereto and each report referred to in paragraph 10 hereof
for a period of at least six years from the date of the Plan,
agreement and report, the first two years in an easily accessible
place.
12.
Independent
Trustees
. While this Plan is in
effect, the selection and nomination of Independent Trustees shall
be committed to the discretion of the Trustees who are not
“interested persons” of the Trust (as defined in the
1940 Act).
13.
Severability
.
If any provision of the Plan shall be held or made invalid by a
court decision, statute, rule or otherwise, the remainder of the
Plan shall not be affected thereby.
Plan adopted: October 26, 2018
APPENDIX A
Designated Funds:
Procure Space ETF
Exhibit (p)(i)
ProcureAM, LLC
Procure ETF Trust II
JOINT CODE OF ETHICS
Effective: September 1, 2018
Introduction
Pursuant to rules established by the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), it is
unlawful for certain persons of
ProcureAM, LLC
(the “Adviser”) and
the
Procure
ETF Trust II
(the
“Trust”), in connection with the purchase or sale by
such persons of securities held or to be acquired by a client
account:
|
1.
|
To
employee any device, scheme or artifice to defraud;
|
|
2.
|
To make
any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of
the circumstances in which they were made, not
misleading;
|
|
3.
|
To
engage in any act, practice or course of business that operates or
would operate as a fraud or deceit; or
|
|
4.
|
To
engage in any manipulative practice.
|
The
SEC’s rules also require investment advisers and registered
investment companies to adopt a written code of ethics containing
provisions reasonably necessary to prevent certain persons from
engaging in acts in violation of the above standard.
Consistent
with the SEC’s rules, the Adviser and the Trust have adopted
this Joint Code of Ethics (the “Code”). The Code sets
forth detailed policies and procedures that Covered Persons (as
defined below) of the Adviser and Trust must follow in regard to
their personal investing activities. All Covered Persons are
required to comply with the Code and applicable federal securities
laws as a condition of continued employment.
The
Code is intended to serve as the minimum standard of conduct for
persons having access to information regarding the purchase and
sale of portfolio securities by the Trust, or other registered
investment companies for which the Adviser serves as adviser or
sub-adviser, as well as the Adviser’s separate accounts and
other advisory clients (collectively, the “Advisory
Clients”). Each employee must avoid any activity or
relationship that may reflect unfavorably on the Adviser and the
Trust as a result of a possible conflict of interest, the
appearance of such a conflict, the improper use of confidential
information or the appearance of any impropriety.
This
Code is designed to detect and prevent conflicts of interest
between the Adviser’s and the Trust’s employees,
officers, partners, members and trustees/directors (as applicable)
and the Adviser’s Advisory Clients, which includes the Trust,
that may arise due to personal investing activities. The Adviser
has also established separate procedures designed to detect and
prevent insider trading, which are included in the Adviser’s
compliance manual and which should be read together with this
Code.
Personal
investing activities of Covered Persons may create conflicts of
interests that may compromise fiduciary duties to Advisory Clients.
As a result, Covered Persons must avoid any transaction that
involves, or even appears to involve, a conflict of interest,
diversion of an Advisory Client investment opportunity or other
impropriety with respect to dealing with an Advisory Client or
acting on behalf of an Advisory Client.
As
fiduciaries, Covered Persons must at all times comply with the
following principles:
|
●
|
Client Interests Come First.
Covered
Persons must scrupulously avoid serving their own personal
interests ahead of the interests of Advisory Clients. If a Covered
Person puts his/her own personal interests ahead of an
Advisory Client’s, or violates the law in any way,
he/she will be subject to disciplinary action, even if he/she is in
technical compliance with the Code.
|
|
●
|
Avoid Taking Advantage.
Covered Persons may
not make personal investment decisions based on their knowledge of
Advisory Client holdings or transactions. The most common example
of this is “front running,” or knowingly engaging in a
personal transaction ahead of an Advisory Client with the
expectation that the Advisory Client’s transaction will cause
a favorable move in the market. This prohibition applies whether a
Covered Person’s transaction is in the same direction as the
transaction placed on behalf of an Advisory Client (for example,
two purchases) or the opposite direction (a purchase and
sale).
|
If
you are uncertain whether a real or apparent conflict exists in any
particular situation, you should consult with the chief compliance
officer for the Adviser and the Trust (the “CCO”)
immediately.
The
Code sets forth detailed policies and procedures that Covered
Persons (as defined below) of the Adviser and the Trust must follow
in regard to their personal investing activities. All Covered
Persons are required to comply with the Code as a condition of
continued employment.
|
1.
|
Who
is subject to the Code?
|
|
1.1.
|
Covered Persons
. For the purposes of this
Code,
Covered Person
is defined
as:
|
|
1.1.1.
|
Each
employee of the Adviser;
|
|
1.1.2.
|
Each
employee, officer, or member (as applicable) of the Adviser or the
Trust;
|
|
●
|
who, in
connection with his or her regular functions or duties, makes,
participates in or obtains information regarding, the purchase or
sale of securities covered by this Code, or whose functions relate
to the making of any recommendations with respect to such purchases
or sales;
|
|
1.1.3.
|
Each
Trustee of the Trust; and
|
|
1.1.4.
|
Each
natural person in a control
1
relationship to
the Trust or the Adviser:
|
|
●
|
who
obtains information concerning recommendations made to the Trust
with regard to the purchase or sale of securities covered by this
Code.
|
_____________________________
1
Control
means the power to exercise a controlling influence over the
management or policies of the Adviser or Trust, unless such power
is solely the result of an official position with the Adviser or
the Trust.
|
2.
|
What Types of Investments are subject to the Code?
|
This
Code requires that information about a Covered Person’s
investments in certain securities be reported to the
CCO.
For purposes of this Code, the term
“
Reportable Security
”
means any interest or instrument commonly known as a security,
whether in the nature of debt or equity, including any: (i) option,
(ii) futures contract; (iii) shares of registered closed-end funds;
(iv) shares of registered open-end investment companies (i.e.,
mutual funds) that are advised by the Adviser (including those held
in retirement accounts and that are not money market funds) and
shares of exchange traded funds; (v) warrant; (vi) note; (vii)
stock; (viii) treasury stock; (ix) bond; (x) debenture; (xi)
evidence of indebtedness; (xii) certificate of interest; or (xiii)
any participation in, or right to subscribe to or purchase, any
such interest or instrument.
|
3.
|
What
Types of Investments are not subject to the Code.
|
This Code does
not
require information about the following types of
securities:
●
direct
obligations of the U.S. government;
●
bankers’
acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and
high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase
agreements;
●
shares
of money market funds;
●
shares
issued by open-end investment companies other than registered
investment companies for which the Adviser serves as an adviser or
sub-adviser, including exchange traded funds; or
●
shares
issued by unit investment trusts, including exchange traded funds,
that are invested exclusively in one or more open-end investment
companies, none of which are registered investment companies for
which the Adviser serves as an adviser or sub-adviser.
|
4.
|
What Types of Accounts are subject to the Code?
|
“
Covered Account
”
includes any securities account, whether held at a broker/dealer,
transfer agent, investment advisory firm or other financial
services firm, in which a Covered Person has a beneficial interest
or over which a Covered Person has investment discretion or other
control or influence.
2
A
Covered Account includes the accounts of immediate family
members.
3
Restrictions placed on transactions executed within a Covered
Account also pertain to investments held outside of an account of
which a Covered Person has physical control, such as a stock
certificate.
4
_____________________________
2
Beneficial
interest in an account includes any direct or indirect financial
interest in an account.
3
Immediate
family includes your spouse, children and/or stepchildren and other
relatives who live with you if you contribute to their financial
support.
4
Covered
Accounts also include accounts for which a Covered Person has power
of attorney, serves as executor, trustee or custodian, and
corporate or investment club accounts.
Covered
Persons of the Adviser are prohibited from entering into a joint
account, supervised by the Adviser, with any Advisory
Client.
|
5.
|
What are the Restrictions on Trading?
|
|
5.1.
|
Pre-clearance
Requirements
|
Covered
Persons must obtain prior written approval before acquiring a
direct or indirect beneficial ownership (through purchase or
otherwise) of: (i) a Reportable Security, (ii) a security in an
initial public offering (“IPO”), or (iii) a security in
a limited offering (generally meaning a private placement, such as
a hedge fund or private equity fund).
See
Appendix A for the pre-clearance form to be used to obtain
permission to make investments in Reportable Securities and
Appendix B for the pre-clearance form to be used to obtain
permission to make investments in private placements or
IPOs.
Covered Persons may not purchase or sell a
Reportable Security within seven calendar days prior to, or within
seven days after, the Trust or an Advisory Client trades in such
Reportable Security;
except that
,
a Covered Person may sell a Reportable Security within seven
calendar days after the Trust or Advisory Client executed a sales
transaction in that same Reportable Security if the Trust or other
Advisory Client no longer have a position in such Reportable
Security.
Any
profits realized by a Covered Person in contravention of this
subsection must be disgorged.
Covered
Persons are required to hold any securities of Advisory Clients for
a minimum of 60 days before selling the securities at a profit.
Closing positions at a loss is restricted and may only be allowed
at the discretion of the CCO in a case of hardship.
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5.4.
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Exempt
Purchases and Sales
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The
prohibitions on purchases and sales set forth in paragraphs 5.1,
5.2 and 5.3 of this Section of this Code shall not apply to
Trustees of the Trust who would be required to comply with these
paragraphs solely by reason of being a Trustee of the
Trust.
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6.
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Reporting and Certification Requirements
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6.1.
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Initial
Holdings Report and Certification
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Within
10 days after a Covered Person commences employment, he/she must
certify in writing that he/she has received the Code, has read and
understands the Code, that he/she will comply with its
requirements, and that he/she has disclosed or reported all
personal investments and accounts required to be disclosed or
reported. (Please see Appendices C and D for the required
certifications and disclosure). Information disclosed may be no
more than 45 days old at the time of disclosure. Covered Persons
are only required to report holdings in Reportable Securities as
defined in Section 2 of this Code.
The
CCO will arrange to receive directly from the executing
broker/dealer, bank or other third-party institution duplicate
copies of trade confirmations for each transaction and periodic
account statements for each Covered Account.
Accounts over which Covered Persons have no control.
Covered
Persons are not required to report securities held in accounts over
which the Covered Person has no direct or indirect influence or
control. However, Covered Persons are required to include in
initial and annual holdings reports the name of any broker/dealer
or bank with which the Covered Person has an account in which any
securities are held for his/her direct or indirect
benefit.
When Duplicate Confirmations or Statements Are Not Available.
You
may wish to engage in a transaction for which no confirmation can
be delivered to the CCO (e.g., transactions involving certain types
of derivatives). These types of transactions require the prior
written approval of the CCO and will involve additional reporting
requirements.
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6.2.
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Ongoing
Reporting Regarding Covered Accounts
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Covered
Persons must notify the CCO within 10 business days from the time
any Covered Account is opened and immediately upon making or being
notified of a change in ownership or account number. The
notification must be submitted in writing to the CCO and include
the broker name, name of the account, the date the account was
opened, account number (if new account) or, if the account number
changed, the old number and new number and the effective date of
the change.
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6.3.
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Quarterly
Transactions Report for Covered Persons
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All
Covered Persons, unless otherwise exempted, shall submit to the
CCO, within 30 business days after quarter end, a report of all
reportable transactions during the previous quarter (Please see
Appendix E). The report shall state the title, and number of
shares, the principal amount of the security involved, the exchange
ticker symbol or CUSIP number as applicable, the interest rate and
maturity date if applicable, the date and nature of the
transaction, the price at which the transaction was effected and
the name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through whom the
transaction was effected. The report shall also include the date it
was submitted by the Covered Person. Covered Persons who have
reported reportable transactions through duplicate copies of broker
confirmations and statements are not required to file a quarterly
report, if the confirmation and statement is received no later than
30 days after the end of the applicable quarter.
Covered
Persons are not required to submit quarterly transaction reports
with respect to regular periodic purchases or sales that are made
automatically to or from an investment account in accordance with a
pre-determined schedule or allocation (e.g., an automatic
investment plan or dividend reinvestment plan).
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6.4.
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Annual
Certification for Covered Persons
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Annually,
Covered Persons must certify that they have read and understand the
Code, that they have complied with its requirements during the
preceding year, and that they have disclosed or reported all
personal transactions/holdings required to be disclosed or reported
(Please see Appendix C). Covered Persons must also disclose all
personal investments and accounts on an annual basis (Please see
Appendix D). Information disclosed must be current as of a date no
more than 45 days before the report is submitted.
Covered
Persons are only required to submit an annual holdings report
relating to Reportable Securities as defined in Section 2 of this
Code.
Covered
Persons are not required to report securities held in accounts over
which the Covered Person has no direct or indirect influence or
control. However, Covered Persons are required to include the name
of any broker/dealer or bank with which the Covered Person has an
account in which any securities are held for his/her direct or
indirect benefit.
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6.5.
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Exceptions
from Reporting Requirements
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Trustees
who are not “interested persons” as defined under the
Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Independent
Trustees”), who would be required to make reports described
in this Section of this Code solely by reason of being a Trustee of
the Trust, need not:
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a.
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Arrange
to have the CCO receive duplicate copies of trade confirmations and
periodic account statements directly from an executing
broker/dealer, bank or other third-party institution where the
Independent Trustee maintains Covered Accounts;
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b.
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Disclose
personal investments and accounts on the Initial and Annual
Disclosure Form for Covered Persons (Appendix D); or
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c.
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Provide
a report of all reportable transactions during the previous quarter
on the Quarterly Transaction Report for Covered Persons (Appendix
E), unless the Trustee knew or, in the ordinary course of
fulfilling his or her official duties as a Trustee, should have
known that during the 15 days immediately before or after the date
of a securities transaction in the Independent Trustee’s
Covered Accounts that: (i) the security was purchased or sold by
the Trust; or (ii) the Trust or its Adviser considered purchasing
or selling the security for the Trust. Independent Trustees must
file these reports within 30 days of the end of the calendar
quarter in which the trade occurred.
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7.
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Administration and Enforcement
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7.1.
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Determination of
Persons covered by Code
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The
CCO for the Adviser and the Trust will determine who is covered by
this Code and will provide each such person with a copy of the Code
and any amendments thereto.
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7.2.
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Review
of Personal Trading Information
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All
information regarding a Covered Person’s personal investment
transactions, including the reports required by Section 6, will be
reviewed by the CCO. All such information may also be available for
inspection by the Trust’s Board of Trustees. By signing the
acknowledgement attached to this document, each Covered Person
acknowledges that the CCO shall be permitted to obtain and review
information, including account statements and trade confirmations,
from brokerage firms, retirement plan administrators and other
financial intermediaries, relating to the securities held by the
Covered Person.
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7.3.
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Annual
Review/Report
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The
CCO will review the Code at least annually in light of legal and
business developments and experience in implementing the Code. The
CCO will provide an annual report to the Trust’s Board of
Trustees that: (i) describes issues that arose during the previous
year under the Code, including, but not limited to, information
about material Code violations and sanctions imposed in response to
those material violations; (ii) recommends changes in existing
restrictions or procedures based on the experience implementing the
Code, evolving industry practices or developments in applicable
laws or regulations; (iii) and certifies to the Board that
procedures have been adopted that are designed to prevent Covered
Persons from violating the Code.
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7.4.
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Reporting
Violations
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Upon
discovering a violation of this Code, a Covered Person shall
immediately report such violation to the CCO and the CCO will be
responsible for investigating such violations.
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7.5.
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Sanctions and
Remedies
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If
the CCO determines that a Covered Person has violated the Code, he
may impose sanctions and other appropriate actions, including
issuing a letter of education, suspending or limiting personal
trading activities, imposing a fine, recommending a suspension or
termination of employment of a Covered Person employed by the
Adviser or the Trust and/or informing regulators if the situation
warrants. As part of any sanction, the CCO may require the violator
to reverse the trade(s) in question and forfeit any profit or
absorb any loss from the trade. Any money forfeited pursuant to
this section will be donated to a charity selected by the
CCO.
The
Adviser’s CCO, or his designee, is responsible to ensure that
all records required to be maintained under the SEC rules are
properly maintained. The CCO, or his designee, is also responsible
to communicate with each functional department of the Adviser, as
necessary, to ensure that employees of the Adviser understand their
responsibilities regarding this policy.
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7.7.
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Exemption
Procedures
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The
CCO may grant exemptions from the requirements in this Code in
appropriate circumstances. The CCO shall consider such exemptions
upon written request by a Covered Person stating the basis for
requested relief. The CCO’s decision is within her sole
discretion.
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7.8.
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Questions and
Exceptions
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Any
questions regarding this Code should be discussed with the
CCO.
Appendix A
Reportable Securities Pre-Clearance Request Form
TO: Chief Compliance Officer
FROM: _____________________
DATE: ______________________
As
provided in section 5.1 of the Code of Ethics, and unless otherwise
exempted, if a Covered Person wants to purchase or sell a
Reportable Security he/she must complete this form and obtain the
required approvals prior to investing.
A Covered Person may not purchase or sell
such security until he/she receives written permission from the
Chief Compliance Officer (i.e., an approval email).
Oral discussions do not
constitute approval under any circumstances
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INVESTMENT INFORMATION:
1. Name of Issuer and
Ticker Symbol:
_____________________
2. Purchase
or
Sale:
3. Principal amount
of transaction:
# of
shares/units:
4. Equity or
debt?
To the best of my knowledge, the information provided above is
accurate and I am not predicating this transaction on the basis of
having obtained any material non-public information.
I will notify the Chief Compliance Officer immediately of any material changes to the information provided above.
Signature:
Print Name:
Date:
Appendix B
IPO and Limited Offering Pre-Clearance Request Form
TO: Chief Compliance Officer
FROM:
DATE:
As
provided in section 5.1 of the Code of Ethics, and unless otherwise
exempted, if a Covered Person wants to participate in an IPO of a
security, a private placement or a limited partnership, he/she must
complete this form and obtain the required approvals prior to
investing.
A Covered Person may not participate in any IPO, private placement or limited partnership until he/she recei-ves written permission from the Chief Compliance Officer. Oral discussions do notconstitute approval under any circumstances.
INVESTMENT INFORMATION:
1. Name of proposed
investment:
Date of investment:
2. Nature of
investment:
3. Amount to be
invested:
# of
shares:
%
ownership:
4. Describe
terms of investment:
Equity or debt?
Open-ended or
specific maturity date?
Further investment
contemplated?
Amount?
5. Was
this investment offered to you due to your affiliation with the
Adviser or the Trust?
6. Do you have a
position as officer of the company or other duties in connection
with the investment?
7. Do you give
investment advice to the company or any affiliate of the company?
If so, please describe:
8. Are
you informed or consulted about investments made by the
company?
Describe:
9. How
frequently will you receive statements/communications regarding the
investment?
10.
Is the company privately/publicly held?
11.
If privately held, are you aware of any plan to bring the
company public?
12.
Have you informed the company that you are a
“restricted person” in the event of an IPO of
securities?
13.
Describe any connection(s) between the investment and the
Adviser or the Trust:
14.
To your knowledge, are there any clients of the Adviser for
whom this is an appropriate investment?
15.
Describe any client connections to this
investment:
16.
Are you aware of any conflict between your duties at the
Adviser or Trust and this investment?
Please
attach any relevant reports/statements you can provide which
describe this investment.
To the best of my knowledge, the information provided above is
accurate. I will notify the Chief Compliance Officer immediately of
any material changes to the information provided
above.
Signature:
Print Name:
Date:
Appendix C
COVERED PERSON ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I
hereby acknowledge receipt of a copy of the Joint Code of Ethics
(the “Code”) for ProcureAM, LLC (the
“Adviser”) and the Procure ETF Trust II (the
“Trust”), which I have read and understand fully. I
agree to comply fully with all provisions of the Code to the extent
that such provisions apply to me. I further understand and
acknowledge that any violation of the Code, including engaging in a
prohibited transaction or the failure to file reports, may subject
me to the sanctions and remedies discussed in Section 7 of this
Code.
I
hereby represent to the Adviser and the Trust that the information
that I have provided, if required by this Code, is a true,
accurate, and complete list of all of my brokerage and trading
accounts, and private placement holdings, specifying in reasonable
detail all such accounts, with whom they are held, and the holdings
and other investments, direct or indirect, of such accounts. I
further agree that I will promptly, but in any event, within ten
days, give written notice to the Chief Compliance Officer for the
Adviser and the Trust of any changes to the information that I have
provided so that such information is at all times true, accurate,
and complete. I further agree to provide, unless otherwise
exempted, monthly securities transactions confirmations and
statements (or on a quarterly basis when monthly statements and
confirmations are unavailable) to the Adviser and Trust, as
applicable.
I
have fully read the Code. I agree to be bound by the terms and
conditions outlined in it.
Appendix D
INITIAL AND ANNUAL DISCLOSURE FORM FOR COVERED PERSONS
PART I – DISCLOSURE OF EMPLOYEE ACCOUNTS
I
do not maintain any Covered Accounts as defined in the Code of
Ethics for ProcureAM, LLC and Procure ETF Trust II. Below is a list
of all my Covered Accounts as defined in the Code. Check all that
apply as to the Account Type.
Direct Brokerage Account
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☐
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(1) I
have full investment discretion on the account
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☐
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(2) I
have full investment discretion on the account which I am managing
for another person
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☐
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(3) I
do not have investment discretion on the account (Investment
discretion is 100% exercised by a broker, financial advisor,
etc.)
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(b)
Trust Account
(c
) Employee Stock Plan (“ESOP”), 401(k)
Plans, private placement or similar product that cannot be
transferred to a brokerage account.
(d)
Other
Please explain:
Name and address of Financial
Institution
(broker-dealer, bank, ESOP,
401(k) plan sponsors, etc.)
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Account Name
(indicate if any of the
accounts are individually or jointly held
)
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Account
Type
(a,b,c,d)
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Account Number
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PART II – DISCLOSURE OF COVERED SECURITIES HOLDINGS
I
do not maintain, have a financial interest, or influence/control
the activities of any securities.
Below
is a list of all personal securities holdings for which I have
direct or indirect beneficial ownership.
D
Indicate by checking this box if you have already
provided a copy of your most recent statement (not more than 45
days old) for each account listed below
Security (Include full name of issuer) and exchange ticker symbol (or Cusip Number)
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# of Shares and Principal Amount
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This
report (i) excludes transactions with respect to which I had no
direct or indirect influence or control; and (ii) excludes other
transactions not required to be reported.
Signature:
Print Name:
Date:
Appendix E
QUARTERLY TRANSACTION REPORT FOR COVERED PERSONS
Below
is a list of all transactions in Reportable Securities during the
past quarter in which the undersigned had any direct or indirect
beneficial interest.
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Date of
Transactions
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Security and
exchange
ticker symbol
(or Cusip
Number)
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Nature of
Transaction
(e.g.,
Purchase or
Sale)
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Number of
Shares and
Principal
Amount
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Price at
which
transaction
was
effected
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Name of
broker/dealer
effecting
transaction
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This
report (i) excludes transactions with respect to which I had no
direct or indirect influence or control and (ii) excludes other
transactions not required to be reported.
Signature:
Print Name:
Date:
Exhibit (q)
PROCURE ETF TRUST II
POWER OF ATTORNEY
Each
of
the undersigned Trustees of Procure ETF Trust
II
(the
"
Trust")
hereby
constitutes and appoints
Robert Tull
and
Andrew Chanin
each
of them with full powers
of
substitution, as
his true
and
lawful
attorney-in-fact and
agent
to
execute
in his or her name and on his or her behalf in
any
and all
capacities the
Registration
Statements
on Form N-1A, and
any and
all
amendments thereto,
and
all
other
documents, filed by the Trust or its affiliates with
the
Securities
and
Exchange
Commission
(the
"SEC")
under the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and (as applicable)
the
Securities
Act of
1933,
as
amended,
and
any and
all
instruments which
such attorneys and
agents,
or
any
of them, deem necessary
or
advisable
to
enable
the
Trust
or its
affiliates
to comply with
such
Acts, the rules,
regulations
and
requirements of
the
SEC,
the
securities,
Blue
Sky
law
and/or
corporate/trust
laws
of
any state
or other
jurisdiction, the Commodities
Future
Trading
Commission, and the
regulatory
authorities
of
any foreign
jurisdiction,
including
all
documents necessary
to
ensure
the Trust
has insurance
and
fidelity bond
coverage,
and
to file
the
same,
with
all exhibits
thereto and other documents
in
connection
therewith, with the
SEC and
such
other
jurisdictions,
and
the undersigned hereby ratifies
and
confirms
as
his or
her own
act and
deed
any
and all acts
that
such attorneys and
agents,
or
any
of them,
shall
do or
cause
to be done by virtue
hereof.
Any
one
of
such attorneys
and
agents
has,
and
may
exercise, all
of the powers
hereby
conferred.
The
undersigned hereby revokes any Powers of Attorney
previously
granted
with respect to the
Trust
concerning
the
filings
and
actions
described herein
.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have
hereunto
set
their
hands
as
of
the 26
th
day
of October
,
2018.
/s/ John
Jacobs
John
Jacobs
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Trustee
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/s/ Erik
Liik
Erik
Liik
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Trustee
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/s/ James
Brenner
James
Brenner
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Trustee
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/s/ Robert
Tull
Robert
Tull
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Trustee
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