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TUTTLE CAPITAL TSLA PUT WRITE ETF

TUTTLE CAPITAL NVDA PUT WRITE ETF

TUTTLE CAPITAL MSTR PUT WRITE ETF

TUTTLE CAPITAL COIN PUT WRITE ETF

TUTTLE CAPITAL QQQ PUT WRITE ETF

 

PROSPECTUS

February 24, 2025

 

This prospectus describes the following ETFs which are each authorized to offer one class of shares by this prospectus.

 

Fund Ticker Principal U.S. Listing Exchange
TUTTLE CAPITAL TSLA PUT WRITE ETF TSPW Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.
TUTTLE CAPITAL NVDA PUT WRITE ETF NVPW Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.
TUTTLE CAPITAL MSTR PUT WRITE ETF MSPW Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.
TUTTLE CAPITAL COIN PUT WRITE ETF COPW Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.
TUTTLE CAPITAL QQQ PUT WRITE ETF QQPW Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.

 

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

 

 

Table of Contents

 

FUND SUMMARY – TUTTLE CAPITAL TSLA PUT WRITE ETF 1
FUND SUMMARY – TUTTLE CAPITAL NVDA PUT WRITE ETF 7
FUND SUMMARY - TUTTLE CAPITAL MSTR PUT WRITE ETF 13
FUND SUMMARY - TUTTLE CAPITAL COIN PUT WRITE ETF 21
FUND SUMMARY - TUTTLE CAPITAL QQQ PUT WRITE ETF 28
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND’S INVESTMENTS 34
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT RISK 34
MANAGEMENT 40
HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES 41
FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES 42
DIVIDENDS, OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES 42
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS 44
FOR MORE INFORMATION 46

 

 

 

 

FUND SUMMARY – Tuttle Capital TSLA Put Write ETF

 

Investment Objectives

 

The investment objective of the Tuttle Capital TSLA Put Write ETF (the “Fund”) is to seek current income.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. 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 Fee(1)

Distribution (12b-1) and Service Fees

0.65%

0.00%

Other Expenses(2) 0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.65%

 

(1)Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, Tuttle Capital Management, LLC (the “Adviser”), at its own expense and without reimbursement from the Fund, pays all of the expenses of the Fund, excluding the advisory fees, interest expenses, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions and any other portfolio transaction-related expenses and fees arising out of transactions effected on behalf of the Fund, credit facility fees and expenses, including interest expenses, and litigation and indemnification expenses and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business.

 

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

 

Name of Fund 1 Year 3 Years
Tuttle Capital TSLA Put Write ETF $66 $208

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. As of the date of this Prospectus, the Fund has not yet commenced operations and therefore does not have any portfolio turnover information available.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that seeks current income primarily by selling (writing) put options on shares of Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) (the “Underlying Security”) and collecting the premiums paid by the purchasers of the put options. Specifically, the Fund seeks to maximize current income by selling cash-covered out-of-the-money or at-the-money put options on the Underlying Security (“Puts”), meaning that the “strike” price of a Put will be below or at the current price of the Underlying Security. If the price of the Underlying Security stays above the strike price of a particular Put by the time the Put expires, the Fund will realize gains by collecting the premiums paid by the Put purchaser. Should the price of the underlying Security fall below the strike price of a specific Put, the Fund will incur losses. Accordingly, the Fund is intended for investors who believe the price of the Underlying Security will stay flat or rise.

 

The Fund will sell Puts that utilize the Underlying Security as the reference asset. The Fund will utilize exchange-traded options and non-standardized FLexible EXchange® Options (also referred to as “FLEX Options®"). Exchange-traded options are standardized with set contract terms, such as the style (call or put), the reference asset, the strike price and expiration date. Exchange-listed options contracts are guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”). FLEX Options are non-standardized options, meaning that a user, such as the Fund, can specify the key contract terms that are normally standardized for exchange-traded options. As the seller of the Puts, the Fund receives cash (also called a premium) from the purchaser for each Put sold. Each Put contract sold by the Fund will commit the Fund to buying 100 shares of the Underlying Stock at the strike price if the Put owner exercises its option. If a Put sold by the Fund is exercised prior to expiration (“assigned” or “put” to the Fund), the Fund will purchase 100 shares of the Underlying Security at the time of exercise at the strike price and will hold the Underlying Security shares until they are liquidated. The Fund intends to write Puts that are American style options, meaning that the Put is exercisable at the strike price at any time prior to the option expiration date. However, the Fund may close out in-the-money put options before expiration to avoid having to purchase shares of the Underlying Security.

 

The Adviser has discretion to write Puts with either a weekly or monthly expiration date and at various strike prices that the Adviser believes will maximize income while minimizing the potential for loss. Puts with weekly expirations will expire on Friday of each week. Puts with monthly expirations will expire on the third Friday of every month. The strike price at which the Fund sells the Puts will depend on prevailing market conditions and the sold Puts positions will be reestablished weekly or more frequently. The Fund generally closes out the Puts prior to their expiration dates, and newly selected Puts are sold by the Fund on the same day (the “Roll Date”) in a process known as “rolling”. Rolling refers to the practice of closing out one options position and opening another with a different expiration date and/or a different strike price. The Fund will enter into new Puts when the existing Puts have expired, closed, or rolled early.

 

 

 

 

The Fund will invest its premium proceeds in short-term U.S. Treasury securities and money market instruments as collateral for the options and to generate income. The market value of the cash, money market instruments and U.S. Treasury securities held by the Fund is expected to comprise a substantial portion of the Fund’s net assets.

 

The Fund will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in written Puts on the Underlying Security. For purposes of the 80% test, written Puts will be valued at their notional value. This Policy is non-fundamental and requires 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders before it can be changed.

 

The Fund will seek to employ its investment strategy regardless of whether there are periods of adverse market, economic, or other conditions and will not seek to take temporary defensive positions during such periods.

 

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.

 

The Fund will be concentrated in the industry to which the Underlying Security is assigned (i.e., hold 25% or more of its total assets in investments that provide exposure in the industry to which the Underlying Security is assigned). As of the date of this prospectus, TSLA is assigned to the motor vehicles and passenger car bodies industry.

 

The Fund’s portfolio will primarily consist of the Put contracts, U.S. Treasuries and cash. In the event a Put purchaser exercises a Put and the Fund is forced to buy the Underlying Security from the purchaser and take delivery of the Underlying Security, the Adviser has discretion to hold the Underlying Security until the Adviser believes it is advantageous to sell the Underlying Security, it may write covered call options on the Underlying Security, or immediately sell the Underlying Security for liquidity purposes.

 

The Fund’s investment strategy is not intended to track the performance of the Underlying Security and the Fund’s performance will differ from that of the Underlying Security. The performance differences will depend on, among other things, the Underlying Security’s value, changes in the value of the Puts the Fund has sold, and changes in the value of the U.S. Treasuries and money market instruments held by the Fund. The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective of current income is not dependent on the price appreciation of the Underlying Security.

 

Tesla, Inc. operates as a multinational automotive and clean energy company. Founded in 2003, Tesla designs, develops, manufactures, and markets high-performance, technologically advanced electric cars and solar energy generation and energy storage products. Tesla sells more than five fully electric cars, among others, the Model X and Y SUVs, as well as the Model S sedan and Model 3 sedan. It has a growing global network of Tesla Superchargers, which are industrial grade, high-speed vehicle chargers, typically placed along well-traveled routes to allow Tesla-owners quick and reliable charging. Tesla offers certain advanced driver assist systems under its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving options. The US customers generate about half of Tesla's sales. TSLA is registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Information provided to or filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Tesla, Inc. pursuant to the Exchange Act can be located by reference to the Securities and Exchange Commission file number 001-34756 through the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, information regarding Tesla, Inc. may be obtained from other sources including, but not limited to, press releases, newspaper articles and other publicly disseminated documents. As of the date of this prospectus, TSLA is assigned to the motor vehicles and passenger car bodies industry.

 

The Fund has derived all disclosures contained in this document regarding Tesla, Inc. from the publicly available documents described above. Neither the Fund, the Trust, the Adviser nor any affiliate has participated in the preparation of such documents. Neither the Fund, the Trust, the Adviser nor any affiliate makes any representation that such publicly available documents or any other publicly available information regarding Tesla, Inc. is accurate or complete. Furthermore, the Fund cannot give any assurance that all events occurring prior to the date of the prospectus (including events that would affect the accuracy or completeness of the publicly available documents described above) that would affect the trading price of TSLA have been publicly disclosed. Subsequent disclosure of any such events or the disclosure of, or failure to disclose, material future events concerning Tesla, Inc. could affect the value of the Fund’s investments with respect to TSLA and therefore the value of the Fund.

 

The Fund intends to make monthly distribution payments to shareholders.

 

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund

 

As with all funds, a shareholder is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The principal risks affecting shareholders’ investments in the Fund are set forth below. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) or any government agency. 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’s Investments.” Each risk summarized below is considered a principal risk of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.

 

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Put Options Risk. Puts are subject to volatile swings in price influenced by changes in the value of the underlying instrument. The price of the Puts sold by the Fund will have imperfect correlation to the returns of the Underlying Security. Although the Fund collects premiums on the Puts it writes, the Fund’s risk of loss if the value of the Underlying Security falls below the strike price and the Puts are exercised as of the Roll Date (i.e., the Fund, as the seller of the Puts, owes the buyer of the Puts) will likely outweigh the gains to the Fund from the receipt of such option premiums. The potential return to the Fund is limited to the amount of option premiums it receives; however, the Fund can potentially lose up to the entire strike price (multiplied by 100) of each option it sells.

 

Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive their performance from an underlying reference asset, such as an index, interest rate or inflation rate. Generally, derivatives are sophisticated investments that may pose risks that are different from or greater than those posed by investing directly in the underlying reference asset. For example, the return on a derivative instrument may not correlate with that of its underlying reference asset, and minimal requisite initial investments necessary to purchase derivatives positions may expose the Fund to losses in excess of those amounts. Derivatives also can be volatile and may be less liquid than other investments. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning and you may lose money. The Fund expects to use put options to implement its principal investment strategies. Other risks specific to put options, as well as other risks of derivatives, generally, such as counterparty and issuer credit risk, interest rate risk, market risk and issuer-specific risk, are described in greater detail elsewhere in the Fund’s Prospectus.

 

Limited Upside Return Risk. The Fund’s put option sales strategy subjects the Fund to an upside limitation on returns to the premiums received from the Put owner. The Fund will only participate in upside price swings of the Underlying Security to the extent that the Put sold by the Fund will not be exercised and the Fund will keep all of the premium paid by the Put owner without having to purchase the Underlying Security from the Put owner. In the event an investor purchases Fund shares between Roll Dates, and the value of the Underlying Security falls to a level near or below the strike price, there may be little or no ability for that investor to experience a gain on an investment in Fund shares until the next Roll Date.

 

FLEX Options Risk. The Fund may write FLEX Options issued and guaranteed for settlement by the OCC. The Fund bears the risk that the OCC will be unable or unwilling to perform its obligations under the FLEX Options contracts. Additionally, FLEX Options may be illiquid, and in such cases, the Fund may have difficulty closing out certain FLEX Options positions at desired times and prices.

 

Rolling Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy is subject to risks related to rolling. To the extent the Fund’s portfolio managers are unable to roll the Puts as described in the Fund’s principal investment strategy, the Fund may be unable to achieve its investment objective. In addition, because of the frequency with which the Fund expects to roll option contracts, this risk may be greater than the impact would otherwise be if the Fund experienced less portfolio turnover. The price of options contracts further from expiration may be higher, which can impact the Fund’s returns.

 

Assignment Risk. The Puts written by the Fund may be assigned to the Fund at any point prior to the expiration date. Early assignment is more likely when the put option is significantly in the money. Should early assignment occur for a put options position, it would result in the Fund acquiring the assigned shares. Consequently, the value of the Fund’s investment may be temporarily exposed to the full market movement of the Underlying Security and the risks attendant to the Underlying Security (explained more fully below), until these shares are sold off and new options positions are established. The Adviser will generally seek to liquidate the assigned shares and re-establish the options position as soon as possible to ensure gains or losses stemming from early assignments are minimized.

 

Implied Volatility Risk. Upon selling a Put, the Fund gains the amount of premium it receives; however, the Fund also incurs a liability that represents the value of the Put it has sold until the Put is exercised or expires. The value of the Puts in which the Fund invests is partly based on the volatility used by market participants to price such options (i.e., implied volatility). Consequently, increases in the implied volatility of the Puts will cause the value of such options to increase (even if the prices of stocks in the Underlying Security do not change), which will result in a corresponding increase in the liabilities of the Fund under the Puts and thus decrease the Fund’s NAV. The Fund is therefore exposed to implied volatility risk before the Puts expire or are struck at-the-money. The implied volatility of the Puts sold by the Fund may increase due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries of companies included in the Underlying Security, or factors relating to certain of those companies.

 

Transaction Cost Risk. The Fund will pay transaction costs, such as commissions or mark-ups in the bid/offer spread on an option position, when it writes options. Because the Fund “turns over” its option positions every week (or more frequently), it will incur high transaction costs. While the turnover of the option positions sold by the Fund is not deemed “portfolio turnover” for accounting purposes, the economic impact to the Fund is similar to what could occur if the Fund experienced high portfolio turnover (e.g., in excess of 100% per year). The Fund’s high levels of transaction costs 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 thereunder, may affect the Fund’s performance.

 

Investment Risk. As with all investments, an investment in the Fund is subject to loss, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount of an investment, over short or long periods of time.

 

Market Risk. The trading prices of securities and other instruments fluctuate in response to a variety of factors, such as economic, financial or political events that impact the entire market, market segments, or specific issuers. The Fund’s NAV and market price may fluctuate significantly in response to these and other factors. As a result, an investor could lose money over short or long periods of time.

 

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Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund generally redeems shares for cash or otherwise includes cash as part of its redemption proceeds. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the Fund redeemed shares in kind.

 

Equity Securities Risk. Equity securities may be more volatile than other asset classes, and their market prices may change quickly and without warning. The value of an equity security may decrease as a result of the issuer or due to general industry or market conditions unrelated to the issuer. If the value of the Underlying Security decreases or fluctuates, causing the value of the Underlying Security on the Roll Date to fall below the strike price of the Puts sold by the Fund, the NAV of the Fund will decrease or fluctuate, respectively, as the Puts increase in value to their owners. The Fund may also lose value to the extent that it takes delivery of the Underlying Security and has to sell such Underlying Security at a lower price.

 

Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively-managed and may not meet its investment objective based on the Adviser’s success or failure to implement its investment strategies for the Fund. The success of the Fund’s investment program depends largely on the investment techniques applied by the Adviser. It is possible the investment techniques employed on behalf of the Fund will not produce the desired results.

 

Hedging Risk. The Fund may, when the Adviser in its discretion deems appropriate, purchase put and/or call options to hedge against the risk of drastic movements in the price of the Underlying Security and may engage in other various investments or transactions that are designed to hedge a position in the Fund’s portfolio. There is no assurance that these hedging techniques will be effective and such techniques involve costs that may reduce gains or result in losses, which may adversely affect the value of Fund shares.

 

Purchase and Sale Timing Risk. The Fund has multiple Roll Dates each month and, as a result, no matter when an investor purchases Fund shares, even on a Roll Date, the value of the investor’s investment in the Fund may not be protected against a decline in the value of the Underlying Security and may not benefit from a gain in the value of the Underlying Security. The value of the options written by the Fund is dependent on various factors, including, but not limited to, the value and implied volatility of the Underlying Security. Each of these factors may vary significantly during the period between Roll Dates and affect the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective between Roll Dates.

 

Distribution and Return of Capital Risk. The Fund seeks to provide current monthly income. There is no guarantee that the Fund will make a distribution in any given month. If the Fund does make distributions, the amounts of such distributions will likely vary greatly from one distribution to the next. When the Fund makes a distribution, the Fund’s NAV will typically drop by the amount of the distribution on the related record date for the distribution. All or a portion of such distributions may represent a return of capital. A return of capital is the portion of the distribution representing the return of your investment in the Fund. A return of capital is generally tax-free to the extent of a shareholder’s basis in the Fund’s shares and reduces the shareholder’s basis in their shares and results in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the shares on which the return of capital distribution was received are sold. After a shareholder’s basis in the shares has been reduced to zero, return of capital distributions will be treated as gain from the sale of the shareholder’s shares.

 

Money Market Instruments Risk. The value of money market instruments may be affected by changing interest rates and by changes in the credit ratings of the investments. An investment in a money market fund is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. It is possible to lose money by investing in a money market fund.

 

U.S. Treasury Bills Risk. U.S. Treasury bills may differ from other debt securities in their interest rates, maturities, times of issuance and other characteristics and may provide relatively lower returns than those other securities. Similar to other issuers, changes to the financial condition or credit rating of the U.S. government may cause the value of the Fund’s U.S. Treasury bills holdings to decline.

 

ETF Structure Risk. The Fund is structured as an ETF and is therefore subject to special risks. Such risks include:

 

Trading Issues Risk. Trading in ETF shares on an exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the exchange, make trading in the ETF’s shares inadvisable, such as extraordinary market volatility. There can be no assurance that an ETF’s shares will continue to meet the listing requirements of its exchange or will trade with any volume. There is no guarantee that an active secondary market will develop for shares of an ETF. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of shares of an ETF may begin to mirror the liquidity of the ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than shares of the ETF. This adverse effect on liquidity for the ETF’s shares in turn could lead to differences between the market price of the ETF’s shares and the underlying value of those shares.

 

Market Price Variance Risk. The market prices of shares of an ETF will fluctuate in response to changes in the ETF’s NAV, and supply and demand for ETF shares and will include a “bid-ask spread” charged by the exchange specialists, market makers or other participants that trade the particular security. There may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. This means that ETF shares may trade at a discount to NAV. The market price of an ETF’s shares may deviate from the value of the ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings, particularly in times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the shares of the ETF bought or sold.

 

Authorized Participants (“APs”), Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Risk. ETFs have 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 of an ETF may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: () 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.

 

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Costs of Buying or Selling Shares of an ETF. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares of an ETF, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of shares of an ETF may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in shares of an ETF may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.

 

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. To the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers, the Fund is subject to the risks of investing in those few issuers and may be more susceptible to a single adverse economic or regulatory occurrence. As a result, changes in the market value of a single security could cause greater fluctuations in the value of Fund shares than would occur in a diversified fund.

 

Industry Concentration Risk. The Fund will be concentrated in the industry to which Tesla, Inc. is assigned (i.e., hold more than 25% of its total assets in investments that provide inverse exposure to the industry to which Tesla, Inc. is assigned). A portfolio concentrated in a particular industry may present more risks than a portfolio broadly diversified over several industries. As of the date of this prospectus, TSLA is assigned to the motor vehicles and passenger car bodies industry.

 

Inflation Risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions may decline.

 

Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the Fund’s investments will decline because of rising market interest rates. Interest rate risk is generally lower for shorter term options and debt securities and higher for longer-term options and debt securities. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates than would normally be the case due to the current period of historically low rates and the effect of potential government fiscal policy initiatives and resulting market reaction to those initiatives. When interest rates increase, call options generally benefit while put option prices are impacted negatively.

 

New Fund Risk. As of the date of this prospectus, the Fund has no operating history and currently has fewer assets than larger funds. Like other new funds, large inflows and outflows may impact the Fund’s market exposure for limited periods of time. This impact may be positive or negative, depending on the direction of market movement during the period affected.

 

Investment Risks of the Underlying Security

 

Tesla, Inc. Investing Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment held by the Fund to be more volatile than the market generally. The value of an individual security or particular type of security may be more volatile than the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. In addition to the risks associated generally with operating companies and electric and autonomous vehicles and other automotive companies, Tesla, Inc. faces risks unique to its operations including, among others, supply or manufacturing delays, increased material or labor costs or shortages, reduced demand for its products, and product liability claims.

 

Electric and Autonomous Vehicles Company RiskElectric and autonomous vehicles companies typically face intense competition and potentially rapid product obsolescence. Many of these companies are also heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by loss or impairment of those rights. Electric and autonomous vehicles companies are also potential targets for cyberattacks, which can have a materially adverse impact on the performance of these companies. The customers and/or suppliers of electric and autonomous vehicles companies may be concentrated in a particular country, region or industry, including in emerging markets. Any adverse event affecting one of these countries, regions or industries could have a negative impact on electric and autonomous vehicles companies.

 

Automotive Companies RiskThe automotive industry can be highly cyclical, and companies in the industry may suffer periodic operating losses. Automotive companies can be significantly affected by labor relations and fluctuating component prices. Developments in automotive technologies (e.g., autonomous vehicle technologies) may require significant capital expenditures that may not generate profits for several years, if ever. Automotive companies may be significantly subject to government policies and regulations regarding imports and exports of automotive products. Governmental policies affecting the automotive industry, such as taxes, tariffs, duties, subsidies, and import and export restrictions on automotive products can influence industry profitability. In addition, such companies must comply with environmental laws and regulations, for which there may be severe consequences for non-compliance. While most of the major automotive manufacturers are large companies, certain others may be non-diversified in both product line and customer base and may be more vulnerable to certain events that may negatively impact the automotive industry.

 

Consumer Discretionary Sector RiskBecause companies in the consumer discretionary sector manufacture products and provide discretionary services directly to the consumer, the success of these companies is tied closely to the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, including the functioning of the global supply chain, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending, and may be strongly affected by social trends and marketing campaigns. Also, companies in the consumer discretionary sector may be subject to severe competition, which may have an adverse impact on a company’s profitability. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes also can affect the demand for, and success of, consumer discretionary products in the marketplace.

 

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Performance History

 

The Fund is new and does not have a full calendar year of performance history. In the future, performance information will be presented in this section of the Prospectus. Performance information will contain a bar chart and table that provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing the Fund’s average annual returns for certain time periods as compared to a broad measure of market performance. Investors should be aware that past performance before and after taxes is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

Updated performance information for the Fund, including its current NAV per share, is available by calling toll-free (833) 759-6110.

 

Investment Adviser

 

Tuttle Capital Management, LLC (the “Adviser”) is the investment adviser to the Fund.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Matthew Tuttle, Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser, has served as the Fund’s portfolio manager since its inception.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

The Fund will issue (or redeem) shares to certain institutional investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in large blocks of at least 10,000 shares known as “Creation Units.” Creation Unit transactions are typically conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of in-kind securities and/or cash. Individual shares may only be purchased and sold on a national securities exchange through a broker-dealer. You can purchase and sell individual shares of the Fund throughout the trading day like any publicly traded security. The Fund’s shares are listed on the Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”). The price of the Fund’s shares is based on market price, and because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Fund shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Fund’s shares are not redeemable securities.

 

Tax Information

 

The Fund’s distributions will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gain, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account in which case withdrawals generally will be taxed.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

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

 

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FUND SUMMARY – Tuttle Capital NVDA Put Write ETF

 

Investment Objectives

 

The investment objective of the Tuttle Capital NVDA Put Write ETF (the “Fund”) is to seek current income.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. 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 Fee(1)

Distribution (12b-1) and Service Fees

0.65%

0.00%

Other Expenses(2) 0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.65%

 

(1)Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, Tuttle Capital Management, LLC (the “Adviser”), at its own expense and without reimbursement from the Fund, pays all of the expenses of the Fund, excluding the advisory fees, interest expenses, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions and any other portfolio transaction-related expenses and fees arising out of transactions effected on behalf of the Fund, credit facility fees and expenses, including interest expenses, and litigation and indemnification expenses and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business.

 

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

 

Name of Fund 1 Year 3 Years
Tuttle Capital NVDA Put Write ETF $66 $208

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. As of the date of this Prospectus, the Fund has not yet commenced operations and therefore does not have any portfolio turnover information available.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that seeks current income primarily by selling (writing) put options on shares of NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA) (the “Underlying Security”) and collecting the premiums paid by the purchasers of the put options. Specifically, the Fund seeks to maximize current income by selling cash-covered out-of-the-money or at-the-money put options on the Underlying Security (“Puts”), meaning that the “strike” price of a Put will be below or at the current price of the Underlying Security. If the price of the Underlying Security stays above the strike price of a particular Put by the time the Put expires, the Fund will realize gains by collecting the premiums paid by the Put purchaser. Should the price of the underlying Security fall below the strike price of a specific Put, the Fund will incur losses. Accordingly, the Fund is intended for investors who believe the price of the Underlying Security will stay flat or rise.

 

The Fund will sell Puts that utilize the Underlying Security as the reference asset. The Fund will utilize exchange-traded options and non-standardized FLexible EXchange® Options (also referred to as “FLEX Options®"). Exchange-traded options are standardized with set contract terms, such as the style (call or put), the reference asset, the strike price and expiration date. Exchange-listed options contracts are guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”). FLEX Options are non-standardized options, meaning that a user, such as the Fund, can specify the key contract terms that are normally standardized for exchange-traded options. As the seller of the Puts, the Fund receives cash (also called a premium) from the purchaser for each Put sold. Each Put contract sold by the Fund will commit the Fund to buying 100 shares of the Underlying Security at the strike price if the Put owner exercises its option. If a Put sold by the Fund is exercised prior to expiration (“assigned” or “put” to the Fund), the Fund will purchase 100 shares of the Underlying Security at the time of exercise at the strike price and will hold the Underlying Security shares until they are liquidated. The Fund intends to write Puts that are American style options, meaning that the Put is exercisable at the strike price at any time prior to the option expiration date. However, the Fund may close out in-the-money put options before expiration to avoid having to purchase shares of the Underlying Security.

 

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The Adviser has discretion to write Puts with either a weekly or monthly expiration date and at various strike prices that the Adviser believes will maximize income while minimizing the potential for loss. Puts with weekly expirations will expire on Friday of each week. Puts with monthly expirations will expire on the third Friday of every month. The strike price at which the Fund sells the Puts will depend on prevailing market conditions and the sold Puts positions will be reestablished weekly or more frequently. The Fund generally closes out the Puts prior to their expiration dates, and newly selected Puts are sold by the Fund on the same day (the “Roll Date”) in a process known as “rolling”. Rolling refers to the practice of closing out one options position and opening another with a different expiration date and/or a different strike price. The Fund will enter into new Puts when the existing Puts have expired, closed, or rolled early.

 

The Fund will invest its premium proceeds in short-term U.S. Treasury securities and money market instruments as collateral for the options and to generate income. The market value of the cash, money market instruments and U.S. Treasury securities held by the Fund is expected to comprise a substantial portion of the Fund’s net assets.

 

The Fund will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in written Puts on the Underlying Security. For purposes of the 80% test, written Puts will be valued at their notional value. This Policy is non-fundamental and requires 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders before it can be changed.

 

The Fund will seek to employ its investment strategy regardless of whether there are periods of adverse market, economic, or other conditions and will not seek to take temporary defensive positions during such periods.

 

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.

 

The Fund will be concentrated in the industry to which the Underlying Stock is assigned (i.e., hold 25% or more of its total assets in investments that provide exposure in the industry to which the Underlying Stock is assigned). As of the date of this prospectus, NVDA is assigned to the semiconductors and related devices industry.

 

The Fund’s portfolio will primarily consist of the Put contracts, U.S. Treasuries and cash. In the event a Put purchaser exercises a Put and the Fund is forced to buy the Underlying Security from the purchaser and take delivery of the Underlying Security, the Adviser has discretion to hold the Underlying Security until the Adviser believes it is advantageous to sell the Underlying Security, it may write covered call options on the Underlying Security, or immediately sell the Underlying Security for liquidity purposes.

 

The Fund’s investment strategy is not intended to track the performance of the Underlying Stock and the Fund’s performance will differ from that of the Underlying Stock. The performance differences will depend on, among other things, the Underlying Stock’s value, changes in the value of the Puts the Fund has sold, and changes in the value of the U.S. Treasuries and money market instruments held by the Fund. The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective of current income is not dependent on the price appreciation of the Underlying Stock.

 

NVIDIA Corp. designs, develops, and markets three-dimensional (3D) graphics processors and related software. NVIDIA offers products that provide interactive 3D graphics to the mainstream personal computer market. NVIDIA pioneered accelerated computing to help solve the most challenging computational problems. The company's graphics processing units (GPUs) were initially used to simulate human imagination, enabling the virtual worlds of video games and films. NVIDIA has leveraged its GPU architecture to create platforms for scientific computing, artificial intelligence, data science, autonomous vehicles, robotics, metaverse, and 3D internet applications. NVIDIA's GPU brands are GeForce for games, Quadro/NVIDIA RTX GPUs for enterprise workstation graphics, and virtual GPU, for cloud-based visual and virtual computing. The company generates about 30% of the total revenue from the US. NVDA is registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Information provided to or filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by NVIDIA Corp. pursuant to the Exchange Act can be located by reference to the Securities and Exchange Commission file number 0-23985 through the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, information regarding NVIDIA Corp. may be obtained from other sources including, but not limited to, press releases, newspaper articles and other publicly disseminated documents. As of the date of this prospectus, NVDA is assigned to the semiconductors and related devices industry.

 

The Fund has derived all disclosures contained in this document regarding NVIDIA Corp. from the publicly available documents described above. Neither the Fund, the Trust, the Adviser nor any affiliate has participated in the preparation of such documents. Neither the Fund, the Trust, the Adviser nor any affiliate makes any representation that such publicly available documents or any other publicly available information regarding NVIDIA Corp. is accurate or complete. Furthermore, the Fund cannot give any assurance that all events occurring prior to the date of the prospectus (including events that would affect the accuracy or completeness of the publicly available documents described above) that would affect the trading price of NVDA have been publicly disclosed. Subsequent disclosure of any such events or the disclosure of, or failure to disclose, material future events concerning NVIDIA Corp. could affect the value of the Fund’s investments with respect to NVDA and therefore the value of the Fund.

 

The Fund intends to make monthly distribution payments to shareholders.

 

8

 

 

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund

 

As with all funds, a shareholder is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The principal risks affecting shareholders’ investments in the Fund are set forth below. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) or any government agency. 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’s Investments.” Each risk summarized below is considered a principal risk of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.

 

Put Options Risk. Puts are subject to volatile swings in price influenced by changes in the value of the underlying instrument. The price of the Puts sold by the Fund will have imperfect correlation to the returns of the Underlying Security. Although the Fund collects premiums on the Puts it writes, the Fund’s risk of loss if the value of the Underlying Security falls below the strike price and the Puts are exercised as of the Roll Date (i.e., the Fund, as the seller of the Puts, owes the buyer of the Puts) will likely outweigh the gains to the Fund from the receipt of such option premiums. The potential return to the Fund is limited to the amount of option premiums it receives; however, the Fund can potentially lose up to the entire strike price (multiplied by 100) of each option it sells.

 

Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive their performance from an underlying reference asset, such as an index, interest rate or inflation rate. Generally, derivatives are sophisticated investments that may pose risks that are different from or greater than those posed by investing directly in the underlying reference asset. For example, the return on a derivative instrument may not correlate with that of its underlying reference asset, and minimal requisite initial investments necessary to purchase derivatives positions may expose the Fund to losses in excess of those amounts. Derivatives also can be volatile and may be less liquid than other investments. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning and you may lose money. The Fund expects to use put options to implement its principal investment strategies. Other risks specific to put options, as well as other risks of derivatives, generally, such as counterparty and issuer credit risk, interest rate risk, market risk and issuer-specific risk, are described in greater detail elsewhere in the Fund’s Prospectus.

 

Limited Upside Return Risk. The Fund’s put option sales strategy subjects the Fund to an upside limitation on returns to the premiums received from the Put owner. The Fund will only participate in upside price swings of the Underlying Security to the extent that the Put sold by the Fund will not be exercised and the Fund will keep all of the premium paid by the Put owner without having to purchase the Underlying Security from the Put owner. In the event an investor purchases Fund shares between Roll Dates, and the value of the Underlying Security falls to a level near or below the strike price, there may be little or no ability for that investor to experience a gain on an investment in Fund shares until the next Roll Date.

 

FLEX Options Risk. The Fund may write FLEX Options issued and guaranteed for settlement by the OCC. The Fund bears the risk that the OCC will be unable or unwilling to perform its obligations under the FLEX Options contracts. Additionally, FLEX Options may be illiquid, and in such cases, the Fund may have difficulty closing out certain FLEX Options positions at desired times and prices.

 

Rolling Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy is subject to risks related to rolling. To the extent the Fund’s portfolio managers are unable to roll the Puts as described in the Fund’s principal investment strategy, the Fund may be unable to achieve its investment objective. In addition, because of the frequency with which the Fund expects to roll option contracts, this risk may be greater than the impact would otherwise be if the Fund experienced less portfolio turnover. The price of options contracts further from expiration may be higher, which can impact the Fund’s returns.

 

Assignment Risk. The Puts written by the Fund may be assigned to the Fund at any point prior to the expiration date. Early assignment is more likely when the put option is significantly in the money. Should early assignment occur for a put options position, it would result in the Fund acquiring the assigned shares. Consequently, the value of the Fund’s investment may be temporarily exposed to the full market movement of the Underlying Stock and the risks attendant to the Underlying Stock (explained more fully below), until these shares are sold off and new options positions are established. The Adviser will generally seek to liquidate the assigned shares and re-establish the options position as soon as possible to ensure gains or losses stemming from early assignments are minimized.

 

Implied Volatility Risk. Upon selling a Put, the Fund gains the amount of premium it receives; however, the Fund also incurs a liability that represents the value of the Put it has sold until the Put is exercised or expires. The value of the Puts in which the Fund invests is partly based on the volatility used by market participants to price such options (i.e., implied volatility). Consequently, increases in the implied volatility of the Puts will cause the value of such options to increase (even if the prices of stocks in the Underlying Security do not change), which will result in a corresponding increase in the liabilities of the Fund under the Puts and thus decrease the Fund’s NAV. The Fund is therefore exposed to implied volatility risk before the Puts expire or are struck at-the-money. The implied volatility of the Puts sold by the Fund may increase due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries of companies included in the Underlying Security, or factors relating to certain of those companies.

 

Transaction Cost Risk. The Fund will pay transaction costs, such as commissions or mark-ups in the bid/offer spread on an option position, when it writes options. Because the Fund “turns over” its option positions every week (or more frequently), it will incur high transaction costs. While the turnover of the option positions sold by the Fund is not deemed “portfolio turnover” for accounting purposes, the economic impact to the Fund is similar to what could occur if the Fund experienced high portfolio turnover (e.g., in excess of 100% per year). The Fund’s high levels of transaction costs 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 thereunder, may affect the Fund’s performance.

 

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Investment Risk. As with all investments, an investment in the Fund is subject to loss, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount of an investment, over short or long periods of time.

 

Market Risk. The trading prices of securities and other instruments fluctuate in response to a variety of factors, such as economic, financial or political events that impact the entire market, market segments, or specific issuers. The Fund’s NAV and market price may fluctuate significantly in response to these and other factors. As a result, an investor could lose money over short or long periods of time.

 

Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund generally redeems shares for cash or otherwise includes cash as part of its redemption proceeds. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the Fund redeemed shares in kind.

 

Equity Securities Risk. Equity securities may be more volatile than other asset classes, and their market prices may change quickly and without warning. The value of an equity security may decrease as a result of the issuer or due to general industry or market conditions unrelated to the issuer. If the value of the Underlying Security decreases or fluctuates, causing the value of the Underlying Security on the Roll Date to fall below the strike price of the Puts sold by the Fund, the NAV of the Fund will decrease or fluctuate, respectively, as the Puts increase in value to their owners. The Fund may also lose value to the extent that it takes delivery of the Underlying Security and has to sell such Underlying Security at a lower price.

 

Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively-managed and may not meet its investment objective based on the Adviser’s success or failure to implement its investment strategies for the Fund. The success of the Fund’s investment program depends largely on the investment techniques applied by the Adviser. It is possible the investment techniques employed on behalf of the Fund will not produce the desired results.

 

Hedging Risk. The Fund may, when the Adviser in its discretion deems appropriate, purchase put and/or call options to hedge against the risk of drastic movements in the price of the Underlying Security and may engage in other various investments or transactions that are designed to hedge a position in the Fund’s portfolio. There is no assurance that these hedging techniques will be effective and such techniques involve costs that may reduce gains or result in losses, which may adversely affect the value of Fund shares.

 

Purchase and Sale Timing Risk. The Fund has multiple Roll Dates each month and, as a result, no matter when an investor purchases Fund shares, even on a Roll Date, the value of the investor’s investment in the Fund may not be protected against a decline in the value of the Underlying Security and may not benefit from a gain in the value of the Underlying Security. The value of the options written by the Fund is dependent on various factors, including, but not limited to, the value and implied volatility of the Underlying Security. Each of these factors may vary significantly during the period between Roll Dates and affect the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective between Roll Dates.

 

Distribution and Return of Capital Risk. The Fund seeks to provide current monthly income. There is no guarantee that the Fund will make a distribution in any given month. If the Fund does make distributions, the amounts of such distributions will likely vary greatly from one distribution to the next. When the Fund makes a distribution, the Fund’s NAV will typically drop by the amount of the distribution on the related record date for the distribution. All or a portion of such distributions may represent a return of capital. A return of capital is the portion of the distribution representing the return of your investment in the Fund. A return of capital is generally tax-free to the extent of a shareholder’s basis in the Fund’s shares and reduces the shareholder’s basis in their shares and results in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the shares on which the return of capital distribution was received are sold. After a shareholder’s basis in the shares has been reduced to zero, return of capital distributions will be treated as gain from the sale of the shareholder’s shares.

 

Money Market Instruments Risk. The value of money market instruments may be affected by changing interest rates and by changes in the credit ratings of the investments. An investment in a money market fund is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. It is possible to lose money by investing in a money market fund.

 

U.S. Treasury Bills Risk. U.S. Treasury bills may differ from other debt securities in their interest rates, maturities, times of issuance and other characteristics and may provide relatively lower returns than those other securities. Similar to other issuers, changes to the financial condition or credit rating of the U.S. government may cause the value of the Fund’s U.S. Treasury bills holdings to decline.

 

ETF Structure Risk. The Fund is structured as an ETF and is therefore subject to special risks. Such risks include:

 

Trading Issues Risk. Trading in ETF shares on an exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the exchange, make trading in the ETF’s shares inadvisable, such as extraordinary market volatility. There can be no assurance that an ETF’s shares will continue to meet the listing requirements of its exchange or will trade with any volume. There is no guarantee that an active secondary market will develop for shares of an ETF. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of shares of an ETF may begin to mirror the liquidity of the ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than shares of the ETF. This adverse effect on liquidity for the ETF’s shares in turn could lead to differences between the market price of the ETF’s shares and the underlying value of those shares.

 

Market Price Variance Risk. The market prices of shares of an ETF will fluctuate in response to changes in the ETF’s NAV, and supply and demand for ETF shares and will include a “bid-ask spread” charged by the exchange specialists, market makers or other participants that trade the particular security. There may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. This means that ETF shares may trade at a discount to NAV. The market price of an ETF’s shares may deviate from the value of the ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings, particularly in times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the shares of the ETF bought or sold.

 

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Authorized Participants (“APs”), Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Risk. ETFs have 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 of an ETF may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: () 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 of an ETF. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares of an ETF, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of shares of an ETF may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in shares of an ETF may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.

 

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. To the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers, the Fund is subject to the risks of investing in those few issuers and may be more susceptible to a single adverse economic or regulatory occurrence. As a result, changes in the market value of a single security could cause greater fluctuations in the value of Fund shares than would occur in a diversified fund.

 

Industry Concentration Risk. The Fund will be concentrated in the industry to which NVIDIA Corp. is assigned (i.e., hold more than 25% of its total assets in investments that provide inverse exposure to the industry to which NVIDIA Corp. is assigned). A portfolio concentrated in a particular industry may present more risks than a portfolio broadly diversified over several industries. As of the date of this prospectus, NVDA is assigned to the semiconductors and related devices industry.

 

Inflation Risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions may decline.

 

Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the Fund’s investments will decline because of rising market interest rates. Interest rate risk is generally lower for shorter term options and debt securities and higher for longer-term options and debt securities. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates than would normally be the case due to the current period of historically low rates and the effect of potential government fiscal policy initiatives and resulting market reaction to those initiatives. When interest rates increase, call options generally benefit while put option prices are impacted negatively.

 

New Fund Risk. As of the date of this prospectus, the Fund has no operating history and currently has fewer assets than larger funds. Like other new funds, large inflows and outflows may impact the Fund’s market exposure for limited periods of time. This impact may be positive or negative, depending on the direction of market movement during the period affected.

 

Investment Risks of the Underlying Security

 

NVIDIA Corp. Investing Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment held by the Fund to be more volatile than the market generally. The value of an individual security or particular type of security may be more volatile than the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. As of the date of this prospectus, in addition to the risks associated generally with operating companies and companies in the semiconductor industry, NVIDIA faces risks specifically related to its operations that could cause the company to lose market share and revenue, adversely impacting its financial results and its stock price. These risks include, among others, failure to meet the evolving needs of its industry and market; competition in its current and target markets; failure to estimate customer demand; dependency on third-party suppliers; defects in its products; adverse economic, political, business and other changes in international regions in which the company operates; product, system security, and data breaches and cyber-attacks; adverse changes in laws, rules and regulations; increased scrutiny from shareholders, regulators and others regarding the company’s environmental, social and governance responsibilities; issues relating to the responsible use of the company’s technologies, including artificial intelligence; issues relating to the protection of the company’s intellectual property rights; the risks of litigation, investigation and regulatory proceedings; and the company’s level of indebtedness.

 

Cryptocurrency Risk. The Fund may have exposure to cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin as a result of NVIDIA’s reliance on sales of its products to cryptocurrency miners. Miners generate revenue from both newly created bitcoin (known as the “block reward”) and from fees taken upon verification of transactions. If the aggregate revenue from transaction fees and the block reward is below a miner’s cost, the miner may cease operations. An acute cessation of mining operations would reduce the collective processing power on the blockchain. A large-scale cessation, either due to policy intervention or other reasons, may also cause higher volatility in bitcoin price, lower process power of the bitcoin network, and higher transaction costs.

 

A cryptocurrency operates without central authority or banks and is not backed by any government. Cryptocurrencies are often referred to as a “virtual currency” or “digital currency,” and operate as a decentralized, peer-to-peer financial exchange and value storage that is used like money. A cryptocurrency is also not a legal tender. Although Bitcoin and similar crypto assets have been called “cryptocurrencies”, they are not widely accepted as a means of payment. Federal, state or foreign governments may restrict the use and exchange of a cryptocurrency, and regulation in the U.S. is still developing. Cryptocurrency platforms may stop operating or permanently shut down due to fraud, technical glitches, hackers or malware. The Fund’s indirect exposure to cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin may be affected by the high volatility associated with such cryptocurrency exposure. Future regulatory actions or policies may limit the ability to sell, exchange or use cryptocurrencies, thereby impairing their prices. Cryptocurrency trading platforms on which cryptocurrencies trade may be subject to enforcement actions by regulatory authorities.

 

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Semiconductor Company Risk. Competitive pressures may have a significant effect on the financial condition of semiconductor companies and, as product cycles shorten and manufacturing capacity increases, these companies may become increasingly subject to aggressive pricing, which hampers profitability. Reduced demand for end-user products, under-utilization of manufacturing capacity, and other factors could adversely impact the operating results of companies in the semiconductor sector. Semiconductor companies typically face high capital costs and may be heavily dependent on intellectual property rights. The semiconductor sector is highly cyclical, which may cause the operating results of many semiconductor companies to vary significantly. The stock prices of companies in the semiconductor sector have been and likely will continue to be extremely volatile.

 

Technology Sector Risk. Market or economic factors impacting technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a major effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel.

 

Performance History

 

The Fund is new and does not have a full calendar year of performance history. In the future, performance information will be presented in this section of the Prospectus. Performance information will contain a bar chart and table that provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing the Fund’s average annual returns for certain time periods as compared to a broad measure of market performance. Investors should be aware that past performance before and after taxes is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

Updated performance information for the Fund, including its current NAV per share, is available by calling toll-free (833) 759-6110.

 

Investment Adviser

 

Tuttle Capital Management, LLC (the “Adviser”) is the investment adviser to the Fund.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Matthew Tuttle, Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser, has served as the Fund’s portfolio manager since its inception.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

The Fund will issue (or redeem) shares to certain institutional investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in large blocks of at least 10,000 shares known as “Creation Units.” Creation Unit transactions are typically conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of in-kind securities and/or cash. Individual shares may only be purchased and sold on a national securities exchange through a broker-dealer. You can purchase and sell individual shares of the Fund throughout the trading day like any publicly traded security. The Fund’s shares are listed on the Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”). The price of the Fund’s shares is based on market price, and because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Fund shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Fund’s shares are not redeemable securities.

 

Tax Information

 

The Fund’s distributions will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gain, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account in which case withdrawals generally will be taxed.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

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

 

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FUND SUMMARY – Tuttle Capital MSTR Put Write ETF

 

Investment Objectives

 

The investment objective of the Tuttle Capital MSTR Put Write ETF (the “Fund”) is to seek current income.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. 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 Fee(1)

Distribution (12b-1) and Service Fees

0.65%

0.00%

Other Expenses(2) 0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.65%

 

(1)Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, Tuttle Capital Management, LLC (the “Adviser”), at its own expense and without reimbursement from the Fund, pays all of the expenses of the Fund, excluding the advisory fees, interest expenses, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions and any other portfolio transaction-related expenses and fees arising out of transactions effected on behalf of the Fund, credit facility fees and expenses, including interest expenses, and litigation and indemnification expenses and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business.

 

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

 

Name of Fund 1 Year 3 Years
Tuttle Capital MSTR Put Write ETF $66 $208

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. As of the date of this Prospectus, the Fund has not yet commenced operations and therefore does not have any portfolio turnover information available.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that seeks current income primarily by selling (writing) put options on shares of MicroStrategy Inc. (NASDAQ: MSTR) (the “Underlying Security”) and collecting the premiums paid by the purchasers of the put options. Specifically, the Fund seeks to maximize current income by selling cash-covered out-of-the-money or at-the-money put options on the Underlying Security (“Puts”), meaning that the “strike” price of a Put will be below or at the current price of the Underlying Security. If the price of the Underlying Security stays above the strike price of a particular Put by the time the Put expires, the Fund will realize gains by collecting the premiums paid by the Put purchaser. Should the price of the underlying Security fall below the strike price of a specific Put, the Fund will incur losses. Accordingly, the Fund is intended for investors who believe the price of the Underlying Security will stay flat or rise.

 

The Fund will sell Puts that utilize the Underlying Stock as the reference asset. The Fund will utilize exchange-traded options and non-standardized FLexible EXchange® Options (also referred to as “FLEX Options®"). Exchange-traded options are standardized with set contract terms, such as the style (call or put), the reference asset, the strike price and expiration date. Exchange-listed options contracts are guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”). FLEX Options are non-standardized options, meaning that a user, such as the Fund, can specify the key contract terms that are normally standardized for exchange-traded options. As the seller of the Puts, the Fund receives cash (also called a premium) from the purchaser for each Put sold. Each Put contract sold by the Fund will commit the Fund to buying 100 shares of the Underlying Security at the strike price if the Put owner exercises its option. If a Put sold by the Fund is exercised prior to expiration (“assigned” or “put” to the Fund), the Fund will purchase 100 shares of the Underlying Security at the time of exercise at the strike price and will hold the Underlying Security shares until they are liquidated. The Fund intends to write Puts that are American style options, meaning that the Put is exercisable at the strike price at any time prior to the option expiration date. However, the Fund may close out in-the-money put options before expiration to avoid having to purchase shares of the Underlying Security.

 

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The Adviser has discretion to write Puts with either a weekly or monthly expiration date and at various strike prices that the Adviser believes will maximize income while minimizing the potential for loss. Puts with weekly expirations will expire on Friday of each week. Puts with monthly expirations will expire on the third Friday of every month. The strike price at which the Fund sells the Puts will depend on prevailing market conditions and the sold Puts positions will be reestablished weekly or more frequently. The Fund generally closes out the Puts prior to their expiration dates, and newly selected Puts are sold by the Fund on the same day (the “Roll Date”) in a process known as “rolling”. Rolling refers to the practice of closing out one options position and opening another with a different expiration date and/or a different strike price. The Fund will enter into new Puts when the existing Puts have expired, closed, or rolled early.

 

The Fund will invest its premium proceeds in short-term U.S. Treasury securities and money market instruments as collateral for the options and to generate income. The market value of the cash, money market instruments and U.S. Treasury securities held by the Fund is expected to comprise a substantial portion of the Fund’s net assets.

 

The Fund will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in written Puts on the Underlying Security. For purposes of the 80% test, written Puts will be valued at their notional value. This Policy is non-fundamental and requires 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders before it can be changed.

 

The Fund will seek to employ its investment strategy regardless of whether there are periods of adverse market, economic, or other conditions and will not seek to take temporary defensive positions during such periods.

 

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.

 

The Fund will be concentrated in the industry to which the Underlying Security is assigned (i.e., hold 25% or more of its total assets in investments that provide exposure in the industry to which the Underlying Security is assigned). As of the date of this prospectus, MSTR is assigned to the information technology sector and the software industry.

 

The Fund’s portfolio will primarily consist of the Put contracts, U.S. Treasuries and cash. In the event a Put purchaser exercises a Put and the Fund is forced to buy the Underlying Security from the purchaser and take delivery of the Underlying Security, the Adviser has discretion to hold the Underlying Security until the Adviser believes it is advantageous to sell the Underlying Security, it may write covered call options on the Underlying Security, or immediately sell the Underlying Security for liquidity purposes.

 

The Fund’s investment strategy is not intended to track the performance of the Underlying Security and the Fund’s performance will differ from that of the Underlying Security. The performance differences will depend on, among other things, the Underlying Security’s value, changes in the value of the Puts the Fund has sold, and changes in the value of the U.S. Treasuries and money market instruments held by the Fund. The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective of current income is not dependent on the price appreciation of the Underlying Security.

 

MicroStrategy is the world's first and largest bitcoin treasury company. MicroStrategy is a publicly traded company that has adopted bitcoin as its primary treasury reserve asset. By using proceeds from equity and debt financings, as well as cash flows from its operations, MicroStrategy strategically accumulates bitcoin and advocates for its role as digital capital. MicroStrategy’s treasury strategy is designed to provide investors varying degrees of economic exposure to bitcoin by offering a range of securities, including equity and fixed income instruments. As of September 30, 2024, MicroStrategy held 252,220 bitcoins, representing approximately 82% of MicroStrategy’s total assets. In addition, MicroStrategy provides industry-leading AI-powered enterprise analytics software. MSTR is registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Information provided to or filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by MicroStrategy Inc. pursuant to the Exchange Act can be located by reference to the Securities and Exchange Commission file number 0-24435 through the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, information regarding MicroStrategy Inc. may be obtained from other sources including, but not limited to, press releases, newspaper articles and other publicly disseminated documents. As of the date of this prospectus, MSTR is assigned to the information technology sector and the software industry.

 

The Fund has derived all disclosures contained in this document regarding MicroStrategy Inc. from the publicly available documents described above. Neither the Fund, the Trust, the Adviser nor any affiliate has participated in the preparation of such documents. Neither the Fund, the Trust, the Adviser nor any affiliate makes any representation that such publicly available documents or any other publicly available information regarding MicroStrategy Inc. is accurate or complete. Furthermore, the Fund cannot give any assurance that all events occurring prior to the date of the prospectus (including events that would affect the accuracy or completeness of the publicly available documents described above) that would affect the trading price of MSTR have been publicly disclosed. Subsequent disclosure of any such events or the disclosure of, or failure to disclose, material future events concerning MicroStrategy Inc. could affect the value of the Fund’s investments with respect to MSTR and therefore the value of the Fund.

 

Description of Bitcoin, the Bitcoin Blockchain, relationship of Bitcoin to the Bitcoin Blockchain.

 

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Digital asset networks, including the bitcoin peer-to-peer network and associated blockchain ledger (the “Bitcoin blockchain” and together the “Bitcoin network”) were introduced within the past 15 years. Bitcoin is a digital asset that is created and transmitted through the operations of the peer-to-peer Bitcoin network, a decentralized network of computers that operates on cryptographic protocols. Bitcoin and the Bitcoin blockchain are designed to serve as an alternative payment system. No single entity owns or operates the Bitcoin network, the infrastructure of which is collectively maintained by its user base. The Bitcoin network allows people to exchange tokens of value, called bitcoin, which are recorded on a public transaction ledger known as the Bitcoin blockchain. Bitcoin can be used to pay for goods and services, or it can be converted to fiat currencies, such as the U.S. dollar, at rates determined on Bitcoin platforms that enable trading in bitcoin or in individual end-user-to-end-user transactions under a barter system. Although Bitcoin and similar crypto assets have been called “cryptocurrencies”, they are not widely accepted as a means of payment.

 

The Bitcoin network is commonly understood to be decentralized and does not require governmental authorities or financial institution intermediaries to create, transmit or determine the value of bitcoin. Rather, bitcoin is created and allocated by the Bitcoin network protocol through a “mining” process. The value of bitcoin is determined by the supply of and demand for bitcoin on Bitcoin platforms or in private end-user-to-end-user transactions.

 

New bitcoin are created and rewarded to the miners of a block in the Bitcoin blockchain for verifying transactions. The Bitcoin blockchain is a shared database that includes all blocks that have been solved by miners and it is updated to include new blocks as they are solved. Each bitcoin transaction is broadcast to the Bitcoin network and, when included in a block, recorded in the Bitcoin blockchain.

 

The Fund intends to make monthly distribution payments to shareholders.

 

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund

 

As with all funds, a shareholder is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The principal risks affecting shareholders’ investments in the Fund are set forth below. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) or any government agency. 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’s Investments.” Each risk summarized below is considered a principal risk of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.

 

Put Options Risk. Puts are subject to volatile swings in price influenced by changes in the value of the underlying instrument. The price of the Puts sold by the Fund will have imperfect correlation to the returns of the Underlying Security. Although the Fund collects premiums on the Puts it writes, the Fund’s risk of loss if the value of the Underlying Security falls below the strike price and the Puts are exercised as of the Roll Date (i.e., the Fund, as the seller of the Puts, owes the buyer of the Puts) will likely outweigh the gains to the Fund from the receipt of such option premiums. The potential return to the Fund is limited to the amount of option premiums it receives; however, the Fund can potentially lose up to the entire strike price (multiplied by 100) of each option it sells.

 

Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive their performance from an underlying reference asset, such as an index, interest rate or inflation rate. Generally, derivatives are sophisticated investments that may pose risks that are different from or greater than those posed by investing directly in the underlying reference asset. For example, the return on a derivative instrument may not correlate with that of its underlying reference asset, and minimal requisite initial investments necessary to purchase derivatives positions may expose the Fund to losses in excess of those amounts. Derivatives also can be volatile and may be less liquid than other investments. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning and you may lose money. The Fund expects to use put options to implement its principal investment strategies. Other risks specific to put options, as well as other risks of derivatives, generally, such as counterparty and issuer credit risk, interest rate risk, market risk and issuer-specific risk, are described in greater detail elsewhere in the Fund’s Prospectus.

 

Limited Upside Return Risk. The Fund’s put option sales strategy subjects the Fund to an upside limitation on returns to the premiums received from the Put owner. The Fund will only participate in upside price swings of the Underlying Security to the extent that the Put sold by the Fund will not be exercised and the Fund will keep all of the premium paid by the Put owner without having to purchase the Underlying Security from the Put owner. In the event an investor purchases Fund shares between Roll Dates, and the value of the Underlying Security falls to a level near or below the strike price, there may be little or no ability for that investor to experience a gain on an investment in Fund shares until the next Roll Date.

 

FLEX Options Risk. The Fund may write FLEX Options issued and guaranteed for settlement by the OCC. The Fund bears the risk that the OCC will be unable or unwilling to perform its obligations under the FLEX Options contracts. Additionally, FLEX Options may be illiquid, and in such cases, the Fund may have difficulty closing out certain FLEX Options positions at desired times and prices.

 

Rolling Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy is subject to risks related to rolling. To the extent the Fund’s portfolio managers are unable to roll the Puts as described in the Fund’s principal investment strategy, the Fund may be unable to achieve its investment objective. In addition, because of the frequency with which the Fund expects to roll option contracts, this risk may be greater than the impact would otherwise be if the Fund experienced less portfolio turnover. The price of options contracts further from expiration may be higher, which can impact the Fund’s returns.

 

Assignment Risk. The Puts written by the Fund may be assigned to the Fund at any point prior to the expiration date. Early assignment is more likely when the put option is significantly in the money. Should early assignment occur for a put options position, it would result in the Fund acquiring the assigned shares. Consequently, the value of the Fund’s investment may be temporarily exposed to the full market movement of the Underlying Security and the risks attendant to the Underlying Security (explained more fully below), until these shares are sold off and new options positions are established. The Adviser will generally seek to liquidate the assigned shares and re-establish the options position as soon as possible to ensure gains or losses stemming from early assignments are minimized.

 

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Implied Volatility Risk. Upon selling a Put, the Fund gains the amount of premium it receives; however, the Fund also incurs a liability that represents the value of the Put it has sold until the Put is exercised or expires. The value of the Puts in which the Fund invests is partly based on the volatility used by market participants to price such options (i.e., implied volatility). Consequently, increases in the implied volatility of the Puts will cause the value of such options to increase (even if the prices of stocks in the Underlying Security do not change), which will result in a corresponding increase in the liabilities of the Fund under the Puts and thus decrease the Fund’s NAV. The Fund is therefore exposed to implied volatility risk before the Puts expire or are struck at-the-money. The implied volatility of the Puts sold by the Fund may increase due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries of companies included in the Underlying Security, or factors relating to certain of those companies.

 

Transaction Cost Risk. The Fund will pay transaction costs, such as commissions or mark-ups in the bid/offer spread on an option position, when it writes options. Because the Fund “turns over” its option positions every week (or more frequently), it will incur high transaction costs. While the turnover of the option positions sold by the Fund is not deemed “portfolio turnover” for accounting purposes, the economic impact to the Fund is similar to what could occur if the Fund experienced high portfolio turnover (e.g., in excess of 100% per year). The Fund’s high levels of transaction costs 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 thereunder, may affect the Fund’s performance.

 

Investment Risk. As with all investments, an investment in the Fund is subject to loss, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount of an investment, over short or long periods of time.

 

Market Risk. The trading prices of securities and other instruments fluctuate in response to a variety of factors, such as economic, financial or political events that impact the entire market, market segments, or specific issuers. The Fund’s NAV and market price may fluctuate significantly in response to these and other factors. As a result, an investor could lose money over short or long periods of time.

 

Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund generally redeems shares for cash or otherwise includes cash as part of its redemption proceeds. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the Fund redeemed shares in kind.

 

Equity Securities Risk. Equity securities may be more volatile than other asset classes, and their market prices may change quickly and without warning. The value of an equity security may decrease as a result of the issuer or due to general industry or market conditions unrelated to the issuer. If the value of the Underlying Security decreases or fluctuates, causing the value of the Underlying Security on the Roll Date to fall below the strike price of the Puts sold by the Fund, the NAV of the Fund will decrease or fluctuate, respectively, as the Puts increase in value to their owners. The Fund may also lose value to the extent that it takes delivery of the Underlying Security and has to sell such Underlying Security at a lower price.

 

Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively-managed and may not meet its investment objective based on the Adviser’s success or failure to implement its investment strategies for the Fund. The success of the Fund’s investment program depends largely on the investment techniques applied by the Adviser. It is possible the investment techniques employed on behalf of the Fund will not produce the desired results.

 

Hedging Risk. The Fund may, when the Adviser in its discretion deems appropriate, purchase put and/or call options to hedge against the risk of drastic movements in the price of the Underlying Security and may engage in other various investments or transactions that are designed to hedge a position in the Fund’s portfolio. There is no assurance that these hedging techniques will be effective and such techniques involve costs that may reduce gains or result in losses, which may adversely affect the value of Fund shares.

 

Purchase and Sale Timing Risk. The Fund has multiple Roll Dates each month and, as a result, no matter when an investor purchases Fund shares, even on a Roll Date, the value of the investor’s investment in the Fund may not be protected against a decline in the value of the Underlying Security and may not benefit from a gain in the value of the Underlying Security. The value of the options written by the Fund is dependent on various factors, including, but not limited to, the value and implied volatility of the Underlying Security. Each of these factors may vary significantly during the period between Roll Dates and affect the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective between Roll Dates.

 

Distribution and Return of Capital Risk. The Fund seeks to provide current monthly income. There is no guarantee that the Fund will make a distribution in any given month. If the Fund does make distributions, the amounts of such distributions will likely vary greatly from one distribution to the next. When the Fund makes a distribution, the Fund’s NAV will typically drop by the amount of the distribution on the related record date for the distribution. All or a portion of such distributions may represent a return of capital. A return of capital is the portion of the distribution representing the return of your investment in the Fund. A return of capital is generally tax-free to the extent of a shareholder’s basis in the Fund’s shares and reduces the shareholder’s basis in their shares and results in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the shares on which the return of capital distribution was received are sold. After a shareholder’s basis in the shares has been reduced to zero, return of capital distributions will be treated as gain from the sale of the shareholder’s shares.

 

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Money Market Instruments Risk. The value of money market instruments may be affected by changing interest rates and by changes in the credit ratings of the investments. An investment in a money market fund is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. It is possible to lose money by investing in a money market fund.

 

U.S. Treasury Bills Risk. U.S. Treasury bills may differ from other debt securities in their interest rates, maturities, times of issuance and other characteristics and may provide relatively lower returns than those other securities. Similar to other issuers, changes to the financial condition or credit rating of the U.S. government may cause the value of the Fund’s U.S. Treasury bills holdings to decline.

 

ETF Structure Risk. The Fund is structured as an ETF and is therefore subject to special risks. Such risks include:

 

Trading Issues Risk. Trading in ETF shares on an exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the exchange, make trading in the ETF’s shares inadvisable, such as extraordinary market volatility. There can be no assurance that an ETF’s shares will continue to meet the listing requirements of its exchange or will trade with any volume. There is no guarantee that an active secondary market will develop for shares of an ETF. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of shares of an ETF may begin to mirror the liquidity of the ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than shares of the ETF. This adverse effect on liquidity for the ETF’s shares in turn could lead to differences between the market price of the ETF’s shares and the underlying value of those shares.

 

Market Price Variance Risk. The market prices of shares of an ETF will fluctuate in response to changes in the ETF’s NAV, and supply and demand for ETF shares and will include a “bid-ask spread” charged by the exchange specialists, market makers or other participants that trade the particular security. There may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. This means that ETF shares may trade at a discount to NAV. The market price of an ETF’s shares may deviate from the value of the ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings, particularly in times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the shares of the ETF bought or sold.

 

Authorized Participants (“APs”), Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Risk. ETFs have 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 of an ETF may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: () 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 of an ETF. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares of an ETF, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of shares of an ETF may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in shares of an ETF may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.

 

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. To the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers, the Fund is subject to the risks of investing in those few issuers and may be more susceptible to a single adverse economic or regulatory occurrence. As a result, changes in the market value of a single security could cause greater fluctuations in the value of Fund shares than would occur in a diversified fund.

 

Industry Concentration Risk. The Fund will be concentrated in the industry to which MicroStrategy Inc. is assigned (i.e., hold more than 25% of its total assets in investments that provide inverse exposure to the industry to which MicroStrategy Inc. is assigned). A portfolio concentrated in a particular industry may present more risks than a portfolio broadly diversified over several industries. As of the date of this prospectus, MSTR is assigned to the information technology sector and the software industry.

 

Inflation Risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions may decline.

 

Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the Fund’s investments will decline because of rising market interest rates. Interest rate risk is generally lower for shorter term options and debt securities and higher for longer-term options and debt securities. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates than would normally be the case due to the current period of historically low rates and the effect of potential government fiscal policy initiatives and resulting market reaction to those initiatives. When interest rates increase, call options generally benefit while put option prices are impacted negatively.

 

New Fund Risk. As of the date of this prospectus, the Fund has no operating history and currently has fewer assets than larger funds. Like other new funds, large inflows and outflows may impact the Fund’s market exposure for limited periods of time. This impact may be positive or negative, depending on the direction of market movement during the period affected.

 

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Investment Risks of the Underlying Security

 

MicroStrategy Inc. Investing Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment held by the Fund to be more volatile than the market generally. The value of an individual security or particular type of security may be more volatile than the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. As of the date of this prospectus, in addition to the risks associated generally with operating companies and companies in the semiconductor industry, MSTR faces risks specifically related to its operations that could cause the company to lose market share and revenue, adversely impacting its financial results and its stock price. These risks include, among others, failure to meet the evolving needs of its industry and market; competition in its current and target markets; failure to estimate customer demand; dependency on third-party suppliers; defects in its products; adverse economic, political, business and other changes in international regions in which the company operates; product, system security, and data breaches and cyber-attacks; adverse changes in laws, rules and regulations; increased scrutiny from shareholders, regulators and others regarding the company’s environmental, social and governance responsibilities; issues relating to the responsible use of the company’s technologies, including artificial intelligence; issues relating to the protection of the company’s intellectual property rights; the risks of litigation, investigation and regulatory proceedings; and the company’s level of indebtedness. In addition, as a result of the company’s bitcoin acquisition strategy and its treasury reserve policy, the majority of the company’s assets are concentrated in its bitcoin holdings. The concentration of the company’s assets in bitcoin limits its ability to mitigate risk that could otherwise be achieved by purchasing a more diversified portfolio of treasury assets. Accordingly, a significant decline in the market value of bitcoin could have a material adverse effect on the company’s financial condition. Any material adverse effect on the company’s financial condition caused by a significant decline in the market value of its bitcoin holdings may create liquidity and credit risks for its business operations, as the company would have limited means to obtain cash beyond the revenues generated by its enterprise analytics software business. To the extent that the cash generated by the company’s enterprise analytics software business is insufficient to satisfy its debt service obligations, and to the extent that the liquidation of its bitcoin holdings would be insufficient to satisfy the company’s debt service obligations, the company may be unable to make scheduled payments on its current or future indebtedness, which could cause the company to default on its debt obligations. See “Bitcoin Risk.”

 

Cryptocurrency Risk. The Fund may have exposure to cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin as a result of MicroStrategy’s reliance on sales of its products to cryptocurrency miners. Miners generate revenue from both newly created bitcoin (known as the “block reward”) and from fees taken upon verification of transactions. If the aggregate revenue from transaction fees and the block reward is below a miner’s cost, the miner may cease operations. An acute cessation of mining operations would reduce the collective processing power on the blockchain. A large-scale cessation, either due to policy intervention or other reasons, may also cause higher volatility in bitcoin price, lower process power of the bitcoin network, and higher transaction costs.

 

A cryptocurrency operates without central authority or banks and is not backed by any government. Cryptocurrencies are often referred to as a “virtual currency” or “digital currency,” and operate as a decentralized, peer-to-peer financial exchange and value storage that is used like money. A cryptocurrency is also not a legal tender. Although Bitcoin and similar crypto assets have been called “cryptocurrencies”, they are not widely accepted as a means of payment. Federal, state or foreign governments may restrict the use and exchange of a cryptocurrency, and regulation in the U.S. is still developing. Cryptocurrency platforms may stop operating or permanently shut down due to fraud, technical glitches, hackers or malware. The Fund’s indirect exposure to cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin may be affected by the high volatility associated with such cryptocurrency exposure. Future regulatory actions or policies may limit the ability to sell, exchange or use cryptocurrencies, thereby impairing their prices. Cryptocurrency trading platforms on which cryptocurrencies trade may be subject to enforcement actions by regulatory authorities.

 

Information Technology Industry Risk. The value of stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation, and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from competitors with lower production costs. In addition, many information technology companies have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. The prices of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile and less liquid than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the information technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel.

 

Bitcoin Risk. While the Fund will not directly invest in digital assets, it will be subject to the risks associated with bitcoin by virtue of its investments in options contracts that reference MSTR. MSTR invests a large percentage of its assets in bitcoin (approximately 82% as of September 30, 2024). Investing in bitcoin exposes investors (such as MSTR and, in turn, MSTR shareholders) to significant risks that are not typically present in other investments. These risks include the uncertainty surrounding new technology, limited evaluation due to bitcoin’s short trading history, and the potential decline in adoption and value over the long term. The extreme volatility of bitcoin’s price is also a risk factor. Regulatory uncertainties, such as potential government interventions and conflicting regulations across jurisdictions, can impact the demand for bitcoin and restrict its usage. Additionally, risks associated with the sale of newly mined bitcoin, Bitcoin platforms, competition from alternative digital assets, mining operations, network modifications, and intellectual property claims pose further challenges to bitcoin-linked investments.

 

Bitcoin blockchain protocol may contain flaws that can be exploited by attackers and which may adversely affect the value of bitcoin. Flaws in the source code for digital assets have been exploited including flaws that disabled some functionality for users, exposed users’ personal information and/or resulted in the theft of users’ digital assets. The cryptography underlying bitcoin could prove to be flawed or ineffective, or developments in mathematics and/or technology, including advances in digital computing, algebraic geometry and quantum computing, could result in such cryptography becoming ineffective. In any of these circumstances, a malicious actor may be able to compromise the security of the Bitcoin network. Exposure of bitcoin to instability in other speculative parts of the blockchain and crypto industry, such as through an event that is not necessarily related to the security or utility of the Bitcoin blockchain can nonetheless precipitate a significant decline in the price of bitcoin. Proposed changes to the Bitcoin blockchain protocol may not be adopted by a sufficient number of users and miners, which may result in competing blockchains with different native crypto assets and sets of participants (known as a “fork”).

 

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Bitcoin has only recently become selectively accepted as a means of payment by retail and commercial outlets, and use of bitcoins by consumers to pay such retail and commercial outlets remains limited. Banks and other established financial institutions may refuse to process funds for bitcoin transactions; process wire transfers to or from digital asset platforms, bitcoin-related companies or service providers; or maintain accounts for persons or entities transacting in bitcoin. Processing of bitcoin transactions may be slow and transaction fees may be subject to significant variability. As a result, the price of bitcoin may be influenced to a significant extent by speculators and miners, thus contributing to price volatility that makes retailers less likely to accept it as a form of payment in the future.

 

Further developments in blockchain for its intended purpose may depend on Layer 2 scaling solutions (“Layer 2 Solutions”). Layer 2 Solutions are protocols that allow developers to build applications with faster transaction ability and cheaper costs than if they were to build on the layer 1 chain, which refers to decentralized applications built on the Bitcoin main chain. There are various types of scaling solutions for bitcoin that will assist in the implementation of Layer 2 Solutions. For bitcoin to be suitable for global enterprise and mass adoption, there first needs to be improvements that facilitate scaling and transaction speed to keep up with user demand, and accommodating the various types of users and transaction requests. The Bitcoin Lightning Network is a Layer 2 Solution that uses channels to create peer-to-peer payment routs between two parties. These exist separately from bitcoin’s network and their primary purpose is to allow for faster transactions. Since these Layer 2 Solutions are recorded off of the Bitcoin network this results in slower verification times for these transactions, and users may be subject to manipulation of the transaction data by unauthorized parties. This may result in users and retailers being less likely to accept bitcoin as a form of payment, and cause a decrease in the value of bitcoin and the performance of the Fund. Competition from the emergence or growth of alternative digital assets and smart contracts platforms, such as those focused on zero-knowledge cryptography, Solana, Avalanche, Polkadot, or Cardano, could have a negative impact on the demand for, and price of, bitcoin.

 

Computer Software Industry Risk. Computer software companies can be significantly affected by competitive pressures, aggressive pricing, technological developments, changing domestic demand, the ability to attract and retain skilled employees and availability and price of components. The market for products produced by computer software companies is characterized by rapidly changing technology, rapid product obsolescence, cyclical market patterns, evolving industry standards and frequent new product introductions. The success of computer software companies depends in substantial part on the timely and successful introduction of new products and the ability to service such products. An unexpected change in one or more of the technologies affecting an issuer’s products or in the market for products based on a particular technology could have a material adverse effect on a participant’s operating results.

 

Many computer software companies rely on a combination of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secret laws to establish and protect their proprietary rights in their products and technologies. There can be no assurance that the steps taken by computer software companies to protect their proprietary rights will be adequate to prevent misappropriation of their technology or that competitors will not independently develop technologies that are substantially equivalent or superior to such companies’ technology.

 

Performance History

 

The Fund is new and does not have a full calendar year of performance history. In the future, performance information will be presented in this section of the Prospectus. Performance information will contain a bar chart and table that provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing the Fund’s average annual returns for certain time periods as compared to a broad measure of market performance. Investors should be aware that past performance before and after taxes is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

Updated performance information for the Fund, including its current NAV per share, is available by calling toll-free (833) 759-6110.

 

Investment Adviser

 

Tuttle Capital Management, LLC (the “Adviser”) is the investment adviser to the Fund.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Matthew Tuttle, Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser, has served as the Fund’s portfolio manager since its inception.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

The Fund will issue (or redeem) shares to certain institutional investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in large blocks of at least 10,000 shares known as “Creation Units.” Creation Unit transactions are typically conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of in-kind securities and/or cash. Individual shares may only be purchased and sold on a national securities exchange through a broker-dealer. You can purchase and sell individual shares of the Fund throughout the trading day like any publicly traded security. The Fund’s shares are listed on the Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”). The price of the Fund’s shares is based on market price, and because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Fund shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Fund’s shares are not redeemable securities.

 

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Tax Information

 

The Fund’s distributions will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gain, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account in which case withdrawals generally will be taxed.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

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

 

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FUND SUMMARY – Tuttle Capital COIN Put Write ETF

 

Investment Objectives

 

The investment objective of the Tuttle Capital COIN Put Write ETF (the “Fund”) is to seek current income.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. 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 Fee(1) 

Distribution (12b-1) and Service Fees 

0.65%

0.00%

Other Expenses(2) 0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.65%

 

(1)Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, Tuttle Capital Management, LLC (the “Adviser”), at its own expense and without reimbursement from the Fund, pays all of the expenses of the Fund, excluding the advisory fees, interest expenses, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions and any other portfolio transaction-related expenses and fees arising out of transactions effected on behalf of the Fund, credit facility fees and expenses, including interest expenses, and litigation and indemnification expenses and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business.

 

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

 

Name of Fund 1 Year 3 Years
Tuttle Capital COIN Put Write ETF $66 $208

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. As of the date of this Prospectus, the Fund has not yet commenced operations and therefore does not have any portfolio turnover information available.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that seeks current income primarily by selling (writing) put options on shares of Coinbase Global, Inc. (NASDAQ: COIN) (the “Underlying Security”) and collecting the premiums paid by the purchasers of the put options. Specifically, the Fund seeks to maximize current income by selling cash-covered out-of-the-money or at-the-money put options on the Underlying Security (“Puts”), meaning that the “strike” price of a Put will be below or at the current price of the Underlying Security. If the price of the Underlying Security stays above the strike price of a particular Put by the time the Put expires, the Fund will realize gains by collecting the premiums paid by the Put purchaser. Should the price of the underlying Security fall below the strike price of a specific Put, the Fund will incur losses. Accordingly, the Fund is intended for investors who believe the price of the Underlying Security will stay flat or rise.

 

The Fund will sell Puts that utilize the Underlying Security as the reference asset. The Fund will utilize exchange-traded options and non-standardized FLexible EXchange® Options (also referred to as “FLEX Options®"). Exchange-traded options are standardized with set contract terms, such as the style (call or put), the reference asset, the strike price and expiration date. Exchange-listed options contracts are guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”). FLEX Options are non-standardized options, meaning that a user, such as the Fund, can specify the key contract terms that are normally standardized for exchange-traded options. As the seller of the Puts, the Fund receives cash (also called a premium) from the purchaser for each Put sold. Each Put contract sold by the Fund will commit the Fund to buying 100 shares of the Underlying Security at the strike price if the Put owner exercises its option. If a Put sold by the Fund is exercised prior to expiration (“assigned” or “put” to the Fund), the Fund will purchase 100 shares of the Underlying Security at the time of exercise at the strike price and will hold the Underlying Security shares until they are liquidated. The Fund intends to write Puts that are American style options, meaning that the Put is exercisable at the strike price at any time prior to the option expiration date. However, the Fund may close out in-the-money put options before expiration to avoid having to purchase shares of the Underlying Security.

 

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The Adviser has discretion to write Puts with either a weekly or monthly expiration date and at various strike prices that the Adviser believes will maximize income while minimizing the potential for loss. Puts with weekly expirations will expire on Friday of each week. Puts with monthly expirations will expire on the third Friday of every month. The strike price at which the Fund sells the Puts will depend on prevailing market conditions and the sold Puts positions will be reestablished weekly or more frequently. The Fund generally closes out the Puts prior to their expiration dates, and newly selected Puts are sold by the Fund on the same day (the “Roll Date”) in a process known as “rolling”. Rolling refers to the practice of closing out one options position and opening another with a different expiration date and/or a different strike price. The Fund will enter into new Puts when the existing Puts have expired, closed, or rolled early.

 

The Fund will invest its premium proceeds in short-term U.S. Treasury securities and money market instruments as collateral for the options and to generate income. The market value of the cash, money market instruments and U.S. Treasury securities held by the Fund is expected to comprise a substantial portion of the Fund’s net assets.

 

The Fund will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in the securities of the Underlying Security and financial instruments, such as Puts and other options, that provide exposure to the Underlying Security. For purposes of the 80% test, written Puts will be valued at their notional value. This Policy is non-fundamental and requires 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders before it can be changed.

 

The Fund will seek to employ its investment strategy regardless of whether there are periods of adverse market, economic, or other conditions and will not seek to take temporary defensive positions during such periods.

 

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.

 

The Fund will be concentrated in the industry to which the Underlying Security is assigned (i.e., hold 25% or more of its total assets in investments that provide exposure in the industry to which the Underlying Security is assigned). As of the date of this prospectus, COIN is assigned to the assigned to the financial sector and the capital markets industry.

 

The Fund’s portfolio will primarily consist of the Put contracts, U.S. Treasuries and cash. In the event a Put purchaser exercises a Put and the Fund is forced to buy the Underlying Security from the purchaser and take delivery of the Underlying Security, the Adviser has discretion to hold the Underlying Security until the Adviser believes it is advantageous to sell the Underlying Security, it may write covered call options on the Underlying Security, or immediately sell the Underlying Security for liquidity purposes.

 

The Fund’s investment strategy is not intended to track the performance of the Underlying Security and the Fund’s performance will differ from that of the Underlying Security. The performance differences will depend on, among other things, the Underlying Security’s value, changes in the value of the Puts the Fund has sold, and changes in the value of the U.S. Treasuries and money market instruments held by the Fund. The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective of current income is not dependent on the price appreciation of the Underlying Security.

 

Coinbase Global, Inc. operates as a secure hosted cryptocurrency exchange platform. COIN is registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Information provided to or filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Coinbase Global, Inc. pursuant to the Exchange Act can be located by reference to the Securities and Exchange Commission file number 001-40289 through the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, information regarding Coinbase Global, Inc. may be obtained from other sources including, but not limited to, press releases, newspaper articles and other publicly disseminated documents. As of the date of this prospectus, COIN is assigned to the financial sector and the capital markets industry.

 

The Fund has derived all disclosures contained in this document regarding Coinbase Global, Inc. from the publicly available documents described above. Neither the Fund, the Trust, the Adviser nor any affiliate has participated in the preparation of such documents. Neither the Fund, the Trust, the Adviser nor any affiliate makes any representation that such publicly available documents or any other publicly available information regarding Coinbase Global, Inc. is accurate or complete. Furthermore, the Fund cannot give any assurance that all events occurring prior to the date of the prospectus (including events that would affect the accuracy or completeness of the publicly available documents described above) that would affect the trading price of COIN have been publicly disclosed. Subsequent disclosure of any such events or the disclosure of, or failure to disclose, material future events concerning Coinbase Global, Inc. could affect the value of the Fund’s investments with respect to COIN and therefore the value of the Fund.

 

The Fund intends to make monthly distribution payments to shareholders.

 

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund

 

As with all funds, a shareholder is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The principal risks affecting shareholders’ investments in the Fund are set forth below. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “ FDIC”) or any government agency. 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’s Investments.” Each risk summarized below is considered a principal risk of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.

 

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Put Options Risk. Puts are subject to volatile swings in price influenced by changes in the value of the underlying instrument. The price of the Puts sold by the Fund will have imperfect correlation to the returns of the Underlying Security. Although the Fund collects premiums on the Puts it writes, the Fund’s risk of loss if the value of the Underlying Security falls below the strike price and the Puts are exercised as of the Roll Date (i.e., the Fund, as the seller of the Puts, owes the buyer of the Puts) will likely outweigh the gains to the Fund from the receipt of such option premiums. The potential return to the Fund is limited to the amount of option premiums it receives; however, the Fund can potentially lose up to the entire strike price (multiplied by 100) of each option it sells.

 

Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive their performance from an underlying reference asset, such as an index, interest rate or inflation rate. Generally, derivatives are sophisticated investments that may pose risks that are different from or greater than those posed by investing directly in the underlying reference asset. For example, the return on a derivative instrument may not correlate with that of its underlying reference asset, and minimal requisite initial investments necessary to purchase derivatives positions may expose the Fund to losses in excess of those amounts. Derivatives also can be volatile and may be less liquid than other investments. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning and you may lose money. The Fund expects to use put options to implement its principal investment strategies. Other risks specific to put options, as well as other risks of derivatives, generally, such as counterparty and issuer credit risk, interest rate risk, market risk and issuer-specific risk, are described in greater detail elsewhere in the Fund’s Prospectus.

 

Limited Upside Return Risk. The Fund’s put option sales strategy subjects the Fund to an upside limitation on returns to the premiums received from the Put owner. The Fund will only participate in upside price swings of the Underlying Security to the extent that the Put sold by the Fund will not be exercised and the Fund will keep all of the premium paid by the Put owner without having to purchase the Underlying Security from the Put owner. In the event an investor purchases Fund shares between Roll Dates, and the value of the Underlying Security falls to a level near or below the strike price, there may be little or no ability for that investor to experience a gain on an investment in Fund shares until the next Roll Date.

 

FLEX Options Risk. The Fund may write FLEX Options issued and guaranteed for settlement by the OCC. The Fund bears the risk that the OCC will be unable or unwilling to perform its obligations under the FLEX Options contracts. Additionally, FLEX Options may be illiquid, and in such cases, the Fund may have difficulty closing out certain FLEX Options positions at desired times and prices.

 

Rolling Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy is subject to risks related to rolling. To the extent the Fund’s portfolio managers are unable to roll the Puts as described in the Fund’s principal investment strategy, the Fund may be unable to achieve its investment objective. In addition, because of the frequency with which the Fund expects to roll option contracts, this risk may be greater than the impact would otherwise be if the Fund experienced less portfolio turnover. The price of options contracts further from expiration may be higher, which can impact the Fund’s returns.

 

Assignment Risk. The Puts written by the Fund may be assigned to the Fund at any point prior to the expiration date. Early assignment is more likely when the put option is significantly in the money. Should early assignment occur for a put options position, it would result in the Fund acquiring the assigned shares. Consequently, the value of the Fund’s investment may be temporarily exposed to the full market movement of the Underlying Security and the risks attendant to the Underlying Security (explained more fully below), until these shares are sold off and new options positions are established. The Adviser will generally seek to liquidate the assigned shares and re-establish the options position as soon as possible to ensure gains or losses stemming from early assignments are minimized.

 

Implied Volatility Risk. Upon selling a Put, the Fund gains the amount of premium it receives; however, the Fund also incurs a liability that represents the value of the Put it has sold until the Put is exercised or expires. The value of the Puts in which the Fund invests is partly based on the volatility used by market participants to price such options (i.e., implied volatility). Consequently, increases in the implied volatility of the Puts will cause the value of such options to increase (even if the prices of stocks in the Underlying Security do not change), which will result in a corresponding increase in the liabilities of the Fund under the Puts and thus decrease the Fund’s NAV. The Fund is therefore exposed to implied volatility risk before the Puts expire or are struck at-the-money. The implied volatility of the Puts sold by the Fund may increase due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries of companies included in the Underlying Security, or factors relating to certain of those companies.

 

Transaction Cost Risk. The Fund will pay transaction costs, such as commissions or mark-ups in the bid/offer spread on an option position, when it writes options. Because the Fund “turns over” its option positions every week (or more frequently), it will incur high transaction costs. While the turnover of the option positions sold by the Fund is not deemed “portfolio turnover” for accounting purposes, the economic impact to the Fund is similar to what could occur if the Fund experienced high portfolio turnover (e.g., in excess of 100% per year). The Fund’s high levels of transaction costs 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 thereunder, may affect the Fund’s performance.

 

Investment Risk. As with all investments, an investment in the Fund is subject to loss, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount of an investment, over short or long periods of time.

 

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Market Risk. The trading prices of securities and other instruments fluctuate in response to a variety of factors, such as economic, financial or political events that impact the entire market, market segments, or specific issuers. The Fund’s NAV and market price may fluctuate significantly in response to these and other factors. As a result, an investor could lose money over short or long periods of time.

 

Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund generally redeems shares for cash or otherwise includes cash as part of its redemption proceeds. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the Fund redeemed shares in kind.

 

Equity Securities Risk. Equity securities may be more volatile than other asset classes, and their market prices may change quickly and without warning. The value of an equity security may decrease as a result of the issuer or due to general industry or market conditions unrelated to the issuer. If the value of the Underlying Security decreases or fluctuates, causing the value of the Underlying Security on the Roll Date to fall below the strike price of the Puts sold by the Fund, the NAV of the Fund will decrease or fluctuate, respectively, as the Puts increase in value to their owners. The Fund may also lose value to the extent that it takes delivery of the Underlying Security and has to sell such Underlying Security at a lower price.

 

Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively-managed and may not meet its investment objective based on the Adviser’s success or failure to implement its investment strategies for the Fund. The success of the Fund’s investment program depends largely on the investment techniques applied by the Adviser. It is possible the investment techniques employed on behalf of the Fund will not produce the desired results.

 

Hedging Risk. The Fund may, when the Adviser in its discretion deems appropriate, purchase put and/or call options to hedge against the risk of drastic movements in the price of the Underlying Security and may engage in other various investments or transactions that are designed to hedge a position in the Fund’s portfolio. There is no assurance that these hedging techniques will be effective and such techniques involve costs that may reduce gains or result in losses, which may adversely affect the value of Fund shares.

 

Purchase and Sale Timing Risk. The Fund has multiple Roll Dates each month and, as a result, no matter when an investor purchases Fund shares, even on a Roll Date, the value of the investor’s investment in the Fund may not be protected against a decline in the value of the Underlying Security and may not benefit from a gain in the value of the Underlying Security. The value of the options written by the Fund is dependent on various factors, including, but not limited to, the value and implied volatility of the Underlying Security. Each of these factors may vary significantly during the period between Roll Dates and affect the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective between Roll Dates.

 

Distribution and Return of Capital Risk. The Fund seeks to provide current monthly income. There is no guarantee that the Fund will make a distribution in any given month. If the Fund does make distributions, the amounts of such distributions will likely vary greatly from one distribution to the next. When the Fund makes a distribution, the Fund’s NAV will typically drop by the amount of the distribution on the related record date for the distribution. All or a portion of such distributions may represent a return of capital. A return of capital is the portion of the distribution representing the return of your investment in the Fund. A return of capital is generally tax-free to the extent of a shareholder’s basis in the Fund’s shares and reduces the shareholder’s basis in their shares and results in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the shares on which the return of capital distribution was received are sold. After a shareholder’s basis in the shares has been reduced to zero, return of capital distributions will be treated as gain from the sale of the shareholder’s shares.

 

Money Market Instruments Risk. The value of money market instruments may be affected by changing interest rates and by changes in the credit ratings of the investments. An investment in a money market fund is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. It is possible to lose money by investing in a money market fund.

 

U.S. Treasury Bills Risk. U.S. Treasury bills may differ from other debt securities in their interest rates, maturities, times of issuance and other characteristics and may provide relatively lower returns than those other securities. Similar to other issuers, changes to the financial condition or credit rating of the U.S. government may cause the value of the Fund’s U.S. Treasury bills holdings to decline.

 

ETF Structure Risk. The Fund is structured as an ETF and is therefore subject to special risks. Such risks include:

 

Trading Issues Risk. Trading in ETF shares on an exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the exchange, make trading in the ETF’s shares inadvisable, such as extraordinary market volatility. There can be no assurance that an ETF’s shares will continue to meet the listing requirements of its exchange or will trade with any volume. There is no guarantee that an active secondary market will develop for shares of an ETF. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of shares of an ETF may begin to mirror the liquidity of the ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than shares of the ETF. This adverse effect on liquidity for the ETF’s shares in turn could lead to differences between the market price of the ETF’s shares and the underlying value of those shares.

 

Market Price Variance Risk. The market prices of shares of an ETF will fluctuate in response to changes in the ETF’s NAV, and supply and demand for ETF shares and will include a “bid-ask spread” charged by the exchange specialists, market makers or other participants that trade the particular security. There may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. This means that ETF shares may trade at a discount to NAV. The market price of an ETF’s shares may deviate from the value of the ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings, particularly in times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the shares of the ETF bought or sold.

 

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Authorized Participants (“APs”), Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Risk. ETFs have 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 of an ETF may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: () 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 of an ETF. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares of an ETF, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of shares of an ETF may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in shares of an ETF may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.

 

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. To the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers, the Fund is subject to the risks of investing in those few issuers and may be more susceptible to a single adverse economic or regulatory occurrence. As a result, changes in the market value of a single security could cause greater fluctuations in the value of Fund shares than would occur in a diversified fund.

 

Industry Concentration Risk. The Fund will be concentrated in the industry to which Coinbase Global, Inc. is assigned (i.e., hold more than 25% of its total assets in investments that provide inverse exposure to the industry to which Coinbase Global. Inc. is assigned). A portfolio concentrated in a particular industry may present more risks than a portfolio broadly diversified over several industries. As of the date of this prospectus, COIN is assigned to the assigned to the financial sector and the capital markets industry.

 

Inflation Risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions may decline.

 

Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the Fund’s investments will decline because of rising market interest rates. Interest rate risk is generally lower for shorter term options and debt securities and higher for longer-term options and debt securities. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates than would normally be the case due to the current period of historically low rates and the effect of potential government fiscal policy initiatives and resulting market reaction to those initiatives. When interest rates increase, call options generally benefit while put option prices are impacted negatively.

 

New Fund Risk. As of the date of this prospectus, the Fund has no operating history and currently has fewer assets than larger funds. Like other new funds, large inflows and outflows may impact the Fund’s market exposure for limited periods of time. This impact may be positive or negative, depending on the direction of market movement during the period affected.

 

Investment Risks of the Underlying Security

 

Coinbase Global, Inc. Investing Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment held by the Fund to be more volatile than the market generally. The value of an individual security or particular type of security may be more volatile than the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. As of the date of this prospectus, in addition to the risks associated generally with operating companies and companies in the semiconductor industry, COIN faces risks specifically related to its operations that could cause the company to lose market share and revenue, adversely impacting its financial results and its stock price. These risks include, among others, failure to meet the evolving needs of its industry and market; competition in its current and target markets; failure to estimate customer demand; dependency on third-party suppliers; defects in its products; adverse economic, political, business and other changes in international regions in which the company operates; product, system security, and data breaches and cyber-attacks; adverse changes in laws, rules and regulations; increased scrutiny from shareholders, regulators and others regarding the company’s environmental, social and governance responsibilities; issues relating to the responsible use of the company’s technologies, including artificial intelligence; issues relating to the protection of the company’s intellectual property rights; the risks of litigation, investigation and regulatory proceedings; and the company’s level of indebtedness.

 

Cryptocurrency Risk. The Fund may have exposure to cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin as a result of COIN’s reliance on sales of its products to cryptocurrency miners. Miners generate revenue from both newly created bitcoin (known as the “block reward”) and from fees taken upon verification of transactions. If the aggregate revenue from transaction fees and the block reward is below a miner’s cost, the miner may cease operations. An acute cessation of mining operations would reduce the collective processing power on the blockchain. A large-scale cessation, either due to policy intervention or other reasons, may also cause higher volatility in bitcoin price, lower process power of the bitcoin network, and higher transaction costs.

 

A cryptocurrency operates without central authority or banks and is not backed by any government. Cryptocurrencies are often referred to as a “virtual currency” or “digital currency,” and operate as a decentralized, peer-to-peer financial exchange and value storage that is used like money. A cryptocurrency is also not a legal tender. Although Bitcoin and similar crypto assets have been called “cryptocurrencies”, they are not widely accepted as a means of payment. Federal, state or foreign governments may restrict the use and exchange of a cryptocurrency, and regulation in the U.S. is still developing. Cryptocurrency platforms may stop operating or permanently shut down due to fraud, technical glitches, hackers or malware. The Fund’s indirect exposure to cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin may be affected by the high volatility associated with such cryptocurrency exposure. Future regulatory actions or policies may limit the ability to sell, exchange or use cryptocurrencies, thereby impairing their prices. Cryptocurrency trading platforms on which cryptocurrencies trade may be subject to enforcement actions by regulatory authorities.

 

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Information Technology Sector Risk. The value of stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation, and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from competitors with lower production costs. In addition, many information technology companies have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. The prices of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile and less liquid than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the information technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel.

 

Bitcoin Risk. While the Fund will not directly invest in digital assets, it will be subject to the risks associated with bitcoin by virtue of its investments in options contracts that reference COIN. Investing in bitcoin exposes investors (such as COIN and, in turn, COIN shareholders) to significant risks that are not typically present in other investments. These risks include the uncertainty surrounding new technology, limited evaluation due to bitcoin’s short trading history, and the potential decline in adoption and value over the long term. The extreme volatility of bitcoin’s price is also a risk factor. Regulatory uncertainties, such as potential government interventions and conflicting regulations across jurisdictions, can impact the demand for bitcoin and restrict its usage. Additionally, risks associated with the sale of newly mined bitcoin, Bitcoin platforms, competition from alternative digital assets, mining operations, network modifications, and intellectual property claims pose further challenges to bitcoin-linked investments.

 

Bitcoin blockchain protocol may contain flaws that can be exploited by attackers and which may adversely affect the value of bitcoin. Flaws in the source code for digital assets have been exploited including flaws that disabled some functionality for users, exposed users’ personal information and/or resulted in the theft of users’ digital assets. The cryptography underlying bitcoin could prove to be flawed or ineffective, or developments in mathematics and/or technology, including advances in digital computing, algebraic geometry and quantum computing, could result in such cryptography becoming ineffective. In any of these circumstances, a malicious actor may be able to compromise the security of the Bitcoin network. Exposure of bitcoin to instability in other speculative parts of the blockchain and crypto industry, such as through an event that is not necessarily related to the security or utility of the Bitcoin blockchain can nonetheless precipitate a significant decline in the price of bitcoin. Proposed changes to the Bitcoin blockchain protocol may not be adopted by a sufficient number of users and miners, which may result in competing blockchains with different native crypto assets and sets of participants (known as a “fork”).

 

Bitcoin has only recently become selectively accepted as a means of payment by retail and commercial outlets, and use of bitcoins by consumers to pay such retail and commercial outlets remains limited. Banks and other established financial institutions may refuse to process funds for bitcoin transactions; process wire transfers to or from digital asset platforms, bitcoin-related companies or service providers; or maintain accounts for persons or entities transacting in bitcoin. Processing of bitcoin transactions may be slow and transaction fees may be subject to significant variability. As a result, the price of bitcoin may be influenced to a significant extent by speculators and miners, thus contributing to price volatility that makes retailers less likely to accept it as a form of payment in the future.

 

Further developments in blockchain for its intended purpose may depend on Layer 2 scaling solutions (“Layer 2 Solutions”). Layer 2 Solutions are protocols that allow developers to build applications with faster transaction ability and cheaper costs than if they were to build on the layer 1 chain, which refers to decentralized applications built on the Bitcoin main chain. There are various types of scaling solutions for bitcoin that will assist in the implementation of Layer 2 Solutions. For bitcoin to be suitable for global enterprise and mass adoption, there first needs to be improvements that facilitate scaling and transaction speed to keep up with user demand, and accommodating the various types of users and transaction requests. The Bitcoin Lightning Network is a Layer 2 Solution that uses channels to create peer-to-peer payment routs between two parties. These exist separately from bitcoin’s network and their primary purpose is to allow for faster transactions. Since these Layer 2 Solutions are recorded off of the Bitcoin network this results in slower verification times for these transactions, and users may be subject to manipulation of the transaction data by unauthorized parties. This may result in users and retailers being less likely to accept bitcoin as a form of payment, and cause a decrease in the value of bitcoin and the performance of the Fund. Competition from the emergence or growth of alternative digital assets and smart contracts platforms, such as those focused on zero-knowledge cryptography, Solana, Avalanche, Polkadot, or Cardano, could have a negative impact on the demand for, and price of, bitcoin.

 

Financials Sector Risk. Performance of companies in the financials sector may be materially impacted by many factors, including but not limited to, government regulations, economic conditions, credit rating downgrades, changes in interest rates and decreased liquidity in credit markets. Profitability of these companies is largely dependent on the availability and cost of capital and can fluctuate significantly when interest rates change. Credit losses resulting from financial difficulties of borrowers also can negatively impact the sector. These companies are also subject to substantial government regulation and intervention, which may adversely impact the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge, the amount of capital they must maintain, and potentially, their size. Government regulation may change frequently and may have significant adverse consequences for financial companies, including effects that are not intended by such regulation. The impact of more stringent capital requirements, or recent or future regulation in various countries on any individual financial company or of the financials sector as a whole, cannot be predicted. The financials sector is also a target for cyber attacks and may experience technology malfunctions and disruptions, which have occurred more frequently in recent years.

 

Capital Markets Industry Risk. Capital Markets companies may be significantly affected by stock and bank trading activity, changes in governmental regulation, continuing increases in price competition, decreases in fees or fee-related business, including investment banking, brokerage, asset management and other servicing fees, fluctuation in interest rates and other factors which could adversely affect financial markets.

 

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Performance History

 

The Fund is new and does not have a full calendar year of performance history. In the future, performance information will be presented in this section of the Prospectus. Performance information will contain a bar chart and table that provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing the Fund’s average annual returns for certain time periods as compared to a broad measure of market performance. Investors should be aware that past performance before and after taxes is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

Updated performance information for the Fund, including its current NAV per share, is available by calling toll-free (833) 759-6110 .

 

Investment Adviser

 

Tuttle Capital Management, LLC (the “Adviser”) is the investment adviser to the Fund.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Matthew Tuttle, Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser, has served as the Fund’s portfolio manager since its inception.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

The Fund will issue (or redeem) shares to certain institutional investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in large blocks of at least 10,000 shares known as “Creation Units.” Creation Unit transactions are typically conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of in-kind securities and/or cash. Individual shares may only be purchased and sold on a national securities exchange through a broker-dealer. You can purchase and sell individual shares of the Fund throughout the trading day like any publicly traded security. The Fund’s shares are listed on the Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”). The price of the Fund’s shares is based on market price, and because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Fund shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Fund’s shares are not redeemable securities.

 

Tax Information

 

The Fund’s distributions will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gain, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account in which case withdrawals generally will be taxed.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

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

 

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FUND SUMMARY – Tuttle Capital QQQ Put Write ETF

 

Investment Objectives

 

The investment objective of the Tuttle Capital QQQ Put Write ETF (the “Fund”) is to seek current income.

 

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. 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 Fee(1)

Distribution (12b-1) and Service Fees

0.65%

0.00%

Other Expenses(2) 0.00%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 0.65%

 

(1)Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, Tuttle Capital Management, LLC (the “Adviser”), at its own expense and without reimbursement from the Fund, pays all of the expenses of the Fund, excluding the advisory fees, interest expenses, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions and any other portfolio transaction-related expenses and fees arising out of transactions effected on behalf of the Fund, credit facility fees and expenses, including interest expenses, and litigation and indemnification expenses and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business.

 

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

 

Name of Fund 1 Year 3 Years
Tuttle Capital QQQ Put Write ETF $66 $208

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. As of the date of this Prospectus, the Fund has not yet commenced operations and therefore does not have any portfolio turnover information available.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that seeks current income primarily by selling (writing) put options on shares of INVESCO QQQ Trust, Series 1 (NASDAQ: QQQ) (the “Underlying Security”) and collecting the premiums paid by the purchasers of the put options. Specifically, the Fund seeks to maximize current income by selling cash-covered out-of-the-money or at-the-money put options on the Underlying Security (“Puts”), meaning that the “strike” price of a Put will be below or at the current price of the Underlying Security. If the price of the Underlying Security stays above the strike price of a particular Put by the time the Put expires, the Fund will realize gains by collecting the premiums paid by the Put purchaser. Should the price of the underlying Security fall below the strike price of a specific Put, the Fund will incur losses. Accordingly, the Fund is intended for investors who believe the price of the Underlying Security will stay flat or rise.

 

The Fund will sell Puts that utilize the Underlying Security as the reference asset. The Fund will utilize exchange-traded options and non-standardized FLexible EXchange® Options (also referred to as “FLEX Options®"). Exchange-traded options are standardized with set contract terms, such as the style (call or put), the reference asset, the strike price and expiration date. Exchange-listed options contracts are guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”). FLEX Options are non-standardized options, meaning that a user, such as the Fund, can specify the key contract terms that are normally standardized for exchange-traded options. As the seller of the Puts, the Fund receives cash (also called a premium) from the purchaser for each Put sold. Each Put contract sold by the Fund will commit the Fund to buying 100 shares of the Underlying Security at the strike price if the Put owner exercises its option. If a Put sold by the Fund is exercised prior to expiration (“assigned” or “put” to the Fund), the Fund will purchase 100 shares of the Underlying Security at the time of exercise at the strike price and will hold the Underlying Security shares until they are liquidated. The Fund intends to write Puts that are American style options, meaning that the Put is exercisable at the strike price at any time prior to the option expiration date. However, the Fund may close out in-the-money put options before expiration to avoid having to purchase shares of the Underlying Security.

 

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The Adviser has discretion to write Puts with a daily, weekly or monthly expiration date and at various strike prices that the Adviser believes will maximize income while minimizing the potential for loss. Puts with weekly expirations will expire on Friday of each week. Puts with monthly expirations will expire on the third Friday of every month. The strike price at which the Fund sells the Puts will depend on prevailing market conditions and the sold Puts positions will be reestablished weekly or more frequently. The Fund generally closes out the Puts prior to their expiration dates, and newly selected Puts are sold by the Fund on the same day (the “Roll Date”) in a process known as “rolling”. Rolling refers to the practice of closing out one options position and opening another with a different expiration date and/or a different strike price. The Fund will enter into new Puts when the existing Puts have expired, closed, or rolled early.

 

The Fund will invest its premium proceeds in short-term U.S. Treasury securities and money market instruments as collateral for the options and to generate income. The market value of the cash, money market instruments and U.S. Treasury securities held by the Fund is expected to comprise a substantial portion of the Fund’s net assets.

 

The Fund will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in the securities of the Underlying Security and financial instruments, such as Puts and other options, that provide exposure to the Underlying Security. For purposes of the 80% test, written Puts will be valued at their notional value. This Policy is non-fundamental and requires 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders before it can be changed.

 

The Fund will seek to employ its investment strategy regardless of whether there are periods of adverse market, economic, or other conditions and will not seek to take temporary defensive positions during such periods.

 

QQQ is a unit investment trust designed to seek to track the investment results, before fees and expenses, of the Nasdaq-100 Index® (the “Index”). The Index is composed of securities issued by 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market® or Nasdaq Global Market® by market capitalization.

 

The Fund’s portfolio will primarily consist of the Put contracts, U.S. Treasuries and cash. In the event a Put purchaser exercises a Put and the Fund is forced to buy the Underlying Security from the purchaser and take delivery of the Underlying Security, the Adviser has discretion to hold the Underlying Security until the Adviser believes it is advantageous to sell the Underlying Security, it may write covered call options on the Underlying Security, or immediately sell the Underlying Security for liquidity purposes.

 

The Fund’s investment strategy is not intended to track the performance of the Underlying Security and the Fund’s performance will differ from that of the Underlying Security. The performance differences will depend on, among other things, the Underlying Security’s value, changes in the value of the Puts the Fund has sold, and changes in the value of the U.S. Treasuries and money market instruments held by the Fund. The Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective of current income is not dependent on the price appreciation of the Underlying Security.

 

The Fund intends to make monthly distribution payments to shareholders.

 

Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund

 

As with all funds, a shareholder is subject to the risk that his or her investment could lose money. The principal risks affecting shareholders’ investments in the Fund are set forth below. An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) or any government agency. 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’s Investments.” Each risk summarized below is considered a principal risk of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears.

 

Put Options Risk. Puts are subject to volatile swings in price influenced by changes in the value of the underlying instrument. The price of the Puts sold by the Fund will have imperfect correlation to the returns of the Underlying Security. Although the Fund collects premiums on the Puts it writes, the Fund’s risk of loss if the value of the Underlying Security falls below the strike price and the Puts are exercised as of the Roll Date (i.e., the Fund, as the seller of the Puts, owes the buyer of the Puts) will likely outweigh the gains to the Fund from the receipt of such option premiums. The potential return to the Fund is limited to the amount of option premiums it receives; however, the Fund can potentially lose up to the entire strike price (multiplied by 100) of each option it sells.

 

Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive their performance from an underlying reference asset, such as an index, interest rate or inflation rate. Generally, derivatives are sophisticated investments that may pose risks that are different from or greater than those posed by investing directly in the underlying reference asset. For example, the return on a derivative instrument may not correlate with that of its underlying reference asset, and minimal requisite initial investments necessary to purchase derivatives positions may expose the Fund to losses in excess of those amounts. Derivatives also can be volatile and may be less liquid than other investments. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning and you may lose money. The Fund expects to use put options to implement its principal investment strategies. Other risks specific to put options, as well as other risks of derivatives, generally, such as counterparty and issuer credit risk, interest rate risk, market risk and issuer-specific risk, are described in greater detail elsewhere in the Fund’s Prospectus.

 

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Limited Upside Return Risk. The Fund’s put option sales strategy subjects the Fund to an upside limitation on returns to the premiums received from the Put owner. The Fund will only participate in upside price swings of the Underlying Security to the extent that the Put sold by the Fund will not be exercised and the Fund will keep all of the premium paid by the Put owner without having to purchase the Underlying Security from the Put owner. In the event an investor purchases Fund shares between Roll Dates, and the value of the Underlying Security falls to a level near or below the strike price, there may be little or no ability for that investor to experience a gain on an investment in Fund shares until the next Roll Date.

 

FLEX Options Risk. The Fund may write FLEX Options issued and guaranteed for settlement by the OCC. The Fund bears the risk that the OCC will be unable or unwilling to perform its obligations under the FLEX Options contracts. Additionally, FLEX Options may be illiquid, and in such cases, the Fund may have difficulty closing out certain FLEX Options positions at desired times and prices.

 

Rolling Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy is subject to risks related to rolling. To the extent the Fund’s portfolio managers are unable to roll the Puts as described in the Fund’s principal investment strategy, the Fund may be unable to achieve its investment objective. In addition, because of the frequency with which the Fund expects to roll option contracts, this risk may be greater than the impact would otherwise be if the Fund experienced less portfolio turnover. The price of options contracts further from expiration may be higher, which can impact the Fund’s returns.

 

Assignment Risk. The Puts written by the Fund may be assigned to the Fund at any point prior to the expiration date. Early assignment is more likely when the put option is significantly in the money. Should early assignment occur for a put options position, it would result in the Fund acquiring the assigned shares. Consequently, the value of the Fund’s investment may be temporarily exposed to the full market movement of the Underlying Security and the risks attendant to the Underlying Security (explained more fully below), until these shares are sold off and new options positions are established. The Adviser will generally seek to liquidate the assigned shares and re-establish the options position as soon as possible to ensure gains or losses stemming from early assignments are minimized.

 

Implied Volatility Risk. Upon selling a Put, the Fund gains the amount of premium it receives; however, the Fund also incurs a liability that represents the value of the Put it has sold until the Put is exercised or expires. The value of the Puts in which the Fund invests is partly based on the volatility used by market participants to price such options (i.e., implied volatility). Consequently, increases in the implied volatility of the Puts will cause the value of such options to increase (even if the prices of stocks in the Underlying Security do not change), which will result in a corresponding increase in the liabilities of the Fund under the Puts and thus decrease the Fund’s NAV. The Fund is therefore exposed to implied volatility risk before the Puts expire or are struck at-the-money. The implied volatility of the Puts sold by the Fund may increase due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries of companies included in the Underlying Security, or factors relating to certain of those companies.

 

Transaction Cost Risk. The Fund will pay transaction costs, such as commissions or mark-ups in the bid/offer spread on an option position, when it writes options. Because the Fund “turns over” its option positions every week (or more frequently), it will incur high transaction costs. While the turnover of the option positions sold by the Fund is not deemed “portfolio turnover” for accounting purposes, the economic impact to the Fund is similar to what could occur if the Fund experienced high portfolio turnover (e.g., in excess of 100% per year). The Fund’s high levels of transaction costs 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 thereunder, may affect the Fund’s performance.

 

Investment Risk. As with all investments, an investment in the Fund is subject to loss, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount of an investment, over short or long periods of time.

 

Market Risk. The trading prices of securities and other instruments fluctuate in response to a variety of factors, such as economic, financial or political events that impact the entire market, market segments, or specific issuers. The Fund’s NAV and market price may fluctuate significantly in response to these and other factors. As a result, an investor could lose money over short or long periods of time.

 

Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund generally redeems shares for cash or otherwise includes cash as part of its redemption proceeds. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the Fund redeemed shares in kind.

 

Equity Securities Risk. Equity securities may be more volatile than other asset classes, and their market prices may change quickly and without warning. The value of an equity security may decrease as a result of the issuer or due to general industry or market conditions unrelated to the issuer. If the value of the Underlying Security decreases or fluctuates, causing the value of the Underlying Security on the Roll Date to fall below the strike price of the Puts sold by the Fund, the NAV of the Fund will decrease or fluctuate, respectively, as the Puts increase in value to their owners. The Fund may also lose value to the extent that it takes delivery of the Underlying Security and has to sell such Underlying Security at a lower price.

 

Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively-managed and may not meet its investment objective based on the Adviser’s success or failure to implement its investment strategies for the Fund. The success of the Fund’s investment program depends largely on the investment techniques applied by the Adviser. It is possible the investment techniques employed on behalf of the Fund will not produce the desired results.

 

Hedging Risk. The Fund may, when the Adviser in its discretion deems appropriate, purchase put and/or call options to hedge against the risk of drastic movements in the price of the Underlying Security and may engage in other various investments or transactions that are designed to hedge a position in the Fund’s portfolio. There is no assurance that these hedging techniques will be effective and such techniques involve costs that may reduce gains or result in losses, which may adversely affect the value of Fund shares.

 

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Purchase and Sale Timing Risk. The Fund has multiple Roll Dates each month and, as a result, no matter when an investor purchases Fund shares, even on a Roll Date, the value of the investor’s investment in the Fund may not be protected against a decline in the value of the Underlying Security and may not benefit from a gain in the value of the Underlying Security. The value of the options written by the Fund is dependent on various factors, including, but not limited to, the value and implied volatility of the Underlying Security. Each of these factors may vary significantly during the period between Roll Dates and affect the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective between Roll Dates.

 

Distribution and Return of Capital Risk. The Fund seeks to provide current monthly income. There is no guarantee that the Fund will make a distribution in any given month. If the Fund does make distributions, the amounts of such distributions will likely vary greatly from one distribution to the next. When the Fund makes a distribution, the Fund’s NAV will typically drop by the amount of the distribution on the related record date for the distribution. All or a portion of such distributions may represent a return of capital. A return of capital is the portion of the distribution representing the return of your investment in the Fund. A return of capital is generally tax-free to the extent of a shareholder’s basis in the Fund’s shares and reduces the shareholder’s basis in their shares and results in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the shares on which the return of capital distribution was received are sold. After a shareholder’s basis in the shares has been reduced to zero, return of capital distributions will be treated as gain from the sale of the shareholder’s shares.

 

Money Market Instruments Risk. The value of money market instruments may be affected by changing interest rates and by changes in the credit ratings of the investments. An investment in a money market fund is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. It is possible to lose money by investing in a money market fund.

 

U.S. Treasury Bills Risk. U.S. Treasury bills may differ from other debt securities in their interest rates, maturities, times of issuance and other characteristics and may provide relatively lower returns than those other securities. Similar to other issuers, changes to the financial condition or credit rating of the U.S. government may cause the value of the Fund’s U.S. Treasury bills holdings to decline.

 

ETF Structure Risk. The Fund is structured as an ETF and is therefore subject to special risks. Such risks include:

 

Trading Issues Risk. Trading in ETF shares on an exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the exchange, make trading in the ETF’s shares inadvisable, such as extraordinary market volatility. There can be no assurance that an ETF’s shares will continue to meet the listing requirements of its exchange or will trade with any volume. There is no guarantee that an active secondary market will develop for shares of an ETF. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of shares of an ETF may begin to mirror the liquidity of the ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than shares of the ETF. This adverse effect on liquidity for the ETF’s shares in turn could lead to differences between the market price of the ETF’s shares and the underlying value of those shares.

 

Market Price Variance Risk. The market prices of shares of an ETF will fluctuate in response to changes in the ETF’s NAV, and supply and demand for ETF shares and will include a “bid-ask spread” charged by the exchange specialists, market makers or other participants that trade the particular security. There may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. This means that ETF shares may trade at a discount to NAV. The market price of an ETF’s shares may deviate from the value of the ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings, particularly in times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the shares of the ETF bought or sold.

 

Authorized Participants (“APs”), Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Risk. ETFs have 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 of an ETF may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: () 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 of an ETF. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares of an ETF, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of shares of an ETF may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in shares of an ETF may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.

 

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. To the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers, the Fund is subject to the risks of investing in those few issuers and may be more susceptible to a single adverse economic or regulatory occurrence. As a result, changes in the market value of a single security could cause greater fluctuations in the value of Fund shares than would occur in a diversified fund.

 

Inflation Risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions may decline.

 

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Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the Fund’s investments will decline because of rising market interest rates. Interest rate risk is generally lower for shorter term options and debt securities and higher for longer-term options and debt securities. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates than would normally be the case due to the current period of historically low rates and the effect of potential government fiscal policy initiatives and resulting market reaction to those initiatives. When interest rates increase, call options generally benefit while put option prices are impacted negatively.

 

New Fund Risk. As of the date of this prospectus, the Fund has no operating history and currently has fewer assets than larger funds. Like other new funds, large inflows and outflows may impact the Fund’s market exposure for limited periods of time. This impact may be positive or negative, depending on the direction of market movement during the period affected.

 

Investment Risks of the Underlying Security

 

INVESCO QQQ Trust, Series 1 Investing Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment held by the Fund to be more volatile than the market generally. The value of an individual security or particular type of security may be more volatile than the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. QQQ is subject to the risk of an investment in a portfolio of equity securities in economic sectors in which the Index may be highly concentrated (e.g., technology) as well as to the risks specific to the performance of a few individual component Securities which currently represent a highly concentrated weighting in the Index. These include the risks that the level of stock prices in these sectors or the stock prices of these specific companies may decline, thereby adversely affecting the value of QQQ. In addition, because it is the policy of the Trust to invest in the securities that comprise the Index, if the Index is concentrated in an industry or industry group, the portfolio of Securities also will be concentrated in that industry or industry group.

 

Technology Sector Risk. Market or economic factors impacting technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a major effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel.

 

American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) Risk: QQQ is subject to risks associated with investments in ADRs included in the Index. ADRs are certificates that evidence ownership of shares of a foreign issuer and are alternatives to purchasing the underlying foreign securities directly in their national markets and currencies. ADRs may be subject to certain of the risks associated with direct investments in the securities of foreign companies, such as currency, political, economic and market risks, because their values depend on the performance of the non-dollar denominated underlying foreign securities. Moreover, ADRs may not track the price of the underlying foreign securities on which they are based, and their value may change materially at times when U.S. markets are not open for trading.

 

Performance History

 

The Fund is new and does not have a full calendar year of performance history. In the future, performance information will be presented in this section of the Prospectus. Performance information will contain a bar chart and table that provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing the Fund’s average annual returns for certain time periods as compared to a broad measure of market performance. Investors should be aware that past performance before and after taxes is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.

 

Updated performance information for the Fund, including its current NAV per share, is available by calling toll-free (833) 759-6110.

 

Investment Adviser

 

Tuttle Capital Management, LLC (the “Adviser”) is the investment adviser to the Fund.

 

Portfolio Managers

 

Matthew Tuttle, Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser, has served as the Fund’s portfolio manager since its inception.

 

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

 

The Fund will issue (or redeem) shares to certain institutional investors (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in large blocks of at least 10,000 shares known as “Creation Units.” Creation Unit transactions are typically conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of in-kind securities and/or cash. Individual shares may only be purchased and sold on a national securities exchange through a broker-dealer. You can purchase and sell individual shares of the Fund throughout the trading day like any publicly traded security. The Fund’s shares are listed on the Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (the “Exchange”). The price of the Fund’s shares is based on market price, and because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Fund shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Fund’s shares are not redeemable securities.

 

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Tax Information

 

The Fund’s distributions will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gain, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account in which case withdrawals generally will be taxed.

 

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

 

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

 

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS’ INVESTMENTS

 

The investment objective of the Tuttle Capital TSLA Put Write ETF is to seek current income.

 

The investment objective of the Tuttle Capital NVDA Put Write ETF is to seek current income.

 

The investment objective of the Tuttle Capital MSTR Put Write ETF is to seek current income.

 

The investment objective of the Tuttle Capital COIN Put Write ETF is to seek current income.

 

The investment objective of the Tuttle Capital QQQ Put Write ETF is to seek current income.

 

The Funds’ investment objectives may be changed by the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of ETF Opportunities Trust (the “Trust”) without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders.

 

ETFs are funds that trade like other publicly-traded securities. Unlike shares of a mutual fund, which can be bought and redeemed from the issuing fund by all shareholders at a price based on NAV, shares of the Fund may be purchased or redeemed directly from the Fund at NAV solely by APs and only in aggregations of a specified number of shares Creation Units. Also, unlike shares of a mutual fund, shares of the Fund are listed on a national securities exchange and trade in the secondary market at market prices that change throughout the day.

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

 

Each Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”) that seeks current income primarily by selling (writing) put options on shares of its respective Underlying Security and collecting the premiums paid by the purchasers of the put options. Specifically, each Fund seeks to maximize current income by selling cash-covered out-of-the-money or at-the-money put options on the Underlying Security (“Puts”), meaning that the “strike” price of a Put will be below or at the current price of the Underlying Security. If the price of the Underlying Security stays above the strike price of a particular Put by the time the Put expires, a Fund will realize gains by collecting the premiums paid by the Put purchaser. Should the price of the underlying Security fall below the strike price of a specific Put, a Fund will incur losses. Accordingly, each Fund is intended for investors who believe the price of the Underlying Security will stay flat or rise.

 

Each Fund will sell Puts that utilize the Underlying Security as the reference asset. Each Fund will utilize exchange-traded options and non-standardized FLexible EXchange® Options (also referred to as “FLEX Options®"). Exchange-traded options are standardized with set contract terms, such as the style (call or put), the reference asset, the strike price and expiration date. Exchange-listed options contracts are guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation (“OCC”). FLEX Options are non-standardized options, meaning that a user, such as the Fund, can specify the key contract terms that are normally standardized for exchange-traded options. As the seller of the Puts, the Fund receives cash (also called a premium) from the purchaser for each Put sold. Each Put contract sold by the Fund will commit the Fund to buying 100 shares of the Underlying Security at the strike price if the Put owner exercises its option. If a Put sold by the Fund is exercised prior to expiration (“assigned” or “put” to the Fund), the Fund will purchase 100 shares of the Underlying Security at the time of exercise at the strike price and will hold the Underlying Security shares until they are liquidated. Each Fund intends to write Puts that are American style options, meaning that the Put is exercisable at the strike price at any time prior to the option expiration date. However, a Fund may close out in-the-money put options before expiration to avoid having to purchase shares of the Underlying Security.

 

From time to time, when the Adviser believes it is advantageous to do so, the Fund may purchase an out-of-the-money put as a hedge to seek to minimize the risk of losses from drastic downswings in the price of the Underlying Security. There is no guarantee that such hedges will be effective. In addition, the Fund may write call options on an Underlying Security received by the Fund as the result of the exercise of a Put written by the Fund. 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT RISK

 

It is important that you closely review and understand the risks of investing in the Funds. The Funds’ NAV and investment return will fluctuate based upon changes in the value of its portfolio securities. You could lose money on your investment in the Funds, and the Funds could underperform other investments. There is no guarantee that the Funds will meet their investment objectives. An investment in a Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks described herein pertain to direct risks of making an investment in the Funds and/or risks of the issuers in which the Funds invest.

 

Put Options Risk. Puts are subject to volatile swings in price influenced by changes in the value of the underlying instrument. The price of the Puts sold by the Fund will have imperfect correlation to the returns of the Underlying Security. Although the Fund collects premiums on the Puts it writes, the Fund’s risk of loss if the value of the Underlying Security falls below the strike price and the Puts are exercised as of the Roll Date (i.e., the Fund, as the seller of the Puts, owes the buyer of the Puts) will likely outweigh the gains to the Fund from the receipt of such option premiums. The potential return to the Fund is limited to the amount of option premiums it receives; however, the Fund can potentially lose up to the entire strike price (multiplied by 100) of each option it sells.

 

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Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive their performance from an underlying reference asset, such as an index, interest rate or inflation rate. Generally, derivatives are sophisticated investments that may pose risks that are different from or greater than those posed by investing directly in the underlying reference asset. For example, the return on a derivative instrument may not correlate with that of its underlying reference asset, and minimal requisite initial investments necessary to purchase derivatives positions may expose the Fund to losses in excess of those amounts. Derivatives also can be volatile and may be less liquid than other investments. As a result, the value of an investment in the Fund may change quickly and without warning and you may lose money. The Fund expects to use put options to implement its principal investment strategies. Other risks specific to put options, as well as other risks of derivatives, generally, such as counterparty and issuer credit risk, interest rate risk, market risk and issuer-specific risk, are described in greater detail elsewhere in the Fund’s Prospectus.

 

Limited Upside Return Risk. The Fund’s put option sales strategy subjects the Fund to an upside limitation on returns to the premiums received from the Put owner. The Fund will only participate in upside price swings of the Underlying Security to the extent that the Put sold by the Fund will not be exercised and the Fund will keep all of the premium paid by the Put owner without having to purchase the Underlying Security from the Put owner. In the event an investor purchases Fund shares between Roll Dates, and the value of the Underlying Security falls to a level near or below the strike price, there may be little or no ability for that investor to experience a gain on an investment in Fund shares until the next Roll Date.

 

FLEX Options Risk. The Fund may write FLEX Options issued and guaranteed for settlement by the OCC. The Fund bears the risk that the OCC will be unable or unwilling to perform its obligations under the FLEX Options contracts. Additionally, FLEX Options may be illiquid, and in such cases, the Fund may have difficulty closing out certain FLEX Options positions at desired times and prices.

 

Rolling Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy is subject to risks related to rolling. To the extent the Fund’s portfolio managers are unable to roll the Puts as described in the Fund’s principal investment strategy, the Fund may be unable to achieve its investment objective. In addition, because of the frequency with which the Fund expects to roll option contracts, this risk may be greater than the impact would otherwise be if the Fund experienced less portfolio turnover. The price of options contracts further from expiration may be higher, which can impact the Fund’s returns.

 

Assignment Risk. The Puts written by the Fund may be assigned to the Fund at any point prior to the expiration date. Early assignment is more likely when the put option is significantly in the money. Should early assignment occur for a put options position, it would result in the Fund acquiring the assigned shares. Consequently, the value of the Fund’s investment may be temporarily exposed to the full market movement of the Underlying Security and the risks attendant to the Underlying Security (explained more fully below), until these shares are sold off and new options positions are established. The Adviser will generally seek to liquidate the assigned shares and re-establish the options position as soon as possible to ensure gains or losses stemming from early assignments are minimized.

 

Implied Volatility Risk. Upon selling a Put, the Fund gains the amount of premium it receives; however, the Fund also incurs a liability that represents the value of the Put it has sold until the Put is exercised or expires. The value of the Puts in which the Fund invests is partly based on the volatility used by market participants to price such options (i.e., implied volatility). Consequently, increases in the implied volatility of the Puts will cause the value of such options to increase (even if the prices of stocks in the Underlying Security do not change), which will result in a corresponding increase in the liabilities of the Fund under the Puts and thus decrease the Fund’s NAV. The Fund is therefore exposed to implied volatility risk before the Puts expire or are struck at-the-money. The implied volatility of the Puts sold by the Fund may increase due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries of companies included in the Underlying Security, or factors relating to certain of those companies.

 

Transaction Cost Risk. The Fund will pay transaction costs, such as commissions or mark-ups in the bid/offer spread on an option position, when it writes options. Because the Fund “turns over” its option positions every week (or more frequently), it will incur high transaction costs. While the turnover of the option positions sold by the Fund is not deemed “portfolio turnover” for accounting purposes, the economic impact to the Fund is similar to what could occur if the Fund experienced high portfolio turnover (e.g., in excess of 100% per year). The Fund’s high levels of transaction costs 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 thereunder, may affect the Fund’s performance.

 

Investment Risk. As with all investments, an investment in the Fund is subject to loss, including the possible loss of the entire principal amount of an investment, over short or long periods of time.

 

Market Risk. The trading prices of securities and other instruments fluctuate in response to a variety of factors, such as economic, financial or political events that impact the entire market, market segments, or specific issuers. The Fund’s NAV and market price may fluctuate significantly in response to these and other factors. As a result, an investor could lose money over short or long periods of time.

 

Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund generally redeems shares for cash or otherwise includes cash as part of its redemption proceeds. The Fund may be required to sell or unwind portfolio investments to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Fund to recognize a capital gain that it might not have recognized if it had made a redemption in kind. As a result, the Fund may pay out higher annual capital gain distributions than if the Fund redeemed shares in kind.

 

Equity Securities Risk. Equity securities may be more volatile than other asset classes, and their market prices may change quickly and without warning. The value of an equity security may decrease as a result of the issuer or due to general industry or market conditions unrelated to the issuer. If the value of the Underlying Security decreases or fluctuates, causing the value of the Underlying Security on the Roll Date to fall below the strike price of the Puts sold by the Fund, the NAV of the Fund will decrease or fluctuate, respectively, as the Puts increase in value to their owners. The Fund may also lose value to the extent that it takes delivery of the Underlying Security and has to sell such Underlying Security at a lower price.

 

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Active Management Risk. The Fund is actively-managed and may not meet its investment objective based on the Adviser’s success or failure to implement its investment strategies for the Fund. The success of the Fund’s investment program depends largely on the investment techniques applied by the Adviser. It is possible the investment techniques employed on behalf of the Fund will not produce the desired results.

 

Hedging Risk. The Fund may, when the Adviser in its discretion deems appropriate, purchase put and/or call options to hedge against the risk of drastic movements in the price of the Underlying Security and may engage in other various investments or transactions that are designed to hedge a position in the Fund’s portfolio. There is no assurance that these hedging techniques will be effective and such techniques involve costs that may reduce gains or result in losses, which may adversely affect the value of Fund shares.

 

Purchase and Sale Timing Risk. The Fund has multiple Roll Dates each month and, as a result, no matter when an investor purchases Fund shares, even on a Roll Date, the value of the investor’s investment in the Fund may not be protected against a decline in the value of the Underlying Security and may not benefit from a gain in the value of the Underlying Security. The value of the options written by the Fund is dependent on various factors, including, but not limited to, the value and implied volatility of the Underlying Security. Each of these factors may vary significantly during the period between Roll Dates and affect the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective between Roll Dates.

 

Distribution and Return of Capital Risk. The Fund seeks to provide current monthly income. There is no guarantee that the Fund will make a distribution in any given month. If the Fund does make distributions, the amounts of such distributions will likely vary greatly from one distribution to the next. When the Fund makes a distribution, the Fund’s NAV will typically drop by the amount of the distribution on the related record date for the distribution. All or a portion of such distributions may represent a return of capital. A return of capital is the portion of the distribution representing the return of your investment in the Fund. A return of capital is generally tax-free to the extent of a shareholder’s basis in the Fund’s shares and reduces the shareholder’s basis in their shares and results in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the shares on which the return of capital distribution was received are sold. After a shareholder’s basis in the shares has been reduced to zero, return of capital distributions will be treated as gain from the sale of the shareholder’s shares.

 

Money Market Instruments Risk. The value of money market instruments may be affected by changing interest rates and by changes in the credit ratings of the investments. An investment in a money market fund is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. It is possible to lose money by investing in a money market fund.

 

U.S. Treasury Bills Risk. U.S. Treasury bills may differ from other debt securities in their interest rates, maturities, times of issuance and other characteristics and may provide relatively lower returns than those other securities. Similar to other issuers, changes to the financial condition or credit rating of the U.S. government may cause the value of the Fund’s U.S. Treasury bills holdings to decline.

 

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. To the extent the Fund invests a significant percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers, the Fund is subject to the risks of investing in those few issuers and may be more susceptible to a single adverse economic or regulatory occurrence. As a result, changes in the market value of a single security could cause greater fluctuations in the value of Fund shares than would occur in a diversified fund.

 

Industry Concentration Risk. (Each Fund except Tuttle Capital QQQ Put Write ETF ) Each Fund will be concentrated in the industry to which the underlying security is assigned (i.e., hold more than 25% of its total assets in investments that provide inverse exposure to the industry to which the underlying security is assigned). A portfolio concentrated in a particular industry may present more risks than a portfolio broadly diversified over several industries. As of the date of this prospectus, TSLA is assigned to the motor vehicles and passenger car bodies industry, NVDA is assigned to the semiconductors and related devices industry, MSTR is assigned to the information technology sector and the software industry, COIN is assigned to the assigned to the financial sector and the capital markets industry, and QQQ is assigned to the technology industry.

 

Inflation Risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions may decline.

 

Interest Rate Risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the Fund’s investments will decline because of rising market interest rates. Interest rate risk is generally lower for shorter term options and debt securities and higher for longer-term options and debt securities. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates than would normally be the case due to the current period of historically low rates and the effect of potential government fiscal policy initiatives and resulting market reaction to those initiatives. When interest rates increase, call options generally benefit while put option prices are impacted negatively.

 

ETF Structure Risk. Each Fund is structured as an ETF and is therefore subject to special risks. Such risks include:

 

Trading Issues Risk. Trading in ETF shares on an exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the exchange, make trading in the ETF’s shares inadvisable, such as extraordinary market volatility. There can be no assurance that an ETF’s shares will continue to meet the listing requirements of its exchange or will trade with any volume. There is no guarantee that an active secondary market will develop for shares of an ETF. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of shares of an ETF may begin to mirror the liquidity of the ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than shares of the ETF. This adverse effect on liquidity for the ETF’s shares in turn could lead to differences between the market price of the ETF’s shares and the underlying value of those shares.

 

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Market Price Variance Risk. The market prices of shares of an ETF will fluctuate in response to changes in the ETF’s NAV, and supply and demand for ETF shares and will include a “bid-ask spread” charged by the exchange specialists, market makers or other participants that trade the particular security. There may be times when the market price and the NAV vary significantly. This means that ETF shares may trade at a discount to NAV. The market price of an ETF’s shares may deviate from the value of the ETF’s underlying portfolio holdings, particularly in times of market stress, with the result that investors may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the shares of the ETF bought or sold.

 

Costs of Buying or Selling Shares of an ETF. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares of an ETF, including brokerage commissions imposed by brokers and bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of shares of an ETF may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in shares of an ETF may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.

 

New Fund Risk. Each Fund is a new ETF and has only recently commenced operations. As a new fund, there can be no assurance that the Fund will grow to or maintain an economically viable size, in which case it could ultimately liquidate. The Funds’ distributor does not maintain a secondary market in the Funds’ shares.

 

Investment Risks of the Underlying Securities

 

Tesla, Inc. Investing RiskIssuer-specific attributes may cause an investment held by the Fund to be more volatile than the market generally. The value of an individual security or particular type of security may be more volatile than the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. In addition to the risks associated generally with operating companies and electric and autonomous vehicles and other automotive companies, Tesla, Inc. faces risks unique to its operations including, among others, supply or manufacturing delays, increased material or labor costs or shortages, reduced demand for its products, product liability claims, and the ability to attract, hire and retain key employees or qualified personnel. Importantly, Tesla, Inc. is highly dependent on the services of Elon Musk, its Chief Executive Officer, and any actual or anticipated large transactions in Tesla, Inc.’s common stock by Mr. Musk may cause the stock price to decline. The trading price of Tesla, Inc.’s common stock historically has been and is likely to continue to be volatile. Additionally, a large proportion of Tesla, Inc.’s common stock has been historically and may in the future be traded by short sellers which may put pressure on the supply and demand for its common stock, further influencing volatility in its market price. Tesla, Inc. is a highly dynamic company, and its operations, including its products and services, may change.

 

NVIDIA Corp. Investing Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment held by the Fund to be more volatile than the market generally. The value of an individual security or particular type of security may be more volatile than the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. As of the date of this prospectus, in addition to the risks associated generally with operating companies and companies in the semiconductor industry, NVIDIA faces risks specifically related to its operations that could cause the company to lose market share and revenue, adversely impacting its financial results and its stock price. These risks include, among others, failure to meet the evolving needs of its industry and market; competition in its current and target markets; failure to estimate customer demand; dependency on third-party suppliers; defects in its products; adverse economic, political, business and other changes in international regions in which the company operates; product, system security, and data breaches and cyber-attacks; adverse changes in laws, rules and regulations; increased scrutiny from shareholders, regulators and others regarding the company’s environmental, social and governance responsibilities; issues relating to the responsible use of the company’s technologies, including artificial intelligence; issues relating to the protection of the company’s intellectual property rights; the risks of litigation, investigation and regulatory proceedings; and the company’s level of indebtedness.

 

MicroStrategy Inc. Investing Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment held by the Fund to be more volatile than the market generally. The value of an individual security or particular type of security may be more volatile than the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. As of the date of this prospectus, in addition to the risks associated generally with operating companies and companies in the semiconductor industry, MSTR faces risks specifically related to its operations that could cause the company to lose market share and revenue, adversely impacting its financial results and its stock price. These risks include, among others, failure to meet the evolving needs of its industry and market; competition in its current and target markets; failure to estimate customer demand; dependency on third-party suppliers; defects in its products; adverse economic, political, business and other changes in international regions in which the company operates; product, system security, and data breaches and cyber-attacks; adverse changes in laws, rules and regulations; increased scrutiny from shareholders, regulators and others regarding the company’s environmental, social and governance responsibilities; issues relating to the responsible use of the company’s technologies, including artificial intelligence; issues relating to the protection of the company’s intellectual property rights; the risks of litigation, investigation and regulatory proceedings; and the company’s level of indebtedness. In addition, as a result of the company’s bitcoin acquisition strategy and its treasury reserve policy, the majority of the company’s assets are concentrated in its bitcoin holdings. The concentration of the company’s assets in bitcoin limits its ability to mitigate risk that could otherwise be achieved by purchasing a more diversified portfolio of treasury assets. Accordingly, a significant decline in the market value of bitcoin could have a material adverse effect on the company’s financial condition. Any material adverse effect on the company’s financial condition caused by a significant decline in the market value of its bitcoin holdings may create liquidity and credit risks for its business operations, as the company would have limited means to obtain cash beyond the revenues generated by its enterprise analytics software business. To the extent that the cash generated by the company’s enterprise analytics software business is insufficient to satisfy its debt service obligations, and to the extent that the liquidation of its bitcoin holdings would be insufficient to satisfy the company’s debt service obligations, the company may be unable to make scheduled payments on its current or future indebtedness, which could cause the company to default on its debt obligations. See “Bitcoin Risk.”

 

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Coinbase Global, Inc. Investing Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment held by the Fund to be more volatile than the market generally. The value of an individual security or particular type of security may be more volatile than the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. As of the date of this prospectus, in addition to the risks associated generally with operating companies and companies in the semiconductor industry, COIN faces risks specifically related to its operations that could cause the company to lose market share and revenue, adversely impacting its financial results and its stock price. These risks include, among others, failure to meet the evolving needs of its industry and market; competition in its current and target markets; failure to estimate customer demand; dependency on third-party suppliers; defects in its products; adverse economic, political, business and other changes in international regions in which the company operates; product, system security, and data breaches and cyber-attacks; adverse changes in laws, rules and regulations; increased scrutiny from shareholders, regulators and others regarding the company’s environmental, social and governance responsibilities; issues relating to the responsible use of the company’s technologies, including artificial intelligence; issues relating to the protection of the company’s intellectual property rights; the risks of litigation, investigation and regulatory proceedings; and the company’s level of indebtedness. The Securities and Exchange Commission has commenced an enforcement action alleging that Coinbase Global Inc. operates a trading platform that operates as an unregistered broker, unregistered exchange, and unregistered clearing agency.

 

INVESCO QQQ Trust, Series 1 Investing Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment held by the Fund to be more volatile than the market generally. The value of an individual security or particular type of security may be more volatile than the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. QQQ is subject to the risk of an investment in a portfolio of equity securities in economic sectors in which the Index may be highly concentrated (e.g., technology) as well as to the risks specific to the performance of a few individual component Securities which currently represent a highly concentrated weighting in the Index. These include the risks that the level of stock prices in these sectors or the stock prices of these specific companies may decline, thereby adversely affecting the value of QQQ.

 

American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) Risk (INVESCO QQQ Trust, Series 1 only): QQQ is subject to risks associated with investments in ADRs included in the Index. ADRs are certificates that evidence ownership of shares of a foreign issuer and are alternatives to purchasing the underlying foreign securities directly in their national markets and currencies. ADRs may be subject to certain of the risks associated with direct investments in the securities of foreign companies, such as currency, political, economic and market risks, because their values depend on the performance of the non-dollar denominated underlying foreign securities. Moreover, ADRs may not track the price of the underlying foreign securities on which they are based, and their value may change materially at times when U.S. markets are not open for trading.

 

Automotive Companies Risk (Tesla, Inc. only). The automotive industry can be highly cyclical, and companies in the industry may suffer periodic operating losses. Automotive companies can be significantly affected by labor relations and fluctuating component prices. Developments in automotive technologies (e.g., autonomous vehicle technologies) may require significant capital expenditures that may not generate profits for several years, if ever. Automotive companies may be significantly subject to government policies and regulations regarding imports and exports of automotive products. Governmental policies affecting the automotive industry, such as taxes, tariffs, duties, subsidies, and import and export restrictions on automotive products can influence industry profitability. In addition, such companies must comply with environmental laws and regulations, for which there may be severe consequences for non-compliance. While most of the major automotive manufacturers are large companies, certain others may be non-diversified in both product line and customer base and may be more vulnerable to certain events that may negatively impact the automotive industry.

 

Bitcoin Risk (MicroStrategy Inc. and Coinbase Global, Inc. only)While the Fund will not directly invest in digital assets, it will be subject to the risks associated with bitcoin by virtue of its investments in options contracts that reference MSTR or COIN. Investing in bitcoin exposes investors (such as MSTR or COIN and, in turn, MSTR or COIN shareholders) to significant risks that are not typically present in other investments. These risks include the uncertainty surrounding new technology, limited evaluation due to bitcoin’s short trading history, and the potential decline in adoption and value over the long term. The extreme volatility of bitcoin’s price is also a risk factor. Regulatory uncertainties, such as potential government interventions and conflicting regulations across jurisdictions, can impact the demand for bitcoin and restrict its usage. Additionally, risks associated with the sale of newly mined bitcoin, Bitcoin platforms, competition from alternative digital assets, mining operations, network modifications, and intellectual property claims pose further challenges to bitcoin-linked investments.

 

Bitcoin blockchain protocol may contain flaws that can be exploited by attackers and which may adversely affect the value of bitcoin. Flaws in the source code for digital assets have been exploited including flaws that disabled some functionality for users, exposed users’ personal information and/or resulted in the theft of users’ digital assets. The cryptography underlying bitcoin could prove to be flawed or ineffective, or developments in mathematics and/or technology, including advances in digital computing, algebraic geometry and quantum computing, could result in such cryptography becoming ineffective. In any of these circumstances, a malicious actor may be able to compromise the security of the Bitcoin network. Exposure of bitcoin to instability in other speculative parts of the blockchain and crypto industry, such as through an event that is not necessarily related to the security or utility of the Bitcoin blockchain can nonetheless precipitate a significant decline in the price of bitcoin. Proposed changes to the Bitcoin blockchain protocol may not be adopted by a sufficient number of users and miners, which may result in competing blockchains with different native crypto assets and sets of participants (known as a “fork”).

 

Bitcoin has only recently become selectively accepted as a means of payment by retail and commercial outlets, and use of bitcoins by consumers to pay such retail and commercial outlets remains limited. Banks and other established financial institutions may refuse to process funds for bitcoin transactions; process wire transfers to or from digital asset platforms, bitcoin-related companies or service providers; or maintain accounts for persons or entities transacting in bitcoin. Processing of bitcoin transactions may be slow and transaction fees may be subject to significant variability. As a result, the price of bitcoin may be influenced to a significant extent by speculators and miners, thus contributing to price volatility that makes retailers less likely to accept it as a form of payment in the future.

 

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Further developments in blockchain for its intended purpose may depend on Layer 2 scaling solutions (“Layer 2 Solutions”). Layer 2 Solutions are protocols that allow developers to build applications with faster transaction ability and cheaper costs than if they were to build on the layer 1 chain, which refers to decentralized applications built on the Bitcoin main chain. There are various types of scaling solutions for bitcoin that will assist in the implementation of Layer 2 Solutions. For bitcoin to be suitable for global enterprise and mass adoption, there first needs to be improvements that facilitate scaling and transaction speed to keep up with user demand, and accommodating the various types of users and transaction requests. The Bitcoin Lightning Network is a Layer 2 Solution that uses channels to create peer-to-peer payment routs between two parties. These exist separately from bitcoin’s network and their primary purpose is to allow for faster transactions. Since these Layer 2 Solutions are recorded off of the Bitcoin network this results in slower verification times for these transactions, and users may be subject to manipulation of the transaction data by unauthorized parties. This may result in users and retailers being less likely to accept bitcoin as a form of payment, and cause a decrease in the value of bitcoin and the performance of the Fund. Competition from the emergence or growth of alternative digital assets and smart contracts platforms, such as those focused on zero-knowledge cryptography, Solana, Avalanche, Polkadot, or Cardano, could have a negative impact on the demand for, and price of, bitcoin.

 

Capital Markets Industry Risk (Coinbase Global, Inc. only). Capital Markets companies may be significantly affected by stock and bank trading activity, changes in governmental regulation, continuing increases in price competition, decreases in fees or fee-related business, including investment banking, brokerage, asset management and other servicing fees, fluctuation in interest rates and other factors which could adversely affect financial markets.

 

Computer Software Industry Risk (MicroStrategy Inc. only)Computer software companies can be significantly affected by competitive pressures, aggressive pricing, technological developments, changing domestic demand, the ability to attract and retain skilled employees and availability and price of components. The market for products produced by computer software companies is characterized by rapidly changing technology, rapid product obsolescence, cyclical market patterns, evolving industry standards and frequent new product introductions. The success of computer software companies depends in substantial part on the timely and successful introduction of new products and the ability to service such products. An unexpected change in one or more of the technologies affecting an issuer’s products or in the market for products based on a particular technology could have a material adverse effect on a participant’s operating results.

 

Many computer software companies rely on a combination of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secret laws to establish and protect their proprietary rights in their products and technologies. There can be no assurance that the steps taken by computer software companies to protect their proprietary rights will be adequate to prevent misappropriation of their technology or that competitors will not independently develop technologies that are substantially equivalent or superior to such companies’ technology.

 

Consumer Discretionary Sector Risk (Tesla, Inc. only). Because companies in the consumer discretionary sector manufacture products and provide discretionary services directly to the consumer, the success of these companies is tied closely to the performance of the overall domestic and international economy, including the functioning of the global supply chain, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending, and may be strongly affected by social trends and marketing campaigns. Also, companies in the consumer discretionary sector may be subject to severe competition, which may have an adverse impact on a company’s profitability. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes also can affect the demand for, and success of, consumer discretionary products in the marketplace.

 

Cryptocurrency Risk (NVDA, MSTR and COIN only)The Fund may have exposure to cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin as a result of the company’s reliance on sales of its products to cryptocurrency miners. Miners generate revenue from both newly created bitcoin (known as the “block reward”) and from fees taken upon verification of transactions. If the aggregate revenue from transaction fees and the block reward is below a miner’s cost, the miner may cease operations. An acute cessation of mining operations would reduce the collective processing power on the blockchain. A large-scale cessation, either due to policy intervention or other reasons, may also cause higher volatility in bitcoin price, lower process power of the bitcoin network, and higher transaction costs.

 

A cryptocurrency operates without central authority or banks and is not backed by any government. Cryptocurrencies are often referred to as a “virtual currency” or “digital currency,” and operate as a decentralized, peer-to-peer financial exchange and value storage that is used like money. A cryptocurrency is also not a legal tender. Although Bitcoin and similar crypto assets have been called “cryptocurrencies”, they are not widely accepted as a means of payment. Federal, state or foreign governments may restrict the use and exchange of a cryptocurrency, and regulation in the U.S. is still developing. Cryptocurrency platforms may stop operating or permanently shut down due to fraud, technical glitches, hackers or malware. The Fund’s indirect exposure to cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin may be affected by the high volatility associated with such cryptocurrency exposure. Future regulatory actions or policies may limit the ability to sell, exchange or use cryptocurrencies, thereby impairing their prices. Cryptocurrency trading platforms on which cryptocurrencies trade may be subject to enforcement actions by regulatory authorities.

 

Electric and Autonomous Vehicles Company Risk (Tesla, Inc. only). Electric and autonomous vehicles companies typically face intense competition and potentially rapid product obsolescence. Many of these companies are also heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by loss or impairment of those rights. There can be no assurance these companies will be able to successfully protect their intellectual property to prevent the misappropriation of their technology, or that competitors will not develop technology that is substantially similar or superior to such companies’ technology. Electric and autonomous vehicles companies typically engage in significant amounts of spending on research and development, capital expenditures and mergers and acquisitions, and there is no guarantee that the products or services produced by these companies will be successful. Companies that produce the raw materials that are used in electric vehicles may be concentrated in certain commodities, and therefore be exposed to the price fluctuations of those commodities. In addition, autonomous vehicle technology could face increasing regulatory scrutiny in the future, which may limit the development of this technology and impede the growth of companies that develop and/or utilize this technology. Electric and autonomous vehicles companies are also potential targets for cyberattacks, which can have a materially adverse impact on the performance of these companies. Electric and autonomous vehicles companies rely on artificial intelligence and big data technologies for the development of their platforms and, as a result, could face increased scrutiny as regulators consider how the data is collected, stored, safeguarded and used. The customers and/or suppliers of electric and autonomous vehicles companies may be concentrated in a particular country, region or industry, including in emerging markets. Any adverse event affecting one of these countries, regions or industries could have a negative impact on electric and autonomous vehicles companies.

 

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Financials Sector Risk (Coinbase Global, Inc. only)Performance of companies in the financials sector may be materially impacted by many factors, including but not limited to, government regulations, economic conditions, credit rating downgrades, changes in interest rates and decreased liquidity in credit markets. Profitability of these companies is largely dependent on the availability and cost of capital and can fluctuate significantly when interest rates change. Credit losses resulting from financial difficulties of borrowers also can negatively impact the sector. These companies are also subject to substantial government regulation and intervention, which may adversely impact the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge, the amount of capital they must maintain, and potentially, their size. Government regulation may change frequently and may have significant adverse consequences for financial companies, including effects that are not intended by such regulation. The impact of more stringent capital requirements, or recent or future regulation in various countries on any individual financial company or of the financials sector as a whole, cannot be predicted. The financials sector is also a target for cyber attacks and may experience technology malfunctions and disruptions, which have occurred more frequently in recent years.

 

Information Technology Sector Risk (MicroStrategy Inc. and Coinbase Global, Inc. only). The value of stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation, and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from competitors with lower production costs. In addition, many information technology companies have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. The prices of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile and less liquid than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the information technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel.

 

Semiconductor Company Risk (NVIDIA Corp. only)Competitive pressures may have a significant effect on the financial condition of semiconductor companies and, as product cycles shorten and manufacturing capacity increases, these companies may become increasingly subject to aggressive pricing, which hampers profitability. Reduced demand for end-user products, under-utilization of manufacturing capacity, and other factors could adversely impact the operating results of companies in the semiconductor sector. Semiconductor companies typically face high capital costs and may be heavily dependent on intellectual property rights. The semiconductor sector is highly cyclical, which may cause the operating results of many semiconductor companies to vary significantly. The stock prices of companies in the semiconductor sector have been and likely will continue to be extremely volatile.

 

Technology Sector Risk (NVIDIA Corp. and INVESCO QQQ Trust, Series 1 only)Market or economic factors impacting technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a major effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Additionally, companies in the technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel.

 

Other Risks for the Funds

 

Cyber Security Risk. Failures or breaches of the electronic systems of the Funds, the Adviser, and/or the Funds’ other service providers, market makers, Authorized Participants or the issuers of securities in which the Funds invest have the ability to cause disruptions and negatively impact the Funds’ business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses to the Funds and their shareholders. While the Funds have established business continuity plans and risk management systems seeking to address system breaches or failures, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems. Furthermore, the Funds cannot control the cyber security plans and systems of the Funds’ service providers, market makers, Authorized Participants or issuers of securities in which the Funds invest.

 

MANAGEMENT

 

The Investment Adviser. Tuttle Capital Management, LLC (the “Adviser”), 155 Lockwood Rd., Riverside, Connecticut 06878, is the investment adviser for the Funds. The Adviser is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The Adviser is a Delaware limited liability company and was organized in 2012.

 

Under the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Adviser and the Trust, on behalf of the Funds (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”), the Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Funds’ investments. The Adviser also: (i) furnishes the Funds with office space and certain administrative services; (ii) provides guidance and policy direction in connection with its daily management of the Funds’ assets, subject to the authority of the Board. For its services, the Adviser is entitled to receive an annual management fee calculated daily and payable monthly, at the annual rate of 0.65% of each Fund’s average daily net assets.

 

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A discussion regarding the basis for the Board approving the Investment Advisory Agreement for the Funds will be available in the Funds’ semi-annual report to shareholders when that report is available.

 

The Portfolio Manager

 

Matthew Tuttle, Chief Executive Officer of the Adviser, has served as the Funds’ portfolio manager since their inception in 2025. Matthew Tuttle has been involved in the financial services industry since 1990. He has an MBA in finance from Boston University and is the author of two financial books, Financial Secrets of My Wealthy Grandparents and How Harvard and Yale Beat the Market. He has been launching and managing ETFs since 2015.

 

The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and the portfolio managers’ ownership in the Funds.

 

The Trust

 

Each Fund is a series of the ETF Opportunities Trust, an open-end management investment company organized as a Delaware statutory trust on March 18, 2019. The Board supervises the operations of the Funds according to applicable state and federal law, and the Board is responsible for the overall management of the Fund’s business affairs.

 

Portfolio Holdings

 

A description of the Funds’ policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of their portfolio securities is available in the SAI. Complete holdings are published on the Funds’ website on a daily basis. Please visit the Funds’ website at www.moreincomeetfs.com. In addition, the Fund’s complete holdings (as of the dates of such reports) are available in reports on Form N-PORT and Form N-CSR filed with the SEC.

 

HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES

 

Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Funds through broker-dealers at market prices. Shares of the Funds are listed for trading on the Exchange and on the secondary market during the trading day and can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other shares of publicly traded securities. Shares of the Funds are traded under the below listed trading symbols:

 

Fund Trading Symbol
Tuttle Capital TSLA Put Write ETF TSPW
Tuttle Capital NVDA Put Write ETF NVPW
Tuttle Capital MSTR Put Write ETF MSPW
Tuttle Capital COIN Put Write ETF COPW
Tuttle Capital QQQ Put Write ETF QQPW

 

Shares may only be purchased and sold on the secondary market when the Exchange is open for trading.

 

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.

 

The NAV of the Funds’ shares is calculated at the close of regular trading on the Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m. New York time, on each day the Exchange is open. The NAV of the Funds’ Shares is determined by dividing the total value of the Funds’ portfolio investments and other assets, less any liabilities, by the total number of Shares outstanding of the Funds.

 

In calculating its NAV, a 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.

 

Fair value pricing is used by a Fund when market quotations are not readily available or are deemed to be unreliable or inaccurate based on factors such as evidence of a thin market in the security or a significant event occurring after the close of the market but before the time as of which a Fund’s NAV is calculated. When fair-value pricing is employed, the prices of securities used by a Fund to calculate its NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities.

 

APs may acquire shares directly from a Fund, and APs may tender their shares for redemption directly to the Fund, at NAV per share only in large blocks, or Creation Units, of at least 10,000 shares. Purchases and redemptions directly with the Fund must follow the Fund’s procedures, which are described in the SAI.

 

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Under normal circumstances, a Fund will pay out redemption proceeds to a redeeming AP within two (2) days after the AP’s redemption request is received, in accordance with the process set forth in the Fund’s SAI and in the agreement between the AP and the Fund’s distributor. However, a Fund reserves the right, including under stressed market conditions, to take up to seven (7) days after the receipt of a redemption request to pay an AP, all as permitted by the 1940 Act. Each Fund anticipates regularly meeting redemption requests primarily through cash redemptions. However, each Fund reserves the right to pay all or portion of the redemption proceeds to an AP in-kind. Cash used for redemptions will be raised from the sale of portfolio assets or may come from existing holdings of cash or cash equivalents.

 

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

 

Book Entry  

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

 

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

 

FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS OF FUND SHARES

 

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

 

DIVIDENDS, OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES

 

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

 

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

 

No dividend reinvestment service is provided by the Funds. Broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by beneficial owners of a Fund for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. 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. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole shares of a Fund purchased in the secondary market.

 

Taxes  

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

 

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

 

-The Fund makes distributions,

-You sell your shares listed on the Exchange, and

-You purchase or redeem Creation Units.

 

Taxes on Distributions  

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

 

A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual Fund operating expenses, affect the Fund’s performance.

 

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

 

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

 

Each Fund is required to backup withhold 24% of your distributions and redemption proceeds if you have not provided the Fund with a correct taxpayer identification number (which generally is a Social Security number for individuals) in the required manner and in certain other situations.

 

Taxes on Exchange-Listed Share Sales  

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

 

Taxes on Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units  

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

 

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

 

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

 

At the time this prospectus was prepared, there were various legislative proposals under consideration that would amend the Internal Revenue Code. At this time, though, it is not possible to determine whether any of these proposals will become law and how these changes might affect the Fund or its shareholders.

 

The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current U.S. federal tax law of an investment in the Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. Consult your personal tax adviser about the potential tax consequences of an investment in the shares under all applicable tax laws. See “Taxes” in the SAI for more information.

 

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FUND SERVICE PROVIDERS

 

Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc. (the “Administrator”) is the Fund’s administrator. The firm is primarily in the business of providing administrative services to retail and institutional mutual funds and exchange-traded funds.

 

U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC (“U.S. Bancorp”) serves as the Fund’s fund accountant and transfer agent, and it provides certain other services to the Fund not provided by the Administrator. U.S. Bancorp is primarily in the business of providing administrative, fund accounting services to retail and institutional exchange-traded funds and mutual funds.

 

As transfer agent, U.S. Bancorp, has, among other things, agreed to: issue and redeem shares of the Fund; make dividend and other distributions to shareholders of the Fund; effect transfers of shares; mail communications to shareholders of the Fund, including account statements, confirmations, and dividend and distribution notices; facilitate the electronic delivery of shareholder statements and reports; and maintain shareholder accounts.

 

U.S. Bank N.A. acts as custodian for the Fund. As such, U.S. Bank N.A. holds all securities and cash of the Fund, delivers and receives payment for securities sold, receives and pays for securities purchased, collects income from investments, and performs other duties, all as directed by officers of the Trust. U.S. Bank N.A. does not exercise any supervisory function over management of the Fund, the purchase and sale of securities, or the payment of distributions to shareholders.

 

Foreside Fund Services, LLC (the “Distributor”) serves as the distributor of Creation Units for the Fund on an agency basis. The Distributor does not maintain a secondary market in shares.

 

Practus, LLP serves as legal counsel to the Trust and the Fund.

 

Cohen & Company, Ltd. serves as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm. The independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for auditing the annual financial statements of the Fund.

 

OTHER INFORMATION

 

Continuous Offering  

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

Premium/Discount Information 

When available, information regarding how often the Shares of the Fund traded on the Exchange at a price above (i.e. at a premium) or below (i.e. at a discount) the NAV of the Fund will be available at www.moreincomeetfs.com.

 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

 

Because the Funds have not yet commenced operations as of the date hereof, no financial highlights are available. In the future, financial highlights will be presented in this section of the Prospectus.

 

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Privacy Notice

 

The following is a description of the Funds’ policies regarding disclosure of nonpublic personal information that you provide to the Funds or that the Funds collect from other sources. In the event that you hold shares of the Funds through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, the privacy policy of your financial intermediary would govern how your nonpublic personal information would be shared with unaffiliated third parties.

 

Categories of Information the Funds Collect. The Funds collect the following nonpublic personal information about you:

 

Information the Funds receive from you on or in applications or other forms, correspondence, or conversations (such as your name, address, phone number, social security number, assets, income and date of birth); and

 

Information about your transactions with the Funds, its affiliates, or others (such as your account number and balance, payment history, parties to transactions, cost basis information, and other financial information).

 

Categories of Information the Funds Disclose. The Funds do not disclose any non-public personal information about their current or former shareholders to unaffiliated third parties, except as required or permitted by law. The Funds are permitted by law to disclose all of the information it collects, as described above, to their service providers (such as the Funds’ custodian, administrator and transfer agent) to process your transactions and otherwise provide services to you.

 

Confidentiality and Security. The Funds restrict access to your nonpublic personal information to those persons who require such information to provide products or services to you. The Funds maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal standards to guard your nonpublic personal information.

 

The Funds’ Privacy Notice is not part of this prospectus.

 

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FOR MORE INFORMATION

 

You will find more information about the Fund in the following documents:

 

Statement of Additional Information: For more information about the Funds, you may wish to refer to the Funds’ SAI dated February 24, 2025, which is on file with the SEC and incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

 

Annual/Semi-Annual Reports: Additional information about the Funds’ investments, once available, will be available in the Funds’ annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders and in Form N-CSR. In the Funds’ annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Funds’ performance during its last fiscal year.  In Form N-CSR, you will find the Funds’ annual and semi-annual financial statements.

 

You can obtain a free copy of the SAI, annual and semi-annual reports, and other information, such as the Funds’ financial statements, by writing to the Tuttle Capital ETFs, 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235, by calling the Fund toll free at (833) 759-6110, or by e-mail at: mail@ccofva.com. The Funds’ annual and semi-annual reports, prospectus and SAI are all available for viewing/downloading at www.moreincomeetfs.com. General inquiries regarding the Funds may also be directed to the above address or telephone number.

 

Copies of these documents and other information about the Funds is available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov, and copies of these documents may also be obtained, after paying a duplication fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

(Investment Company Act File No. 811-23439)

 

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TUTTLE CAPITAL TSLA PUT WRITE ETF

 TUTTLE CAPITAL NVDA PUT WRITE ETF

TUTTLE CAPITAL MSTR PUT WRITE ETF

TUTTLE CAPITAL COIN PUT WRITE ETF

TUTTLE CAPITAL QQQ PUT WRITE ETF

 

8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205

 Richmond, Virginia 23235

 (833) 759-6110

 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

Dated February 24, 2025

 

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the current prospectus for the Fund dated February 24, 2025 as it may be supplemented or revised from time to time. This SAI is incorporated by reference into the Fund’s prospectus. You can obtain a free copy of the annual and semi-annual reports (once available), prospectus and SAI by writing to Tuttle ETFs, 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235, by calling the Fund toll free at (833) 759-6110 or by e-mail at: mail@ccofva.com. The Funds’ annual and semi-annual reports (once available), prospectus and SAI are all available for viewing/downloading at www.moreincomeetfs.com. General inquiries regarding the Fund may also be directed to the above address or telephone number.

 

Investment Adviser:

Tuttle Capital Management, LLC

155 Lockwood Road

Riverside, Connecticut 06878

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

THE TRUST 1
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES 1
INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS 15
MANAGEMENT AND OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS 17
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE TRUST 21
CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL SECURITIES HOLDERS 26
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE 26
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PURCHASES AND SALES 28
ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES 37
TAXES 37
BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER PRACTICES 48
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES HOLDINGS 49
DESCRIPTION OF SHARES 50
PROXY VOTING 52
CODES OF ETHICS 52
EXHIBIT A 53
EXHIBIT B 55
EXHIBIT C 59

 

 

 

THE TRUST

 

General. This SAI relates to relates to multiple series of the Trust (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”) listed in the table below and should be read in conjunction with the prospectus of the Funds. This SAI is incorporated by reference into the Funds’ prospectus. No investment in shares should be made without reading the prospectus. Each Fund is a non-diversified series of ETF Opportunities Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Trust”). The Trust is registered as an open-end management investment company. The Trust is governed by its Board of Trustees (the “Board” or “Trustees”). The investment adviser to the Fund is Tuttle Capital Management, LLC (the “Adviser”).

 

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

 

Each Fund will issue and redeem Shares at net asset value (“NAV”) in aggregations of at least 10,000 Shares (each a “Creation Unit”). Each Fund will issue and redeem Creation Units principally for cash. Each Fund reserve the right to offer creations and redemptions of Shares in exchange for a basket of securities (the “Deposit Securities”), together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (the “Cash Component”), plus a transaction fee. Each Fund is listed on a national securities exchange (the “Exchange”) as set forth below.

 

Fund Ticker

Principal U.S. Listing

Exchange

Tuttle Capital TSLA Put Write ETF TSPW Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.
Tuttle Capital NVDA Put Write ETF NVPW Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.
Tuttle Capital MSTR Put Write ETF MSPW Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.
Tuttle Capital COIN Put Write ETF COPW Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.
Tuttle Capital QQQ Put Write ETF QQPW Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc.

 

Shares will trade on the Exchange at market prices that may be below, at, or above NAV. In the event of the liquidation of a Fund, a share split, reverse split or the like, the Trust may revise the number of Shares in a Creation Unit.

 

Shares may be issued in advance of receipt of Deposit Securities subject to various conditions as described herein - see the section titled “Placement of Creation Orders Outside the Clearing Process” of this SAI. In each instance of such cash creations or redemptions, transaction fees may be imposed and may be higher than the transaction fees associated with in-kind creations or redemptions. See “Additional Information About Purchase and Redemptions” below.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES

 

The Funds’ investment objective and principal investment strategies are described in the prospectus. Each Fund is “non-diversified” as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). As a non-diversified fund, each Fund is permitted to invest in fewer securities at any one time than a diversified fund. The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the prospectus. For a description of certain permitted investments discussed below, see “Description of Permitted Investments” in this SAI.

 

1 

 

 

Portfolio Turnover. Average annual portfolio turnover rate is the ratio of the lesser of sales or purchases to the monthly average value of the portfolio securities owned during the year, excluding from both the numerator and the denominator all securities with maturities at the time of acquisition of one year or less. A higher portfolio turnover rate involves greater transaction expenses to a Fund and may result in the realization of net capital gains, which would be taxable to shareholders when distributed. As of the date of this Prospectus, the Fund has not yet commenced operations and therefore does not have any portfolio turnover information available.

 

INVESTMENT STRATEGIES, POLICIES AND RISKS

 

The following discussion of investment techniques and instruments supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the investment information in the Funds’ prospectus. In seeking to meet its investment objective, the Funds may invest in any type of security whose characteristics are consistent with its investment programs. To the extent particular investment techniques or instruments that are not described in the Principal Investment Strategies disclosure of the Funds’ prospectus, such investment techniques and instruments are not a part of the principal strategies and the corresponding risks are not principal risks of the Funds.

 

Principal Investment Strategies, Policies And Risks

 

Equity Securities. The Funds may invest in equity securities such as common stock, preferred stock, convertible securities, rights and warrants. Common stocks, the most familiar type, represent an equity (ownership) interest in a corporation. Warrants are options to purchase equity securities at a specified price for a specific time period. Rights are similar to warrants, but normally have a short duration and are distributed by the issuer to its shareholders. Although equity securities have a history of long-term growth in value, their prices fluctuate based on changes in a company’s financial condition and on overall market and economic conditions.

 

Derivative Instruments. Generally, derivatives are financial instruments whose value depends on or is derived from, the value of one or more underlying assets, reference rates, or indices or other market factors (a reference instrument) and may relate to stocks, bonds, interest rates, credit, currencies, commodities or related indices. Derivative instruments can provide an efficient means to gain or reduce exposure to the value of a reference instrument without actually owning or selling the instrument. Some common types of derivatives include options, futures, forwards and swaps.

 

Derivative instruments may be used to modify the effective duration of a Fund’s portfolio investments. Derivative instruments may also be used for hedging, which means that they may be used when the Adviser seeks to protect a Fund’s investments from a decline in value resulting from changes to interest rates, market prices, currency fluctuations, or other market factors. Derivative instruments may also be used for other purposes, including to seek to increase liquidity, provide efficient portfolio management, broaden investment opportunities (including taking short or negative positions), implement a tax or cash management strategy, gain exposure to a particular security or segment of the market and/or enhance total return. However derivative instruments are used, their successful use is not assured and will depend upon, among other factors, the Adviser’s ability to gauge relevant market movements.

 

Derivative instruments may be used for purposes of direct hedging. Direct hedging means that the transaction must be intended to reduce a specific risk exposure of a portfolio security or its denominated currency and must also be directly related to such security or currency. The Fund’s use of derivative instruments may be limited from time to time by policies adopted by the Board, or the Adviser.

 

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U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Rule 18f-4 (Rule 18f-4 or the Derivatives Rule) regulates the ability of a Fund to enter into derivative transactions and other leveraged transactions. The Derivatives Rule defines the term derivatives to include short sales and forward contracts, such as TBA transactions, in addition to instruments traditionally classified as derivatives, such as swaps, futures, and options. Rule 18f-4 also regulates other types of leveraged transactions, such as reverse repurchase transactions and transactions deemed to be similar to reverse repurchase transactions, such as certain securities lending transactions in connection with which the Fund obtains leverage. Among other things, under Rule 18f-4, a Fund is prohibited from entering into these derivatives transactions except in reliance on the provisions of the Derivatives Rule. The Derivatives Rule establishes limits on the derivatives transactions that the Fund may enter into based on the value-at-risk (VaR) of a Fund inclusive of derivatives. A Fund will generally satisfy the limits under the Rule if the VaR of its portfolio (inclusive of derivatives transactions) does not exceed 200% of the VaR of its designated reference portfolio. The designated reference portfolio is a representative unleveraged index or a Fund’s own portfolio absent derivatives holdings, as determined by such Funds derivatives risk manager. This limits test is referred to as the Relative VaR Test. As a result of the Relative VaR Test, a Fund may not seek returns in excess of 2x the Underlying Index.

 

In addition, among other requirements, Rule 18f-4 requires a Fund to establish a derivatives risk management program, appoint a derivatives risk manager, and carry out enhanced reporting to the Board, the SEC and the public regarding a Fund’s derivatives activities. These new requirements will apply unless a Fund qualifies as a limited derivatives user, which the Derivatives Rule defines as a fund that limits its derivatives exposure to 10% of its net assets. It is possible that the limits and compliance costs imposed by the Derivatives Rule may adversely affect a Fund’s performance, efficiency in implementing its strategy, liquidity and/or ability to pursue its investment objectives and may increase the cost of such Fund’s investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect investors.

 

Futures contracts. Generally, a futures contract is a standard binding agreement to buy or sell a specified quantity of an underlying reference instrument, such as a specific security, currency or commodity, at a specified price at a specified later date. A sale of a futures contract means the acquisition of a contractual obligation to deliver the underlying reference instrument called for by the contract at a specified price on a specified date. A purchase of a futures contract means the acquisition of a contractual obligation to acquire the underlying reference instrument called for by the contract at a specified price on a specified date. The purchase or sale of a futures contract will allow a Fund to increase or decrease its exposure to the underlying reference instrument without having to buy the actual instrument.

 

The underlying reference instruments to which futures contracts may relate include non-U.S. currencies, interest rates, stock and bond indices, and debt securities, including U.S. government debt obligations. In certain types of futures contracts, the underlying reference instrument may be a swap agreement. In most cases the contractual obligation under a futures contract may be offset, or closed out, before the settlement date so that the parties do not have to make or take delivery. The closing out of a contractual obligation is usually accomplished by buying or selling, as the case may be, an identical, offsetting futures contract. This transaction, which is effected through a member of an exchange, cancels the obligation to make or take delivery of the underlying instrument or asset. Although some futures contracts by their terms require the actual delivery or acquisition of the underlying instrument or asset, some require cash settlement.

 

Futures contracts may be bought and sold on U.S. and non-U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts in the U.S. have been designed by exchanges that have been designated contract markets by the CFTC and must be executed through a futures commission merchant (FCM), which is a brokerage firm that is a member of the relevant contract market. Each exchange guarantees performance of the contracts as between the clearing members of the exchange, thereby reducing the risk of counterparty default. Futures contracts may also be entered into on certain exempt markets, including exempt boards of trade and electronic trading facilities, available to certain market participants. Because all transactions in the futures market are made, offset or fulfilled by an FCM through a clearinghouse associated with the exchange on which the contracts are traded, a Fund will incur brokerage fees when they buy or sell futures contracts.

 

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To the extent a Fund invests in futures contracts, the Fund will generally buy and sell futures contracts only on contract markets (including exchanges or boards of trade) where there appears to be an active market for the futures contracts, but there is no assurance that an active market will exist for any particular contract or at any particular time. An active market makes it more likely that futures contracts will be liquid and bought and sold at competitive market prices. In addition, many of the futures contracts available may be relatively new instruments without a significant trading history. As a result, there can be no assurance that an active market will develop or continue to exist.

 

When a Fund enters into a futures contract, it must deliver to an account controlled by the FCM (that has been selected by the Fund), an amount referred to as initial margin that is typically calculated as an amount equal to the volatility in market value of a contract over a fixed period. Initial margin requirements are determined by the respective exchanges on which the futures contracts are traded and the FCM. Thereafter, a variation margin amount may be required to be paid by a Fund or received by a Fund in accordance with margin controls set for such accounts, depending upon changes in the marked-to market value of the futures contract. The account is marked-to market daily and the variation margin is monitored the Adviser and Custodian (defined below) on a daily basis. When the futures contract is closed out, if the Fund has a loss equal to or greater than the margin amount, the margin amount is paid to the FCM along with any loss in excess of the margin amount. If a Fund has a loss of less than the margin amount, the excess margin is returned to the Fund. If a Fund has a gain, the full margin amount and the amount of the gain is paid to the Fund.

 

Some futures contracts provide for the delivery of securities that are different than those that are specified in the contract. For a futures contract for delivery of debt securities, on the settlement date of the contract, adjustments to the contract can be made to recognize differences in value arising from the delivery of debt securities with a different interest rate from that of the particular debt securities that were specified in the contract. In some cases, securities called for by a futures contract may not have been issued when the contract was written.

 

Risks of futures contracts. A Fund’s use of futures contracts is subject to the risks associated with derivative instruments generally. In addition, a purchase or sale of a futures contract may result in losses to a Fund in excess of the amount that the Fund delivered as initial margin. Because of the relatively low margin deposits required, futures trading involves a high degree of leverage; as a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss, or gain, to the Fund. In addition, if a Fund has insufficient cash to meet daily variation margin requirements or close out a futures position, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. Adverse market movements could cause a Fund to experience substantial losses on an investment in a futures contract.

 

There is a risk of loss by a Fund of the initial and variation margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of the FCM with which the Fund has an open position in a futures contract. The assets of a Fund may not be fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy of the FCM or central counterparty because the Fund might be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds and margin segregated on behalf of an FCMs customers. If the FCM does not provide accurate reporting, the Fund is also subject to the risk that the FCM could use the Fund’s assets, which are held in an omnibus account with assets belonging to the FCMs other customers, to satisfy its own financial obligations or the payment obligations of another customer to the central counterparty.

 

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A Fund may not be able to properly hedge or effect its strategy when a liquid market is unavailable for the futures contract the Fund wishes to close, which may at times occur. In addition, when futures contracts are used for hedging, there may be an imperfect correlation between movements in the prices of the underlying reference instrument on which the futures contract is based and movements in the prices of the assets sought to be hedged.

 

If the Adviser’s investment judgment about the general direction of market prices or interest or currency exchange rates is incorrect, the Fund’s overall performance will be poorer than if it had not entered into a futures contract. For example, if a Fund has purchased futures to hedge against the possibility of an increase in interest rates that would adversely affect the price of bonds held in its portfolio and interest rates instead decrease, the Fund will lose part or all of the benefit of the increased value of the bonds which it has hedged. This is because its losses in its futures positions will offset some or all of its gains from the increased value of the bonds.

 

The difference (called the spread) between prices in the cash market for the purchase and sale of the underlying reference instrument and the prices in the futures market is subject to fluctuations and distortions due to differences in the nature of those two markets. First, all participants in the futures market are subject to initial deposit and variation margin requirements. Rather than meeting additional variation margin requirements, investors may close futures contracts through offsetting transactions that could distort the normal pricing spread between the cash and futures markets. Second, the liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery of the underlying instrument. To the extent participants decide to make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced, resulting in pricing distortion. Third, from the point of view of speculators, the margin deposit requirements that apply in the futures market are less onerous than similar margin requirements in the securities market. Therefore, increased participation by speculators in the futures market may cause temporary price distortions.

 

Futures contracts that are traded on non-U.S. exchanges may not be as liquid as those purchased on CFTC-designated contract markets. In addition, non-U.S. futures contracts may be subject to varied regulatory oversight. The price of any non-U.S. futures contract and, therefore, the potential profit and loss thereon, may be affected by any change in the non-U.S. exchange rate between the time a particular order is placed and the time it is liquidated, offset or exercised.

 

The CFTC and the various exchanges have established limits referred to as speculative position limits on the maximum net long or net short position that any person, such as the Fund, may hold or control in a particular futures contract. Trading limits are also imposed on the maximum number of contracts that any person may trade on a particular trading day. An exchange may order the liquidation of positions found to be in violation of these limits and it may impose other sanctions or restrictions. The regulation of futures, as well as other derivatives, is a rapidly changing area of law. For more information, see Developing government regulation of derivatives below.

 

Futures exchanges may also limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in certain futures contract prices during a single trading day. This daily limit establishes the maximum amount that the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous day’s settlement price. Once the daily limit has been reached in a futures contract subject to the limit, no more trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movements during a particular trading day and does not limit potential losses because the limit may prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. For example, futures prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of positions and subjecting some holders of futures contracts to substantial losses.

 

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Options on futures contracts. Options on futures contracts trade on the same contract markets as the underlying futures contract. When a Fund buys an option, it pays a premium for the right, but does not have the obligation, to purchase (call) or sell (put) a futures contract at a set price (the exercise price). The purchase of a call or put option on a futures contract, whereby a Fund has the right to purchase or sell, respectively, a particular futures contract, is similar in some respects to the purchase of a call or put option on an individual security or currency. Depending on the premium paid for the option compared to either the price of the futures contract upon which it is based or the price of the underlying reference instrument, the option may be less risky than direct ownership of the futures contract or the underlying reference instrument. For example, a Fund could purchase a call option on a long futures contract when seeking to hedge against an increase in the market value of the underlying reference instrument, such as appreciation in the value of a non-U.S. currency against the U.S. dollar.

 

The seller (writer) of an option becomes contractually obligated to take the opposite futures position if the buyer of the option exercises its rights to the futures position specified in the option. In return for the premium paid by the buyer, the seller assumes the risk of taking a possibly adverse futures position. In addition, the seller will be required to post and maintain initial and variation margin with the FCM. One goal of selling (writing) options on futures may be to receive the premium paid by the option buyer. For more general information about the mechanics of purchasing and writing options, see Options below.

 

Risks of options on futures contracts. A Fund’s use of options on futures contracts are subject to the risks related to derivative instruments generally. In addition, the amount of risk a Fund assumes when it purchases an option on a futures contract is the premium paid for the option plus related transaction costs. The purchase of an option also entails the risk that changes in the value of the underlying futures contract will not be fully reflected in the value of the option purchased. The seller (writer) of an option on a futures contract is subject to the risk of having to take a possibly adverse futures position if the purchaser of the option exercises its rights. If the seller were required to take such a position, it could bear substantial losses. An option writer has potentially unlimited economic risk because its potential loss, except to the extent offset by the premium received, is equal to the amount the option is in-the-money at the expiration date. A call option is in-the-money if the value of the underlying futures contract exceeds the exercise price of the option. A put option is in-the-money if the exercise price of the option exceeds the value of the underlying futures contract.

 

Options. An option is a contract that gives the purchaser of the option, in return for the premium paid, the right to buy an underlying reference instrument, such as a specified security, currency, index, or other instrument, from the writer of the option (in the case of a call option), or to sell a specified reference instrument to the writer of the option (in the case of a put option) at a designated price during the term of the option. The premium paid by the buyer of an option will reflect, among other things, the relationship of the exercise price to the market price and the volatility of the underlying reference instrument, the remaining term of the option, supply, demand, interest rates and/or currency exchange rates. An American style put or call option may be exercised at any time during the option period while a European style put or call option may be exercised only upon expiration or during a fixed period prior thereto. Put and call options are traded on national securities exchanges and in the OTC market.

 

Options traded on national securities exchanges are within the jurisdiction of the SEC or other appropriate national securities regulator, as are securities traded on such exchanges. As a result, many of the protections provided to traders on organized exchanges will be available with respect to such transactions. In particular, all option positions entered into on a national securities exchange in the United States are cleared and guaranteed by the Options Clearing Corporation, thereby reducing the risk of counterparty default. Furthermore, a liquid secondary market in options traded on a national securities exchange may be more readily available than in the OTC market, potentially permitting a Fund to liquidate open positions at a profit prior to exercise or expiration, or to limit losses in the event of adverse market movements. There is no assurance, however, that higher than anticipated trading activity or other unforeseen events might not temporarily render the capabilities of the Options Clearing Corporation inadequate, and thereby result in the exchange instituting special procedures which may interfere with the timely execution of a Fund’s orders to close out open options positions.

 

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The Fund’s Use Of Option Contracts. Each Fund may purchase and sell a combination of standardized exchange-traded and FLexible EXchange® Options (“FLEX Options”) call option contracts that are based on the value of the price returns of the underlying instrument.

 

Standardized exchange-traded options include standardized terms. FLEX options are also exchange-traded, but they allow for customizable terms (e.g., the strike price can be negotiated).

 

Purchasing call and put options. As the buyer of a call option, a Fund has a right to buy the underlying reference instrument (e.g., a currency or security) at the exercise price at any time during the option period (for American style options). A Fund may enter into closing sale transactions with respect to call options, exercise them, or permit them to expire. For example, a Fund may buy call options on underlying reference instruments that it intends to buy with the goal of limiting the risk of a substantial increase in their market price before the purchase is effected. Unless the price of the underlying reference instrument changes sufficiently, a call option purchased by a Fund may expire without any value to the Fund, in which case the Fund would experience a loss to the extent of the premium paid for the option plus related transaction costs.

 

As the buyer of a put option, a Fund has the right to sell the underlying reference instrument at the exercise price at any time during the option period (for American style options). Like a call option, a Fund may enter into closing sale transactions with respect to put options, exercise them or permit them to expire. A Fund may buy a put option on an underlying reference instrument owned by the Fund (a protective put) as a hedging technique in an attempt to protect against an anticipated decline in the market value of the underlying reference instrument. Such hedge protection is provided only during the life of the put option when a Fund, as the buyer of the put option, is able to sell the underlying reference instrument at the put exercise price, regardless of any decline in the underlying instruments market price. A Fund may also seek to offset a decline in the value of the underlying reference instrument through appreciation in the value of the put option. A put option may also be purchased with the intent of protecting unrealized appreciation of an instrument when the Adviser deems it desirable to continue to hold the instrument because of tax or other considerations. The premium paid for the put option and any transaction costs would reduce any short-term capital gain that may be available for distribution when the instrument is eventually sold. Buying put options at a time when the buyer does not own the underlying reference instrument allows the buyer to benefit from a decline in the market price of the underlying reference instrument, which generally increases the value of the put option.

 

If a put option was not terminated in a closing sale transaction when it has remaining value, and if the market price of the underlying reference instrument remains equal to or greater than the exercise price during the life of the put option, the buyer would not make any gain upon exercise of the option and would experience a loss to the extent of the premium paid for the option plus related transaction costs. In order for the purchase of a put option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying reference instrument must decline sufficiently below the exercise price to cover the premium and transaction costs.

 

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Writing call and put options. Writing options may permit the writer to generate additional income in the form of the premium received for writing the option. The writer of an option may have no control over when the underlying reference instruments must be sold (in the case of a call option) or purchased (in the case of a put option) because the writer may be notified of exercise at any time prior to the expiration of the option (for American style options). In general, though, options are infrequently exercised prior to expiration. Whether or not an option expires unexercised, the writer retains the amount of the premium. Writing covered call options means that the writer owns the underlying reference instrument that is subject to the call option. Call options may also be written on reference instruments that the writer does not own.

 

If a Fund writes a covered call option, the Fund gives up the potential for capital appreciation above the exercise price of the option should the underlying reference instrument rise in value. If the value of the underlying reference instrument rises above the exercise price of the call option, the reference instrument will likely be called away, requiring the Fund to sell the underlying instrument at the exercise price. In that case, the Fund will sell the underlying reference instrument to the option buyer for less than its market value, and the Fund will experience a loss (which will be offset by the premium received by the Fund as the writer of such option). If a call option expires unexercised, the Fund will realize a gain in the amount of the premium received. If the market price of the underlying reference instrument decreases, the call option will not be exercised and the Fund will be able to use the amount of the premium received to hedge against the loss in value of the underlying reference instrument. The exercise price of a call option will be chosen based upon the expected price movement of the underlying reference instrument. The exercise price of a call option may be below, equal to (at-the-money), or above the current value of the underlying reference instrument at the time the option is written.

 

As the writer of a put option, the Fund has a risk of loss should the underlying reference instrument decline in value. If the value of the underlying reference instrument declines below the exercise price of the put option and the put option is exercised, the Fund, as the writer of the put option, will be required to buy the instrument at the exercise price, which will exceed the market value of the underlying reference instrument at that time. The Fund will incur a loss to the extent that the current market value of the underlying reference instrument is less than the exercise price of the put option. However, the loss will be offset in part by the premium received from the buyer of the put. If a put option written by the Fund expires unexercised, the Fund will realize a gain in the amount of the premium received.

 

Closing out options (exchange-traded options). If the writer of an option wants to terminate its obligation, the writer may effect a closing purchase transaction by buying an option of the same series as the option previously written. The effect of the purchase is that the clearing corporation will cancel the option writer’s position. However, a writer may not effect a closing purchase transaction after being notified of the exercise of an option. Likewise, the buyer of an option may recover all or a portion of the premium that it paid by effecting a closing sale transaction by selling an option of the same series as the option previously purchased and receiving a premium on the sale. There is no guarantee that either a closing purchase or a closing sale transaction may be made at a time desired by a Fund. Closing transactions allow the Fund to terminate its positions in written and purchased options. A Fund will realize a profit from a closing transaction if the price of the transaction is less than the premium received from writing the original option (in the case of written options) or is more than the premium paid by the Fund to buy the option (in the case of purchased options). For example, increases in the market price of a call option sold by a Fund will generally reflect increases in the market price of the underlying reference instrument. As a result, any loss resulting from a closing transaction on a written call option is likely to be offset in whole or in part by appreciation of the underlying instrument owned by the Fund.

 

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Over-the-counter options. Like exchange-traded options, OTC options give the holder the right to buy from the writer, in the case of OTC call options, or sell to the writer, in the case of OTC put options, an underlying reference instrument at a stated exercise price. OTC options, however, differ from exchange-traded options in certain material respects.

 

OTC options are arranged directly with dealers and not with a clearing corporation or exchange. Consequently, there is a risk of non-performance by the dealer, including because of the dealer’s bankruptcy or insolvency. While the Fund uses only counterparties, such as dealers, that meet its credit quality standards, in unusual or extreme market conditions, a counterparty’s creditworthiness and ability to perform may deteriorate rapidly, and the availability of suitable replacement counterparties may become limited. Because there is no exchange, pricing is typically done based on information from market makers or other dealers. OTC options are available for a greater variety of underlying reference instruments and in a wider range of expiration dates and exercise prices than exchange-traded options.

 

There can be no assurance that a continuous liquid secondary market will exist for any particular OTC option at any specific time. The Funds may be able to realize the value of an OTC option it has purchased only by exercising it or entering into a closing sale transaction with the dealer that issued it. When a Fund writes an OTC option, it generally can close out that option prior to its expiration only by entering into a closing purchase transaction with the dealer with which such Fund originally wrote the option. A Fund may suffer a loss if it is not able to exercise (in the case of a purchased option) or enter into a closing sale transaction on a timely basis.

 

Interest rate caps. An interest rate cap is a type of OTC option. The buyer of an interest rate cap pays a premium to the seller in exchange for payments at set intervals for which a floating interest rate exceeds an agreed upon interest rate. The floating interest rate may be tied to a reference rate, a long-term swap rate or other benchmark. The amount of each payment is determined by reference to a specified notional amount of money. Interest rate caps do not involve the delivery of securities, other underlying instruments, or principal amounts. Accordingly, barring counterparty risk, the risk of loss to the purchaser of an interest rate cap is limited to the amount of the premium paid.

 

An interest rate cap can be used to increase or decrease exposure to various interest rates, including to hedge interest rate risk. By purchasing an interest rate cap, the buyer of the cap can benefit from rising interest rates while limiting its downside risk to the amount of the premium paid. If a Fund buys an interest rate cap and the Adviser is correct at predicting the direction of interest rates, the interest rate cap will increase in value. But if the Adviser is incorrect at predicting the direction, the interest rate cap will expire worthless.

 

By writing (selling) an interest rate cap, the seller of the cap can benefit by receiving a premium in exchange for assuming an obligation to make payments at set intervals for which a floating interest rate exceeds an agreed upon interest rate. If interest rates rise above the agreed upon cap, the seller’s obligation to make payments may result in losses in excess of the premium received.

 

Correctly predicting the value of an interest rate cap requires an understanding of the referenced interest rate, and a Fund bears the risk that the Adviser will not correctly forecast future market events, such as interest rate movements. Interest rate caps also involve the risks associated with derivative instruments generally, as described herein, including the risks associated with OTC options.

 

Risks of options. A Fund’s options investments involve certain risks, including general risks related to derivative instruments. There can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular option, or at any particular time, and the Fund may have difficulty effecting closing transactions in particular options. Therefore, a Fund would have to exercise the options it purchased in order to realize any profit, thus taking or making delivery of the underlying reference instrument when not desired. The Fund could then incur transaction costs upon the sale of the underlying reference instruments. Similarly, when a Fund cannot affect a closing transaction with respect to a put option it wrote, and the buyer exercises, the Fund would be required to take delivery and would incur transaction costs upon the sale of the underlying reference instruments purchased. When trading options on non-U.S. exchanges or in the OTC market, many of the protections afforded to exchange participants will not be available. For example, there may be no daily price fluctuation limits, and adverse market movements could therefore continue to an unlimited extent over an indefinite period of time.

 

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The effectiveness of an options strategy for hedging depends on the degree to which price movements in the underlying reference instruments correlate with price movements in the relevant portion of a Fund’s portfolio that is being hedged. In addition, a Fund bears the risk that the prices of its portfolio investments will not move in the same amount as the option it has purchased or sold for hedging purposes, or that there may be a negative correlation that would result in a loss on both the investments and the option. If the Adviser is not successful in using options in managing a Fund’s investments, the Fund’s performance will be worse than if the Adviser did not employ such strategies.

 

Cash Reserves. In seeking to achieve its investment objective, as a cash reserve, for liquidity purposes, or as cover for positions it has taken, each Fund may invest all or part of its assets in cash or cash equivalents, which include, but are not limited to, short-term money market instruments, U.S. government securities, certificates of deposit, bankers acceptances, or repurchase agreements secured by U.S. government securities.

 

Foreign Securities. The Funds may invest in foreign equity and fixed income securities. Foreign securities include American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) and ETFs that hold foreign securities. ADRs are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign-based issuer held in trust by a bank or similar financial institution. They are alternatives to the direct purchase of the underlying securities in their national markets and currencies. ADRs are subject to risks similar to those associated with direct investment in foreign securities.

 

Foreign investments can involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. investments. The value of securities denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, and of dividends and interest from such securities, can change significantly when foreign currencies strengthen or weaken relative to the U.S. dollar. Foreign securities markets generally have less trading volume and less liquidity than U.S. markets, and prices on some foreign markets can be highly volatile. Many foreign countries lack uniform accounting and disclosure standards comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies, and it may be more difficult to obtain reliable information regarding an issuer’s financial condition and operations. In addition, the costs of foreign investing, including withholding taxes, brokerage commissions, and custodial costs, generally are higher than for U.S. investments.

 

Foreign markets may offer less protection to investors than U.S. markets. Foreign issuers, brokers, and securities markets may be subject to less government supervision. Foreign security trading practices, including those involving the release of assets in advance of payment, may invoke increased risks in the event of a failed trade or the insolvency of a broker-dealer, and may involve substantial delays. It also may be difficult to enforce legal rights in foreign countries.

 

Investing abroad also involves different political and economic risks. Foreign investments may be affected by actions of foreign governments adverse to the interests of U.S. investors, including the possibility of expropriation or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, restrictions on U.S. investment or on the ability to repatriate assets or convert currency into U.S. dollars, or other government intervention. There may be a greater possibility of default by foreign governments or foreign government-sponsored enterprises. Investments in foreign countries also involve a risk of local political, economic or social instability, military action or unrest, or adverse diplomatic developments. There is no assurance that an advisor will be able to anticipate or counter these potential events and their impacts on a Fund’s share price.

 

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The considerations noted above generally are intensified for investments in developing and emerging market countries. These countries may have relatively unstable governments, economies based on only a few industries and securities markets that trade a small number of securities.

 

Foreign Currencies. Although a Fund intends to only hold investments denominated in U.S. dollars, the Fund may have indirect exposure to foreign currency fluctuations. Each Fund’s net asset value could decline if a relevant foreign currency depreciates against the U.S. dollar or if there are delays or limits on the repatriation of such currency. Currency exchange rates can be very volatile and can change quickly and unpredictably. As a result, a Fund’s net asset value may change without warning, which could have a significant negative impact on the Fund.

 

Restricted and Illiquid Securities. In accordance with Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act (the “Liquidity Rule”), each Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in “illiquid investments.” For these purposes, “illiquid investments” are investments that cannot reasonably be expected to be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment.

 

Each Fund must classify each portfolio investment at least monthly into one of four liquidity categories (highly liquid, moderately liquid, less liquid and illiquid), which are defined pursuant to the Liquidity Rule. Such classification is to be made using information obtained after reasonable inquiry and taking into account relevant market, trading and investment-specific considerations. Moreover, in making such classification determinations, a Fund determines whether trading varying portions of a position in a particular portfolio investment or asset class, in sizes that a Fund would reasonably anticipate trading, is reasonably expected to significantly affect its liquidity, and if so, the Fund takes this determination into account when classifying the liquidity of that investment. Each Fund may be assisted in classification determinations by one or more third-party service providers. Investments classified according to this process as “illiquid investments” are those subject to the 15% limit on illiquid investments.

 

U.S. Government Securities. U.S. government securities are high-quality debt securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or by an agency or instrumentality of the U.S. government. Not all U.S. government securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States or guaranteed by the United States Treasury. For example, securities issued by the Farm Credit Banks or by the Federal National Mortgage Association are supported by the instrumentality’s right to borrow money from the U.S. Treasury under certain circumstances. Moreover, securities issued by other agencies or instrumentalities are supported only by the credit of the entity that issued them.

 

Corporate Debt Securities. Corporate debt securities are long- and short-term debt obligations issued by companies (such as publicly issued and privately placed bonds, notes and commercial paper). The Advisor considers corporate debt securities to be of investment grade quality if they are rated BBB or higher by S&P or Baa or higher by Moody’s, or if unrated, determined by the Advisor to be of comparable quality. Investment grade debt securities generally have adequate to strong protection of principal and interest payments. For securities on the lower end of this category, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay interest and repay principal than for higher-rated securities.

 

Fixed Income Securities. The Funds may invest in all types of U.S. and non-U.S. fixed income securities, including when-issued, delayed delivery, or forward commitment basis. Fixed income securities are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk. Credit risk is the risk that a Fund could lose money if an issuer of a fixed income security cannot meet its financial obligations or goes bankrupt. Interest rate risk is the risk that a Fund’s investments in fixed income securities may fall when interest rates rise.

 

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Investments in high-yield bonds (also known as “junk bonds”) are considered to be more speculative than higher quality fixed income securities. They are more susceptible to credit risk than investment-grade securities, especially during periods of economic uncertainty or economic downturns. The values of lower quality securities are subject to greater volatility and are generally more dependent on the ability of the issuer to meet interest and principal payments than the values of higher quality securities. Issuers of high-yield securities may not be as strong financially as those issuing bonds with higher credit ratings.

 

Borrowing and Leverage Risk. The Funds may borrow money for cash management purposes or investment purposes. Borrowing for investment is a form of leverage. Leveraging investments, by purchasing securities with borrowed money, is a speculative technique which increases investment risk, but also increases investment opportunity. Because substantially all of a Fund’s assets will fluctuate in value, whereas the interest obligations on borrowings may be fixed, the NAV per share of the Fund will fluctuate more when the Fund is leveraging its investments than would otherwise be the case. Moreover, interest costs on borrowings may fluctuate with changing market rates of interest and may partially offset or exceed the returns on the borrowed funds. Under adverse conditions, a Fund might have to sell portfolio securities to meet interest or principal payments at a time when investment considerations would not favor such sales. Consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act, a Fund must maintain continuous asset coverage (total assets, including assets acquired with borrowed funds, less liabilities exclusive of borrowings) of 300% of all amounts borrowed. If at any time the value of a Fund’s assets should fail to meet this 300% coverage test, the Fund, within three days (not including weekends and holidays), will reduce the amount of the Fund’s borrowings to the extent necessary to meet this 300% coverage requirement. Maintenance of this percentage limitation may result in the sale of portfolio securities at a time when investment considerations would not favor such sale.

 

Depositary Receipts. To the extent a Fund invests in stocks of foreign corporations, a Fund’s investment in securities of foreign companies may be in the form of depositary receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers. American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) are dollar-denominated receipts representing interests in the securities of a foreign issuer, which securities may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the securities into which they may be converted. ADRs are receipts typically issued by U.S. banks and trust companies which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. Generally, ADRs in registered form are designed for use in domestic securities markets and are traded on exchanges or over-the-counter in the United States.

 

Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs), European Depositary Receipts (EDRs), and International Depositary Receipts (IDRs) are similar to ADRs in that they are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer; however, GDRs, EDRs, and IDRs may be issued in bearer form and denominated in other currencies and are generally designed for use in specific or multiple securities markets outside the U.S. EDRs, for example, are designed for use in European securities markets, while GDRs are designed for use throughout the world. Depositary receipts will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities.

 

A Fund will not invest in any unlisted depositary receipts or any depositary receipt that is deemed to be illiquid or for which pricing information is not readily available. In addition, all depositary receipts generally must be sponsored. However, a Fund may invest in unsponsored depositary receipts under certain limited circumstances. The issuers of unsponsored depositary receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States and, therefore, there may be less information available regarding such issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the value of the depositary receipts.

 

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Money Market Funds. Each Fund may invest in underlying money market funds that either seek to maintain a stable $1 NAV (stable NAV money market funds) or that have a share price that fluctuates (variable NAV money market funds). Although an underlying stable NAV money market fund seeks to maintain a stable $1 NAV, it is possible for a Fund to lose money by investing in such a money market fund. Because the share price of an underlying variable NAV market fund will fluctuate, when a Fund sells the shares it owns they may be worth more or less than what the Fund originally paid for them. In addition, neither type of money market fund is designed to offer capital appreciation. Certain underlying money market funds may impose a fee upon the sale of shares or may temporarily suspend the ability to sell shares if such funds liquidity falls below required minimums.

 

Other Short-Term Instruments. Each Fund may invest in short-term instruments, including money market instruments, on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for other reasons. Money market instruments are generally short-term investments that may include but are not limited to: (i) shares of money market funds; (ii) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises); (iii) negotiable certificates of deposit (CDs), bankers acceptances, fixed time deposits and other obligations of U.S. and foreign banks (including foreign branches) and similar institutions; (iv) commercial paper rated at the date of purchase Prime-1 by Moody’s Investors Service or A-1 by Standard & Poor’s Financial Services or, if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Adviser; (v) non-convertible corporate debt securities (e.g., bonds and debentures) with remaining maturities at the date of purchase of not more than 397 days and that satisfy the rating requirements set forth in Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act; and (vi) short-term U.S. dollar denominated obligations of foreign banks (including U.S. branches) that, in the opinion of the Adviser, are of comparable quality to obligations of U.S. banks which may be purchased by the Fund. Any of these instruments may be purchased on a current or a forward-settled basis. Money market instruments also include shares of money market funds. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Bankers acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.

 

Securities Lending. Each Fund may lend portfolio securities to certain creditworthy borrowers. The borrowers provide collateral that is maintained in an amount at least equal to the current value of the securities loaned. Each Fund may terminate a loan at any time and obtain the return of the securities loaned. A Fund receives the value of any interest or cash or non-cash distributions paid on the securities that it lends. Distributions received on loaned securities in lieu of dividend payments (i.e., substitute payments) would not be considered qualified dividend income.

 

With respect to loans that are collateralized by cash, the borrower will be entitled to receive a fee based on the amount of cash collateral. A Fund is compensated by the difference between the amount earned on the reinvestment of cash collateral and the fee paid to the borrower. In the case of collateral other than cash, a Fund is compensated by a fee paid by the borrower equal to a percentage of the value of the loaned securities. Any cash collateral may be reinvested in certain short-term instruments either directly on behalf of the Fund or through one or more joint accounts or money market funds, which may include those managed by the Adviser.

 

A Fund may pay a portion of the interest or fees earned from securities lending to a borrower as described above, and to one or more securities lending agents approved by the Board who administer the lending program for the Fund in accordance with guidelines approved by the Board. In such capacity, the lending agent causes the delivery of loaned securities from a Fund to borrowers, arranges for the return of loaned securities to the Fund at the termination of a loan, requests deposit of collateral, monitors the daily value of the loaned securities and collateral, requests that borrowers add to the collateral when required by the loan agreements, and provides recordkeeping and accounting services necessary for the operation of the program.

 

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Securities lending involves exposure to certain risks, including operational risk (i.e., the risk of losses resulting from problems in the settlement and accounting process), gap risk (i.e., the risk of a mismatch between the return on cash collateral reinvestments and the fees a Fund has agreed to pay a borrower), and credit, legal, counterparty and market risk. In the event a borrower does not return the Fund’s securities as agreed, the Fund may experience losses if the proceeds received from liquidating the collateral do not at least equal the value of the loaned security at the time the collateral is liquidated plus the transaction costs incurred in purchasing replacement securities.

 

Repurchase Agreements. A Fund may invest in repurchase agreements with commercial banks, brokers or dealers to generate income from its excess cash balances. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which a Fund acquires a financial instrument (e.g., a security issued by the U.S. government or an agency thereof, a bankers’ acceptance or a certificate of deposit) from a seller, subject to resale to the seller at an agreed upon price and date (normally, the next Business Day). A Business Day is any day on which the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for regular trading. A repurchase agreement may be considered a loan collateralized by securities. The resale price reflects an agreed upon interest rate effective for the period the instrument is held by the Fund and is unrelated to the interest rate on the underlying instrument.

 

In these repurchase agreement transactions, the securities acquired by a Fund (including accrued interest earned thereon) must have a total value in excess of the value of the repurchase agreement and are held by the Fund’s custodian bank until repurchased. No more than an aggregate of 15% of the Fund’s net assets will be invested in illiquid securities, including repurchase agreements having maturities longer than seven days and securities subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale, or for which there are no readily available market quotations.

 

The use of repurchase agreements involves certain risks. For example, if the other party to the agreement defaults on its obligation to repurchase the underlying security at a time when the value of the security has declined, the Fund may incur a loss upon disposition of the security. If the other party to the agreement becomes insolvent and subject to liquidation or reorganization under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or other laws, a court may determine that the underlying security is collateral for a loan by the Fund not within the control of the Fund and, therefore, the Fund may not be able to substantiate its interest in the underlying security and may be deemed an unsecured creditor of the other party to the agreement.

 

Dollar Rolls. A dollar roll transaction involves a sale by a Fund of a security concurrently with an agreement by the Fund to repurchase a similar security at a later date at an agreed-upon price. A dollar roll may be considered a borrowing giving rise to leverage. The securities that are repurchased will bear the same interest rate and a similar maturity as those sold, but the assets collateralizing these securities may have different prepayment histories than those sold. During the period between the sale and repurchase, a Fund will not be entitled to receive interest and principal payments on the securities sold. Proceeds of the sale will be invested in additional investments, and the income from these investments will generate income for the Fund. If such income does not exceed the income, capital appreciation and gain or loss that would have been realized on the securities sold as part of the dollar roll, the use of this technique will diminish the investment performance of the Fund compared with what the performance would have been without the use of dollar rolls. Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities subject to a Fund’s forward purchase commitment may decline below, or the market value of the securities subject to the Fund’s forward sale commitment may increase above, the exercise price of the forward commitment. In the event the buyer of the securities files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the Fund’s use of the proceeds of the current sale portion of the transaction may be restricted.

 

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Tax Risks. As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in Shares 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.

 

Other Investment Risks

 

Overview. An investment in the Funds should be made with an understanding of the risks that an investment in the Fund shares entails, including the risk that the financial condition of the issuers of the equity securities or the general condition of the securities market may worsen and the value of the securities and therefore the value of the Fund may decline. The Funds may not be an appropriate investment for those who are unable or unwilling to assume the risks involved generally with such an investment. The past market and earnings performance of any of the securities included in the Funds is not predictive of their future performance.

 

Cybersecurity Risk. Investment companies, such as the Funds, and their service providers may be subject to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber attacks. Cyber attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information or various other forms of cybersecurity breaches. Cyber attacks affecting the Funds or the Advisor, the Funds’ custodian or transfer agent, or intermediaries or other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Funds. For instance, cyber attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact a Fund’s ability to calculate its net asset value, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential company information, impede trading, subject the Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses, and cause reputational damage. A Fund may also incur additional costs for cybersecurity risk management purposes. While the Funds and their service providers have established business continuity plans and risk management systems designed to prevent or reduce the impact of cybersecurity attacks, such plans and systems have inherent limitations due in part to the ever-changing nature of technology and cybersecurity attack tactics, and there is a possibility that certain risks have not been adequately identified or prepared for. Furthermore, the Funds cannot control any cybersecurity plans or systems implemented by their service providers.

 

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

 

INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS

 

Fundamental. The investment limitations described below have been adopted by the Trust with respect to each Fund and are fundamental (“Fundamental”), i.e., they may not be changed without the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of a Fund. As used in the Prospectus and the Statement of Additional Information, the term “majority” of the outstanding shares of a Fund means the lesser of: (1) 67% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of reach Fund are present or represented at such meeting; or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. Other investment practices which may be changed by the Board of Trustees without the approval of shareholders to the extent permitted by applicable law, regulation or regulatory policy are considered non-fundamental (“Non-Fundamental”).

 

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Each Fund:

 

1.May not borrow money except as permitted under the 1940 Act, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction.

 

2.May not issue any senior securities to others, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction.

 

3.May not underwrite securities issued by others except to the extent the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter under the federal securities laws, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities.

 

4.May not invest more than 25% of the value of its net assets in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry or group of industries, except that the Fund will be concentrated in the industry to which its underlying security is assigned (i.e., hold more than 25% of its total assets in investments that provide exposure to the industry to which the underlying security is assigned). This restriction does not limit the Fund’s investments in (i) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities, or (ii) tax-exempt obligations issued by governments or political subdivisions of governments.

 

5.May not purchase or sell real estate except as permitted under the 1940 Act, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction.

 

6.May not make loans to others, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction.

 

7.May invest in commodities only as permitted by the 1940 Act or other governing statute, by the Rules thereunder, or by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) or other regulatory agency with authority over the Fund.

 

If a percentage or rating restriction on an investment or use of assets set forth herein or in the Prospectus is adhered to at the time a transaction is effected, later changes in such percentages or restrictions resulting from any cause other than actions by a Fund will not be considered a violation. Currently, subject to modification to conform to the 1940 Act as interpreted or modified, a Fund is permitted, consistent with the 1940 Act, to borrow, and pledge its shares to secure such borrowing, provided, that immediately thereafter there is asset coverage of at least 300% for all borrowings by the Fund from a bank. If borrowings exceed this 300% asset coverage requirement by reason of a decline in net assets of a Fund, the Fund will reduce its borrowings within three days (not including Sundays and holidays) to the extent necessary to comply with the 300% asset coverage requirement. The 1940 Act also permits a Fund to borrow for temporary purposes only in an amount not exceeding 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the time when the loan is made. A loan shall be presumed to be for temporary purposes if it is repaid within 60 days and is not extended or renewed. To the extent outstanding borrowings of a Fund exceed 5% of the value of the total assets of the Fund, the Fund will not make additional purchases of securities – the foregoing shall not be construed to prevent the Fund from settling portfolio transactions or satisfying shareholder redemptions orders.

 

Currently, with respect to senior securities, the 1940 Act and regulatory interpretations of relevant provisions of the 1940 Act establish the following general limits, subject to modification to conform to the 1940 Act as interpreted or modified: Open-end registered investment companies such as the Funds are not permitted to issue any class of senior security or to sell any senior security of which they are the issuers. The Trust is, however, permitted to issue separate series of shares and to divide those series into separate classes. Each Fund currently offers one class of shares. Each Fund have no intention of issuing senior securities, except that the Trust has issued its shares in separate series and may divide those series into classes of shares. Collateral arrangements with respect to forward contracts, futures contracts or options, including deposits of initial and variation margin, are not considered to be the issuance of a senior security for purposes of this restriction.

 

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With respect to each Fund’s Fundamental Policy #4 as described above, each Fund will consider, if applicable and to the extent practicable and consistent with applicable rules, regulations of the SEC and applicable guidance from the staff of the SEC, investments of an underlying investment company when determining its compliance with the policy.

 

Notwithstanding any of the foregoing limitations, any investment company, whether organized as a trust, association or corporation, or a personal holding company, may be merged or consolidated with or acquired by the Trust, provided that if such merger, consolidation or acquisition results in an investment in the securities of any issuer prohibited by said paragraphs, the Trust shall, within ninety days after the consummation of such merger, consolidation or acquisition, dispose of all of the securities of such issuer so acquired or such portion thereof as shall bring the total investment therein within the limitations imposed by said paragraphs above as of the date of consummation.

 

MANAGEMENT AND OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS

 

Investment Adviser. Tuttle Capital Management, LLC (the “Adviser”), 155 Lockwood Road, Riverside, Connecticut 06878, is the investment adviser for the Funds. The Adviser is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. The Adviser is a Delaware limited liability company and was organized in 2012.

 

The Adviser currently provides investment advisory services pursuant to an investment advisory agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”). Under the terms of the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser manages the investment portfolio of the Funds, subject to the policies adopted by the Trust’s Board of Trustees. In addition, the Adviser: (i) furnishes office space and all necessary office facilities, equipment and executive personnel necessary for managing the assets of the Fund; and (ii) provides guidance and policy direction in connection with its daily management of the Funds’ assets, subject to the authority of the Trust’s Board of Trustees. Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser assumes and pays, at its own expense and without reimbursement from the Trust, all ordinary expenses of the Funds, except the fee paid to the Adviser pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, distribution fees or expenses under a Rule 12b-1 plan (if any), interest expenses, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, brokerage commissions and any other portfolio transaction related expenses and fees arising out of transactions effected on behalf of the Funds, credit facility fees and expenses, including interest expenses, and litigation and indemnification expenses and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Funds’ business.

 

For its services with respect to the Funds, the Adviser is entitled to receive an annual management fee 0.65%, calculated daily and payable monthly as a percentage of each Fund’s average daily net assets.

 

The Advisory Agreement was approved by the Trustees (including (including a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”)) in compliance with the 1940 Act. The Advisory Agreement will continue in force for an initial period of up to two years. Thereafter, the Advisory Agreement is renewable from year to year with respect to the Funds, so long as its continuance is approved at least annually (1) by the vote, cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose, of a majority of the Independent Trustees; and (2) by the majority vote of either the full Board or the vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of each Fund. The Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment, and is terminable at any time without penalty by the Board or by a majority of each Fund’s outstanding shares on not less than 60 days’ written notice to the Adviser, or by the Adviser on 90 days’ written notice to the Trust. The Advisory Agreement provides that the Adviser shall not be protected against any liability to the Trust or its shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard of its obligations or duties thereunder.

 

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The Adviser may make payments to banks or other financial institutions that provide shareholder services and administer shareholder accounts. If a bank or other financial institution were prohibited from continuing to perform all or a part of such services, management of the Funds believe that there would be no material impact on the Funds or their shareholders. Financial institutions may charge their customers fees for offering these services to the extent permitted by applicable regulatory authorities, and the overall return to those shareholders availing themselves of the financial institution’s services will be lower than to those shareholders who do not. The Funds may purchase securities issued by financial institutions that provide such services; however, in selecting investments for the Funds, no preference will be shown for such securities.

 

Portfolio Manager. As described in the prospectus, Matthew Tuttle serves as the Funds’ Portfolio Manager and is responsible for the day-to-day investment management of the Funds. In addition to the Funds, the Portfolio Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as listed below. The information below is provided as of January 31, 2025:

 

Portfolio Manager

Other

Registered

Investment

Company

Accounts 

Assets

Managed

($ millions) 

Other Pooled

Investment

Vehicle

Accounts 

Assets

Managed

($ millions) 

Other

Accounts 

Assets

Managed

($ millions) 

Total

Assets

 Managed

($ millions)

Matthew Tuttle 23 3,100 0 0 0 0 3,100

 

Conflicts of Interests. The Portfolio Manager’s management of “other accounts” may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with his management of the Fund’s investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other. The other accounts may have the same investment objective as the Funds. Therefore, a potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the identical investment objectives, whereby the Portfolio Manager could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include the Portfolio Manager’s knowledge about the size, timing and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby the Portfolio Manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the disadvantage of the Funds. However, the Adviser has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities among all accounts it manages are fairly and equitably allocated.

 

Compensation. The Portfolio Manager does not receive any special or additional compensation from the Adviser for his services as Portfolio Manager. The Portfolio Manager’s compensation is based solely on the overall financial operating results of the Adviser. The portfolio manager’s compensation is not directly linked to the Funds’ performance, although positive performance and growth in managed assets are factors that may contribute to the Adviser’s distributable profits and assets under management.

 

Portfolio Manager’s Share Ownership. As of the date of this SAI, the Portfolio Manager did not beneficially own shares of the Funds.

 

Administrator. Pursuant to a Fund Services Agreement, Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235 (the “Administrator”) serves as the Funds’ administrator. In its capacity as administrator, the Administrator supervises all aspects of the operations of the Funds except those performed by the Adviser. The Administrator provides certain administrative services and facilities to the Funds, including, among other responsibilities, assisting in the preparation and filing of documents required for compliance by the Funds with applicable laws and regulations and arranging for the maintenance of books and records of the Funds. The Administrator receives an asset-based fee computed daily and paid monthly on the average daily net assets of the Funds, subject to a minimum fee plus out-of-pocket expenses.

 

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Fund Accountant and Other Services. Pursuant to a Services Agreement with U.S. Bancorp Global Fund Services (“US Bank”), located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, provides certain financial administration services (other than those provided by the Administrator), and fund accounting services to the Funds. As financial administrator, US Bank performs services including but not limited to: (1) calculating Fund expenses; (2) calculating the Fund performance data; and (3) providing certain compliance support services. As fund accountant, US Bank maintains certain financial records of the Trust and provides accounting services to the Funds that include the daily calculation of each Fund’s NAV. US Bank also performs certain other services on behalf of the Trust including providing financial information for the Trust’s federal and state tax returns and financial reports required to be filed with the SEC.

 

For the financial administration and fund accounting services provided to the Trust, the Trust has agreed to pay to US Bank an annual asset based fee as a percentage of the aggregate net assets of the Funds, subject to certain breakpoints and minimum fee requirements. US Bank is also entitled to fees for services that it renders with respect to the filing of Form N-PORT, its services related to liquidity risk management and out-of-pocket expenses.

 

Custodian and Transfer Agency. Pursuant to a Custodial and Agency Services Agreement with the Trust, U.S. Bank National Association (“Custodian”), located at 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, serves as Custodian for the Funds and safeguards and holds the Funds’ cash and securities, settles the Funds’ securities transactions and collects income on the Funds’ investments. Under the agreement, the Custodian also: (1) provides data required by the Adviser to determine each Fund’s Creation Basket and estimated All Cash Amount for each Business Day); (2) monitors the settlement of securities comprising the Creation Basket and any cash in connection with the purchase and redemption of Creation Units and requests the issuance of related Creation Units; (3) deposits securities comprising the Creation Basket and/or cash received from Authorized Participants in connection with purchases of Creation Units into each Fund’s custody and cash accounts; (4) disburses securities comprising the Creation Basket and/or cash from the Funds’ custody and cash accounts to Authorized Participants in connection with the redemptions of Creation Units; and (5) performs certain other related services, (See “Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units,” below). As transfer agent, the Custodian issues shares of each Fund in Creation Units to fill purchase orders for the Funds’ shares, maintains records of the issuance and redemption of the Funds’ shares, and acts as the Funds’ dividend disbursing agent.

 

Distributor and Principal Underwriter. Foreside Fund Services, LLC a wholly-owned subsidiary of Foreside Financial Group, LLC (dba ACA Group) (the “Distributor”), the Funds’ distributor, is located at Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100, Portland, Maine 04101. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).

 

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 “Additional Information About Purchases and Sales.” 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 Funds or which securities are to be purchased or sold by the Funds.

 

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Distribution Plan

 

The Trust has adopted a distribution and shareholder service plan (the “Plan”) with respect to the Funds in accordance with the provisions of Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act, which regulates circumstances under which an investment company may directly or indirectly bear expenses relating to the distribution of its shares. There is no current intention to charge such fees pursuant to the Plan. Continuance of the Plan must be approved annually by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and by a majority of the independent Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan or in any agreements related to the Plan (“Qualified Trustees”). The Plan requires that quarterly written reports of amounts spent under the Plan and the purposes of such expenditures be furnished to and reviewed by the Trustees. The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount that may be spent thereunder without approval by a majority of the outstanding shares of each Fund. All material amendments of the Plan will require approval by a majority of the Trustees of the Trust and of the Qualified Trustees.

 

The Plan provides that each Fund may pay the Distributor or certain other parties an annual fee of up to a maximum of 0.25% of the average daily net assets of the Shares. Under the Plan, the Distributor or a Fund may make payments pursuant to written agreements to financial institutions and intermediaries such as banks, savings and loan associations and insurance companies including, without limit, investment counselors, broker-dealers and the Distributor’s affiliates and subsidiaries (collectively, “Agents”) as compensation for services and reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance. The Plan is characterized as a compensation plan since the distribution fee will be paid to the Distributor or other parties without regard to the distribution expenses incurred by the Distributor or other parties or the amount of payments made to other financial institutions and intermediaries. The Adviser pays the Distributor a fee for certain distribution related services. The Trust intends to operate the Plan in accordance with its terms and with FINRA rules concerning sales charges.

 

Under the Plan, subject to the supervision of the Trustees of the Trust, the Trust may, directly or indirectly, engage in any activities primarily intended to result in the sale of Shares of a Fund of the class(es) of Shares identified in Section 2(a) of this Plan, which activities may include, but are not limited to, the following:

 

(a)       payments to the Trust’s distributor (the “Distributor”) and to securities dealers and others in respect of the sale of Shares of the Fund;

 

(b)       payment of compensation to and expenses of personnel (including personnel of organizations with which the Trust has entered into agreements related to this Plan) who engage in or support distribution of Shares of the Fund or who render shareholder support services not otherwise provided by the Trust’s transfer agent, administrator, or custodian, including but not limited to, answering inquiries regarding the Trust, processing shareholder transactions, providing personal services and/or the maintenance of shareholder accounts, providing other shareholder liaison services, responding to shareholder inquiries, providing information on shareholder investments in the Shares of the Fund, and providing such other distribution and shareholder services as the Trust may reasonably request, arranging for bank wires, assisting shareholders in changing dividend options, account designations and addresses, providing information periodically to shareholders showing their positions in the Fund, forwarding communications from the Fund such as proxies, shareholder reports, annual reports, and dividend distribution and tax notices to shareholders, processing purchase, exchange, and redemption requests from shareholders and placing orders with the Fund or its service providers;

 

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(c)       formulation and implementation of marketing and promotional activities, including, but not limited to, direct mail promotions and television, radio, newspaper, magazine and other mass media advertising;

 

(d)       preparation, printing and distribution of sales literature;

 

(e)       preparation, printing and distribution of prospectuses and statements of additional information and reports of the Trust for recipients other than existing shareholders of the Trust;

 

(f)        obtaining information and providing explanations to wholesale and retail distributors of contracts regarding Fund investment objectives and policies and other information about the Fund, including the performance of the Fund;

 

(g)       obtaining such information, analyses and reports with respect to marketing and promotional activities as the Trust may, from time to time, deem advisable.

 

The Trust is authorized to engage in the activities listed above, and in any other activities primarily intended to result in the sale of Shares of a Fund, either directly or through other persons with which the Trust has entered into agreements related to this Plan.

 

The Adviser and its affiliates may, out of their own resources, pay amounts to third parties for distribution or marketing services on behalf of a Fund. The making of these payments could create a conflict of interest for a financial intermediary receiving such payments.

 

Legal Counsel. Practus, LLP, 11300 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Suite 310, Leawood, Kansas 66211, serves as legal counsel to the Trust and the Funds.

 

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. The Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, Cohen & Company, Ltd. audits the Funds’ annual financial statements, and prepares the Trust’s tax returns. Cohen & Company, Ltd. is located at 1350 Euclid Avenue, Suite 800, Cleveland, Ohio 44115.

 

TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE TRUST

 

Trustees and Officers. The Trust is governed by the Board, which is responsible for protecting the interests of shareholders. The trustees are experienced businesspersons who meet throughout the year to oversee the Trust’s activities, review contractual arrangements with companies that provide services to the Funds and review performance. The names, addresses and ages of the trustees and officers of the Trust, together with information as to their principal occupations during the past five years, are listed below.

 

Each Trustee was nominated to serve on the Board of Trustees based on their particular experiences, qualifications, attributes and skills. Generally, the Trust believes that each Trustee is competent to serve because of their individual overall merits including: (i) experience; (ii) qualifications; (iii) attributes; and (iv) skills.

 

Ms. Mary Lou H. Ivey has business experience as a practicing tax accountant from 1996 to 2021 and, as such, brings tax, budgeting and financial reporting skills to the Board. Currently, Ms. Ivey serves as the Chief Financial Officer for the Episcopal Church Building Fund since 2022 utilizing her financial knowledge and skills.

 

Ms. Laura V. Morrison has over 30 years of experience in leadership roles at global stock exchanges and asset managers. She has extensive knowledge of ETFs as well as mutual funds, having set the strategy and managed the product development, sales distribution and marketing teams at a leading provider. Ms. Morrison also guided the growth of several listing exchanges in the U.S. and Europe including NYSE & Cboe Markets.

 

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Dr. David J. Urban is Dean Emeritus and Professor of Marketing at the Jones College of Business, Middle Tennessee State University. He earned a Ph.D. in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from the University of Michigan. Dr. Urban also holds a master’s degree in Psychology from the University of Michigan and an undergraduate degree in Commerce with a concentration in Marketing from the University of Virginia. His extensive career is marked by significant budget responsibility and accountability, with expertise in marketing, strategic planning, organizational leadership, and management contributing to the Board’s long-term goal setting.

 

The Trust does not believe any one factor is determinative in assessing a Trustee’s qualifications, but that the collective experience of each Trustee makes them each highly qualified.

 

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees is Ms. Ivey, who is not an “interested person” of the Trust, within the meaning of the 1940 Act. The Trust also has an independent Audit Committee that allows the Board to access the expertise necessary of oversee the Trust, identify risks, recognize shareholder concerns and needs and highlight opportunities. The Audit Committee is able to focus Board time and attention to matters of interest to shareholders and, through its private sessions with the Trust’s auditor, Chief Compliance Officer and legal counsel, stay fully informed regarding management decisions.

 

ETFs face a number of risks, including investment risk, compliance risk and valuation risk. The Board oversees management of the Fund’s risks directly and through its officers. While day-to-day risk management responsibilities rest with the Fund’s Chief Compliance Officer, investment advisers and other service providers, the Board monitors and tracks risk by: (1) receiving and reviewing quarterly reports related to the performance and operations of the Fund; (2) reviewing and approving, as applicable, the compliance policies and procedures of the Trust, including the Trust’s valuation policies and transaction procedures; (3) periodically meeting with the portfolio manager to review investment strategies, techniques and related risks; (4) meeting with representatives of key service providers, including the Fund’s investment advisers, administrator, distributor, transfer agent and the independent registered public accounting firm, to discuss the activities of the Fund; (5) engaging the services of the Chief Compliance Officer of the Fund to monitor and test the compliance procedures of the Trust and its service providers; (6) receiving and reviewing reports from the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm regarding the Fund’s financial condition and the Trust’s internal controls; and (7) receiving and reviewing an annual written report prepared by the Chief Compliance Officer reviewing the adequacy of the Trust’s compliance policies and procedures and the effectiveness of their implementation. The Board has concluded that its general oversight of the investment adviser and other service providers as implemented through the reporting and monitoring process outlined above allows the Board to effectively administer its risk oversight function.

 

Trustee Emeritus

 

Mr. Theo H. Pitt is a Trustee Emeritus of the Trust. In his capacity as Trustee Emeritus, he does not have any fiduciary or oversight responsibilities to the Trust, and he does not vote on any matters that may be brought before the Board. As Trustee Emeritus, Mr. Pitt serves the Board in an advisory capacity, which allows the Board to capitalize on the institutional knowledge and experience Mr. Pitt has garnered over many decades in the financial services and investment management industries. Mr. Pitt began serving as Trustee Emeritus on January 1, 2025. Previously, Mr. Pitt served as an Independent Trustee of the Trust from August 2013 until he retired on December 31, 2024.

 

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Following is a list of the Trustees and executive officers of the Trust and their principal occupation over the last five years. The mailing address of each Trustee and officer is 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia, 23235, unless otherwise indicated.

 

NON-INTERESTED TRUSTEES

 

NAME, YEAR OF BIRTH AND POSITION WITH THE TRUST TERM OF OFFICE AND LENGTH OF TIME SERVED

PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION(S) DURING THE PAST FIVE

YEARS

NUMBER OF FUNDS IN FUND COMPLEX OVERSEEN BY TRUSTEE

OTHER DIRECTORSHIPS

HELD BY TRUSTEE IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS

Mary Lou H. Ivey

1958 

Trustee 

Indefinite, Since December, 2019 Senior Vice President, Episcopal Church Building Fund (national nonprofit organization) since January 2022. Accountant, Harris, Hardy & Johnstone, P.C., (accounting firm), 2008 - 2021. 93 Independent Trustee of World Funds Trust for the twenty-three series of that trust; and Independent Trustee of Precidian ETFs Trust for the forty-eight series of that Trust (each a registered investment company).

Laura V. Morrison

1966

Trustee 

Indefinite, Since July 2024 Owner, LVM Advisory LLC (consulting services to financial institutions) since 2024; Director and Member of Nominating and Governance Committee, Women in ETFs (not for profit) (2021 – present); Formerly, Chief Revenue Officer, Direxion (2022-2023); Senior Vice President, Global Head of Listings, Cboe Global Markets (2015-2022). 93 Independent Trustee of World Funds Trust for the twenty-three series of that trust; and Independent Trustee of Precidian ETFs Trust for the forty-eight series of that Trust (each a registered investment company).

Dr. David J. Urban

1955

Trustee 

Indefinite, Since December, 2019 Dean Emeritus (since 2023) and Professor of Marketing (since 2013), Jones College of Business, Middle Tennessee State University. 93 Independent Trustee of World Funds Trust for the twenty-three series of that trust; and Independent Trustee of Precidian ETFs Trust for the forty-eight series of that Trust (each a registered investment company).

 

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OFFICERS WHO ARE NOT TRUSTEES

 

NAME, YEAR OF BIRTH AND POSITION(S) WITH THE TRUST TERM OF OFFICE AND LENGTH OF TIME SERVED

PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION(S) DURING THE PAST FIVE

YEARS 

David Bogaert

1963

President 

Indefinite, Since December 2019 Managing Director of Business Development, Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc. (fund administration and transfer agency), October 2013 – present.

Thomas A. Carter

1966

Vice President 

Indefinite, Since December 2019 President Ridgeline Research September 2019 through present.

Karen M. Shupe

1964

Treasurer and Principal Executive Officer 

Indefinite, Since December 2019 Managing Director of Fund Operations, Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., 2003 to present.

Ann T. MacDonald

1954

Assistant Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer 

Indefinite, Since December 2019 Managing Director, Fund Administration and Fund Accounting, Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., 2003 to present.

John H. Lively

1969

Secretary 

Indefinite, Since December 2019

Attorney, Practus, LLP (law firm), May 2018 to present.

 

Holly B. Giangiulio

1962

Assistant Secretary 

Indefinite, Since December 2019

Managing Director, Corporate Operations, Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., January 2015 to present.

 

Laura Wright

1972

Assistant Secretary 

Indefinite, Since July 2022 Manager, Fund Administration, Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., August 2023 to present, Fund Administrator, Commonwealth Fund Services, Inc., 2016 to 2023.

J. Stephen King

1962

Assistant Secretary 

Indefinite, Since September 2022 Attorney, Practus, LLP (law firm), 2020 to present; The TCW Group, Inc. (investment management firm), 2017 to 2020.

Soth Chin

1966

Chief Compliance Officer 

Indefinite, Since March 2023

Managing Member of Fit Compliance, LLC (financial services compliance and consulting firm) since October 2016.

 

Julian G. Winters

1968

Assistant Chief Compliance Officer 

Indefinite, Since March 2023 Managing Member of Watermark Solutions, LLC (investment compliance and consulting firm) since March 2007.

 

The Board of Trustees oversees the Trust and certain aspects of the services provided by the Adviser and the Funds’ other service providers. Each Trustee will hold office until their successors have been duly elected and qualified or until their earlier resignation or removal. Each officer of the Trust serves at the pleasure of the Board and for a term of one year or until their successors have been duly elected and qualified.

 

The Trust has a standing Audit Committee of the Board composed of Ms. Ivey, Ms. Morrison and Dr. Urban. The functions of the Audit Committee are to meet with the Trust’s independent auditors to review the scope and findings of the annual audit, discuss the Trust’s accounting policies, discuss any recommendations of the independent auditors with respect to the Trust’s management practices, review the impact of changes in accounting standards on the Trust’s financial statements, recommend to the Board the selection of independent registered public accounting firm, and perform such other duties as may be assigned to the Audit Committee by the Board. The Audit Committee met eight times during the 12-month period ended December 31, 2024.

 

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The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is comprised of Ms. Ivey, Ms. Morrison and Dr. Urban. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s purposes, duties and powers are set forth in its written charter, which is described in Exhibit C – the charter also describes the process by which shareholders of the Trust may make nominations. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee met three times during the 12-month period ended December 31, 2024.

 

The Qualified Legal Compliance Committee is comprised of Ms. Ivey, Ms. Morrison and Dr. Urban. The Qualified Legal Compliance Committee receives, investigates, and makes recommendations as to the appropriate remedial action in connection with any report of evidence of a material violation of the securities laws or breach of fiduciary duty or similar violation by the Trust, its officers, Trustees, or agents. The Qualified Legal Compliance Committee did not meet during the 12-month period ended December 31, 2024.

 

Trustee Compensation. Each Trustee who is not an “interested person” of the Trust receives compensation for their services to the Trust. All Trustees are reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attendance at meetings. Effective October 1, 2024, each Trustee receives a retainer fee at the annualized rate of $74,000 and the Independent Chairperson receives an additional annual fee of $5,000, paid quarterly. Additionally, each Trustee may receive a fee of $2,500 per special meeting. Compensation to be received by each Trustee from the Trust for the Funds’ first fiscal year is estimated as follows:

 

Name of Trustee (Position)

Aggregate Compensation

From Fund

Pension or
Retirement Benefits
Accrued as Part of
Fund Expenses
Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement Total Compensation From Fund and Fund Complex Paid To Trustees (*)(1)
         

Mary Lou H. Ivey, Trustee

 

$2,079 $0 $0 $35,342
Laura V. Morrison, Trustee $1,947 $0 $0 $33,105
         
         
Dr. David J. Urban, Trustee $1,947 $0 $0 $33,105
         
Theo H. Pitt., Jr., Trustee Emeritus(2) $592 $0 $0 $10,066

 

(*)    The Trust does not pay deferred compensation.

(1)    The “Fund Complex” consists of the Funds and all the series of the Trust that are managed by the Adviser.

(2)    Mr. Theo H. Pitt, Jr. retired from the Trust on December 31, 2024 and no longer serves as Trustee.

 

Trustee Ownership of Fund Shares. The table below shows for each Trustee, the amount of Fund equity securities beneficially owned by each Trustee, and the aggregate value of all investments in equity securities of the Funds of the Trust, as of December 31, 2024, and stated as one of the following ranges: A = None; B = $1-$10,000; C = $10,001-$50,000; D = $50,001-$100,000; and E = over $100,000.

 

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Name of Non-Interested Trustee Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Funds Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Registered Investment Companies Overseen by the Trustees in Family of Investment Companies
Mary Lou H. Ivey A A
Laura V. Morrison A A
Dr. David J. Urban A A

 

Sales Loads. No front-end or deferred sales charges are applied to purchase of Fund shares by current or former trustees, officers, employees or agents of the Trust, the Adviser or the principal underwriter and by the members of their immediate families. No front-end or deferred sales charges are applied to the purchase of Shares.

 

Policies Concerning Personal Investment Activities. The Funds and the Adviser have each adopted a Code of Ethics, pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act that permit investment personnel, subject to their particular code of ethics, to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds, for their own account.

 

The Codes of Ethics are on file with, and can be reviewed on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet website at http://www.sec.gov.

 

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL SECURITIES HOLDERS 

A principal shareholder is any person who owns (either of record or beneficially) 5% or more of the outstanding shares of the Funds. A control person is one who owns, either directly or indirectly, more than 25% of the voting securities of the Funds or acknowledges the existence of such control. As a controlling shareholder, each of these persons could control the outcome of any proposal submitted to the shareholders for approval, including changes to a Fund’s fundamental policies or the terms of the management agreement with the Adviser. Since the economic benefit of investing in an ETF is passed through to the underlying investors of the record owners of 25% or more of the Fund shares, these record owners are not considered the beneficial owners of the Fund’s shares or control persons of the Fund.

 

The Funds have not yet commenced operations as of the date of this SAI.

 

DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

 

Calculation of Share Price

 

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

 

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Generally, a Fund’s domestic securities are valued each day at the last quoted sales price on each security’s primary exchange. Securities traded or dealt in upon one or more securities exchanges for which market quotations are readily available and not subject to restrictions against resale shall be valued at the last quoted sales price on the primary exchange or, in the absence of a sale on the primary exchange, at the mean between the current bid and ask prices on such exchange. If market quotations are not readily available, securities will be valued at their fair market value as determined in good faith by the Valuation Designee (as defined below). Securities that are not traded or dealt in any securities exchange (whether domestic or foreign) and for which over-the-counter market quotations are readily available generally shall be valued at the last sale price or, in the absence of a sale, at the mean between the current bid and ask price on such over-the- counter market.

 

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

 

Exchange traded options are valued at the last quoted sales price or, in the absence of a sale, at the mean between the current bid and ask prices on the exchange on which such options are traded. Futures and options on futures are valued at the settlement price determined by the exchange, or, if no settlement price is available, at the last sale price as of the close of business prior to when a Fund calculates NAV. Other securities for which market quotes are not readily available are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Valuation Designee (as defined below). Swap agreements and other derivatives are generally valued daily depending on the type of instrument and reference assets based upon market prices, the mean between bid and asked price quotations from market makers or by a pricing service or Valuation Designee (as defined below)in accordance with the valuation procedures approved by the Board.

 

Under certain circumstances, the Funds may use an independent pricing service approved by the Board to calculate the fair market value of foreign equity securities on a daily basis by applying valuation factors to the last sale price or the mean price as noted above. The fair market values supplied by the independent pricing service will generally reflect market trading that occurs after the close of the applicable foreign markets of comparable securities or the value of other instruments that have a strong correlation to the fair-valued securities. The independent pricing service will also take into account the current relevant currency exchange rate. A security that is fair valued may be valued at a price higher or lower than actual market quotations or the value determined by other funds using their own fair valuation procedures. Because foreign securities may trade on days when Shares are not priced, the value of securities held by a Fund can change on days when Shares cannot be redeemed or purchased. In the event that a foreign security’s market quotations are not readily available or are deemed unreliable (for reasons other than because the foreign exchange on which it trades closed before a Fund’s calculation of NAV), the security will be valued at its fair market value as determined in good faith by the Fund’s Valuation Designee (as defined below).

 

Investments initially valued in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted to U.S. dollars using exchange rates obtained from pricing services or other parties in accordance with the valuation procedures approved by the Board. As a result, the NAV of the Shares may be affected by changes in the value of currencies in relation to the U.S. dollar. The value of securities traded in markets outside the United States or denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar may be affected significantly on a day that the Exchange is closed and an investor is not able to purchase, redeem or exchange Shares.

 

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Investments for which market quotations are not readily available are valued at fair value as determined in good faith pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act. As a general principle, the fair value of a security or other asset is the price that would be received upon the sale of the security or asset in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date and time. Pursuant to Rule 2a-5, the Board has designated the Adviser as the valuation designee (“Valuation Designee”) for the Funds to perform fair value determinations relating to all Fund investments. The Adviser may carry out its designated responsibilities as Valuation Designee through a fair valuation committee, and may apply fair valuation methodologies approved by the Board, or utilize prices or inputs from pricing services, quotation reporting systems, valuation agents and other third-party sources that have been approved by the Board.

 

Fair valuation may require subjective determinations about the value of a security. While the Funds’ and Valuation Designee’s policies and procedures are intended to result in a calculation of each Fund’s NAV that fairly reflects security values as of the time of pricing, the Fund cannot ensure that fair values accurately reflect the price that the Fund could obtain for a security if it were to dispose of that security as of the time of pricing (for instance, in a forced or distressed sale). The prices used by each Fund may differ from the value that would be realized if the securities were sold.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PURCHASES AND SALES

 

PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS

 

Creation Units

 

The Trust issues and sells Shares of the Funds only in 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 Distributor processes purchase orders only on a day that the Exchange is open for trading (a “Business Day”).

 

Generally, the consideration for the purchase and redemption of Creation Units will be made entirely in a cash amount equal to the NAV of the shares that constitute the Creation Unit(s) (an “All Cash Amount”). At the discretion of the Adviser, the Funds may elect at any time, and from time to time, to issue and sell Creation Units at NAV for “in kind” consideration, meaning the initiator of a creation or redemption order will deposit or receive as consideration a portfolio of all or some of the securities held in each Fund’s portfolio, plus a cash amount (an “In Kind Creation” and “In Kind Redemption”).

 

Creation Orders

 

The consideration for an In Kind Creation generally consists of the Deposit Securities for each Creation Unit constituting a substantial replication, or representation, of the securities included in a Fund’s portfolio as selected by the Adviser (“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 a 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.

 

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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 which 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.

 

The Custodian, through the NSCC (see the section of this SAI entitled “Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units—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 (if any) to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous Business Day) for the Funds. This Fund Deposit is applicable, subject to any adjustments as described below, to orders to effect creations of Creation Units of the Funds until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities is made available, or unless the Adviser elects to receive an All Cash Amount in connection with the creation of Creation Units.

 

The identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities required for a Fund Deposit for the Funds changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected within the Funds from time to time by the Adviser, with a view to the investment objective of the Funds. In addition, the Trust reserves the right to permit the substitution of an amount of cash – i.e., 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 which might not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting or other relevant reason. In addition to the list of names and number of securities constituting the current Deposit Securities of a 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 each Fund.

 

The process for a creation order involving an All Cash Amount will be the same as the process for an In Kind Creation, except that the Cash Component will be the entirety of the amount deposited as consideration for the Creation Unit(s).

 

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 (“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. 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 (“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 for the account of a DTC Participant.

 

The Distributor will process orders to purchase Creation Units received by 3:00 p.m. New York time on the trade date (“Closing Time”), as long as they are in proper form. 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. In the case of an In Kind Creation, 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 entitled “Placement of Creation Orders Using the Clearing Process” and “Placement of Creation Orders Outside the Clearing Process.”

 

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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 Funds 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 below entitled “Placement of Creation Orders Using the Clearing Process” and “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. All Fund Deposits and/or Cash Component, as applicable, made through the Clearing Process must be delivered through a Participating Party that has executed a Participant Agreement. The Participant Agreement authorizes the Distributor or transfer agent 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 requisite Fund Deposits and/or Cash Component, as applicable, 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 or transfer agent 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

 

All Fund Deposits and/or Cash Component, as applicable, 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 cash and securities 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 (“DTC Cut-Off-Time”).

 

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All questions as to the amount of an All Cash Amount, the number of Deposit Securities to be delivered, or the amount of a Cash Component, 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 (including All Cash Amounts) 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 requisite Deposit Securities and the Cash Component or the All Cash Amount, as applicable, 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 Deposits and/or Cash Components as newly constituted to reflect the then-current Deposit Securities and Cash Component, or the All Cash Amount, as applicable. 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 Redemption of Creation Units—Creation Transaction Fee.”

 

Creation Units of an In-Kind Creation 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 (“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 each 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 each 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’s custodial account. In addition, a transaction fee will be charged in all cases. See the section below entitled “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.

 

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Acceptance of Orders for Creation Units

 

The Trust reserves the right to reject a creation order transmitted to it by the Distributor if: (1) the order is not in proper form; (2) if the Cash Component paid is incorrect; (3) the investor(s), upon obtaining the Fund Shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding Shares of the Funds; (4) the Deposit Securities delivered are not as disseminated for that date by the Custodian, as described above; (5) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; or (6) there exist circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, transfer agent, the Distributor and the Adviser 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 Adviser, the Distributor or transfer agent, 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, the transfer agent 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+1 basis” (that is, one Business Day after trade date). To the extent contemplated by an Authorized Participant’s agreement with the Distributor, the Trust will issue Creation Units of an In Kind Creation 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 or transfer agent. 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.

 

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In certain cases, Authorized Participants will create and redeem Creation Units (whether by In Kind Creation/Redemption or for an All Cash Amount) 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 amount of cash required to be delivered, 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, as applicable, shall be determined by the Trust, and the Trust’s determination shall be final and binding.

 

Creation Transaction Fee

 

Authorized Participants will be required to pay to the Custodian a fixed transaction fee (“Creation Transaction Fee”) in connection with creation orders that is intended 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 charged by the Funds’ custodian for each creation order is $300.00.

 

In addition, a variable fee, payable to each Fund, of a percentage of the value of the Creation Units subject to the transaction may be imposed for cash purchases, non-standard orders, or partial cash purchases of Creation Units. The variable charge is primarily designed to cover additional costs (e.g., brokerage, taxes) involved with buying the securities with cash. The Funds may determine to not charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders. 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.

 

The Creation Transaction Fee may be waived for the Funds when the Adviser believes that waiver of the Creation Transaction Fee is in the best interest of the Funds. When determining whether to waive the Creation Transaction Fee, the Adviser considers a number of factors including whether waiving the Creation Transaction Fee will: facilitate the initial launch of each Fund; facilitate portfolio rebalancings in a less costly manner; improve the quality of the secondary trading market for the Funds’ shares; and not result in a Fund bearing additional costs or expenses as a result of the waiver.

 

Redemption Orders

 

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 a 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. Each 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.

 

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Generally, Creation Units of the Funds will also be redeemed at NAV principally in cash, although a Fund reserves the right to redeem all or a portion in kind, in each case less a transaction fee as described below. With respect to In Kind Redemptions, 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. The redemption proceeds for an In Kind Redemption of a Creation Unit consists 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 (“Cash Redemption Amount”), less a redemption transaction fee (see the section below entitled “Redemption Transaction Fee”).

 

The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Funds (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 Funds or determination of the Funds’ NAV is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstances as is permitted by the SEC.

 

Deliveries of redemption proceeds by each Fund generally will be made within one Business Day (that is “T+1”). However, each Fund reserves the right to settle redemption transactions and deliver redemption proceeds on a basis other than T+1 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.

 

The process for a redemption order involving an All Cash Amount will be the same as the process for an In-Kind Redemption, except that the proceeds of the redemption will be paid entirely in cash. Proceeds of redemptions of Creation Units payable in an All Cash Amount 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).

 

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 relevant 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/or the Cash Redemption Amount, as applicable, will be transferred by the third NSCC business day following the date on which such request for redemption is deemed received.

 

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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/or the Cash Redemption Amount, as applicable, 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 each Fund are delivered to the Custodian prior to the DTC Cut-Off-Time, then the value of the Fund Securities and/or the Cash Redemption Amount, as applicable, 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 relevant 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/or the Cash Redemption Amount, as applicable, to be delivered or received will be computed on the Business Day following the Transmittal Date provided that the Fund Shares of the relevant 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.

 

The Trust may in its discretion at any time, or from time to time, exercise its option to redeem Fund Shares solely for consideration in the form of an All Cash Amount, 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 permit, in its sole discretion. In either case, the investor will receive an All Cash Amount payment equal to the NAV of its Fund Shares based on the NAV of Shares of the relevant 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). Each 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 a 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.

 

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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 (“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 charged by the Funds’ custodian for each redemption order is $300.00.

 

An additional variable fee of up to three (3) times the fixed Transaction Fee plus all commission and fees payable to the Funds in connection with the sale of the Fund Securities (expressed as a percentage value of such Fund Securities) may be imposed for (1) redemptions effected outside the Clearing Process and (2) redemptions made in an All Cash Amount (to offset the Trust’s brokerage and other transaction costs associated 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.

 

Regardless of form, the Redemption Transaction Fee (including any reimbursements related to in cash redemptions or additional variable fees for In Kind Redemptions) will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the SEC applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities (currently, no more than 2% of the value of the shares redeemed).

 

The Redemption Transaction Fee may be waived for the Funds when the Adviser believes that waiver of the Redemption Transaction Fee is in the best interest of the Funds. When determining whether to waive the Redemption Transaction Fee, the Adviser considers a number of factors including whether waiving the Redemption Transaction Fee will: facilitate portfolio rebalancings in a less costly manner; improve the quality of the secondary trading market for the Funds’ shares; and not result in the Funds bearing additional costs or expenses as a result of the waiver.

 

Custom Baskets

 

The Fund Securities to be deposited for the purchase of a Creation Unit, and the Fund Securities delivered in connection with a Redemption, may differ, and the Fund may accept “custom baskets.” A custom basket may include any of the following: (i) a basket that is composed of a non-representative selection of a Fund’s portfolio holdings; or (ii) a representative basket that is different from the initial basket used in transactions on the same business day. The Fund has adopted policies and procedures that govern the construction and acceptance of baskets, including heightened requirements for certain types of custom baskets.

 

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ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

 

The Adviser and its affiliates may, out of its own resources and without additional cost to the Funds or their shareholders, pay a solicitation fee to securities dealers or other financial intermediaries (collectively, a “Financial Intermediary.”)

 

TAXES

 

The following discussion is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations affecting the Funds and their shareholders. The discussion reflects applicable U.S. federal income tax laws as of the date of this SAI, which tax laws may be changed or subject to new interpretations by the courts or the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”), possibly with retroactive effect. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of all U.S. income, estate or gift tax, or foreign, state or local tax concerns affecting the Funds and their shareholders (including shareholders owning large positions in a Fund). The discussion set forth herein does not constitute tax advice. Investors are urged to consult their own tax advisors to determine the tax consequences to them of investing in the Funds.

 

In addition, no attempt is made to address tax concerns applicable to an investor with a special tax status such as a financial institution, real estate investment trust (“REIT”), insurance company, regulated investment company (“RIC”), individual retirement account (“IRA”), other tax-exempt entity, or dealer in securities. Furthermore, this discussion does not reflect possible application of the alternative minimum tax (“AMT”). Unless otherwise noted, this discussion assumes shares of the Funds (“Shares”) are held by U.S. shareholders (defined below) and that such Shares are held as capital assets.

 

A U.S. shareholder is a beneficial owner of Shares of a Fund that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

 

a citizen or individual resident of the United States (including certain former citizens and former long-term residents);

a corporation or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia;

an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or

a trust with respect to which a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over its administration and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all of its substantial decisions or a trust that has a valid election in effect under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations to be treated as a U.S. person.

 

A “Non-U.S. shareholder” is a beneficial owner of Shares that is an individual, corporation, trust or estate and is not a U.S. shareholder. If a partnership (including any entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds Shares, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership generally depends upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. A partner of a partnership that will hold Shares should consult its own tax advisor with respect to the purchase, ownership and disposition of Shares by the partnership.

 

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Taxation as a RIC. Each Fund intends to qualify and remain qualified as a RIC under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). There can be no assurance that each will so qualify. A Fund will qualify as a RIC if, among other things, it meets the source-of-income and the asset-diversification requirements. With respect to the source-of-income requirement, a Fund must derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income (including tax-exempt interest) from (i) dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures and forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies and (ii) net income derived from an interest in a “qualified publicly traded partnership” (the “Income Test”). A “qualified publicly traded partnership” is generally defined as a publicly traded partnership under Code Section 7704. Income derived from a partnership (other than a qualified publicly traded partnership) or trust is qualifying income to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership or trust which would be qualifying income if realized by the Funds in the same manner as realized by the partnership or trust.

 

If a RIC fails the Income Test and such failure was due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, generally it will not be subject to the U.S. federal income tax rate applicable to corporations. Instead, the amount of the penalty for non-compliance is the amount by which the non-qualifying income exceeds one-ninth of the qualifying gross income.

 

With respect to the asset-diversification requirement, each Fund must diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of each taxable year (i) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, the securities of other RICs and other securities, if such other securities of any one issuer do not represent more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is invested in securities, other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other RICs, of (a) one issuer, (b) two or more issuers that are controlled by the Fund and that are engaged in the same, similar or related trades or businesses, or (c) one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (the “Asset Test”).

 

If a RIC fails the Asset Test, such RIC has a 6-month period to correct any failure without incurring a penalty if such failure is “de minimis.”

 

Similarly, if a RIC fails the Asset Test and the failure is not de minimis, a RIC can cure the failure if: (i) the RIC files with the U.S. Treasury Department a description of each asset that caused the RIC to fail the Asset Test; (ii) the failure is due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect; and (iii) the failure is cured within six months (or such other period specified by the U.S. Treasury Department). In such cases, a tax is imposed on the RIC equal to the greater of: (i) $50,000 or (ii) an amount determined by multiplying the highest corporate U.S. federal income tax rate (currently 21%) by the amount of net income generated during the period of the Asset Test failure from the assets that caused the RIC to fail the Asset Test.

 

If a Fund qualifies as a RIC and distributes to its shareholders, for each taxable year, at least 90% of the sum of (i) its “investment company taxable income” as that term is defined in the Code (which includes, among other things, dividends, taxable interest, the excess of any net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses and certain net foreign exchange gains as reduced by certain deductible expenses) without regard to the deduction for dividends paid, and (ii) the excess of its gross tax-exempt interest, if any, over certain deductions attributable to such interest that are otherwise disallowed (the “Distribution Test”), the Fund will be relieved of U.S. federal income tax on any income of the Fund, including long-term capital gains, distributed to shareholders. However, any ordinary income or capital gain retained by the Fund will be subject to regular corporate U.S. federal income tax rates (currently at a maximum rate of 21%). Each Fund intends to distribute at least annually substantially all of its investment company taxable income, net tax-exempt interest, and net capital gain.

 

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Each Fund will generally be subject to a nondeductible 4% U.S. federal excise tax on the portion of its undistributed ordinary income with respect to each calendar year and undistributed capital gains if it fails to meet certain distribution requirements with respect to the one-year period ending on October 31 in that calendar year. To avoid the 4% U.S. federal excise tax, the required minimum distribution is generally equal to the sum of (i) 98% of the Fund’s ordinary income (computed on a calendar year basis), (ii) 98.2% of the Fund’s capital gain net income (generally computed for the one-year period ending on October 31), and (iii) any income realized, but not distributed, and on which the Fund paid no U.S. federal income tax in preceding years. Each Fund generally intends to make distributions in a timely manner in an amount at least equal to the required minimum distribution and therefore, under normal market conditions, does not expect to be subject to this excise tax.

 

The Funds may be required to recognize taxable income in circumstances in which it does not receive cash. For example, if a Fund holds debt obligations that are treated under applicable U.S. federal income tax rules as having original issue discount (“OID”), such as debt instruments with payment of in kind interest or, in certain cases, with increasing interest rates or that are issued with warrants, the Fund must include in income each year a portion of the OID that accrues over the life of the obligation regardless of whether cash representing such income is received by the Fund in the same taxable year. Because any OID accrued will be included in a Fund’s “investment company taxable income” (discussed below) for the year of accrual, the Fund may be required to make a distribution to its shareholders to satisfy the Distribution Test, even though it will not have received an amount of cash that corresponds with the accrued income.

 

A RIC is permitted to carry forward net capital losses indefinitely and may allow losses to retain their original character (as short or as long-term). These capital loss carryforwards may be utilized in future years to offset net realized capital gains of a Fund, if any, prior to distributing such gains to shareholders.

 

Except as set forth below in “Failure to Qualify as a RIC,” the remainder of this discussion assumes that each Fund will qualify as a RIC for each taxable year.

 

Failure to Qualify as a RIC. If a Fund is unable to satisfy the Distribution Test or otherwise fails to qualify as a RIC in any year, it will be subject to corporate U.S. federal income tax on all of its income and gain, regardless of whether or not such income was distributed. Distributions to a Fund’s shareholders of such income and gain will not be deductible by the Fund in computing its taxable income. In such event, the Fund’s distributions, to the extent derived from the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits, would constitute ordinary dividends, which would generally be eligible for the dividends received deduction available to corporate U.S. shareholders, and non-corporate U.S. shareholders would generally be able to treat such distributions as “qualified dividend income” eligible for preferential rates of U.S. federal income taxation, provided in each case certain holding period and other requirements are satisfied. Distributions in excess of a Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits would be treated first as a return of capital to the extent of a shareholder’s tax basis in its Shares, and any remaining distributions would be treated as a capital gain.

 

To qualify as a RIC in a subsequent taxable year, a Fund would be required to satisfy the Income Test, Asset Test, and Distribution Test for that year and distribute any earnings and profits from any year in which the Fund failed to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC. Subject to a limited exception applicable to RICs that qualified as such under the Code for at least one year prior to disqualification and that requalify as a RIC no later than the second year following the nonqualifying year, a Fund would be subject to tax on any unrealized built-in gains in the assets held by it during the period in which the Fund failed to qualify for tax treatment as a RIC that are recognized within the subsequent five years, unless the Fund made a special election to pay corporate-level U.S. federal income tax on such built-in gain at the time of its requalification as a RIC.

 

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Taxation of U.S. Shareholders. Distributions paid to U.S. shareholders by a Fund from its investment company taxable income (which is, generally, the Fund’s ordinary income plus net realized short-term capital gains in excess of net realized long-term capital losses) are generally taxable to U.S. shareholders as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund’s earnings and profits, whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional Shares. Such distributions (if designated by the Fund) may qualify (i) for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate U.S. shareholders to the extent that the Fund’s income consists of dividend income from U.S. corporations, excluding distributions from tax-exempt organizations, exempt farmers’ cooperatives or REITs or (ii) in the case of non-corporate U.S. shareholders, as qualified dividend income eligible to be taxed at preferential rates to the extent that the Fund receives qualified dividend income, and provided in each case certain holding period and other requirements are met. Qualified dividend income is, in general, dividend income from taxable U.S. corporations and qualified foreign corporations (which generally include foreign corporations incorporated in a possession of the United States or in certain countries with a qualified comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States, or the stock with respect to which such dividend is paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States). A qualified foreign corporation generally excludes any foreign corporation, which for the taxable year of the corporation in which the dividend was paid, or the preceding taxable year, is a passive foreign investment company (a “PFIC”). Distributions made to a U.S. shareholder from an excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses (“Capital Gain Dividends”), including Capital Gain Dividends credited to such U.S. shareholder but retained by the Fund, are taxable to such U.S. shareholder as long-term capital gain if they have been properly designated by the Fund, regardless of the length of time such U.S. shareholder owned the Shares. The maximum tax rate on Capital Gain Dividends received by non-corporate U.S. Shareholders is generally 20%. Distributions in excess of a Fund’s earnings and profits will be treated by a U.S. shareholder, first, as a tax-free return of capital, which is applied against and will reduce the adjusted tax basis of the U.S. shareholder’s Shares and, after such adjusted tax basis is reduced to zero, will constitute capital gain to the U.S. shareholder. The Funds are not required to provide written notice designating the amount of any qualified dividend income or capital gain dividends and other distributions. The Forms 1099 sent to the U.S. shareholders will instead serve this notice purpose.

 

As a RIC, each Fund will be subject to the AMT, but any items that are treated differently for AMT purposes must be apportioned between the Fund and its shareholders and this may affect the U.S. shareholders’ AMT liabilities. Each Fund intends in general to apportion these items in the same proportion that dividends paid to each shareholder bear to a Fund’s taxable income, determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction.

 

For purpose of determining (i) whether the Distribution Test is satisfied for any year and (ii) the amount of Capital Gain Dividends paid for that year, a Fund may, under certain circumstances, elect to treat a dividend that is paid during the following taxable year as if it had been paid during the prior taxable year. If a Fund makes such an election, a U.S. shareholder will still be treated as receiving the dividend in the taxable year in which the distribution is made. However, any dividend declared by a Fund in October, November or December of any calendar year, payable to shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month and actually paid during January of the following year, will be treated as if it had been received by the U.S. shareholders on December 31 of the year in which the dividend was declared.

 

Each Fund intends to distribute all realized capital gains, if any, at least annually. If, however, a Fund were to retain any net capital gain, the Fund may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to shareholders who, if subject to U.S. federal income tax on long-term capital gains, (i) will be required to include in income as long-term capital gain, their proportionate shares of such undistributed amount, and (ii) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the U.S. federal income tax paid by the Fund on the undistributed amount against their U.S. federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. If such an event occurs, the tax basis of Shares will, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, generally be increased by the difference between the amount of undistributed net capital gain included in the shareholder’s gross income and the tax deemed paid by the shareholder.

 

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Sales of Shares or redemption of Creation Units and other dispositions of Shares, such as exchanges, of a Fund generally are taxable events. U.S. shareholders should consult their own tax advisors with reference to their individual circumstances to determine whether any particular transaction in the Shares are properly treated as a sale or exchange for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as the following discussion assumes, and the tax treatment of any gains or losses recognized in such transactions. The sale of Shares, redemption of Creation Units or other disposition of Shares will generally result in capital gain or loss to the U.S. shareholder equal to the difference between the amount realized and the adjusted tax basis in the Shares sold or exchanged, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year at the time of sale. Any loss upon the sale or exchange of Shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any Capital Gain Dividends received (including amounts credited as an undistributed Capital Gain Dividends) by such shareholder with respect to such Shares. A loss realized on a sale or exchange of Shares generally will be disallowed if other substantially identical shares are acquired within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the date that the Shares are disposed. In such case, the basis of the shares acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. Both long-term and short-term capital gain of U.S. corporations are taxed at the rates applicable to ordinary income of corporations. For non-corporate U.S. shareholders, short-term capital gain is taxed at the rate applicable to ordinary income, while long-term capital gain generally is taxed at a maximum rate of 20%. Capital losses are subject to certain limitations.

 

An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize gain or loss from the exchange. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate tax basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units and the exchanger’s tax basis in the Creation Units. The IRS, however, may assert that an Authorized Participant which does not mark-to-market its holdings may not be permitted to currently deduct losses realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.

 

Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will be treated as short-term capital gains or losses. Any loss realized upon a redemption of Creation Units held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the applicable Authorized Participant of long-term capital gains with respect to the Creation Units (including any amounts credited to the Authorized Participant as undistributed capital gains).

 

The Trust on behalf of a Fund has the right to reject an order for a purchase of Shares of a Fund if the purchaser (or group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the Shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares of the Fund and if, pursuant to Code Section 351, the Fund would have a tax basis in the securities deposited for such Shares 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. If a Fund does issue Creation Units to a purchaser (or group of purchasers) that would, upon obtaining the Shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding Shares of a Fund, the purchaser (or group of purchasers) may not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units.

 

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Persons purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction and whether the wash sales rules apply and when a loss might not be deductible.

 

Each Fund must report its shareholders’ cost basis, gain/loss, and holding period for Shares to the IRS on the Fund’s shareholders’ Consolidated Form 1099s. Each Fund has chosen average cost as the standing (default) tax lot identification method for all shareholders. A tax lot identification method is the way the Funds will determine which specific Shares are deemed to be sold when there are multiple purchases on different dates at differing prices, and the entire position is not sold at one time. The Funds’ standing tax lot identification method is the method Fund Shares will be reported on a U.S. shareholder’s Consolidated Form 1099 if the U.S. shareholder does not select a different tax lot identification method. U.S. shareholders may choose a method different than the Funds’ standing method and will be able to do so at the time of the U.S. shareholder’s purchase or upon the sale of Fund Shares. The Funds and their service providers do not provide tax advice. U.S. shareholders should consult independent sources, which may include a tax professional, with respect to any decisions they may make with respect to choosing a tax lot identification method.

 

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

 

Straddles. When a Fund enters into an offsetting position to limit the risk on another position, the “straddle” rules usually come into play. An option or other position entered into or held by a Fund in conjunction with any other position held by the Fund may constitute a “straddle” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In general, straddles are subject to certain rules that may affect the character and timing of a Fund’s gains and losses with respect to straddle positions. The key features of the straddle rules are as follows:

 

A Fund may have to wait to deduct any losses. If a Fund has a capital gain in one position of a straddle and a capital loss in the other, the Fund may not recognize the loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes until the Fund disposes of both positions. This might occur, for example, if a Fund had a highly appreciated stock position and the Fund purchased protective put options (which give the Fund the right to sell the stock to someone else for a period of time at a predetermined price) to offset the risk. If the stock continued to increase in value and the put options expired worthless, the Fund must defer recognition of the loss on its put options until the Fund sells and recognizes the gain on the original, appreciated position.

 

A Fund’s capital gain holding period may get clipped. The moment a Fund enters into a typical straddle, the capital gains holding period on its offsetting positions is frozen. If a Fund held the original position for one year or less (thus not qualifying for the long-term capital gains rate), not only is the holding period frozen, it starts all over again when the Fund disposes of the offsetting position.

 

Losses recognized with respect to certain straddle positions that would otherwise constitute short-term capital losses may be treated as long-term capital losses. This generally has the effect of reducing the tax benefit of such losses.

 

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A Fund may not be able to deduct any interest expenses or carrying charges with respect to a straddle. During the offsetting period, any interest or carrying charges associated with the straddle generally are not currently tax deductible, but must be capitalized (added to cost basis).

 

Original Issue Discount, Pay-In-Kind Securities, Market Discount and Commodity-Linked Notes. Some debt obligations with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance that may be acquired by the Funds may be treated as debt obligations that are issued originally at a discount. Generally, the amount of OID is treated as interest income and is included in a Fund’s taxable income (and required to be distributed by the Fund) over the term of the debt obligation, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, upon partial or full repayment or disposition of the debt security.

 

Some debt obligations that may be acquired by the Funds in the secondary market may be treated as having “market discount.” Very generally, market discount is the excess of the stated redemption price of a debt obligation (or in the case of an obligations issued with OID, its “revised issue price”) over the purchase price of such obligation. Generally, any gain recognized on the disposition of, and any partial payment of principal on, a debt obligation 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 obligation. Alternatively, a Fund may elect to accrue market discount currently, in which case the Fund will be required to include the accrued market discount in the Fund’s income (as ordinary income) and thus distribute it over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, upon partial or full repayment or disposition of the debt security. The rate at which the market discount accrues, and thus is included in a Fund’s income, will depend upon which of the permitted accrual methods the Fund elects. In the case of higher-risk securities, the amount of market discount may be unclear. See below under “Higher-Risk Securities.”

 

Some debt obligations that may be acquired by the Funds may be treated as having “acquisition discount” (very generally, the excess of the stated redemption price over the purchase price), or OID in the case of certain types of debt obligations. A Fund will be required to include the acquisition discount, or OID, in income (as ordinary income) over the term of the debt obligation, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, upon partial or full repayment or disposition of the debt security. A Fund may make one or more of the elections applicable to debt obligations having acquisition discount, or OID, which could affect the character and timing of recognition of income.

 

In addition, payment-in-kind securities will, and commodity-linked notes may, give rise to income that is required to be distributed and is taxable even though a Fund receives no interest payment in cash on the security during the year.

 

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

 

Higher-Risk Securities. To the extent such investments are permissible for the Funds, a Fund may invest in debt obligations that are in the lowest rating categories or are unrated, including debt obligations of issuers not currently paying interest or who are in default. Investments in debt obligations that are at risk of or in default present special tax issues for a Fund. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when a Fund may cease to accrue interest, OID or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless securities and how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income. In limited circumstances, it may also not be clear whether a Fund should recognize market discount on a debt obligation, and if so, what amount of market discount the Fund should recognize. These and other related issues will be addressed by a Fund when, as and if it invests in such securities, in order to seek to ensure that it distributes sufficient income to preserve its status as a RIC and does not become subject to U.S. federal income or excise tax.

 

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Issuer Deductibility of Interest. A portion of the interest paid or accrued on certain high yield discount obligations owned by a Fund may not be deductible to (and thus, may affect the cash flow of) the issuer. If a portion of the interest paid or accrued on certain high yield discount obligations is not deductible, that portion will be treated as a dividend for purposes of the corporate dividends-received deduction. In such cases, if the issuer of the high yield discount obligation is a domestic corporation, dividend payments by a Fund may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction to the extent of the deemed dividend portion of such accrued interest.

 

Interest paid on debt obligations owned by a Fund, if any, that are considered for U.S. federal income tax purposes to be payable in the equity of the issuer or a related party will not be deductible to the issuer, possibly affecting the cash flow of the issuer.

 

Tax-Exempt Shareholders. A tax-exempt U.S. shareholder could recognize unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”) by virtue of its investment in a Fund if such Shares constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt U.S. shareholder within the meaning of Code Section 514(b). Furthermore, a tax-exempt U.S. shareholder may recognize UBTI if a Fund recognizes “excess inclusion income” derived from direct or indirect investments in residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (“REMICs”) or equity interests in taxable mortgage pools (“TMPs”) if the amount of such income recognized by the Fund exceeds the Fund’s investment company taxable income (after taking into account deductions for dividends paid by the Fund).

 

In addition, special tax consequences apply to charitable remainder trusts (“CRTs”) that invest in RICs that invest directly or indirectly in residual interests in REMICs or equity interests in TMPs. A CRT (as defined in Code Section 664) that realizes any UBTI for a taxable year, must pay an excise tax annually of an amount equal to such UBTI. Under IRS guidance issued in October 2006, a CRT will not recognize UBTI solely as a result of investing in a Fund that recognizes “excess inclusion income.” Rather, if at any time during any taxable year a CRT (or one of certain other tax-exempt shareholders, such as the United States, a state or political subdivision, or an agency or instrumentality thereof, and certain energy cooperatives) is a record holder of Shares in a Fund that recognize “excess inclusion income,” then the Fund will be subject to a tax on that portion of its “excess inclusion income” for the taxable year that is allocable to such shareholders, at the highest corporate U.S. federal income tax rate. The extent to which this IRS guidance remains applicable is unclear. To the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, a Fund may elect to specially allocate any such tax to the applicable CRT, or other shareholder, and thus reduce such shareholder’s distributions for the year by the amount of the tax that relates to such shareholder’s interest in the Fund. The Funds have not yet determined whether such an election will be made. CRTs and other tax-exempt investors are urged to consult their own tax advisors concerning the consequences of investing in the Funds.

 

Foreign Taxation. Income received by the Funds from sources within foreign countries may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by such countries. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate such taxes.

 

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A “qualified fund of funds” is a RIC that has at least 50% of the value of its total interests invested in other RICs at the end of each quarter of the taxable year. If a Fund satisfies this requirement or if it meets certain other requirements, which include a requirement that more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the close of its taxable year consist of stocks or securities of foreign corporations, then the Fund should be eligible to file an election with the IRS that may enable its shareholders to receive either the benefit of a foreign tax credit, or a tax deduction, with respect to any foreign and U.S. possessions income taxes paid by the Fund, subject to certain limitations.

 

Taxation of Non-U.S. Shareholders. Capital Gain Dividends are generally not subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax. Absent a specific statutory exemption, dividends other than Capital Gain Dividends paid by a Fund to a Non-U.S. shareholder are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) even if they are funded by income or gains (such as portfolio interest, short-term capital gains, or foreign-source dividend and interest income) that, if paid to a foreign person directly, would not be subject to withholding.

 

A RIC is not required to withhold any amounts (i) with respect to distributions,other than distributions to a Non-U.S. shareholder (a) that does not provide a satisfactory statement that the beneficial owner is not a U.S. person, (b) to the extent that the dividend is attributable to certain interest on an obligation if the Non-U.S. shareholder is the issuer or is a 10% shareholder of the issuer, (c) that is within a foreign country that has inadequate information exchange with the United States, or (d) to the extent the dividend is attributable to interest paid by a person that is a related person of the Non-U.S. shareholder and the Non-U.S. shareholder is a controlled foreign corporation) from U.S.-source interest income of types similar to those not subject to U.S. federal income tax if earned directly by a Non-U.S. shareholder, to the extent such distributions are properly reported as such by a Fund in a written notice to shareholders (“Interest-Related Dividends”), and (ii) with respect to distributions (other than (a) distributions to an individual Non-U.S. shareholder who is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the distribution and (b) distributions subject to special rules regarding the disposition of U.S. real property interests (“USRPIs”) as described below) of net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses to the extent such distributions are properly reported by the RIC (“Short-Term Capital Gain Dividends”). If a Fund invests in an underlying RIC that pays such distributions to the Fund, such distributions retain their character as not subject to withholding if properly reported when paid by the Fund to Non-U.S. shareholders.

 

A Fund is permitted to report such part of its dividends as Interest-Related Dividends or Short-Term Capital Gain Dividends as are eligible, but is not required to do so. These exemptions from withholding will not be available to Non-U.S. shareholders that do not currently report their dividends as Interest-Related Dividends or Short-Term Capital Gain Dividends.

 

In the case of Shares held through an intermediary, the intermediary may withhold even if a Fund reports all or a portion of a payment as an Interest-Related Dividends or Short-Term Capital Gain Dividend to shareholders. Non-U.S. shareholders should contact their intermediaries regarding the application of these rules to their accounts.

 

A Non-U.S. shareholder generally is not subject to U.S. federal income tax on gains (and is not allowed a deduction for losses) realized on the sale of Shares of a Fund or on Capital Gain Dividends unless (i) such gain or dividend is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business carried on by such shareholder within the United States, (ii) in the case of an individual shareholder, the shareholder is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the sale or the receipt of the Capital Gain Dividends and certain other conditions are met, or (iii) the special rules relating to gain attributable to the sale or exchange of USRPIs apply to the Non-U.S. shareholder’s sale of Shares of a Fund or to the Capital Gain Dividend received by the Non-U.S. shareholder (as described below).

 

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Special rules would apply if a Fund were either a “U.S. real property holding corporation” (“USRPHC”) or would be a USRPHC but for the operation of certain exceptions to the definition thereof. Very generally, a USRPHC is a U.S. corporation that holds USRPIs the fair market value of which equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market values of the corporation’s USPRIs, interests in real property located outside the United States, and other assets. USRPIs are generally defined as any interest in U.S. real property and any interest (other than solely as a creditor) in a USRPHC or former USRPHC.

 

If a Fund were a USRPHC or would be a USRPHC but for certain exceptions, any distributions by the Fund to a Non-U.S. shareholder (including, in certain cases, distributions made by the Fund in redemption of its Shares) attributable to gains realized by the Fund on the disposition of USRPIs or to distributions received by the Fund from a lower-tier RIC or REIT that the Fund is required to treat as USRPI gain in its hands generally would be subject to U.S. federal income tax withholding. In addition, such distributions could result in a Non-U.S. shareholder being required to file a U.S. federal income tax return and pay tax on the distributions at regular U.S. federal income tax rates. The consequences to a Non-U.S. shareholder, including the rate of such withholding and character of such distributions, would vary depending upon the extent of the Non-U.S. shareholder’s current and past ownership of the Fund. This “look-through” USRPI treatment for distributions by a Fund, if it were either a USRPHC or would be a USRPHC but for the operation of certain exceptions, to Non-U.S. shareholders applies only to those distributions that, in turn, are attributable to distributions received by the Fund from a lower-tier RIC or REIT, unless Congress enacts legislation providing otherwise.

 

In addition, if a Fund were a USRPHC or former USRPHC, it could be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax on the proceeds of a Share redemption by a Non-U.S. shareholder, in which case such Non-U.S. shareholder generally would also be required to file a U.S. federal income tax return and pay any additional taxes due in connection with the redemption.

 

Whether or not a Fund is characterized as a USRPHC will depend upon the nature and mix of the Fund’s assets. Each Fund does not expect to be a USRPHC. Non-U.S. shareholders should consult their own tax advisors concerning the application of these rules to their investment in a Fund.

 

If a Non-U.S. shareholder has a trade or business in the United States, and the dividends from a Fund are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. shareholder’s conduct of that trade or business, the dividend will be subject to net U.S. federal income taxation at regular income tax rates.

 

If a Non-U.S. shareholder is eligible for the benefits of a tax treaty, any effectively connected income or gain will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis only if it is also attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by that Non-U.S. shareholder in the United States.

 

To qualify for any exemptions from withholding described above or for lower withholding tax rates under income tax treaties, or to establish an exemption from backup withholding, a Non-U.S. shareholder must comply with special certification and filing requirements relating to its non-U.S. status (including, in general, furnishing an applicable IRS Form W-8). Non-U.S. shareholders should consult their own tax advisors in this regard.

 

A Non-U.S. shareholder may be subject to U.S. state and local tax and to the U.S. federal estate tax in addition to the U.S. federal income tax referred to above.

 

Backup Withholding. The Funds generally are required to backup withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury Department a percentage of the taxable distributions and redemption proceeds paid to any individual shareholder who fails to properly furnish the Funds with a correct taxpayer identification number, who has under-reported dividend or interest income, or who fails to properly certify to the Funds that he or she is not subject to such withholding. The backup withholding tax rate is currently 24%.

 

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Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the IRS.

 

Tax Shelter Reporting Regulations. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to a Fund’s shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all RICs. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

 

FATCA. Payments to a shareholder that is either a foreign financial institution (“FFI”) or a non-financial foreign entity (“NFFE”) within the meaning of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) may be subject to a generally nonrefundable 30% withholding tax on: (i) income dividends paid by a Fund and (ii) possibly in the future, certain capital gain distributions and the proceeds arising from the sale of Shares of a Fund paid by a Fund. FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided: (i) by an FFI, subject to any applicable intergovernmental agreement or other exemption, if it enters into a valid agreement with the IRS to, among other requirements, report required information about certain direct and indirect ownership of foreign financial accounts held by U.S. persons with the FFI and (ii) by an NFFE, if it: (a) certifies that it has no substantial U.S. persons as owners or (b) if it does have such owners, reports information relating to them. The Funds may disclose the information that it receives from its shareholders to the IRS, non-U.S. taxing authorities or other parties as necessary to comply with FATCA. Withholding also may be required if a foreign entity that is a shareholder of a Fund fails to provide the Fund with appropriate certifications or other documentation concerning its status under FATCA, generally on an applicable IRS Form W-8.

 

Shares Purchased through Tax-Qualified Plans. Special tax rules apply to investments purchased through defined contribution plans and other tax-qualified plans. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors to determine the suitability of Shares of a Fund as an investment through such plans, and the precise effect of an investment on their particular tax situation.

 

Possible Tax Law Changes. At the time that this SAI was being prepared, various administrative and legislative changes to the U.S. federal tax laws are under consideration, but it is not possible at this time to determine whether any of these changes will take place or what the changes might entail.

 

The foregoing is a general and abbreviated summary of the provisions of the Code and the Treasury regulations in effect as they directly govern the taxation of the Funds and their shareholders. These provisions are subject to change by legislative and administrative action, and any such change may be retroactive. Shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding specific questions as to U.S. federal income, estate or gift taxes, or foreign, state, local taxes or other taxes.

 

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BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER PRACTICES

 

Brokerage Transactions. Generally, equity securities are bought and sold through brokerage transactions for which commissions are payable. Purchases from underwriters will include the underwriting commission or concession, and purchases from dealers serving as market makers will include a dealer’s mark-up or reflect a dealer’s mark-down. The purchase price for securities bought from dealers serving as market makers will similarly include the dealer’s mark up or reflect a dealer’s mark down. When a Fund executes transactions in the over-the-counter market, it will generally deal with primary market makers unless prices that are more favorable are otherwise obtainable.

 

In selecting brokers and dealers to execute portfolio transactions, the Adviser may consider research and brokerage services furnished to the Adviser or its affiliates. The Adviser may not consider sales of shares of the Funds as a factor in the selection of brokers and dealers, but may place portfolio transactions with brokers and dealers that promote or sell a Fund’s shares so long as such transactions are done in accordance with the policies and procedures established by the Trustees that are designed to ensure that the selection is based on the quality of execution and not on sales efforts. When placing portfolio transactions with a broker or dealer, the Adviser may aggregate securities to be sold or purchased for the Funds with those to be sold or purchased for other advisory accounts managed by the Adviser. In aggregating such securities, the Adviser will average the transaction as to price and will allocate available investments in a manner that the Adviser believes to be fair and reasonable to the Funds and such other advisory accounts. An aggregated order will generally be allocated on a pro rata basis among all participating accounts, based on the relative dollar values of the participating accounts, or using any other method deemed to be fair to the participating accounts, with any exceptions to such methods involving the Trust being reported to the Trustees.

 

Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act permits the Adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause the Funds to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. In addition to agency transactions, the Adviser may receive brokerage and research services in connection with certain riskless principal transactions, in accordance with applicable SEC guidance. Brokerage and research services include: (1) furnishing advice as to the value of securities, the advisability of investing in, purchasing or selling securities, and the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities; (2) furnishing analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, Fund strategy, and the performance of accounts; and (3) effecting securities transactions and performing functions incidental thereto (such as clearance, settlement, and custody). In the case of research services, the Adviser believes that access to independent investment research is beneficial to its investment decision-making processes and, therefore, to the Funds.

 

To the extent that research services may be a factor in selecting brokers, such services may be in written form or through direct contact with individuals and may include information as to particular companies and securities as well as market, economic, or institutional areas and information which assists in the valuation and pricing of investments. Examples of research-oriented services for which the Adviser might utilize Fund commissions include research reports and other information on the economy, industries, sectors, groups of securities, individual companies, statistical information, political developments, technical market action, pricing and appraisal services, credit analysis, risk measurement analysis, performance and other analysis. The Adviser may use research services furnished by brokers in servicing all client accounts and not all services may necessarily be used in connection with the account that paid commissions to the broker providing such services. Information so received by the Adviser will be in addition to and not in lieu of the services required to be performed by the Adviser under its advisory agreement. Any advisory or other fees paid to the Adviser are not reduced as a result of the receipt of research services.

 

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In some cases the Adviser may receive a service from a broker that has both a “research” and a “non-research” use. When this occurs, the Adviser makes a good faith allocation, under all the circumstances, between the research and non-research uses of the service. The percentage of the service that is used for research purposes may be paid for with client commissions, while the Adviser will use its own funds to pay for the percentage of the service that is used for non-research purposes. In making this good faith allocation, the Adviser faces a potential conflict of interest, but the Adviser believes that its allocation procedures are reasonably designed to ensure that it appropriately allocates the anticipated use of such services to their research and non-research uses.

 

From time to time, the Funds may purchase new issues of securities in a fixed price offering. In these situations, the seller may be a member of the selling group that will, in addition to selling securities, provide the Adviser with research services. FINRA has adopted rules expressly permitting these types of arrangements under certain circumstances. Generally, the seller will provide research “credits” in these situations at a rate that is higher than that which is available for typical secondary market transactions. These arrangements may not fall within the safe harbor of Section 28(e).

 

Brokerage with Fund Affiliates. The Funds may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of the Fund, the Adviser for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act, the 1934 Act and rules promulgated by the SEC. These rules further require that commissions paid to the affiliate by the Funds for exchange transactions not exceed “usual and customary” brokerage commissions. The rules define “usual and customary” commissions to include amounts which are “reasonable and fair compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration received or to be received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period of time.” The Trustees, including those who are not “interested persons” of the Funds, have adopted procedures for evaluating the reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and review these procedures periodically.

 

Securities of “Regular Broker-Dealers”. Each Fund is required to identify any securities of its “regular brokers and dealers” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) which the Fund may hold at the close of its most recent fiscal year. Each Fund is newly formed and has not commenced operations as of the date of this SAI.

 

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES HOLDINGS

 

On each Business Day (as defined in the Creation and Redemption of Creation Units section of this SAI), prior to the opening of regular trading on the Funds’ primary listing exchange, the Funds disclose on their website (www.moreincomeetfs.com) certain information relating to the portfolio holdings that will form the basis of the Funds’ next net asset value per share calculation.

 

In addition, certain information may also be made available to certain parties:

 

Communications of Data Files: Each Fund may make available through the facilities of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) or through posting on the Fund’s website, prior to the opening of trading on each business day, a list of the Fund’s holdings (generally pro-rata) that Authorized Participants could deliver to the Fund to settle purchases of the Fund (i.e. Deposit Securities) or that Authorized Participants would receive from the Fund to settle redemptions of the Fund (i.e. Fund Securities). These files are known as the Portfolio Composition Files and the Fund Data Files (collectively, “Files”). The Files are applicable for the next trading day and are provided to the NSCC and/or posted on the Funds’ website after the close of markets in the U.S.

 

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Communications with Authorized Participants and Liquidity Providers: Certain employees of the Adviser, Distributor and Custodian are responsible for interacting with Authorized Participants and liquidity providers with respect to discussing custom basket proposals as described in the Custom Baskets section of this SAI. As part of these discussions, these employees may discuss with an Authorized Participant or liquidity provider the securities each Fund is willing to accept for a creation, and securities that the Fund will provide on a redemption.

 

The Adviser may also discuss portfolio holdings-related information with broker/dealers, in connection with settling each Fund’s transactions, as may be necessary to conduct business in the ordinary course in a manner consistent with the disclosure in the Funds’ current registration statement.

 

Communications with Listing Exchanges: From time to time, employees of the Adviser, Distributor and/or Custodian may discuss portfolio holdings information with the applicable primary listing exchange for the Funds as needed to meet the exchange listing standards.

 

Communication of Other Information: Certain explanatory information regarding the Files is released to Authorized Participants and liquidity providers on a daily basis, but is only done so after the Files are posted to the Funds’ website.

 

Third-Party Service Providers: Certain portfolio holdings information may be disclosed to the Trustees and their counsel, outside counsel for the Funds, auditors and to certain third-party service providers (i.e., fund administrator, custodian, proxy voting service, and printers), as may be necessary to conduct business in the ordinary course in a manner consistent with applicable policies, agreements with the Funds, the terms of the current registration statement and federal securities laws and regulations thereunder.

 

Each Fund files its complete portfolio holdings schedule with the SEC on a quarterly basis. This schedule is filed on the Trust’s Form N-CSR for the second and fourth fiscal quarters and on Form N-PORT for the first and third fiscal quarters. Certain portfolio information is also included on Form N-PORT that is filed for the second and fourth fiscal quarters. The portfolio holdings information provided in these reports is as of the end of the respective quarter. Form N-CSR must be filed with the SEC no later than ten (10) calendar days after the Trust transmits its annual or semi-annual report to its shareholders. Form N-PORT must be filed with the SEC and will be made publicly available no later than sixty (60) calendar days after the end of the applicable quarter. These portfolio holdings schedules filed on Form N-CSR and Form N-PORT are posted to the Fund’s website no later than sixty (60) days following the fiscal quarters.

 

No consideration may be received by the Funds, the Adviser, or any other person in connection with the disclosure of portfolio information. The Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer or his or her delegate may authorize disclosure of portfolio holdings information pursuant to the above policy and procedures, subject to restrictions on selective disclosure imposed by applicable law. The Board reviews the policy and procedures for disclosure of portfolio holdings information at least annually.

 

DESCRIPTION OF SHARES

 

The Trust’s Agreement and Declaration of Trust authorizes the Board to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest in the Trust and to classify or reclassify any unissued shares into one or more series of shares. The Agreement and Declaration of Trust further authorizes the trustees to classify or reclassify any series of shares into one or more classes. The Trust’s shares of beneficial interest have no par value.

 

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Each Fund is authorized to issue one class of shares imposing no front-end or deferred sales charges, no 12b-1 fee and no service fee.

 

Shares have no preemptive rights and only such conversion or exchange rights as the Board may grant in its discretion. When issued for payment as described in the applicable prospectus, shares will be fully paid and non-assessable. In the event of a liquidation or dissolution of the Trust or an individual fund, shareholders of a fund are entitled to receive the assets available for distribution belonging to the particular fund, and a proportionate distribution, based upon the relative asset values of the respective fund, of any general assets of the Trust not belonging to any particular fund which are available for distribution.

 

Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each full share held, and a proportionate fractional vote for each fractional share held and will vote in the aggregate and not by class, except as otherwise expressly required by law or when the Board determines that the matter to be voted on affects only the interests of shareholders of a particular class. Voting rights are not cumulative and, accordingly, the holders of more than 50% of the aggregate of the Trust’s outstanding shares may elect all of the trustees, irrespective of the votes of other shareholders.

 

Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act provides that any matter required to be submitted to the holders of the outstanding voting securities of an investment company such as the Trust shall not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of each fund affected by the matter. A particular fund is deemed to be affected by a matter unless it is clear that the interests of each fund in the matter are substantially identical or that the matter does not affect any interest of the fund. Under the Rule, the approval of an investment management agreement or any change in an investment objective, if fundamental, or in a fundamental investment policy would be effectively acted upon with respect to a fund only if approved by a majority of the outstanding shares of such fund. However, the Rule also provides that the ratification of the appointment of independent public accountants, the approval of principal underwriting contracts and the election of trustees may be effectively acted upon by shareholders of the Trust voting without regard to series or class.

 

The Trust does not presently intend to hold annual meetings of shareholders except as required by the 1940 Act or other applicable law. Upon the written request of shareholders owning at least 25% of the Trust’s shares, the Trust will call for a meeting of shareholders to consider the removal of one or more trustees and other certain matters. To the extent required by law, the Trust will assist in shareholder communication in such matters.

 

The Board has full power and authority, in its sole discretion, and without obtaining shareholder approval, to divide or combine the shares of any class or series thereof into a greater or lesser number, to classify or reclassify any issued shares or any class or series thereof into one or more classes or series of shares, and to take such other action with respect to the Trust’s shares as the Board may deem desirable. The Agreement and Declaration of Trust authorizes the Trustees, without shareholder approval, to cause the Trust to merge or to consolidate with any corporation, association, trust or other organization in order to change the form of organization and/or domicile of the Trust or to sell or exchange all or substantially all of the assets of the Trust, or any series or class thereof, in dissolution of the Trust, or any series or class thereof. The Agreement and Declaration of Trust permits the termination of the Trust or of any series or class of the Trust by the Trustees without shareholder approval. However, the exercise of such authority by the Board without shareholder approval may be subject to certain restrictions or limitations under the 1940 Act.

 

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PROXY VOTING

 

The Board of Trustees of the Trust has delegated responsibility for decisions regarding proxy voting for securities held by each Fund to the Adviser. The Adviser will vote such proxies in accordance with its proxy voting policies and procedures, which are included in Exhibit B to this SAI. The Board of Trustees will periodically review each Fund’s proxy voting record. The proxy voting policies and procedures of the Trust are included as Exhibit A to this SAI.

 

The Trust is required to disclose annually each Fund’s complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX. Any material changes to the proxy policies and procedures will be submitted to the Board for approval. Information regarding how each Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities for the most recent 12-month period ending June 30, will be available (1) without charge, upon request by calling (833) 759-6110 or by writing to the Fund at 8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205, Richmond, Virginia 23235; (2) on or through the Fund’s website at www.moreincomeetfs.com; and (3) on the SEC’s Internet website at http://www.sec.gov.

 

CODES OF ETHICS

 

The Board of Trustees, on behalf of the Trust, has adopted a Code of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. In addition, the Adviser and the Administrator have each adopted Codes of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1. These Codes of Ethics apply to the personal investing activities of trustees, officers and certain employees (“access persons”). Rule 17j-1 and the Codes of Ethics are designed to prevent unlawful practices in connection with the purchase or sale of securities by access persons. Under each Code of Ethics, access persons are permitted to engage in personal securities transactions, but are required to report their personal securities transactions for monitoring purposes. The personnel subject to the Codes are permitted to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds. In addition, certain access persons are required to obtain approval before investing in initial public offerings or private placements, or are prohibited from making such investments. Copies of these Codes of Ethics are on file with the SEC, and are available to the public on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet website at http://www.sec.gov.

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The Funds are new and do not have audited financial statements at this time. Upon completion of the Funds’ first fiscal period/year, audited financial statements will become available.

 

Tuttle Funds

8730 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 205

Richmond, Virginia 23235

Telephone: (833) 759-6110

 

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EXHIBIT A

 

ETF OPPORTUNITIES TRUST

 

PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES

 

The ETF Opportunities Trust (the “Trust”) is registered as an open-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”). The Trust offers multiple series (each a “Fund” and, collectively, the “Funds”). Consistent with its fiduciary duties and pursuant to Rule 30b1-4 under the 1940 Act (the “Proxy Rule”), the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) has adopted this proxy voting policy on behalf of the Trust (the “Policy”) to reflect its commitment to ensure that proxies are voted in a manner consistent with the best interests of the Funds’ shareholders.

 

Delegation of Proxy Voting Authority to Fund Advisers

 

The Board believes that the investment adviser, or the investment Adviser as appropriate, of each Fund (each an “Adviser”), as the entity that selects the individual securities that comprise its Fund’s portfolio, is the most knowledgeable and best-suited to make decisions on how to vote proxies of portfolio companies held by that Fund. The Trust shall therefore defer to, and rely on, the Adviser of each Fund to make decisions on how to cast proxy votes on behalf of such Fund.

 

The Trust hereby designates the Adviser of each Fund as the entity responsible for exercising proxy voting authority with regard to securities held in the Fund’s investment portfolio. Consistent with its duties under this Policy, each Adviser shall monitor and review corporate transactions of corporations in which the Fund has invested, obtain all information sufficient to allow an informed vote on all proxy solicitations, ensure that all proxy votes are cast in a timely fashion, and maintain all records required to be maintained by the Fund under the Proxy Rule and the 1940 Act. Each Adviser shall perform these duties in accordance with the Adviser’s proxy voting policy, a copy of which shall be presented to this Board for its review. Each Adviser shall promptly provide to the Board updates to its proxy voting policy as they are adopted and implemented.

 

Conflict of Interest Transactions

 

In some instances, an Adviser may be asked to cast a proxy vote that presents a conflict between the interests of a Fund’s shareholders and those of the Adviser or an affiliated person of the Adviser. In such case, the Adviser is instructed to abstain from making a voting decision and to forward all necessary proxy voting materials to the Trust to enable the Board to make a voting decision. When the Board is required to make a proxy voting decision, only the Trustees without a conflict of interest with regard to the security in question or the matter to be voted upon shall be permitted to participate in the decision of how the Fund’s vote will be cast. In the event that the Board is required to vote a proxy because an Adviser has a conflict of interest with respect to the proxy, the Board will vote such proxy in accordance with the Adviser’s proxy voting policy, to the extent consistent with the shareholders’ best interests, as determined by the Board in its discretion. The Board shall notify the Adviser of its final decision on the matter and the Adviser shall vote in accordance with the Board’s decision.

 

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Availability of Proxy Voting Policy and Records Available to Fund Shareholders

 

If a Fund has a website, the Fund may post a copy of its Adviser’s proxy voting policy and this Policy on such website. Effective July 1, 2024, a Fund shall make publicly available its most recently filed report on Form N-PX on or through its website as soon as reasonably practicable after filing the report with the Commission. The information disclosed on Form N-PX shall be in a readable format. In addition, a copy of such policies and of each Fund’s proxy voting record shall also be made available, without charge, upon request of any shareholder of the Fund, by calling the applicable Fund’s toll-free telephone number as printed in the Fund’s prospectus. The Trust’s administrator shall reply to any Fund shareholder request within three business days of receipt of the request, by first-class mail or other means designed to ensure equally prompt delivery.

 

Each Adviser shall provide a complete voting record, as required by the Proxy Rule, for each series of the Trust for which it acts as adviser, to the Trust’s administrator within 30 days following the end of each 12-month period ending June 30. The Trust’s administrator will file a report based on such record on Form N-PX on an annual basis with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission no later than August 31st of each year.

 

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EXHIBIT B

 

PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES OF TUTTLE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC

 

Proxy Voting

 

Background

 

Proxy voting is an important right of investors and reasonable care and diligence must be undertaken to ensure that such rights are properly and timely exercised.

 

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

 

Policy

 

TCM, as a matter of policy and as a fiduciary obligation to our clients, maintains the responsibility for voting proxies for portfolio securities held by accounts in which it has discretionary authority unless it delegates such responsibilities to Sub-Advisors. TCM’s proxy voting policy must be approved by the Trust(s) Board representatives in connection with registered investment companies (including TCM ETFs) it manages. (Note: See Form N-PX policy for further information concerning TCM’s obligations for its registered investment company clients.) TCM must adhere to the Board approved proxy voting policy. TCM has more latitude in regard to proxy voting for non- fund/non-ETF clients but shall follow the same guidelines herein. TCM has delegated Adviser oversight and proxy voting matters to its CEO or designee (e.g. Trader) with a retrospective review performed by its Brokerage Committee on a quarterly basis. Where TCM is obligated to exercise proxy voting, the Firm policy is to perform this duty consistent with the best economic interests of our clients. TCM’s CEO or designee shall, prior to effectuating a client agreement, make a determination as to the obligation of proxy voting. If the CEO determines that proxy voting is the responsibility of TCM, then the procedures herein shall be followed. In cases where TCM is not obligated to vote proxies, the CEO shall confirm with the client so that both parties have a mutual understanding and, in turn, the CEO will email the CCO as to this fact to have contemporaneous supporting documentation. TCM maintains written policies and procedures as to the handling, research, voting and reporting of proxy voting and makes appropriate disclosures about our Adviser’s proxy policies and practices. The Adviser will, at least annually, review its Proxy Voting policy and, where necessary, make enhancements based on the results of such review.

 

Consequently, for clients in which TCM maintains the proxy voting obligations attendant to other registered investment companies or separately managed account(s) for which TCM is the Adviser or Adviser, TCM shall adhere to the applicable proxy voting policies in place whether implemented by TCM or the primary investment adviser/sponsor, as may be required. Further, TCM does typically exercise the proxy voting authority for the shares it serves as ETF Adviser SMA Adviser as the Primary Investment Advisor or SMA Sponsor is typically obligated to carryout this function.

 

TCM will approach each corporate proxy statement on a case-by-case basis and may vote a proxy in a manner different from management’s recommendation. In sum, whereupon TCM is responsible for proxy voting (inclusive of issuer proposals, corporate actions, and class action lawsuits), the Firm’s CEO will consider both sides of each proxy issue and after appropriate evaluation will cast its votes according to the most favorable position.

 

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As a general principle when responsible for proxy voting for clients and, in particular investment companies, the Adviser shall determine how to vote proxies based on our reasonable judgment of that vote insofar as what is most likely to produce favorable financial results for the clients or shareholders. Proxy votes typically will be cast in favor of proposals that maintain or strengthen the shared interests of shareholders and management, increase shareholder value, maintain or increase shareholder influence over the issuer’s board of directors and management, and maintain or increase the rights of shareholders. Conversely, proxy votes will be cast against proposals having the opposite effect or in circumstances where (i) the cost of voting such proxy exceeds the expected benefit to the client; (ii) if the proxy authorizes a re-registration process imposing trading and transfer restrictions on the shares, commonly, referred to as “blocking.”

 

In keeping with its fiduciary obligation, TCM and its CEO may not be influenced by outside sources who have interests which conflict with the interests of the Adviser’s clients when voting proxies for such clients. Accordingly, our policy and procedures include the responsibility to receive and disclose any potential conflicts of interest and maintaining relevant and required records.

 

To help ensure that TCM votes proxies in the best interests of the client, the Adviser has established procedures highlighted by guidelines (i.e., best practices) aimed at setting forth practices to be followed by the CEO and to properly deal with a material conflict of interest. As an overarching principle, TCM views its obligations to exercise proxy votes on management and shareholder proposals at publicly traded companies as a means intended to assist institutional investors in circumstances the underling proposals are guided by promoting long-term shareholder value creation and risk mitigation. Public companies which maintain generally strong corporate governance cultures understand these practices should respect shareholder rights and provide appropriate transparency, taking into account relevant laws, customs, and best practice codes of each market and region, as well as the right and responsibility of shareholders to make informed voting decisions.

 

From time to time, it is possible that CEO will decide (i) to vote shares held in client accounts differently from the vote of another client account holding the same security. Such actions may result from situations where clients are permitted to place reasonable restrictions on TCM’s voting authority in the same manner that they may place such restrictions on the actual selection of account securities; or (ii) to abstain from voting on behalf of client account(s) for good reason. For example, in the absence of specific voting guidelines from the client, TCM will generally NOT vote proxies. If, however, TCM elects to vote in these instances, TCM’s policy is to vote all proxies from a specific issuer the same way for each client absent qualifying restrictions from a client. TCM may determine to abstain from voting a proxy if the CEO determines doing so is not in the best interest of the client.

 

In connection with administrative or clerical matters, such as formally issues proxy votes and associated record retention, TCM has engaged a third-party service provider to manage such aspects of the Adviser’s proxy voting obligations. For more information concerning the tasks performed by the third-party service provider (ior “Proxy Support Vendor”), including retention of the Adviser’s proxy voting records, please consult with the designated representative of Proxy Support Vendor.

 

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Procedure

Guidelines. The following guidelines will serve as parameters for the CEO in rendering a proxy vote and, in particular, viewing proposals and recommendations from management in a favorable demeanor in comparison to their counterparts who do not exhibit such tendencies:

 

Accountability. Corporate Boards should be accountable to shareholders, the owners of the companies, by holding regular board elections, by providing sufficient information for shareholders to be able to assess directors and board composition, and by providing shareholders with the ability to remove directors. Directors should respond to investor input such as that expressed through vote results on management and shareholder proposals and other shareholder communications. Shareholders should have meaningful rights on structural provisions, such as approval of or amendments to the corporate governing documents and a vote on takeover defenses. As an example, the Adviser will generally vote against proposals that cause board members to become entrenched or cause unequal voting rights.

 

Stewardship. A company’s governance, social, and environmental practices should meet or exceed the standards of its market regulations and general practices and should take into account relevant factors that may impact significantly the company’s long-term value creation. Issuers and investors should recognize constructive engagement as both a right and responsibility. As an example, the Adviser will generally vote in favor of routine corporate housekeeping proposals such as the election of directors and selection of auditors absent conflicts of interest raised by an auditor’s non-audit services.

 

Independence. Boards should be sufficiently independent so as to ensure that they are able and motivated to effectively supervise management’s performance and remuneration, for the benefit of all shareholders. Boards should include an effective independent leadership position and sufficiently independent committees that focus on key governance concerns such as audit, compensation, and the selection and evaluation of directors. The Adviser, for example, will tend to vote against a corporation’s board of directors or “management” proposal should it include, among others, excessive compensation, unusual management stock options, preferential voting and poison pills.

 

Transparency. Companies should provide sufficient and timely information that enables shareholders to understand key issues, make informed vote decisions, and effectively engage with companies on substantive matters that impact shareholders’ long-term interests in the company. In reviewing such proposals, the Adviser will further consider the opinion of management and the effect on management, and the effect on shareholder value and the issuer’s business practices.

 

Voting Ballots and Records. The proxy voting practice itself is initiated at such time the company (or issuer) disseminates the proxy voting ballot (“Ballot”). Once proxy material has been received, it is promptly reviewed by the CEO (in the capacity of a CIO or PM) and the issues presented are then evaluated. In most instances, the CEO or designee receives the Ballot from the company electronically with a request to log into a secured website at which point the proxy voting proposals (e.g., Board elections, corporate governance matters, ratification of an independent registered public accounting firm, etc.) will appear for consideration. The Ballot typically contains voting selections as follows: “For” (in which a vote cast will support the measure), “Against” (in which a vote cast will oppose the measure), and “Abstain (in which no vote is cast). The CEO or designee will complete the Ballot and submit it to the company or issuer electronically. Prior to logging out of the website, the CEO will print a PDF version of the screen showing the measures voted upon and the votes recorded. Next, the CEO or designee will email the PDF attachment to the CCO who, in turn, will update the “Proxy Voting Log” (or “Log”) with the requisite information on a periodic basis as part of the Brokerage Committee’s retrospective review duties.

 

Disclosure/Client Requests for Information. TCM will provide conspicuously displayed information in its Disclosure Document and website (i.e., for the adviser) summarizing this proxy voting policy and procedures, including a statement that clients may request information regarding how TCM voted a client’s proxies, and that clients may request a copy of these policies and procedures. Upon receiving such requests, the CCO shall forward the most current version of the Proxy Voting Policy herein and Proxy Voting Log via email or regular mail to the requestor. The requestor shall receive the proxy voting information free of charge, which also should be disclosed on the website and disclosure documents.

 

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Conflicts of Interest. TCM and, more specifically the CEO (in the capacity of a CIO/PM) will identify any conflicts that exist between the interests of the Adviser and the client by reviewing the relationship of TCM with the issuer of each security to determine if TCM or any of its Supervised Persons has any financial, business or personal relationship with the issuer. If a material conflict of interest exists, the CEO or designee will request that the CCO to advise whether it is appropriate to disclose the conflict to the affected clients, to give the clients an opportunity to vote the proxies themselves, or to address the voting issue through other objective means, such as, voting in a manner consistent with a predetermined voting guidelines (see above) or receiving an independent third party voting recommendation. TCM will maintain a record of the voting resolution of any conflict of interest in the aforementioned Proxy Voting Log.

 

Recordkeeping. TCM shall retain the following proxy voting records in a format and retention period as set forth in the Recordkeeping guidelines set forth in this Manual:

These policies and procedures and any amendments thereto;

Each proxy statement (which shall be maintained on the Adviser’s website or alternatively the Adviser’s website shall include instructions for investors to obtain the proxy voting records)

Proxy Analysis Report, if applicable;

Record of each vote cast or abstention (or “Ballot”) in a manner prescribed by the Proxy Voting Form (see below). The CEO will direct the vote of proxies (including corporate actions and class action lawsuits) for which TCM is the primary investment adviser. In such instances, the CEO or designee shall enter the information required to complete the Proxy Voting Form which, too, will be used to memorialize proxy voting records in accordance with the Advisers Act;

Documentation, if any, created that was material to making a decision how to vote proxies, or that memorializes that decision including periodic reports to the CCO, if applicable.

Clerical or administrative records generated on behalf of the Adviser by the Proxy Support Vendor.

Form N-PX (if not maintained by the Trust/Trust CCO)

 

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EXHIBIT C

 

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Charter

 ETF Opportunities Trust

 

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Membership

 

1.The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of ETF Opportunities Trust (the “Trust”) shall be composed entirely of Independent Trustees.

 

Board Nominations and Functions

 

1.The Committee shall make nominations for Trustee membership on the Board of Trustees, including the Independent Trustees. The Committee shall evaluate candidates’ qualifications for Board membership and their independence from the investment advisers to the Trust’s series portfolios and the Trust’s other principal service providers. Persons selected as Independent Trustees must not be an “interested person” as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, nor shall Independent Trustees have any affiliations or associations that shall preclude them from voting as an Independent Trustee on matters involving approvals and continuations of Rule 12b-1 Plans, Investment Advisory Agreements and such other standards as the Committee shall deem appropriate. The Committee shall also consider the effect of any relationships beyond those delineated in the 1940 Act that might impair independence, e.g., business, financial or family relationships with managers or service providers. See Appendix A for Procedures with Respect to Nominees to the Board.

2.The Committee shall periodically review Board governance procedures and shall recommend any appropriate changes to the full Board of Trustees.

3.The Committee shall periodically review the composition of the Board of Trustees to determine whether it may be appropriate to add individuals with different backgrounds or skill sets from those already on the Board.

4.The Committee shall periodically review trustee compensation and shall recommend any appropriate changes to the Independent Trustees as a group.

 

Committee Nominations and Functions

 

1.The Committee shall make nominations for membership on all committees and shall review committee assignments at least annually.

2.The Committee shall review, as necessary, the responsibilities of any committees of the Board, whether there is a continuing need for each committee, whether there is a need for additional committees of the Board, and whether committees should be combined or reorganized. The Committee shall make recommendations for any such action to the full Board.

 

Other Powers and Responsibilities

 

1.The Committee shall have the resources and authority appropriate to discharge its responsibilities, including authority to retain special counsel and other experts or consultants at the expense of the Trust.

2.The Committee shall review this Charter at least annually and recommend any changes to the full Board of Trustees.

Adopted: December 4, 2019

 

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APPENDIX A TO THE NOMINATING AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE CHARTER

 

ETF OPPORTUNITIES TRUST

 

PROCEDURES WITH RESPECT TO NOMINEES TO THE BOARD

 

I.Identification of Candidates. When a vacancy on the Board of Trustees exists or is anticipated, and such vacancy is to be filled by an Independent Trustee, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall identify candidates by obtaining referrals from such sources as it may deem appropriate, which may include current Trustees, management of the Trust, counsel and other advisors to the Trustees, and shareholders of the Trust who submit recommendations in accordance with these procedures. In no event shall the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee consider as a candidate to fill any such vacancy an individual recommended by any investment adviser of any series portfolio of the Trust, unless the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has invited management to make such a recommendation.

 

II.Shareholder Candidates. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall, when identifying candidates for the position of Independent Trustee, consider any such candidate recommended by a shareholder if such recommendation contains: (i) sufficient background information concerning the candidate, including evidence the candidate is willing to serve as an Independent Trustee if selected for the position; and (ii) is received in a sufficiently timely manner as determined by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee in its discretion. Shareholders shall be directed to address any such recommendations in writing to the attention of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, c/o the Secretary of the Trust. The Secretary shall retain copies of any shareholder recommendations which meet the foregoing requirements for a period of not more than 12 months following receipt. The Secretary shall have no obligation to acknowledge receipt of any shareholder recommendations.

 

III.Evaluation of Candidates. In evaluating a candidate for a position on the Board of Trustees, including any candidate recommended by shareholders of the Trust, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall consider the following: (i) the candidate’s knowledge in matters relating to the mutual fund industry; (ii) any experience possessed by the candidate as a director or senior officer of public companies; (iii) the candidate’s educational background; (iv) the candidate’s reputation for high ethical standards and professional integrity; (v) any specific financial, technical or other expertise possessed by the candidate, and the extent to which such expertise would complement the Board’s existing mix of skills, core competencies and qualifications; (vi) the candidate’s perceived ability to contribute to the ongoing functions of the Board, including the candidate’s ability and commitment to attend meetings regularly and work collaboratively with other members of the Board; (vii) the candidate’s ability to qualify as an Independent Trustee and any other actual or potential conflicts of interest involving the candidate and the Trust; and (viii) such other factors as the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee determines to be relevant in light of the existing composition of the Board and any anticipated vacancies. Prior to making a final recommendation to the Board, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall conduct personal interviews with those candidates it concludes are the most qualified candidates.

 

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