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Aptus Large Cap Upside ETF (UPSD)

Listed on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.

PROSPECTUS
October 7, 2024
as supplemented October 30, 2024













The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not 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.





TABLE OF CONTENTS
Aptus Large Cap Upside ETF - Fund Summary
Financial Highlights



APTUS LARGE CAP UPSIDE ETF - FUND SUMMARY
Investment Objective
The Aptus Large Cap Upside ETF (the “Fund”) seeks to generate total returns that surpass those of the S&P 500 Index (the “Index”) with the objective of capturing more than 100% of the market during upward trends and less than 100% of the market during downward trends.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management Fees0.79%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees0.00%
Other Expenses0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses0.79%
Expense Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then continue to hold or redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:     
1 Year3 Years
$81$252
The Fund pays transaction and financing costs associated with the purchase and sale of securities and derivatives. These costs are not reflected in the table or the example above.
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. Because the Fund is newly organized, portfolio turnover information is not yet available.
Principal Investment Strategy
The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”). Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) will be invested in equity securities of large cap companies. The Fund considers a large cap company to be a company with a market capitalization that, at the time of purchase, is within with the capitalization range of the S&P 500 Index.
The Fund seeks to achieve its objective by investing in individual stocks, equity and index put options and/or put spreads, equity futures, Treasury Bills, and total returns swaps that implement a systematic trading strategy (STS). The Fund will own equity securities that, in the Adviser’s view, score well through quality, value, and growth screens, which are constructed using a weighting scheme designed to reduce overall portfolio volatility. The Adviser may replace a security if it believes another security offers a better return potential, with a preference for low portfolio turnover.
The Fund will utilize futures or a total return swap on the S&P 500 Index, as well as collect option premiums on S&P 500 puts during favorable market conditions to capture more equity market upside. A total return swap is an agreement whereby one party contracts to make periodic payments to another party based on the change in market value of certain underlying assets, which may include a basket of stocks, equity futures, Treasuries, Treasury futures, puts or calls, or an index during a specified period, in exchange for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or the total return of other underlying assets.
Selling (or writing) a put option gives the buyer the right to sell shares of the option’s reference asset at a specified price (the “strike price”) through the expiration date of the option (American-style options) or only at the expiration date (European-style options). The seller of the put option receives an amount (premium) for selling the option. In the event the reference asset declines in value below the strike price and the buyer exercises its put option, the buyer will be entitled to receive the difference between the strike price and
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the value of the reference asset (a gain offset by the premium originally paid for the option), and in the event the reference asset closes above the strike price as of the expiration date, the put option may end up worthless, resulting in a gain to the seller in the amount of premium received.
Finally, the Fund will hold Treasury Bills to provide a return on cash used as collateral for the options, total return swaps, and/or futures, employing either standard exchange-listed options or Flexible EXchange Options (“FLEX”). An options contract provides a buyer the option to buy (call option) or sell (put option) an asset at a strike price on a future date.
The S&P 500 Index, maintained by S&P Dow Jones Indices, LLC, is designed to be comprised of stocks that are issued by the 500-leading large-cap U.S. operating companies and real estate investment trusts. The components of the Index are selected based on a variety of factors including the price of outstanding shares, market capitalization, liquidity public float, and financial viability. The Index is a market-capitalization weighted and float-adjusted index.
The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The Fund’s strategy may result in the active and frequent trading of the Fund’s investments, which may result in significant portfolio turnover.
Principal Investment Risks
The principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. The principal risks are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. As with any investment, there is a risk that you could lose all or a portion of your investment in the Fund. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its objectives. For more information about the risks of investing in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s Prospectus titled “Additional Information About the Fund.”
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives, such as the options, futures contracts, and swaps in which the Fund invests, can be volatile and involve various types and degrees of risks, depending upon the characteristics of a particular derivative. Derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest, meaning that a small investment in a derivative could have a substantial impact on the performance of the Fund. The Fund could experience a loss if its derivatives do not perform as anticipated, the derivatives are not correlated with the performance of their underlying security, or if the Fund is unable to purchase or liquidate a position because of an illiquid secondary market. The market for many derivatives is, or suddenly can become, illiquid. Changes in liquidity may result in significant, rapid, and unpredictable changes in the prices for derivatives.
Counterparty Risk. Fund transactions involving a counterparty are subject to the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its obligation to the Fund. Counterparty risk may arise because of the counterparty’s financial condition (i.e., financial difficulties, bankruptcy, or insolvency), market activities and developments, or other reasons, whether foreseen or not. A counterparty’s inability to fulfill its obligation may result in significant financial loss to the Fund. The Fund may be unable to recover its investment from the counterparty or may obtain a limited recovery, and/or recovery may be delayed. The Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”) acts as guarantor and central counterparty with respect to FLEX Options. As a result, the ability of the Fund to meet its objective depends on the OCC being able to meet its obligations. In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses.
FLEX Options Correlation Risk. The FLEX Options held by the Fund will be exercisable at the strike price only on their expiration date. Prior to the expiration date, the value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the underlying asset. Factors that may influence the value of the FLEX Options, other than changes in the value of the underlying asset, may include interest rate changes, changing supply and demand, decreased liquidity of the FLEX Options, and changing volatility levels of the underlying asset.
FLEX Options Liquidity Risk. The FLEX Options are listed on an exchange; however, no one can guarantee that a liquid secondary trading market will exist for the FLEX Options. In the event that trading in the FLEX Options is limited or absent, the value of the Fund’s FLEX Options may decrease. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, liquidating the FLEX Options may require the payment of a premium (for written FLEX Options) or acceptance of a discounted price (for purchased FLEX Options) and may take longer to complete. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and Fund shares and result in the Fund being unable to achieve its investment objective. The trading in FLEX Options may be less deep and liquid than the market for certain other securities. FLEX Options may be less liquid than certain non-customized options. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, the liquidation of a large number of options may more significantly impact the price. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and the value of your investment.
FLEX Options Valuation Risk. The value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the underlying asset. During periods of reduced market liquidity or in the absence of readily available market quotations for the holdings of the Fund, the ability of the Fund to value the FLEX Options becomes more
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difficult and the judgment of the Fund’s investment adviser (employing the fair value procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Trust) may play a greater role in the valuation of the Fund’s holdings due to reduced availability of reliable objective pricing data.
Futures Contracts Risks. A decision as to whether, when, and how to use futures involves the exercise of skill and judgment and even a well-conceived futures transaction may be unsuccessful because of market behavior or unexpected events. In addition to the risks associated with all derivatives, the prices of futures can be highly volatile, using futures can lower total return, and the potential loss from futures can exceed the Fund’s initial investment in such contracts and could be unlimited.
Options Risk. Purchasing and selling (writing) options are speculative activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. Options enable the Fund to purchase exposure that is significantly greater than the premium paid. Consequently, the value of such options can be volatile, and a small investment in options can have a large impact on the performance of the Fund. The Fund risks losing all or part of the cash paid (premium) for purchasing options. Even a small decline in the value of a reference asset underlying call options or a small increase in the value of a reference asset underlying put options can result in the entire investment in such options being lost. Additionally, the value of the option may be lost if the Adviser fails to exercise such option at or prior to its expiration. Further, writing option contracts can result in losses that exceed the seller’s initial investment and may lead to additional turnover and higher tax liability. The Fund will incur a loss as a result of writing (selling) options if the price of the written option instrument increases in value between the date the Fund writes the option and the date on which the Fund purchases an offsetting position or exits the option.
Swap Risk. The Fund may enter into derivatives called swaps. Risks associated with swap agreements include failure of the counterparties to perform under the contract’s terms, changes in the returns of the underlying instruments, and the possible lack of liquidity with respect to the swap agreements. The Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the bankruptcy or default of a swap agreement counterparty.
Derivatives Tax Risk. The may enter into various transactions for which there is a lack of clear guidance under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), which may affect the taxation of the Fund. In particular, the use of certain derivatives may cause the Fund to realize higher amounts of ordinary income or short-term capital gain, to suspend or eliminate holding periods of positions, and/or to defer realized losses, potentially increasing the amount of taxable distributions, and of ordinary income distributions in particular. The Fund’s use of derivatives may be limited by the requirements for taxation as a regulated investment company (“RIC”). In addition, the federal income tax treatment of a derivative may not be as favorable as a direct investment in an underlying asset and may adversely affect the timing, character and amount of income the Fund realizes from its investments. As a result, a larger portion of the Fund’s distributions may be treated as ordinary income rather than capital gains. In addition, certain derivatives are subject to mark-to-market or straddle provisions of the Code. If such provisions are applicable, there could be an increase (or decrease) in the amount of taxable dividends paid by the Fund. In addition, the tax treatment of certain derivatives, such as swaps, is unsettled and may be subject to future legislation, regulation or administrative pronouncements issued by the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”).
ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, it is exposed to the following risks:
Authorized Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants (“APs”). In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.
Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.
Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”) and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. There can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings,
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which can be significantly less liquid than Shares, and this could lead to differences between the market price of the Shares and the underlying value of those Shares.
High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may frequently buy and sell portfolio securities and other assets to rebalance the Fund’s exposure to specific securities. Higher portfolio turnover may result in the Fund paying higher levels of transaction costs and generating greater tax liabilities for shareholders. Portfolio turnover risk may cause the Fund’s performance to be less than you expect.
Management Risk. The Fund is actively managed and may not meet its investment objective based on the Adviser’s success or failure to implement investment strategies for the Fund.
Market Capitalization Risk.
Large-Capitalization Investing. The securities of large-capitalization companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies may also be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes.
No Operating History. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors have no track record on which to base their investment decision. An investment in the Fund may therefore involve greater uncertainty than an investment in a fund with a more established record of performance.
Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance.
Other Investment Companies Risk. The risks of investing in other investment companies, such as ETFs, typically reflect the risks of the types of instruments in which the investment company invests. By investing in another investment company, the Fund becomes a shareholder of that investment company and bears its proportionate share of the fees and expenses of the investment company. As a result, an investment by the Fund in an investment company could cause the Fund’s operating expenses (taking into account indirect expenses such as the fees and expenses of the investment company) to be higher and, in turn, performance to be lower than if it were to invest directly in the instruments underlying the investment company. Investments in ETFs are also subject to the “ETF Risks” described above.
Tax Risk. The Fund may dispose of appreciated derivative holdings by distributing such positions in-kind pursuant to redemption requests. Under the Code, the distribution of appreciated property pursuant to a redemption request enables a RIC to avoid recognizing any built-in gain in such appreciated property. If the IRS disagrees with the Fund’s position as the applicability of this non-recognition rule to the Fund’s disposition of derivatives, the Fund could be required to recognize significant amounts of additional income and gains that would need to have been distributed to shareholders of the Fund to avoid to incurring entity level income tax and potentially excise taxes. Failure to distribute sufficient amounts of income could cause the Fund to lose its tax-favored status as RIC. If the Fund did not qualify as a RIC for any taxable year and certain relief provisions were not available, the Fund’s taxable income would be subject to tax at the Fund level and to a further tax at the shareholder level when such income is distributed. Failure to comply with the requirements for qualification as a RIC would have significant negative tax consequences to Fund shareholders.
U.S. Treasury Security Risk. The Fund may have exposure to U.S. Treasuries, which are government debt instruments issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury and are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government. The market prices for U.S. Treasuries will fluctuate and are not guaranteed.
Performance
Performance information for the Fund is not included because the Fund had not yet commenced operations as of the date of this Prospectus. In the future, performance information for the Fund will be presented in this section. Updated performance information will be available on the Fund’s website at https://aptusetfs.com/upsd/.
Management
Investment Adviser
Aptus Capital Advisors, LLC serves as investment adviser to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers
John D. (“JD”) Gardner, CFA, Chief Investment Officer and Managing Member at the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in October 2024.
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Mark Callahan, Portfolio Manager and Head of Trading at the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager on the Fund since its inception in October 2024.
Brad Rapking, CFA, Portfolio Manager and Analyst at the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in October 2024.
Brian Jacobs, CFA, Portfolio Manager and Analyst at the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in October 2024.
Purchase and Sale of Shares
Shares are listed on the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through brokers at market prices, rather than NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units,” which only APs (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities and/or a designated amount of U.S. cash.
Investors may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Recent information about the Fund, including its NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads is available on the Fund’s website at https://aptusetfs.com/upsd/
Tax Information
Fund distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an IRA or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of assets from those accounts.
Financial Intermediary Compensation
If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing, educational training or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more information.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND
Investment Objective. The Fund’s investment objective has been adopted as a non-fundamental investment policy and may be changed without shareholder approval upon written notice to shareholders.
Temporary Defensive Positions. From time to time, the Fund may take temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with its principal investment strategies in attempting to respond to adverse market, economic, political, or other conditions. In such instances, the Fund may hold up to 100% of its assets in cash; short-term U.S. government securities and government agency securities; investment grade money market instruments; money market mutual funds; investment grade fixed income securities; repurchase agreements; commercial paper; cash equivalents; and ETFs that principally invest in the foregoing instruments. As a result of engaging in these temporary measures, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.
Additional Information About The Fund’s Principal Risks. This section provides additional information regarding the principal risks described in the Fund Summary. As in the Fund Summary, the principal risks below are presented in alphabetical order to facilitate finding particular risks and comparing them with other funds. Each risk described below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Each of the factors below could have a negative impact on the Fund’s performance and trading prices.
Counterparty Risk. If the Fund enters into an investment or transaction that depends on the performance of another party, the Fund becomes subject to the credit risk of that counterparty. The Fund’s ability to profit from these types of investments and transactions depends on the willingness and ability of the counterparty to perform its obligations. If a counterparty fails to meet its contractual obligations, the Fund may be unable to terminate or realize any gain on the investment or transaction, resulting in a loss to the Fund. The Fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery in an insolvency, bankruptcy, or other reorganization proceeding involving a counterparty (including recovery of any collateral posted by it) and may obtain only a limited recovery or may obtain no recovery in such circumstances. If the Fund holds collateral posted by its counterparty, it may be delayed or prevented from realizing on the collateral in the event of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding relating to the counterparty. Under applicable law or contractual provisions, including if the Fund enters into an investment or transaction with a financial institution and such financial institution (or an affiliate of the financial institution) experiences financial difficulties, then the Fund may in certain situations be prevented or delayed from exercising its rights to terminate the investment or transaction, or to realize on any collateral and may result in the suspension of payment and delivery obligations of the parties under such investment or transactions or in another institution being substituted for that financial institution without the consent of the Fund. Further, the Fund may be subject to “bail-in” risk under applicable law whereby, if required by the financial institution's authority, the financial institution's liabilities could be written down, eliminated or converted into equity or an alternative instrument of ownership. A bail-in of a financial institution may result in a reduction in value of some or all of securities and, if the Fund holds such securities or has entered into a transaction with such a financial security when a bail-in occurs, the Fund may also be similarly impacted.
Derivatives Risk. Derivatives, such as the options, futures contracts, and swaps in which the Fund invests, can be volatile and involve various types and degrees of risks, depending upon the characteristics of a particular derivative. Derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest, meaning that a small investment in a derivative could have a substantial impact on the performance of the Fund. The Fund could experience a loss if its derivatives do not perform as anticipated, the derivatives are not correlated with the performance of their underlying security, or if the Fund is unable to purchase or liquidate a position because of an illiquid secondary market. The market for many derivatives is, or suddenly can become, illiquid. Changes in liquidity may result in significant, rapid, and unpredictable changes in the prices for derivatives. Regulatory developments may limit the availability of certain derivatives, may make the use of derivatives by the Fund more costly, and may otherwise adversely impact the performance and value of derivatives. Regulatory developments also may change the way in which the Fund itself is regulated. Such developments may affect the Fund’s ability to invest or the extent to which it may invest in certain derivatives and subject the Fund to additional regulatory requirements. Complying with new requirements may increase the cost of the Fund’s investments and the cost of implementing the Fund’s investment program and related operations, which could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. Rule 18f-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) (“Rule 18f-4”), which took effect on August 19, 2022, imposes requirements and restrictions on the Fund’s use of derivatives. Rule 18f-4 requires funds whose use of derivatives is more than a limited specified exposure to establish and maintain a derivatives risk management program and appoint a derivatives risk manager. It is not currently clear what impact, if any, Rule 18f-4 will have on the availability, liquidity, or performance of derivatives in the future. To the extent the Fund’s compliance with Rule 18f-4 changes how the Fund uses derivatives, Rule 18f-4 may adversely affect the Fund’s performance and/or increase costs related to the Fund’s use of derivatives.
Derivatives Tax Risk. The may enter into various transactions for which there is a lack of clear guidance under the Code, which may affect the taxation of the Fund. In particular, the use of certain derivatives may cause the Fund to realize higher amounts of ordinary income or short-term capital gain, to suspend or eliminate holding periods of positions, and/or to defer realized losses, potentially increasing the amount of taxable distributions, and of ordinary income distributions in particular. The Fund’s use of derivatives may be limited by the requirements for taxation as a RIC. In addition, the federal income tax treatment of a derivative
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may not be as favorable as a direct investment in an underlying asset and may adversely affect the timing, character and amount of income the Fund realizes from its investments. As a result, a larger portion of the Fund’s distributions may be treated as ordinary income rather than capital gains. In addition, certain derivatives are subject to mark-to-market or straddle provisions of the Code. If such provisions are applicable, there could be an increase (or decrease) in the amount of taxable dividends paid by the Fund. In addition, the tax treatment of certain derivatives, such as swaps, is unsettled and may be subject to future legislation, regulation or administrative pronouncements issued by the IRS.
ETF Risks. The Fund is an ETF, and, as a result of an ETF’s structure, it is exposed to the following risks:
APs, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.
Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Investors buying or selling Shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers, as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of Shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price at which an investor is willing to buy Shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Shares (the “ask” price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the “spread” or “bid-ask spread.” The bid-ask spread varies over time for Shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and the spread is generally lower if Shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if Shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, a relatively small investor base in the Fund, asset swings in the Fund, and/or increased market volatility may cause increased bid-ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, including bid-ask spreads, frequent trading of Shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.
Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility or periods of steep market declines. The market price of Fund 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 Fund shares. In times of severe market disruption, the bid-ask spread can increase significantly. At those times, Fund shares are most likely to be traded at a discount to NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest when the price of Fund shares is falling fastest, which may be the time that you most want to sell your Fund shares. The Adviser believes that, under normal market conditions, large market price discounts or premiums to NAV will not be sustained because of arbitrage opportunities.
Trading. Although Shares are listed for trading on the Exchange and may be listed or traded on U.S. and non-U.S. stock exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such Shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Shares may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to Exchange “circuit breaker” rules, which temporarily halt trading on the Exchange when a decline in the S&P 500® Index during a single day reaches certain thresholds (e.g., 7%, 13%, and 20%). Additional rules applicable to the Exchange may halt trading in Shares when extraordinary volatility causes sudden, significant swings in the market price of Shares. There can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares, and this could lead to differences between the market price of the Shares and the underlying value of those Shares. Additionally, this adverse change in liquidity could in turn lead to differences between the market price of Shares and the underlying value of those Shares.
FLEX Options Correlation Risk. The FLEX Options held by the Fund will be exercisable at the strike price only on its expiration date. Prior to the expiration date, the value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. Factors that may influence the value of the FLEX Options include interest rate changes and implied volatility levels of the Underlying ETF, among others.
FLEX Options Liquidity Risk. The FLEX Options are listed on an exchange; however, there is no guarantee that a liquid secondary trading market will exist for the FLEX Options. In the event that trading in the FLEX Options is limited or absent, the value of the Fund’s FLEX Options may decrease. Trading in the FLEX Options may be less deep and liquid than certain other
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securities such as standardized options. The FLEX Options may be less liquid than certain non-customized options. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, liquidating the FLEX Options may require the payment of a premium (for written FLEX Options) or acceptance of a discounted price (for purchased FLEX Options) and may take longer to complete. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, the liquidation of a large number of options may more significantly impact the price. A less liquid trading market may adversely impact the value of the FLEX Options and the Fund’s shares and result in the Fund being unable to achieve its investment objective.
FLEX Options Valuation Risk. The FLEX Options held by the Fund will be exercisable at the strike price only on their expiration date. Prior to the expiration date, the value of the FLEX Options will be determined based upon market quotations or using other recognized pricing methods. The value of the FLEX Options prior to the expiration date may vary because of related factors other than the value of the Underlying ETF. Factors that may influence the value of the FLEX Options include interest rate changes and implied volatility levels of the Underlying ETF, among others. During periods of reduced market liquidity or in the absence of readily available market quotations for the holdings of the Fund, the ability of that Fund to value the FLEX Options becomes more difficult and the judgment of the Fund’s investment adviser (employing the fair value procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Trust) may play a greater role in the valuation of the Fund’s holdings due to reduced availability of reliable objective pricing data. Consequently, while such determinations may be made in good faith, it may nevertheless be more difficult for the Fund to accurately assign a daily value. Under those circumstances, the value of the FLEX Options will require more reliance on the investment adviser’s judgment than that required for securities for which there is an active trading market. This creates a risk of mispricing or improper valuation of the FLEX Options which could impact the value paid for shares of the Fund.
Futures Contracts Risks. The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease in tandem with the value of the underlying instrument. Depending on the terms of the particular contract, futures contracts are settled through either physical delivery of the underlying instrument on the settlement date or by payment of a cash settlement amount on the settlement date. A decision as to whether, when, and how to use futures involves the exercise of skill and judgment and even a well-conceived futures transaction may be unsuccessful because of market behavior or unexpected events. In addition to the risks associated with all derivatives, the prices of futures can be highly volatile, using futures can lower total return, and the potential loss from futures can exceed the Fund’s initial investment in such contracts and could be unlimited.
High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may frequently buy and sell portfolio securities and other assets to rebalance the Fund’s exposure to specific securities. Higher portfolio turnover may result in the Fund paying higher levels of transaction costs and generating greater tax liabilities for shareholders. Portfolio turnover risk may cause the Fund’s performance to be less than you expect.
Management Risk. The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed portfolios. In managing the Fund’s investment portfolio, the portfolio manager will apply investment techniques and risk analyses that may not produce the desired result. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will meet its investment objective(s), meet relevant benchmarks or perform as well as other funds with similar objectives.
Market Capitalization Risk.
Large-Capitalization Investing. The securities of large cap companies may be relatively mature compared to smaller companies and therefore subject to slower growth during times of economic expansion. Large-capitalization companies may also be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges, such as changes in technology and consumer tastes.
No Operating History. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors have no track record on which to base their investment decision. An investment in the Fund may therefore involve greater uncertainty than an investment in a fund with a more established record of performance.
Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund is considered to be non-diversified, which means that it may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it were a diversified fund. As a result, the Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. This may increase the Fund’s volatility and cause the performance of a relatively smaller number of issuers to have a greater impact on the Fund’s performance. However, the Fund intends to satisfy the diversification requirements for qualifying as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code.
Options Risk. Selling (writing) and buying options are speculative activities and entail greater than ordinary investment risks. Options enable the Fund to purchase exposure that is significantly greater than the premium paid. Consequently, the value of such options can be volatile, and a small investment in options can have a large impact on the performance of the Fund. The Fund’s investment in options can lead to losses because of adverse movements in the price or value of the reference asset, which may be magnified by certain features of the options. When selling a put option, the Fund will receive a premium; however, this premium may not be enough to offset a loss incurred by the Fund if the price of the underlying asset is below the strike price by an amount equal to or greater than the premium. In addition, to the extent a written option that is part of an option spread strategy is exercised, the corresponding option purchased by the Fund to mitigate losses as part of an option spread strategy is not expected
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to offset all losses from the written option. Purchasing of put or call options involves the payment of premiums, which may adversely affect the Fund’s performance. Purchased put or call options may expire worthless resulting in the Fund’s loss of the premium it paid for the option.
Further, writing option contracts can result in losses that exceed the seller’s initial investment and may lead to additional turnover and higher tax liability. The Fund will incur a loss as a result of writing (selling) options if the price of the written option instrument increases in value between the date the Fund writes the option and the date on which the Fund purchases an offsetting position or exits the option.
The value of an option may be adversely affected if the market for the option becomes less liquid or smaller, and will be affected by changes in the value or yield of the option’s reference asset, an increase in interest rates, a change in the actual or perceived volatility of the stock market or the reference asset and the remaining time to expiration. Additionally, the value of an option does not increase or decrease at the same rate as the reference asset. The Fund’s investment in options may reduce the Fund’s profit from its other holdings and may result in a significantly greater decline in the value of the Fund than if it had invested directly in the reference asset instead of using options. If the price of the reference asset of a purchased put option remains above its strike price or the price of the reference asset of a purchased call option remains below its strike price, the option may become worthless, and, consequently the value of the Fund may decline significantly more than if the Fund invested solely in the reference asset instead of using options or did not invest in the options at all.
Other Investment Companies Risk. The Fund may invest in shares of other investment companies, such as ETFs. The risks of investment in these securities typically reflect the risks of the types of instruments in which the investment company invests. When the Fund invests in investment company securities, shareholders of the Fund bear indirectly their proportionate share of their fees and expenses, as well as their share of the Fund’s fees and expenses. As a result, an investment by the Fund in an investment company could cause the Fund’s operating expenses (taking into account indirect expenses such as the fees and expenses of the investment company) to be higher and, in turn, performance to be lower than if it were to invest directly in the instruments underlying the investment company. Additionally, there may not be an active trading market available for shares of some ETFs. Shares of an ETF may also trade in the market at a premium or discount to its NAV.
Swap Risk. Risks associated with swap agreements include failure of the counterparties to perform under the contract’s terms, changes in the returns of the underlying instruments, and the possible lack of liquidity with respect to the swap agreements. Additionally, it is possible that developments in the swaps market, including enhanced government regulation, could result in higher Fund costs and expenses and could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to terminate existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under these agreements.
Tax Risk. The Fund may dispose of appreciated derivative holdings by distributing such positions in-kind pursuant to redemption requests. Under the Code, the distribution of appreciated property pursuant to a redemption request enables a RIC to avoid recognizing any built-in gain in such appreciated property. If the IRS disagrees with the Fund’s position as the applicability of this non-recognition rule to the Fund’s disposition of derivatives, the Fund could be required to recognize significant amounts of additional income and gains that would need to have been distributed to shareholders of the Fund to avoid to incurring entity level income tax and potentially excise taxes. Failure to distribute sufficient amounts of income could cause the Fund to lose its tax-favored status as RIC. If the Fund did not qualify as a RIC for any taxable year and certain relief provisions were not available, the Fund’s taxable income would be subject to tax at the Fund level and to a further tax at the shareholder level when such income is distributed. Failure to comply with the requirements for qualification as a RIC would have significant negative tax consequences to Fund shareholders.
U.S. Treasury Security Risk. The Fund may have exposure to U.S. Treasuries, which are government debt instruments issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury and are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government. The market prices for U.S. Treasuries will fluctuate and are not guaranteed. U.S. Treasuries trade actively outside the United States, and their prices may rise and fall as global economic conditions impact investor demand. U.S. Treasuries may differ from other securities in their maturities, interest rates, times of issuance and other features, and may provide relatively lower returns than those of other securities.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION
Information about the Fund’s daily portfolio holdings is available at www.aptusetfs.com. A complete description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”).
MANAGEMENT
Investment Adviser
Aptus serves as the Fund’s investment adviser and has overall responsibility for the general management and administration of the Fund. Aptus is a registered investment adviser with offices located at 265 Young Street Fairhope, Alabama 36532. Aptus provides investment advisory services to separately managed accounts, as well as the Fund. Aptus also arranges for transfer agency, custody,
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fund administration, and all other related services necessary for the Fund to operate.
For the services it provides to the Fund, the Fund pays the Adviser a unified management fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate based on the Fund’s average daily net assets as set forth in the table below.
Name of FundManagement Fee
Aptus Large Cap Upside ETF (UPSD
0.79%
Under the investment advisory agreement, the Adviser has agreed to pay all expenses incurred by the Fund except for interest charges on any borrowings, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, extraordinary expenses, distribution fees and expenses paid by the Fund under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and the unified management fee payable to the Adviser.
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees’ approval of the Fund’s Investment Advisory Agreement will be available in the Fund’s Core Financial Statements that will be filed as part of the Fund’s first Form N-CSR filing.
Portfolio Managers
The Fund is jointly and primarily managed by Messrs. Gardner, Callahan, Rapking, and Jacobs.
JD Gardner, CFA, CMT, is the Managing Member and Chief Investment Officer at Aptus and has been with Aptus since founding the firm in 2013. Prior to Aptus, Mr. Gardner was a research analyst at Cornerstone Investment Management and an Associated Person for a commodity trading advisor. Mr. Gardner previously held roles in wealth and asset management for UBS and Morgan Stanley.
Mark Callahan is a Portfolio Manager and the Head of Trading at Aptus and has been with Aptus since 2019. In his role as Portfolio Manager, Mr. Callahan has been focused on derivative management, timing, hedging, and trading. Prior to joining Aptus, Mr. Callahan enjoyed a nearly 12-year career on the Sell-Side as an Institutional Equity and Derivatives Trader, as well as a Transition Manager. Mr. Callahan holds a BBA in Finance from the University of Oklahoma, and a MSc. of Real Estate from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Brad Rapking, CFA, is a Portfolio Manager and Analyst at Aptus and joined the firm in 2020. In his role as Portfolio Manager, Mr. Rapking is focused on portfolio construction, fundamental research, idea generation and buy/sell decisions. Mr. Rapking graduated from Xavier University in 2015 with a BSBA in Finance. Mr. Rapking is a CFA Charterholder and a member of the CFA Institute and CFA Society of Alabama. Prior to joining Aptus, Mr. Rapking was an Equity Analyst for the Driehaus Capital Value Equities team responsible for fundamental research and idea generation in the Small Cap Value, Micro Cap Value, and International Small Cap Value strategies. Mr. Rapking has more than five years of experience in institutional equity research, trading and operations.
Brian Jacobs, CFA, is a Portfolio Manager and Analyst at Aptus and joined the firm in 2023. In his role as Portfolio Manager, Mr. Jacobs is responsible for educating investors on Aptus’ diverse set of investment products, services, and solutions while helping design and implement new investment solutions for prospective clients. Prior to Aptus, Brian had various roles at RS Investments, Mellon Capital, and PIMCO including product development, product management, and institutional client service with expertise in creating and clearly communicating unique products and solutions. Brian holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation from the CFA Institute. He graduated with a Masters in Business Administration from Columbia Business School and received his undergraduate degree in Finance from The Pennsylvania State University.
The Fund’s SAI provides additional information about the Portfolio Managers’ compensation structure, other accounts managed by the Portfolio Managers, and the Portfolio Managers’ ownership of Shares.
HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in Creation Units. Only APs may acquire Shares directly from the Fund, and only APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to the Fund, at NAV. APs must be a member or participant of a clearing agency registered with the SEC and must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor (defined below), and that has been accepted by the Fund’s transfer agent, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Once created, Shares trade in the secondary market in quantities less than a Creation Unit.
Most investors buy and sell Shares in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares are listed for trading on the secondary market on the Exchange and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded securities.
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 offer price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction. In addition, because secondary market transactions occur at market prices, you may pay more than NAV when you buy Shares and receive less than NAV when you sell those Shares.
Book Entry
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Shares are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding Shares.
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. DTC’s participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other securities that you hold in book entry or “street name” through your brokerage account.
Frequent Purchases and Redemptions of Shares
The Fund imposes no restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of Shares. In determining not to approve a written, established policy, the Board evaluated the risks of market timing activities by Fund shareholders. Purchases and redemptions by APs, who are the only parties that may purchase or redeem Shares directly with the Fund, are an essential part of the ETF process and help keep Share trading prices in line with NAV. As such, the Fund accommodates frequent purchases and redemptions by APs. However, the Board has also determined that frequent purchases and redemptions for cash may increase tracking error and portfolio transaction costs and may lead to the realization of capital gains. To minimize these potential consequences of frequent purchases and redemptions, the Fund employs fair value pricing and may impose transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs incurred by the Fund in effecting trades. In addition, the Fund and the Adviser reserve the right to reject any purchase order at any time.
Determination of Net Asset Value (NAV)
The Fund’s NAV is calculated as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), generally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, each day the NYSE is open for business. The NAV is calculated by dividing the Fund’s net assets by its Shares outstanding.
In calculating its NAV, the Fund generally values its assets on the basis of market quotations, last sale prices, or estimates of value furnished by a pricing service or brokers who make markets in such instruments. In particular, the Fund generally values equity securities traded on any recognized U.S. or non-U.S. exchange at the last sale price or official closing price on the exchange or system on which they are principally traded. If such information is not available for a security held by the Fund or is determined to be unreliable, the security will be valued by the Adviser at fair value pursuant to procedures established by the Adviser and approved by the Board (as described below).
Fair Value Pricing
The Adviser has been designated by the Board as the valuation designee for the Fund pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act. In its capacity as valuation designee, the Adviser has adopted procedures and methodologies to fair value Fund securities whose market prices are not “readily available” or are deemed to be unreliable. For example, such circumstances may arise when: (i) a security has been de-listed or has had its trading halted or suspended; (ii) a security’s primary pricing source is unable or unwilling to provide a price; (iii) a security’s primary trading market is closed during regular market hours; or (iv) a security’s value is materially affected by events occurring after the close of the security’s primary trading market. The Board has appointed the Adviser as the Fund’s valuation designee to perform all fair valuations of the Fund’s portfolio investments, subject to the Board’s oversight. Accordingly, the Adviser has established procedures for its fair valuation of the Fund’s portfolio investments. Generally, when fair valuing a security held by the Fund, the Adviser will take into account all reasonably available information that may be relevant to a particular valuation including, but not limited to, fundamental analytical data regarding the issuer, information relating to the issuer’s business, recent trades or offers of the security, general and/or specific market conditions and the specific facts giving rise to the need to fair value the security. Fair value determinations are made in good faith and in accordance with the fair value methodologies established by the Adviser. Due to the subjective and variable nature of determining the fair value of a security or other investment, there can be no assurance that the Adviser’s fair value will match or closely correlate to any market quotation that subsequently becomes available or the price quoted or published by other sources. In addition, the Fund may not be able to obtain the fair value assigned to the security upon the sale of such security.
Investments by Registered Investment Companies
Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by registered investment companies in the securities of other investment companies, including Shares. Registered investment companies are permitted to invest in the Fund beyond the limits set forth in section 12(d)(1) subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act, including that such investment companies enter into an agreement with the Fund. The relief from Section 12(d)(1), however, may not be available for investments in the Fund if the Fund invests significantly in other ETFs.
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Delivery of Shareholder Documents – Householding
Householding is an option available to certain investors of the Fund. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Householding for the Fund is available through certain broker-dealers. If you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of prospectuses and other shareholder documents, please contact your broker-dealer. If you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status, please contact your broker-dealer.
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS, AND TAXES
Dividends and Distributions
The Fund intends to pay out dividends, if any, and distribute any net realized capital gains to its shareholders at least annually. The Fund will declare and pay capital gain distributions in cash, if any. Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional whole Shares only if the broker through whom you purchased Shares makes such option available. Your broker is responsible for distributing the income and capital gain distributions to you.
Taxes
The following discussion is a summary of certain important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in the Fund. Your investment in the Fund may have other tax implications. Please consult your tax advisor about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares, including the possible application of foreign, state, and local tax laws. This summary does not apply to Shares held in an IRA or other tax-qualified plans, which are generally not subject to current tax. Transactions relating to Shares held in such accounts may, however, be taxable at some time in the future. This summary is based on current tax laws, which may change.
The Fund intends to elect and qualify each year for treatment as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under the Code. If the Fund meets certain minimum distribution requirements, a RIC is not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are timely distributed to shareholders. However, the Fund’s failure to qualify as a RIC or to meet minimum distribution requirements would result (if certain relief provisions were not available) in fund-level taxation and, consequently, a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders.
Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-advantaged account, such as an IRA, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when the Fund makes distributions, when you sell your Shares listed on the Exchange, and when you purchase or redeem Creation Units (APs only).
Taxes on Distributions
The Fund intends to distribute, at least annually, substantially all of its net investment income and net capital gains. For federal income tax purposes, distributions of investment income are generally taxable as ordinary income or qualified dividend income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains (if any) are determined by how long the Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her Shares. Sales of assets held by the Fund for more than one year generally result in long-term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held by the Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and losses. Distributions of the Fund’s net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) that are reported by the Fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be taxable as long-term capital gains, which for non-corporate shareholders are subject to tax at reduced rates of up to 20% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets). Distributions of short-term capital gain will generally be taxable as ordinary income. Dividends and distributions are generally taxable to you whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional Shares.
Distributions reported by the Fund as “qualified dividend income” are generally taxed to non-corporate shareholders at rates applicable to long-term capital gains, provided holding period and other requirements are met. “Qualified dividend income” generally is income derived from dividends paid by U.S. corporations or certain foreign corporations that are either incorporated in a U.S. possession or eligible for tax benefits under certain U.S. income tax treaties. In addition, dividends that the Fund received in respect of stock of certain foreign corporations may be qualified dividend income if that stock is readily tradable on an established U.S. securities market. Corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends received deduction for the portion of dividends they receive from the Fund that are attributable to dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations, subject to certain limitations. The Fund’s investment strategy may limit the amount of distributions eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income in the hands of non-corporate shareholders or eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders.
Dividends received by the Fund from an ETF or underlying fund taxable as a RIC may be treated as qualified dividend income generally only to the extent so reported by such ETF or underlying fund.
Shortly after the close of each calendar year, you will be informed of the amount and character of any distributions received from the Fund.
U.S. individuals with income exceeding specified thresholds are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gains distributions and capital gains
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realized on the sale of Shares). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.
In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax for the year in which they are paid. Certain distributions paid in January, however, may be treated as paid on December 31 of the prior year. Distributions are generally taxable even if they are paid from income or gains earned by the Fund before your investment (and thus were included in the Shares’ NAV when you purchased your Shares).
You may wish to avoid investing in the Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution, because such a distribution will generally be taxable even though it may economically represent a return of a portion of your investment.
If the Fund’s distributions exceed its earnings and profits, all or a portion of the distributions made for a taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder’s cost basis in Shares and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the Shares are sold. After a shareholder’s basis in Shares has been reduced to zero, distributions in excess of earnings and profits in respect of those Shares will be treated as gain from the sale of the Shares.
If you are neither a resident nor a citizen of the United States or if you are a foreign entity, distributions (other than Capital Gain Dividends) paid to you by the Fund will generally be subject to a U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30%, unless a lower treaty rate applies. Gains from the sale or other disposition of Shares by non-U.S. shareholders generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless you are a nonresident alien individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. The Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an “interest-related dividend” or a “short-term capital gain dividend,” which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Different tax consequences may result if you are a foreign shareholder engaged in a trade or business within the United States or if a tax treaty applies.
The Fund (or a financial intermediary, such as a broker, through which a shareholder owns Shares) generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage (currently 24%) of the taxable distributions and sale proceeds paid to any shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification number, who has underreported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that the shareholder is not subject to such withholding.
Taxes When Shares are Sold on the Exchange
Provided that a shareholder holds Shares as capital assets, any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Shares generally is treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if Shares have been held for one year or less. However, any capital loss on a sale of Shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of Capital Gain Dividends paid with respect to such Shares. Any loss realized on a sale will be disallowed to the extent Shares of the Fund are acquired, including through reinvestment of dividends, within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of Shares. The ability to deduct capital losses may be limited.
The cost basis of Shares of the Fund acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for the Shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of Shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of Shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your Shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.
Taxes on Purchases and Redemptions of Creation Units
An AP having the U.S. dollar as its functional currency for U.S. federal income tax purposes who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally recognizes a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the exchanging AP’s aggregate basis in the securities delivered, plus the amount of any cash paid for the Creation Units. An AP who exchanges Creation Units for securities will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanging AP’s basis in the Creation Units and the aggregate U.S. dollar market value of the securities received, plus any cash received for such Creation Units. The IRS may assert, however, that a loss that is realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units may not be currently deducted under the rules governing “wash sales” (for an AP who does not mark-to-market its holdings), or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. APs exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether the wash sales rule applies and when a loss might be deductible.
The Fund may include a payment of cash in addition to, or in place of, the delivery of a basket of securities upon the redemption of Creation Units. The Fund may sell portfolio securities to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize investment income and/or capital gains or losses that it might not have recognized if it had completely satisfied the redemption in-kind. As a result, the Fund may be less tax efficient if it includes such a cash payment in the proceeds paid upon the redemption of Creation Units.
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Taxation of Complex Investments
Certain of the Fund’s investments may be subject to complex provisions of the Code that, among other things, may affect the Fund’s ability to qualify as a RIC, affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund (e.g., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and defer losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require the Fund to mark to market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) which may cause the Fund to recognize income without the Fund receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts sufficient to enable the Fund to satisfy the RIC distribution requirements for avoiding income and excise taxes. The Fund intends to monitor its transactions, intends to make appropriate tax elections, and intends to make appropriate entries in its books and records to mitigate the effect of these rules and preserve the Fund’s qualification for treatment as a RIC. To the extent the Fund invests in an ETF or underlying fund that is taxable as a RIC, the rules applicable to the tax treatment of complex securities will also apply to such ETF or underlying fund that also invests in such complex securities and investments.
If positions held by the Fund were treated as “straddles” for federal income tax purposes, or the Fund’s risk of loss with respect to a position was otherwise diminished as set forth in Treasury Regulations, dividends on stocks that are a part of such positions would not constitute qualified dividend income subject to such favorable income tax treatment. In addition, generally, straddles are subject to certain rules that may affect the amount, character and timing of the Fund’s gains and losses with respect to straddle positions by requiring, among other things, that: (1) any loss realized on disposition of one position of a straddle may not be recognized to the extent that the Fund has unrealized gains with respect to the other position in such straddle; (2) the Fund’s holding period in straddle positions be suspended while the straddle exists (possibly resulting in a gain being treated as short-term capital gain rather than long-term capital gain); (3) the losses recognized with respect to certain straddle positions that are part of a mixed straddle and that are not subject to Section 1256 of the Code be treated as 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital loss; (4) losses recognized with respect to certain straddle positions that would otherwise constitute short-term capital losses be treated as long-term capital losses; and (5) the deduction of interest and carrying charges attributable to certain straddle positions may be deferred.
Net Investment Income Tax
U.S. individuals with income exceeding specified thresholds are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (generally including capital gains distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of Shares). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.
The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state and local tax on Fund distributions and sales of Shares. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in Shares under all applicable tax laws. For more information, please see the section entitled “Federal Income Taxes” in the SAI.
DISTRIBUTION
The Distributor, Quasar Distributors, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Foreside Financial Group, LLC (d/b/a ACA Group), is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC. The Distributor distributes Creation Units for the Fund on an agency basis and does not maintain a secondary market in Shares. The Distributor has no role in determining the policies of the Fund or the securities that are purchased or sold by the Fund. The Distributor’s principal address is Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101. The Board has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. In accordance with the Plan, the Fund is authorized to pay an amount up to 0.25% of its average daily net assets each year for certain distribution-related activities and shareholder 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, because the fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than certain other types of sales charges.
PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION
Information regarding how often Shares traded on the Exchange at a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV per Share is available, free of charge, on the Fund’s website at www.aptusetfs.com.
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ADDITIONAL NOTICES
Shares are not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by the Exchange. The Exchange makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the shares of the Fund. The Exchange is not responsible for, nor has it participated in the determination of, the timing, prices, or quantities of Shares to be issued, nor in the determination or calculation of the equation by which Shares are redeemable. The Exchange has no obligation or liability to owners of Shares in connection with the administration, marketing, or trading of Shares.
Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Exchange have any liability for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special, or consequential damages even if notified of the possibility thereof.
The Adviser and the Fund make 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.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Financial information is not available because the Fund had not commenced operations prior to the date of this Prospectus.
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Aptus Large Cap Upside ETF
Adviser
Aptus Capital Advisors, LLC
265 Young Street
Fairhope, Alabama 36532
Custodian
U.S. Bank National Association
1555 North Rivercenter Drive, Suite 302
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212
Administrator, Fund Accountant, and Transfer Agent
U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC
615 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202
Distributor
Quasar Distributors, LLC
Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100,
Portland, Maine 04101
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Cohen & Company, Ltd.
1835 Market St., Suite 310
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103
Legal Counsel
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004-2541
Investors may find more information about the Fund in the following documents:
Statement of Additional Information: The Fund’s SAI provides additional details about the investments and techniques of the Fund and certain other additional information. A current SAI dated October 7, 2024 is on file with the SEC and is herein incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. It is legally considered a part of this Prospectus.
Annual/Semi-Annual Reports: Additional information about the Fund’s investments will be available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders and in Form N-CSR (when available). In the annual report you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during the Fund’s prior fiscal year. In Form N-CSR, you will find the Fund’s annual and semi-annual financial statements.
You can obtain free copies of these documents, request other information or make general inquiries about the Fund by contacting the Fund at c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701 or by calling 1-800-617-0004.
Shareholder reports and other information about the Fund are available:
Free of charge from the SEC’s EDGAR database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov; or
Free of charge from the Fund’s Internet website at www.aptusetfs.com; or
For a fee, by e-mail request to publicinfo@sec.gov.

(SEC Investment Company Act File No. 811-22668)



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