497K 1 smst-497k_082925.htm SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

 

 

 

Defiance Daily Target 2X Short MSTR ETF
Trading Symbol: SMST
Listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC
Summary Prospectus
August 29, 2025
www.defianceetfs.com/SMST

 

Before you invest, you may want to review the Defiance Daily Target 2X Short MSTR ETF (the “Fund”) statutory prospectus and statement of additional information, which contain more information about the Fund and its risks. The current statutory prospectus and statement of additional information dated August 29, 2025 are incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus. You can find the Fund’s statutory prospectus, statement of additional information, reports to shareholders, and other information about the Fund online at www.defianceetfs.com/SMST. You can also get this information at no cost by calling at 833-333-9383 or by sending an e-mail request to info@DefianceETFs.com.

 

Important Information About the Fund

 

The Defiance Daily Target 2X Short MSTR ETF (the “Fund”) seeks daily inverse investment results of -2 times (-200%) the daily percentage change of the common stock of MicroStrategy Incorporated d/b/a Strategy (Nasdaq: MSTR) (the “Underlying Security”). Because the Fund seeks daily 200% inverse investment results, it is very different from most other exchange-traded funds. It is also riskier than alternatives that do not use a short strategy. The return for investors that invest for periods longer or shorter than a trading day should not be expected to be -200% the performance of the Underlying Security for the period. The return of the Fund for a period longer than a trading day will be the result of each trading day’s compounded return over the period, which will very likely differ from -200% the return of the Underlying Security for that period. Longer holding periods, higher volatility of the Underlying Security and leverage increase the impact of compounding on an investor’s returns. During periods of higher underlying security volatility, the volatility of the Underlying Security may affect the Fund’s return as much as, or more than, the return of the Underlying Security.

 

The Fund is not suitable for all investors. The Fund is designed to be utilized only by knowledgeable investors who understand the potential consequences of seeking 200% daily inverse (-2X) investment results, understand the risks associated with the use of leverage, and are willing to monitor their portfolios frequently. The Fund is not intended to be used by, and is not appropriate for, investors who do not intend to actively monitor and manage their portfolios. For periods longer than a single day, the Fund will lose money if the Underlying Security’s performance is flat, and it is possible that the Fund will lose money even if the Underlying Security’s performance decreases over a period longer than a single day. An investor could lose the full principal value of his/her investment within a single day.

 

Investment Objective

 

The Fund seeks daily inverse investment results, before fees and expenses, of -2 times (-200%) the daily percentage change in the share price of MicroStrategy Incorporated d/b/a Strategy (Nasdaq: MSTR) The Fund does not seek to achieve its stated investment objective for a period other than a single trading day.

 

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 (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.

 

Annual Fund Operating Expenses(1) (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)  
   
Management Fees 1.29%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees None
Other Expenses 0.00%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses(2) 0.02%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses(3) 1.31%
   
  (1) The Fund’s adviser will pay, or require a sub-adviser to pay, all of the Fund’s expenses, except for the following: advisory and sub-advisory fees, interest charges on any borrowings made for investment purposes, dividends and other expenses on securities sold short, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses incurred in placing orders for the purchase and sale of securities and other investment instruments, acquired fund fees and expenses, accrued deferred tax liability, distribution fees and expenses paid by the Fund under any distribution plan adopted pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), litigation expenses, and other non-routine or extraordinary expenses.

 

  (2)

Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (“AFFE”) are indirect fees and expenses that the Fund incurs from investing in the shares of other investment companies. Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses do not correlate to the expense ratios in the Fund’s Financial Highlights because the Financial Highlights include only the direct operating expenses incurred by the Fund and exclude AFFE.

 

  (3) The cost of investing in swaps, including the embedded cost of the swap and the operating expenses of the referenced assets, is an indirect expense that is not included in the above fee table and is not reflected in the expense example.

 

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Expense Example

 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The Example does not take into account brokerage commissions that you may pay on your purchases and sales of Shares. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
$133 $415 $718 $1,579

 

Portfolio Turnover

 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in total annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. For the fiscal period of August 20, 2024 (commencement of operations) to April 30, 2025, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 0% of the average value of its portfolio

 

Principal Investment Strategies

 

The Fund is an actively managed exchange traded fund that attempts to achieve 2 times the inverse (-200%) of the daily percentage change in the price of the Underlying Security by employing derivatives, namely swap agreements and/or listed options contracts. The Fund aims to generate 2 times the inverse of the daily performance of the Underlying Security for a single day, and not for any other period. A “single day” is defined as being calculated “from the close of regular trading on one trading day to the close on the next trading day.” The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the 1940 Act. The Fund’s investment strategy is expected to result in a high annual portfolio turnover rate.

 

If the Fund encounters limitations in implementing its strategies, whether due to market conditions, derivative availability, counterparty issues, or other factors, the Fund may not achieve investment results, before fees and expenses, that correspond to 2 times the inverse (-2x) the daily performance of the Underlying Security, and may return substantially less during such periods. During such periods, the Fund’s actual leverage levels may differ substantially from its intended target, both intraday and at the close of trading, potentially resulting in significantly lower returns.

 

The Fund may enter into swap agreements as a substitute for directly shorting the Underlying Security. The Fund will enter into one or more swap agreements with major financial institutions for a specified period ranging from one day to more than one year whereby the Fund and the financial institution will agree to exchange the return (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on the Underlying Security. The gross return (meaning the return before deducting any fees or expenses) to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties is calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” (meaning the face amount of the instrument) e.g., the return on or change in value of a particular dollar amount representing the Underlying Security. At the end of each day, the Fund’s swaps are valued using market valuations and the Fund’s investment adviser rebalances the Fund’s holdings in an attempt to maintain short exposure for the Fund equal to -200% of the Underlying Security.

 

The Fund may also utilize listed options to seek to achieve leveraged -2X exposure to the Underlying Security. The Fund will primarily employ short-dated (a month or less) in-the-money call options (options with strike prices below the current market price of the Underlying Security, offering immediate intrinsic value). Additionally, the Fund may use other option strategies to produce similar exposure to the Underlying Security, like buying calls and selling puts with identical strike prices. These options allow the Fund to adjust its leverage strategy in response to market conditions, liquidity constraints, or other factors that may affect the availability or pricing of swap agreements. The use of listed options provides additional flexibility in pursuing the Fund’s daily investment objective. In situations where swap availability is constrained, the Fund may rely more heavily on options contracts. Additionally, the Fund may use options in response to changing market dynamics. However, the use of option contracts is typically less efficient than swaps and may increase the likelihood that the Fund is unable to achieve its daily -2X objective.

 

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For examples of a hypothetical investment in the Fund, see the section in the Fund’s Prospectus titled “Additional Information About the Fund – Principal Investment Strategies.”

 

Fund performance for periods greater than one single day is primarily (but not solely) a function of the following factors: a) the Underlying Security volatility; b) the Underlying Security performance; c) period of time; d) financing rates associated with inverse exposure; and e) other Fund expenses.

 

The Fund may invest in (1) U.S. Government securities, such as bills, notes and bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury; (2) money market funds; (3) short term bond ETFs; and/or (4) corporate debt securities, such as commercial paper and other short-term unsecured promissory notes issued by businesses that are rated investment grade or of comparable quality as determined by the investment adviser as collateral for the Fund’s swap agreements.

 

The Fund has adopted a policy to have at least 80% of its investment exposure to financial instruments with economic characteristics that should provide 2 times the inverse exposure to the daily performance of the Underlying Security. For purposes of the 80% policy, derivatives will be valued at notional value.

 

Due to the Fund’s investment strategy, the Fund’s investment exposure is concentrated in the industry assigned to the Underlying Security. As of the date of the Prospectus, MSTR is assigned to the software industry.

 

The Fund is expected to allocate between 40% and 75% of its assets as collateral for swap agreements or as premiums for purchased options contracts.

 

Because of daily rebalancing and the compounding of each day’s return over time, the return of the Fund for periods longer than a single day will be the result of each day’s returns compounded over the period, which will very likely differ from -200% of the return of the Underlying Security over the same period. The Fund will lose money if the Underlying Security’s performance is flat over time, and as a result of daily rebalancing, the Underlying Security volatility and the effects of compounding, the Fund may lose money over time while the Underlying Security’s performance decreases over a period longer than a single day. As a consequence, investors should not plan to hold shares of a Fund unmonitored for periods longer than a single trading day.

 

MicroStrategy Incorporated d/b/a Strategy (“MSTR”)

 

MSTR has two main strategies for its business operations. One is to acquire and hold bitcoin, while the other is to grow its enterprise analytics software business. MSTR is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (“Nasdaq”). Per MSTR’s most recent Form 10-K filing, the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of MSTR (based on the last reported sale price of its class A common stock on June 28, 2024 on Nasdaq) was approximately $23.499 billion. Additionally, per MSTR’s most recent 10-Q filing, digital assets represented approximately 99% of its total assets.

 

MSTR is registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Information provided to or filed with the SEC by MSTR pursuant to the Exchange Act can be located by reference to the SEC file number 001-42509 through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, information regarding MSTR may be obtained from other sources including, but not limited to, press releases, newspaper articles and other publicly disseminated documents.

 

This document relates only to the securities offered hereby and does not relate to MSTR or other securities of MSTR. The Fund has derived all disclosures contained in this document regarding MSTR from the publicly available documents. None of the Fund, the Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, or their respective affiliates has participated in the preparation of such publicly available offering documents or made any due diligence inquiry regarding such documents with respect to MSTR. None of the Fund, the Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, or their respective affiliates makes any representation that such publicly available documents or any other publicly available information regarding MSTR is accurate or complete. Furthermore, the Fund cannot give any assurance that all events occurring prior to the date hereof (including events that would affect the accuracy or completeness of the publicly available documents described above) that would affect the trading price of MSTR (and therefore the price of the Fund at the time we price the securities) have been publicly disclosed. Subsequent disclosure of any such events or the disclosure of or failure to disclose material future events concerning MSTR could affect the value received with respect to the securities and therefore the value of the securities.

 

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None of the Fund, the Trust, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, or their respective affiliates makes any representation to you as to the performance of MSTR.

 

NONE OF THE FUND, TIDAL TRUST II, OR TIDAL INVESTMENTS LLC IS AFFILIATED, CONNECTED, OR ASSOCIATED WITH MICROSTRATEGY INCORPORATED D/B/A STRATEGY. THE FUND WAS NOT DEVELOPED OR CREATED BY, AND IS NOT SPONSORED, ENDORSED, OR APPROVED BY, MICROSTRATEGY INCORPORATED D/B/A STRATEGY.

 

Moreover, MicroStrategy Incorporated d/b/a Strategy has not participated in the development of the Fund’s investment strategy. MicroStrategy Incorporated d/b/a Strategy does not select or approve the Fund’s portfolio holdings, nor does it participate in the construction, design, or implementation of the Fund. MicroStrategy Incorporated d/b/a Strategy does not provide any assurances, guarantees, or representations regarding the Fund or its performance. Nothing herein shall be construed as an offer of any security by MicroStrategy Incorporated d/b/a Strategy.

 

None of the Fund, the Trust, the Adviser, or their respective affiliates claim any ownership interest in any trademarks owned by MSTR or its affiliates. All rights in the trademarks are reserved by their respective owners.

 

Principal Investment Risks

 

The principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below As with any investment, there is a risk that you could lose all or a portion of your investment in the Fund. Each risk summarized below is considered a “principal risk” of investing in the Fund, regardless of the order in which it appears. Some or all of these risks may adversely affect the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”), trading price, yield, total return and/or ability to meet its investment objective. 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 — Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund.”

 

MSTR Price Appreciation Risk. As part of the Fund’s inverse investment strategy, the Fund purchases and sells swap contracts that are based on the share price of MSTR common stock (the “Underlying Security”). This strategy subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it shorted shares of the Underlying Security, even though it does not. By virtue of the Fund’s indirect -2X exposure to changes in the share price of the Underlying Security, the Fund is subject to the risk that the Underlying Security’s share price increases. If the share price of the Underlying Security increases, the Fund will likely lose value and, as a result, the Fund may suffer significant losses. The Fund may also be subject to the following risks:

 

  Indirect Investment in MSTR Risk. MicroStrategy Incorporated d/b/a Strategy is not affiliated with the Trust, the Fund, the Adviser, or their respective affiliates and is not involved with this offering in any way and has no obligation to consider your Shares in taking any corporate actions that might affect the value of Shares. Investors in the Fund will not have voting rights and will not be able to influence the management of MicroStrategy Incorporated d/b/a Strategy, but will be exposed to the performance of the Underlying Security. Investors in the Fund will not have rights to receive dividends or other distributions or any other rights with respect to the Underlying Security, but will be adversely impacted by increases in the share price of the Underlying Security.

 

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  MSTR Good Performance Risk. MSTR may meet or exceed its publicly announced expectations or guidelines regarding its business, which could potentially lead to a rise in the share price of the Underlying Security. MSTR regularly provides guidance concerning its anticipated financial and business performance, including sales and production projections, future revenues, gross margins, profitability, and cash flows. However, forecasting future events and identifying key factors affecting business conditions inherently involves uncertainty. MSTR’s guidance may ultimately prove accurate or may prove underestimated, as it relies on assumptions such as global and local economic conditions, anticipated production and sales volumes, average sales prices, supplier and commodity costs, and planned cost reductions. If MSTR’s guidance is accurate or varies positively from actual results, MSTR’s share price could increase significantly and, as a result, the Fund may suffer significant losses.

 

  Bitcoin Positive Performance Risk. MSTR’s significant investment in Bitcoin has become a key driver of its stock price. Any positive movement in the price of Bitcoin, such as reaching new all-time highs, increased institutional adoption, or favorable regulatory developments, directly impacts MSTR’s balance sheet and investor perception. With MSTR holding a substantial amount of Bitcoin, its stock price tends to correlate with Bitcoin’s performance.

 

  Analytics and Business Intelligence Market Growth Risk. MSTR operates in the analytics and business intelligence (BI) industry, which is experiencing robust growth due to increasing data volumes and the need for data-driven decision-making across various sectors. MSTR’s suite of BI software and analytics solutions positions it well to capitalize on this growth trend. Any indication of market expansion, such as growing demand for analytics tools or favorable industry forecasts, can drive investor optimism and push up MSTR’s stock price.

 

  Product Innovation and Adoption Risk. MSTR continuously innovates its product offerings to stay competitive in the rapidly evolving analytics market. The company’s investments in cloud-based analytics platforms, mobile BI solutions, and AI-driven analytics capabilities demonstrate its commitment to meeting changing customer needs. Positive feedback or strong adoption rates for new products and features can signal to investors that MSTR remains at the forefront of technological advancements, potentially boosting its stock price.

 

  Partnerships and Strategic Alliances Risk. MSTR frequently forms partnerships and strategic alliances with leading technology companies to enhance its product offerings and expand its market reach. For example, collaborations with cloud service providers can broaden MSTR’s customer base and drive revenue growth. Any announcements of significant partnerships or alliances that strengthen MSTR’s competitive position are likely to be viewed positively by investors and could lead to a stock price increase.

 

  Industry Recognition and Analyst Coverage Risk. Positive recognition from industry analysts, awards for product excellence, or inclusion in prestigious industry reports can enhance MSTR’s reputation and credibility among investors. Favorable analyst ratings, upgrades, or bullish forecasts for the company’s future performance can drive investor enthusiasm and contribute to a rise in MSTR’s stock price.

 

Single Issuer Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment in the Fund to be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment which diversifies risk or the market generally. The value of the Fund, which focuses on an individual security, may be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole. Additionally, the Fund will seek to employ its investment strategy as it relates to the underlying issuer regardless of whether the company has strong earnings reports, or provides positive future guidance, dividend increases, share buybacks, or engages in strategic acquisitions and product launches. Additionally, the Fund will seek to employ its investment strategy as it relates to the underlying issuer regardless of whether there are favorable industry trends, regulatory approvals, analyst upgrades, strategic partnerships, debt reduction, or improved economic conditions.

 

Compounding and Market Volatility Risk. The Fund’s performance for periods greater than a trading day will be the result of each day’s returns compounded over the period, which is likely to differ from -200% of the Underlying Security’s performance, before fees and expenses. Compounding has a significant impact on funds that are inverse leveraged and that rebalance daily. The impact of compounding becomes more pronounced as volatility and holding periods increase and will impact each shareholder differently depending on the period of time an investment in the Fund is held and the volatility of the Underlying Security during the shareholder’s holding period of an investment in the Fund.

 

The chart below provides examples of how Underlying Security volatility could affect the Fund’s performance. Fund performance for periods greater than one single day can be estimated given any set of assumptions for the following factors: a) Underlying Security volatility; b) Underlying Security’s performance; c) period of time; d) financing rates associated with leveraged exposure; e) other Fund expenses; and f) the Underlying Security’s dividends. The chart below illustrates the impact of two principal factors – Underlying Security volatility and performance – on Fund performance. The chart shows estimated Fund returns for a number of combinations of Underlying Security volatility and performance over a one-year period. Performance shown in the chart assumes that (i) there were no Fund expenses; and (ii) borrowing rates (needed to obtain a leveraged short exposure) of 0%. If Fund expenses and/or actual borrowing/lending rates were reflected, the estimated returns would be lower than those shown. Particularly during periods where the Underlying Security experiences higher volatility, compounding will cause results for periods longer than a trading day to vary from -200% of the performance of the Underlying Security.

 

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As shown in the chart below, the Fund would be expected to lose 17.10% if the Underlying Security provided no return over a one-year period during which the Underlying Security experienced annualized volatility of 25%. At higher ranges of volatility, there is a chance of a significant loss of value in the Fund, even if the Underlying Security return is flat.

 

For instance, if the Underlying Security’s annualized volatility is 100%, the Inverse Fund would be expected to lose 95% of its value, even if the cumulative Underlying Security’s return for the year was 0%. Areas shaded red (or dark gray) represent those scenarios where the Inverse Fund can be expected to return less than -200% of the performance of the Underlying Security and those shaded green (or light gray) represent those scenarios where the Fund can be expected to return more than -200% of the performance of the Underlying Security. The Inverse Fund’s actual returns may be significantly better or worse than the returns shown below as a result of any of the factors discussed above or in “Tracking Error Risk” below.

 

One year
performance
of the stock
-200% of
one year
performance
of the stock
Volatility Rate (Annualized)
Return Return 10% 25% 50% 75% 100%
-60% 120% 506.50% 418.10% 195.20% -6.80% -68.90%
-50% 100% 288.20% 231.60% 88.20% -26.00% -80.10%
-40% 80% 166.90% 130.30% 31.20% -45.60% -86.10%
-30% 60% 98.10% 69.20% -3.60% -62.20% -89.90%
-20% 40% 51.60% 29.50% -26.20% -71.10% -92.20%
-10% 20% 19.80% 2.30% -41.70% -77.20% -93.90%
0% 0% -3.00% -17.10% -52.80% -81.50% -95.00%
10% -20% -19.80% -31.50% -61.00% -84.70% -95.90%
20% -40% -32.60% -42.40% -67.20% -87.20% -96.50%
30% -60% -42.60% -50.90% -72.00% -89.10% -97.10%
40% -80% -50.50% -57.70% -75.90% -90.60% -97.50%
50% -100% -56.90% -63.20% -79.00% -91.80% -97.80%
60% -120% -62.10% -67.60% -81.50% -92.80% -98.10%

 

The Underlying Security’s annualized historical volatility rate for the five-year period ended June 30, 2025, was 94.63%. During the five-year period observed the Underlying Security’s highest volatility rate over a 12-month period was 110.71% and volatility for a shorter period of time may have been substantially higher. The Underlying Security’s annualized performance for the five-year period ended June 30, 2025, was 102.65%. Historical volatility and performance are not indications of what the Underlying Security volatility and performance will be in the future.

 

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Daily Correlation/Tracking Risk. There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of inverse correlation to the Underlying Security and therefore achieve its daily inverse investment objective. To achieve a high degree of 2 times inverse correlation with the Underlying Security, the Fund seeks to rebalance its portfolio daily to keep exposure consistent with its daily inverse investment objective. The possibility of the Fund being materially over-exposed (meaning providing more than -200% exposure to the Underlying Security – i.e., -201% or greater) or under-exposed (meaning providing less than -200% exposure to the Underlying Security – i.e., -199% or less) to the Underlying Security increases on days when the Underlying Security is volatile near the close of the trading day. Market disruptions, regulatory restrictions and extreme volatility will also adversely affect the Fund’s ability to adjust exposure to the required levels. If there is a significant intra-day market event and/or the Underlying Security experiences a significant increase or decline, the Fund may not meet its investment objective, be able to rebalance its portfolio appropriately, or may experience significant premiums or discounts, or widened bid-ask spreads.

 

The Fund may have difficulty achieving its daily 2 times inverse investment objective due to fees, expenses, transaction costs, financing costs related to the use of derivatives, investments in ETFs, directly or indirectly, income items, valuation methodology, accounting standards and disruptions or illiquidity in the markets for the securities or derivatives held by the Fund. The Fund may be subject to large movements of assets into and out of the Fund, potentially resulting in the Fund being over- or under-exposed to the Underlying Security. The Fund may take or refrain from taking positions to improve the tax efficiency or to comply with various regulatory restrictions, either of which may negatively impact the Fund’s 2 times inverse correlation to the Underlying Security.

 

Short Sale Exposure Risk. The Fund will seek inverse or “short” exposure through financial instruments, which would cause the Fund to be exposed to certain risks associated with selling short. These risks include, under certain market conditions, an increase in the volatility and decrease in the liquidity of the instruments underlying the short position, which may lower the Fund’s return, result in a loss, have the effect of limiting the Fund’s ability to obtain inverse exposure through financial instruments, or require the Fund to seek inverse exposure through alternative investment strategies that may be less desirable or more costly to implement. To the extent that, at any particular point in time, the instruments underlying the short position may be thinly traded or have a limited market, including due to regulatory action, the Fund may be unable to meet its investment objective due to a lack of available securities or counterparties. During such periods, the Fund’s ability to issue additional Shares may be adversely affected. Obtaining inverse exposure through these instruments may be considered an aggressive investment technique. Any income, dividends or payments by any assets underlying the Fund’s short positions, if any, would negatively impact the Fund. The Fund could lose an amount greater than its net assets in the event the Underlying Security increases more than 50%.

 

Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive value from the underlying reference asset or assets, such as stocks, bonds, or funds (including ETFs), interest rates or indexes. The Fund’s investments in derivatives may pose risks in addition to, and greater than, those associated with directly investing in securities or other ordinary investments, including risk related to the market, leverage, imperfect daily correlations with underlying investments or the Fund’s other portfolio holdings, higher price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty risk, liquidity, valuation and legal restrictions. The use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The use of derivatives may result in larger losses or smaller gains than directly investing in securities. When the Fund uses derivatives, there may be imperfect correlation between the value of the Underlying Security and the derivative, which may prevent the Fund from achieving its investment objective. Because derivatives often require only a limited initial investment, the use of derivatives may expose the Fund to losses in excess of those amounts initially invested.

 

The Fund will be subject to regulatory constraints relating to level of value at risk that the Fund may incur through its derivative portfolio. If the Fund exceeds these regulatory thresholds, it may adjust its portfolio. These adjustments may cause the Fund to fail to achieve investment results, before fees and expenses, that correspond to -200% of the daily performance of the Underlying Security and may result in substantially lower returns during these periods. To the extent the Fund exceeds these regulatory thresholds over an extended period, the Fund may determine that it is necessary to make adjustments to the Fund’s investment strategy, including the desired daily inverse performance for the Fund.

 

In addition, the Fund’s investments in derivatives are subject to the following risks:

 

Swap Agreements. The use of swap transactions is a highly specialized activity, which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. Whether the Fund will be successful in using swap agreements to achieve its investment goal depends on the ability of the Adviser to structure such swap agreements in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and to identify counterparties for those swap agreements. If the Adviser, is unable to enter into swap agreements that provide inverse exposure to the Underlying Security, the Fund may not meet its stated investment objective. Additionally, any financing, borrowing or other costs associated with using swap transactions may also have the effect of lowering the Fund’s return.

 

The swap agreements in which the Fund invests are generally traded in the over-the-counter market, which generally has less transparency than exchange-traded derivatives instruments. In a standard swap transaction, two parties agree to exchange the return (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined reference assets or underlying securities or instruments. The gross return to be exchanged or swapped between the parties is calculated based on a notional amount or the return on or change in value of a particular dollar amount invested in a basket of securities.

 

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If the Underlying Security has a dramatic move that causes a material decline in the Fund’s net assets, the terms of a swap agreement between the Fund and its counterparty may permit the counterparty to immediately close out the swap transaction with the Fund. In that event, the Fund may be unable to enter into another swap agreement or invest in other derivatives to achieve exposure consistent with the Fund’s investment objective. This may prevent the Fund from achieving its inverse investment objective, even if the Underlying Security later reverses all or a portion of its movement.

 

Options Contracts. The use of options contracts involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying instrument, including the anticipated volatility, which are affected by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political, changes in the actual or implied volatility or the reference asset, the time remaining until the expiration of the option contract and economic events. The value of the options contracts in which the Fund invests are substantially influenced by the value of the Underlying Security. The Fund may experience substantial downside from specific option positions and certain option positions held by the Fund may expire worthless. The options held by the Fund are exercisable at the strike price on their expiration date. As an option approaches its expiration date, its value typically increasingly moves with the value of the underlying instrument. However, prior to such date, the value of an option generally does not increase or decrease at the same rate as the underlying instrument. There may at times be an imperfect correlation between the movement in values options contracts and the underlying instrument, and there may at times not be a liquid secondary market for certain options contracts. The value of the options held by the Fund will be determined based on market quotations or other recognized pricing methods. Additionally, as the Fund intends to continuously maintain indirect exposure to the Underlying Security through the use of options contracts, as the options contracts it holds are exercised or expire it will enter into new options contracts, a practice referred to as “rolling.” If the expiring options contracts do not generate proceeds enough to cover the cost of entering into new options contracts, the Fund may experience losses. The use of options to generate leverage introduces additional risks, including significant potential losses if the market moves unfavorably. The leverage inherent in options can amplify both gains and losses, leading to increased volatility and potential for substantial losses, particularly in periods of market uncertainty or low liquidity. Additionally, the Fund may incur losses if the value of the Underlying Security moves against its positions, potentially resulting in a complete loss of the premium paid.

 

Counterparty Risk. The Fund is subject to counterparty risk by virtue of its investments in derivatives which exposes the Fund to the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its obligation to the Fund. Counterparty risk may arise because of the counterparty’s financial condition (i.e., financial difficulties, bankruptcy, or insolvency), market activities and developments, or other reasons, whether foreseen or not. A counterparty’s inability to fulfill its obligation may result in significant financial loss to the Fund and the Fund may be unable to recover its investment from such counterparty or may obtain a limited and/or delayed recovery.

 

Counterparties may seek to hedge their exposure to individual clients (such as the Fund) by establishing offsetting exposures with other clients, however, there is no guarantee that counterparties will do so under all circumstances. Should a counterparty (e.g., a swap counterparty) terminate its relationship with the Fund, the Fund will seek to utilize other counterparties to seek to maintain its exposures. In addition, the Fund may use options contracts to seek to generate the leverage necessary to implement its strategy. The use of options contracts introduces distinct risks, including heightened volatility, particularly intraday. While options may provide an ancillary benefit of mitigating some losses under specific scenarios, such as severe market downturns, their inherent leverage and rapid price fluctuations can amplify the Fund’s performance volatility and lead to greater risks of substantial losses. Refer to “Derivatives Risk – Options Contracts” for additional information on the risks of investing in options.

 

In addition, the Fund may enter into swap agreements with a limited number of counterparties, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to counterparty credit risk. Further, there is a risk that no suitable counterparties will be willing to enter into, or continue to enter into, transactions with the Fund and, as a result, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective.

 

Intra-Day Investment Risk. The Fund seeks investment results from the close of the market on a given trading day until the close of the market on the subsequent trading day. The exact exposure of an investment in the Fund intraday in the secondary market is a function of the difference between the value of the Underlying Security at the market close on the first trading day and the value of the Underlying Security at the time of purchase. If the Underlying Security declines in value, the Fund’s net assets will rise by the same amount as the Fund’s exposure. Conversely, if the Underlying Security gains in value, the Fund’s net assets will decline by the same amount as the Fund’s exposure. Thus, an investor that purchases Shares intra-day may experience performance that is greater than, or less than, the Fund’s stated inverse performance of the Underlying Security.

 

If there is a significant intra-day market event and/or the securities of the Underlying Security experience a significant increase or decrease, the Fund may not meet its investment objective or rebalance its portfolio appropriately.

 

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

 

Rebalancing Risk. If for any reason the Fund is unable to rebalance all or a portion of its portfolio, or if all or a portion of the portfolio is rebalanced incorrectly, the Fund’s investment exposure may not be consistent with the Fund’s investment objective. In these instances, the Fund may have investment exposure to the Underlying Security that is significantly greater or less than its stated investment objective. As a result, the Fund may be exposed to leverage risk because it had not been properly rebalanced and may not achieve its investment objective.

 

ETF Risks.

 

Authorized Participants, Market Makers, and Liquidity Providers Concentration Risk. The Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that are authorized to purchase and redeem Shares directly from the Fund (known as “Authorized Participants” or “APs”). In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) APs exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other APs step forward to perform these services; or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.

 

Cash Redemption Risk. The Fund’s investment strategy may require it to redeem Shares for cash or to otherwise include cash as part of its redemption proceeds. For example, the Fund may not be able to redeem in-kind certain securities held by the Fund (e.g., derivative instruments). In such a case, 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 in-kind redemption process was used. By paying out higher annual capital gain distributions, investors may be subjected to increased capital gains taxes. The costs associated with cash redemptions may include brokerage costs that the Fund may not have incurred if it had made the redemptions in-kind. These costs could be imposed on the Fund, decreasing its NAV, to the extent these costs are not offset by a transaction fee payable by an authorized participant.

 

Costs of Buying or Selling Shares. Buying or selling Shares involves certain costs, including brokerage commissions, other charges imposed by brokers, and bid-ask spreads. The bid-ask spread represents the difference between the price at which an investor is willing to buy Shares and the price at which an investor is willing to sell Shares. The spread varies over time based on the Shares’ trading volume and market liquidity. The spread is generally lower if Shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if Shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Due to the costs of buying or selling Shares, frequent trading of Shares may reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.

 

Shares May Trade at Prices Other Than NAV. As with all ETFs, Shares may be bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. Although it is expected that the market price of Shares will approximate the Fund’s NAV, there may be times when the market price of Shares is more than the NAV intra-day (premium) or less than the NAV intra-day (discount) due to supply and demand of Shares or during periods of market volatility. This risk is heightened in times of market volatility, periods of steep market declines, and periods when there is limited trading activity for Shares in the secondary market, in which case such premiums or discounts may be significant.

 

Trading. Although Shares are listed on a national securities exchange, such as The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC (the “Exchange”), and may be traded on U.S. exchanges other than the Exchange, there can be no assurance that Shares will trade with any volume, or at all, on any stock exchange. In stressed market conditions, the liquidity of Shares may begin to mirror the liquidity of the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings, which can be significantly less liquid than Shares. This adverse effect on liquidity for the Fund’s shares may lead to wider bid-ask spreads and differences between the market price of the Fund’s shares and the underlying value of the shares.

 

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Liquidity Risk. In certain circumstances, such as the disruption of the orderly markets for the financial instruments in which the Fund invests, the Fund might not be able to acquire or dispose of certain holdings quickly or at prices that represent true market value in the judgment of the Adviser. Markets for the financial instruments in which the Fund invests may be disrupted by a number of events, including but not limited to economic crises, health crises, natural disasters, excessive volatility, new legislation, or regulatory changes inside or outside of the U.S. These situations may have an impact on the liquidity of the Funds own shares.”

 

Economic and Market Risk. Economies and financial markets throughout the world are becoming increasingly interconnected, which increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one country or region will adversely impact markets or issuers in other countries or regions. Securities in the Fund’s portfolio may underperform in comparison to securities in the general financial markets, a particular financial market, or other asset classes, due to a number of factors, including inflation (or expectations for inflation), deflation (or expectations for deflation), interest rates, global demand for particular products or resources, market instability, financial system instability, debt crises and downgrades, embargoes, tariffs, sanctions and other trade barriers, regulatory events, other governmental trade or market control programs and related geopolitical events. In addition, the value of the Fund’s investments may be negatively affected by the occurrence of global events such as war, terrorism, environmental disasters, natural disasters or events, country instability, and infectious disease epidemics or pandemics. The imposition by the U.S. of tariffs on goods imported from foreign countries and reciprocal tariffs levied on U.S. goods by those countries also may lead to volatility and instability in domestic and foreign markets.

 

High Portfolio Turnover Risk. Daily rebalancing of the Fund’s holdings pursuant to its daily investment objective causes a much greater number of portfolio transactions when compared to most ETFs. Additionally, active market trading of the Fund’s Shares on such exchanges as The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC, could cause more frequent creation and redemption activities, which could increase the number of portfolio transactions. Frequent and active trading may lead to higher transaction costs because of increased broker commissions resulting from such transactions. In addition, there is the possibility of significantly increased short-term capital gains (which will be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income when distributed to them). The Fund calculates portfolio turnover without including the short-term cash instruments or derivative transactions that comprise the majority of the Fund’s trading. As such, if the Fund’s extensive use of derivative instruments were reflected, the calculated portfolio turnover rate would be significantly higher.

 

Tracking Error Risk. Tracking error is the divergence of the Fund’s performance from that of its investment objective which aims to replicate -2X the daily percentage change in the price of the Underlying Security. Tracking error may occur for a number of reasons. Tracking error may occur because of transaction costs, the Fund’s holding of cash, differences in accrual of dividends, being under- or overexposed to the Underlying Security or the need to meet new or existing regulatory requirements. Tracking error risk may be heightened during times of market volatility or other unusual market conditions such as market disruptions. The Fund may be required to deviate from its investment objectives, and therefore experience tracking error, as a result of market restrictions or other legal reasons, including regulatory limits or other restrictions on securities that may be purchased by the Adviser and its affiliates.

 

Liquidity Risk. Some securities held by the Fund may be difficult to sell or be illiquid, particularly during times of market turmoil. Markets for securities or financial instruments could be disrupted by a number of events, including, but not limited to, an economic crisis, natural disasters, epidemics/pandemics, new legislation or regulatory changes inside or outside the United States. Illiquid securities may be difficult to value, especially in changing or volatile markets. If the Fund is forced to sell an illiquid security at an unfavorable time or price, the Fund may be adversely impacted. Certain market conditions or restrictions, such as market rules related to short sales, may prevent the Fund from limiting losses, realizing gains or achieving a high correlation with the Underlying Security. There is no assurance that a security that is deemed liquid when purchased will continue to be liquid. Market illiquidity may cause losses for the Fund.

 

Money Market Instrument Risk. The Fund may use a variety of money market instruments for cash management purposes, including money market funds, depositary accounts and repurchase agreements. Repurchase agreements are contracts in which a seller of securities agrees to buy the securities back at a specified time and price. Repurchase agreements may be subject to market and credit risk related to the collateral securing the repurchase agreement. Money market instruments may lose money.

 

Newer Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with a limited operating history. As a result, prospective investors have only a limited track record or history on which to base their investment decisions.

 

Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund. As a result, a decline in the value of an investment in a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers could cause the Fund’s overall value to decline to a greater degree than if the Fund held a more diversified portfolio.

 

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Trading Halt Risk. Although the Underlying Security’s shares are listed for trading on an exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will be available at all times and the Exchange may halt trading of such shares in certain circumstances. A halt in trading in the Underlying Security’s shares is expected, in turn, to result in a halt in the trading in the Fund’s Shares. Trading in the Underlying Security’s and/or Fund’s Shares on the Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in the Underlying Security’s and/or Fund’s Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Underlying Security’s and/or Fund’s Shares on an exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to exchange “circuit breaker” rules.” In the event of a trading halt for an extended period of time, the Fund may be unable to execute arrangements with swap counterparties that are necessary to implement the Fund’s investment strategy.

 

Operational Risk. The Fund is subject to risks arising from various operational factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund’s service providers, counterparties or other third-parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or systems failures. The Fund relies on third-parties for a range of services, including custody. Any delay or failure relating to engaging or maintaining such service providers may affect the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective. Although the Fund and the Fund’s investment advisor seek to reduce these operational risks through controls and procedures, there is no way to completely protect against such risks.

 

U.S. Government and U.S. Agency Obligations Risk. The Fund may invest in securities issued by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities. U.S. Government obligations include securities issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities, such as the U.S. Treasury. Payment of principal and interest on U.S. Government obligations may be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States or may be backed solely by the issuing or guaranteeing agency or instrumentality itself. In the latter case, the investor must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment, which agency or instrumentality may be privately owned. There can be no assurance that the U.S. Government would provide financial support to its agencies or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises) where it is not obligated to do so.

 

Tax Risk. The Fund intends to elect and to qualify each year to be treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. As a RIC, the Fund will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the portion of its net investment income and net capital gain that it distributes to Shareholders, provided that it satisfies certain requirements of the Code. If the Fund does not qualify as a RIC for any taxable year and certain relief provisions are not available, the Fund’s taxable income will be subject to tax at the Fund level and to a further tax at the shareholder level when such income is distributed. To comply with the asset diversification test applicable to a RIC, the Fund will attempt to ensure that the value of swap contracts and options on shares of a single issuer does not exceed 25% of the Fund’s value at the close of any quarter. If the value of swap contracts and options on shares of a single issuer were to exceed 25% of the Fund’s total assets at the end of a tax quarter, the Fund, generally, has a grace period to cure such lack of compliance. If the Fund fails to timely cure, it may no longer be eligible to be treated as a RIC..

 

Performance

 

Performance information for the Fund is not included because the Fund has not completed a full calendar year of operations as of the date of this Prospectus. When such information is included, this section will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s performance history from year to year and showing how the Fund’s average annual total returns compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. Although past performance of the Fund is no guarantee of how it will perform in the future, historical performance may give you some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. Updated performance information will be available on the Fund’s website at www.defianceetfs.com.

 

Management

 

Investment Adviser: Tidal Investments LLC, a Tidal Financial Group company, serves as investment adviser to the Fund.

 

Portfolio Managers:

 

The following individuals are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund.

 

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Qiao Duan, CFA, Portfolio Manager for the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in 2024.

 

Christopher P. Mullen, Portfolio Manager for the Adviser, has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in 2024.

 

CFA® is a registered trademark owned by the CFA Institute.

 

Purchase and Sale of Shares

 

The Fund issues and redeems Shares at NAV only in large blocks known as “Creation Units,” which only APs (typically, broker-dealers) may purchase or redeem. The Fund generally issues and redeems Creation Units in exchange for a portfolio of securities (the “Deposit Securities”) and/or a designated amount of U.S. cash.

 

Shares are listed on a national securities exchange, such as the Exchange, and individual Shares may only be bought and sold in the secondary market through brokers at market prices, rather than NAV. Because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount).

 

An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares (the “bid” price) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (the “ask” price) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market. This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the “bid-ask spread.”

 

Information regarding the Fund’s NAV, market price, how often Shares traded on the Exchange at a premium or discount, and bid-ask spreads can be found on the Fund’s website at www.defianceetfs.com.

 

Tax Information

 

Fund distributions are generally taxable to shareholders as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, or capital gains (or a combination), unless your investment is in an individual retirement account (“IRA”) or other tax-advantaged account. Distributions on investments made through tax-deferred arrangements may be taxed later upon withdrawal of assets from those accounts.

 

Financial Intermediary Compensation

 

If you purchase Shares through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank) (an “Intermediary”), the Adviser or its affiliates may pay Intermediaries for certain activities related to the Fund, including participation in activities that are designed to make Intermediaries more knowledgeable about exchange-traded products, including the Fund, or for other activities, such as marketing, educational training, or other initiatives related to the sale or promotion of Shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the Intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Any such arrangements do not result in increased Fund expenses. Ask your salesperson or visit the Intermediary’s website for more information.

 

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